DaytonDailyNews.com

COLUMBUS — Ohio Attorney General Marc Dann will investigate whether state college officials have taken free trips, benefited from stock deals, taken gifts or otherwise participated in conflicts of interest with the student loan industry, his office said Friday.

Dann sent letters to university and college presidents statewide, asking them to freeze all documents related to an investigation of unethical conduct between the student loan industry and financial aid officers.

The probe follows the lead of New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, who a few weeks ago exposed cozy alliances between several colleges and universities and student loan providers.

Lenders often entice financial aid officers with items of value to land their companies on schools' "preferred lender" lists, which institutions give to students seeking loans.

Students often rely on the lists to find loans.

Cuomo's investigators found student loan companies gave all-expense-paid trips to exotic locations for college financial aid officers, who then directed students to the lenders.

In his letter, Dann said he is "interested in documents relating to student loan providers, including revenue sharing agreements, referral fee agreements, preferred lender lists, consulting agreements, and lender marketing materials."

The potential deceptive practices are an issue critical to Ohio students, who often depend on student loans, Dann said.