Higher education bonds

Governors presented more optimistic outlooks of their states' economies and finances in their state of the state addresses this year, and many said they would pursue new spending, Moody's Investors Service said in a report.

Kentucky Gov. Steve Beshear is proposing a new bond program for its community colleges modeled after a similar program for universities last year.

Competitive bids Thursday on $27 million of revenue bonds will fund a new University of Iowa dormitory to help deal with a housing crunch due to rising enrollment.

Fitch Ratings downgraded more than $7 billion of general revenue bonds issued by the University of California to AA from AA-plus.

Widener University School of Law's Harrisburg, Pa., campus has scheduled a daylong conference on municipal financial distress for April.

The University of Illinois heads to market with a $180 million new money sale that offers investors high grade state-related paper from a credit that has mostly weathered the state's own ratings deterioration.

Standard & Poor's and Moody's both revised their outlooks to negative on the University of Chicago noting poorer than expected fiscal performance, planned deficits, and future borrowing plans.

Former New York City Comptroller and mayoral candidate John Liu is teaching public policy and municipal finance at Baruch College.

Moody's Investors Service dropped Alabama State University's bond ratings to Baa1 from A3 amid a forensic audit that began in 2012, and remains incomplete.

The Kansas Jayhawks basketball team will get a $17.5 million apartment building funded by donations and revenue bonds.

Gov. Jerry Brown's proposed budget is a credit positive for California's school and community college districts, according to Moody's Investors Service.

Standard & Poor's upgraded Series 2007civic facility revenue bonds issued for Polytechnic University after the school merger with NYU closed.

The Minneapolis College of Arts and Design's growing enrollment numbers and improved cash flows and debt service coverage prompted Moody's Investors Service to revise its outlook to stable from negative.

Moody's Investors Service downgraded Yeshiva University debt to B1 from Baa2 Thursday afternoon

Washington State University is planning to sell $60 million of revenue bonds later this month to fund improvements throughout its campus.

Northeastern University has scheduled a $250 million bond sale, with proceeds to help fund construction of a science and engineering building.

The Internal Revenue Service has concluded that $720 million of student-loan bonds issued by a New Hampshire authority are taxable, leading the issuer to move toward requesting an administrative appeal and asking the IRS to reopen its audits of the bonds.

The University of Chicago was among six institutions to which the not-for-profit Ludwig Cancer Research organization awarded $540 million grants to fund cancer research.

The University of Arkansas' 20-year master plan for its Fort Smith campus is expected to require about $200 million, according to chancellor Paul Beran.

The University of Texas System will open the new year with $240 million of top-rated Permanent University Fund bonds to refund commercial paper.