Editorial | Ends don't justify means

Throughout the media blitz surrounding New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo's loan kickback bust, one name didn't belong alongside the major offenders - Penn's.

The University got caught in Cuomo's net for not disclosing the full extent of its relationship with Citibank - which is on Penn's list of recommended lenders - to Penn students who took out loans. As part of the agreement, Citibank gave the University 2 percent of the principal amount each Penn student borrowed from the loan company.

Since that settlement, Penn has been revealed as one of the least egregious offenders. Whereas financial aid officers at other schools personally profited from relationships with lenders, Penn was recommending Citibank to students before the agreement was made. Officials maintain that Citibank did and still does offer some of the best deals to students.

Most importantly, the University put the funds from Citibank, $1,617,580, into financial aid. Unlike other schools where loan officers put funds into their pockets, Penn used the Citibank funds for a worthwhile cause.

However, while Penn did not deliberately hurt students, the betrayal of trust cannot be glossed over by the settlement. The University should have disclosed the agreement to students, and a convincing reason for why they did not has yet to surface. If Penn was concerned that the relationship would seem improper, it was its duty to question whether it was worthwhile to continue.

Since the story broke, many students have come forward and expressed feelings of betrayal. For these students, their faith in the honesty of the University has been tested, and Penn will have to work hard to win it back. The University may have had good intentions, but it was not worth violating students' trust.

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