In the hours before he became governor, New York’s departing attorney general, Andrew M. Cuomo, announced that he was tying up a loose end from one of his signature campaigns: an investigation of the student loan industry that uncovered kickbacks and deceptive marketing tactics.

Mr. Cuomo said Friday that $13 million in settlements paid by dozens of colleges and lenders in the case would be used to finance a national student loan center, to help young borrowers and their parents navigate the complexities of the college lending process.