The Education Department last night cut off outside access to a government database that contains the personal financial information of millions of student aid applicants. The department acted on concerns that loan companies or other marketers were improperly obtaining private information on potential borrowers. The shutdown, announced by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings, is its strongest response to a broadening student loan scandal that has already implicated loan companies and caused several universities to put their financial aid administrators on leave and review their dealings with lenders.

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