OREANDA-NEWS. Fitch Ratings has published its U. S. Student Loan ABS Index Report Card and U. S. Student Loan ABS Transcript which provide performance metrics up to the first quarter of 2016 for both private and FFELP student loans, including student loan ABS gross defaults, deferment, forbearance and delinquencies, as well as unemployment rates in correlation with 90-120-day delinquencies.

In an attempt to address maturity risk in its credit analyses, Fitch has been working to revise its FFELP Student Loan ABS criteria to reflect the changing payment behavior and loan status trends in FFELP loans. Fitch is in its final phase of its criteria review and expects to publish its new criteria within the next month.

In this publication, Fitch reports on FFELP student loan transactions that are affected by recent actions taken by student loan issuers to mitigate maturity risk. The approaches that student loan issuers have sought include extension of bonds' legal maturity dates, exercise of optional servicer purchase or early redemption, and implementation of a revolving credit line to prevent an event of default.