Opposition Leader Bill Shorten will use tonight's budget reply speech to promise $6 billion in savings by restricting the size of vocational education loans.

Under the proposal, an $8,000 cap would be placed on loans provided by private vocational education providers.

It will not apply to TAFE courses, with $6 billion in savings spread over a decade.

It follows a growing list of scandals involving vocational education providers, with claims of unscrupulous operators and students overburdened with debt.

The Federal Opposition has been under pressure to address a $20 billion gap over its plans to increase the tobacco excise.

A discussion paper released by the Federal Government last month suggested a similar plan to cap student loans.

Source: ABC News