January 23, 2004

Loan-Guarantee Agencies Still Sound

To the Editor:

Northwest Education Loan Association, the designated guarantor for the states of Washington and Idaho, remains fiscally responsible and will continue to meet all its financial obligations. Stephen Burd's "Loan Guarantors May Ask Students to Pay More" (December 5) erroneously implies that we are in danger of failing and leaving the burden on taxpayers.

At NELA, we are constantly monitoring and managing our financial situation to ensure that we can continue to