In 2005 the Australian Government introduced a new loan scheme called FEE-HELP to assist fee-paying students who do not receive Commonwealth contributions to the cost of their course and are required to pay tuition fees. It replaces the separate loan schemes that previously helped students to pay their tuition fees. FEE-HELP assists a greater range of students than was previously the case. It assists eligible students to finance their studies in fee-paying places at public universities, private universities and at other eligible higher education providers.