New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said Monday that three more New York area universities have agreed to adhere to a new code of conduct when it comes to student loans.

Pratt Institute, and Mercy and Manhattanville colleges all agreed to stricter standards for their student loan programs, the latest in his ongoing probe of the $85 billion student loan industry. That brings the number of 12 New York area schools to either settle charges or adopt stricter standards.

Mr. Cuomo said that Mercy College's call center was run by Sallie Mae, the nation's largest student lender, but staffers never informed students or parents that they actually were employed by the lender and not the Dobbs Ferry, N.Y., school. In addition to signing the code of conduct, Mercy agreed to pay $5,000 into the AG's student loan fund.

An employee at Pratt Institute, which has campuses in Manhattan and Brooklyn, was found to be on the advisory board of College Loan Corp. -- a preferred lender for the school. The lender paid travel expenses for the unnamed employee.

Purchase, N.Y.-based Manhattanville College received printing services from some of its preferred lenders, said the AG. And one school employee even received several theater tickets from one of the school's preferred lenders, Lincoln, Neb.-based Nelnet.

Another New York school, employees of Poughkeepsie-based Marist College were members of lender advisory boards and attended seminars sponsored by private lenders, according to Mr. Cuomo's office. The school received about $5,000 in goods and services from various firms. Marist consolidated all of its loan business with Sallie Mae last year.

Other schools also reached deals with the AG's office, including Lewis & Clark College in Portland, Ore., and Fort Worth, Texas-based Texas Christian University.

To-date a total of 21 schools have committed to stricter lending standards and eight schools have agreed to reimburse more than $3 million to students. The AG's education fund for prospective students now has more than $6.5 million.