There has been disturbing news in the media recently regarding the student loan industry and its relationship to colleges and their financial aid offices. News of wrongdoing by a few financial aid officers and their lending partners is indeed a concern, especially among dedicated professionals in the field.

However, some recent reports seem to have painted the entire financial aid community with the same broad brush of suspicion.

Cayuga Community College is a participant in the Ford Federal Direct Lending Program.

In this program, our students borrow directly from the federal government, without the use of commercial lenders.

Therefore, we have no “preferred lender” list, nor any relationships with lenders of the type that are being scrutinized by New York's Attorney

General.

As the director of financial aid at Cayuga Community College and past president of the 1,400-member New York State Financial Aid Administrators Association (NYSFAAA), I have been proud to be associated with honest, ethical, devoted colleagues who work tirelessly to help students through the financial-aid maze.

These professionals have devoted their time not only to assist students at their own colleges, but also to conduct countless high school Financial Aid Nights, educate middle school and high school counselors on financial aid issues, promote awareness programs for all ages, and present workshops to assist low-income high school students struggling with the aid process.

My peers in the field do all of this without additional compensation because we care about ensuring access to higher education for everyone.

In light of the recent exposure of possible preferential lending practices, I feel compelled to write in support of the vast majority of financial aid professionals who I know to be people of the highest level of integrity, devoted to serving students and their families in pursuit of higher education.

Judi Miladin

Auburn

Miladin is director of Financial Aid at Cayuga Community College and past president of NYSFAAA.