Twenty years ago, a U.S. Senate aide walked into a bank in Maine and saw a sign that read "Take out a student loan today, get a toaster." The aide, concerned that students would be tempted to take out loans they did not need, drafted legislation barring lenders from offering "inducements" to borrow. That language was added to the Higher Education…

An expanding investigation into conflicts of interest in the student-loan industry continued to sweep up more lenders and college financial-aid administrators last week. The nation's largest student-loan provider, Sallie Mae, accepted a $2-million settlement with New York State's attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, and three more college officials…

The ever-expanding investigation into conflicts of interest between colleges and lenders continued to claim victims last week as two more universities settled with New York State's attorney general, and another fired its financial-aid director. Drexel University, the only institution that had said it would fight allegations over its student-loan…

Colleges would be required to give students information to help them shop around among loan providers under proposed changes in student-loan programs announced by the U.S. Department of Education. The proposed regulations represent the department's most significant response to date to the continuing controversy over conflicts of interest in the…

In December 2005, purchasing agents at Florida International University issued a request for proposals seeking banks and student-loan companies for a list of "preferred lenders" that the university planned to give to prospective borrowers. The request alone was not unusual. Many colleges use competitive bidding to secure attractive terms…