The standards, released quietly by UNC system President Erskine Bowles several weeks ago, have triggered a wide review of student loan practices throughout the state's 16 public universities.

Some changes are certain, although North Carolina hasn't had the problems that other states have. In New York, the student loan scandal has revealed kickback schemes, expensive gifts and stock offerings.

North Carolina financial aid officers say the 11-point memo is helpful, even if it serves only to make the rules clear.

"We expected something like this would be coming from the U.S. Department of Education anyway, so it helps to have guidance early," said Shirley Ort, director of financial aid for UNC-Chapel Hill.

The directive emphasizes a point apparent to most families as soon as they apply for financial aid: The byzantine and bureaucratic process requires that families trust the university.

"Financial aid officers simply cannot abuse that trust," said Kimrey Rhinehardt, UNC vice president of federal relations. "Parents and students can't be expected to be the experts here."

The new rules require that financial aid officers provide families with at least three lenders based on the best interest rates, fees, terms, customer service and borrower benefits.

The reasons for the recommendations must be "completely transparent" to families and UNC system officials, who will review the lender lists each year.

Families can recommend lenders that are not on the list.

Such rules were designed in response to an investigation by New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo that revealed several examples of schools accepting gifts and other benefits in exchange for recommending lenders.

To address that problem, the UNC rules prohibit university employees from accepting any gift "other than advertising items of nominal value." The language mirrors new ethics rules that govern legislators.

Financial aid officers can serve on advisory boards of private lenders, but they can no longer accept payment, beyond meals associated with the meetings.

Similarly, employees who participate in professional development conferences must pay their own way.

Those rules are designed to shut down practices such as lenders providing excessive payments for advisory board memberships and paying for conferences at swanky resorts.

The new rules come before families will have to rely even more on the advice of financial aid officers.

Congressional budget proposals working their way through committees could result in different loan packages -- especially from private lenders -- as well as new rules covering student loan forgiveness, bankruptcy claims and caps on monthly student-loan payments.

"The changes being discussed now in Congress could really benefit students," said Steve Brooks, executive director of the N.C. State Education Assistance Authority.

"At the same time, families will need a lot of guidance to understand their options."