In the past two weeks, New York Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo (D) has roiled the $85 billion student loan industry with a sweeping conflict-of-interest probe, extracted settlements from major financial institutions, and set the agenda for lawmakers and regulators in Washington.

It is a bold -- and, some analysts say, unexpected -- approach to a politician's first 100 days in office as he strives to fill the shadow of predecessor Eliot L. Spitzer (D), who defined the role of activist attorney general by investigating tainted Wall Street research, improper insurance practices and excessive consumer fees...

The most significant result of his investigation has been persuading three lenders, including Citibank and Reston-based Sallie Mae, to alter their business practices by signing a code of conduct that bars student loan companies from offering perks to university financial aid officials, sending company staff to work for free in financial aid offices or paying schools to steer students to their loans...

Michael Dannenberg, director of education policy at the New America Foundation, said, "There is no question that Cuomo deserves credit for helping to energize calls for student loan reform in Washington and elsewhere in the country."

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