Topeka ? Government-backed student loans have provided stability in uncertain economic times for most students, university officials said this week.

Todd Cohen, a Kansas University spokesman, said that while government-backed loans are guaranteed, some students who choose private lenders may be faced with different choices in the future.

As the banking industry has adjusted to new economic realities recently, some institutions have decided against providing student loans, Cohen said.

However, most students will pursue the lower-interest government-backed loans, he said.

“Yes, there probably will be fewer options,” Cohen said. “But the biggest option is still available.”

He said the university’s Office of Financial Aid provides a list of banks that offer student loans to those seeking private loans, but does not make recommendations.

“Where you get your loan, that’s your business,” he said.

A student can choose between two types of federal Stafford loans, said Jeanne Mott, Baker University director of financial aid. One uses the government as a lender, and one, while federally guaranteed, allows students to go through a private lender.

In recent months, however, some banking institutions have stopped offering student loans, requiring students to find a new lender, she said.

Although students have access to the money and are notified about the change they are required to make, it has been a challenge occasionally to identify the affected students, notify them and get them to follow through with needed changes, she said.

Fortunately, students’ loans are guaranteed and they don’t lose access to their funds, she said.

“It’s just a little bit of extra work,” Mott said.