Higher education bonds

Fitch Ratings has assigned a stable outlook for 2013 to the colleges and universities sector, based on demand and enrollment, liquidity, and risk management.

Mountain State University in West Virginia has redeemed its outstanding tax-exempt debt as the private nonprofit institution winds down its operations.

Public-private partnerships will take over operations in 2013 at three Louisiana State University hospitals and another one under construction.

Representatives from a rating agency and the investment community weighed in on the dramatic changes affecting the higher education business model at The Bond Buyer 501(c)3 conference.

The Vermont Student Assistance Corporation entered into the closing agreement with the Internal Revenue Service over $165 million of education loan revenue bonds they issued in 1998.

California's state and local fiscal policies and the impact on credit ratings came under fire during a UCLA Anderson Forecast presentation Tuesday on the college campus.

The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York's board on Wednesday approved $175 million of new financings for healthcare, higher education, and non-profit institutions.

Moody’s Investors Service downgraded to B3 from Ba3 its rating on Ashland University, Ohio, and kept its outlook negative.

Moody’s Investors Service placed the Aa2 long-term bond ratings of Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, under review for possible downgrade.

The South Texas Higher Education Authority is the latest student loan bond issuer to enter into a voluntary closing agreement program with the Internal Revenue Service.

The MSRB has revised a draft rule that would require underwriters of 529 college savings plans to file certain plan-related data once or twice a year, instead of quarterly.

The Virginia College Building Authority will sell nearly $400 million of highly-rated bonds in a competitive sale Wednesday, to what commonwealth officers expect will be high demand.

The University of Connecticut on Tuesday issued $88 million of UConn2000 Series 2012A special obligation student fee revenue refunding bonds, with an all-in true interest cost of 2.48%.

The Dormitory Authority of the State of New York is scheduled to sell $135 million of revenue bonds for the Rochester Institute of Technology on Tuesday.

The University of Connecticut will go to market with a $90 million sale of Series 2012A refunding special obligation student fee revenue bonds.

Standard & Poor’s downgraded to AA-minus from AA about $170 million of revenue bonds issued by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York for Vassar College.

Voter approval of $750 million in New Jersey general obligation bonds to fund university facilities on Nov. 6 is a credit positive for universities, Moody’s Investors Service said.

Moody's Investors Service says that the higher education sector was recently blessed with a credit positive but that the sector will experience mixed credit conditions in the next few years.

The University of Texas plans to quickly form a steering committee, hire an inaugural dean and recruit faculty members for a new medical school approved by Austin voters in last week's election.

Indiana’s chief budget official Adam Horst announced last week he is leaving the post to join Indiana University Health after less than a year on the job.