"Beginning in February, new regulations from the Federal Reserve Board will require lenders to disclose more information about private student loans, including interest rates and estimated monthly payments," The Chronicle of Higher Education reports. "The new rules, which were put in place last week, stem from last year's legislation to renew the Higher Education Act. They have been hailed as good for student borrowers and were largely uncontroversial among lenders. But financial-aid officers and some higher-education experts say the changes do not go far enough. While comparison-shopping among private lenders will be easier, they say, the regulations do not do enough to ensure that students have exhausted other options before they begin looking for private loans at all. The disclosure rules require lenders to provide information about interest rates, fees, and terms, including the total cost of the loan at the maximum interest rate, when potential borrowers apply."