Approximately $3.4 billion of asset-backed securities affected.
New York, June 25, 2013 -- Moody's Investors Service has placed under review for upgrade the ratings
of 27 classes of notes and downgraded the rating of one class of notes
in six student loan securitizations sponsored by Access Group Inc.
The underlying collateral consists of student loans originated under the
Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), which are guaranteed
by the U.S. government for a minimum of 97% of defaulted
principal and accrued interest.
RATINGS RATIONALE
The reviews for upgrade are primarily a result of Access Group mitigating
operational risk in the transactions by transferring the loan servicing
function to Xerox Education Services, formally known as ACS Education
Services, one of the larger and well established student loan servicers.
Moody's downgraded senior classes in these securitizations on October
7, 2011, due to the risk of loan servicing and payment disruption
in the event that Access Group is not able to service these securitizations.
The downgrade of the Class A2 notes in the Series 2004-2 securitization
reflects a high probability that the class will not be fully repaid by
its final maturity date on January 25, 2016, which would constitute
an event of default. Based on the current note pay-down
speed, the significant overcollateralization of the tranche (current
senior parity of 109%) and approximately 0.5% of
excess spread per year, the unpaid balance will likely be fully
recovered in 20 or more months after the final maturity date. Transaction
structure stipulates that upon an event of default majority noteholders
of the Class A notes could request to accelerate repayment of the notes,
which would change the priority of payments within Class A from sequential
to pro-rata. If that occurs the Class A3 notes would also
not fully amortize by their final maturity date. However,
we are not downgrading this class because of a low probability of such
switch to pro rata principal payments.
The principal methodologies used in these ratings were "Moody's Approach
to Rating Securities Backed by FFELP Student Loans" published in April
2012, "Moody's Approach to Rating Structured Finance
Securities in Default" published in November 2009, and "Global
Structured Finance Operational Risk Guidelines" published in June
2013. Please see the Credit Policy page on www.moodys.com
for a copy of these methodologies.
The complete rating actions as follow:
Issuer: Access Group Inc. - Federal Student Loan Asset-Backed
Floating Rate Notes, Series 2005-2
Senior Ser. 2005-2-A-3, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2005-2-A-4, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: Access Group Inc. Federal Student Loan Asset-Backed
Notes, (2002 Trust Indenture)
Senior Ser. 2002-1 Cl. A-3, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7,
2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2002-1 Cl. A-4, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7,
2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2002-1 Cl. A-2, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7,
2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2003-1 Cl. A-2, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7,
2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2003-1 Cl. A-3, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7,
2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2003-1 Cl. A-4, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7,
2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2003 Cl. A-5, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2003-1 Cl. A-6, Aa3 (sf)
Placed Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7,
2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2004-1A-1, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2004-1A-2, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2004-1A-3, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2004-1A-4, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2004-1A-5, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: Access Group Inc., Series 2006-1
Senior Ser. 2006-1-A-2, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2006-1-A-3, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: Access Group, Inc. Federal Student Loan Asset-Backed
Floating Rate Notes, Series 2005-1
Senior Ser. 2005-1-A-2, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2005-1-A-3, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2005-1-A-4, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: Access Group, Inc. Series 2004-2
Senior Ser. 2004-2-A-4, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2004-2-A-5, Aa3 (sf) Placed
Under Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011
Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2004-2-A-2, Downgraded to
B1 (sf); previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded to Aa3 (sf)
Issuer: Access Group, Inc. Series 2007-1
Senior Ser. 2007-A-2, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2007-A-3, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2007-A-4, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2007-A-5, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under
Review for Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded
to Aa3 (sf)
Senior Ser. 2007-B, Aa3 (sf) Placed Under Review for
Possible Upgrade; previously on Oct 7, 2011 Downgraded to Aa3
(sf)
REGULATORY DISCLOSURES
Moody's did not receive or take into account a third-party
assessment on the due diligence performed regarding the underlying assets
or financial instruments related to the monitoring of these transaction
in the past six months.
In conducting surveillance of these credits, Moody's considered
performance data contained in servicer and remittance reports.
Moody's obtains servicer reports on these transactions on a periodic basis,
at least annually.
For ratings issued on a program, series or category/class of debt,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to each rating of a subsequently issued bond or note of the same series
or category/class of debt or pursuant to a program for which the ratings
are derived exclusively from existing ratings in accordance with Moody's
rating practices. For ratings issued on a support provider,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the rating action on the support provider and in relation to each particular
rating action for securities that derive their credit ratings from the
support provider's credit rating. For provisional ratings,
this announcement provides certain regulatory disclosures in relation
to the provisional rating assigned, and in relation to a definitive
rating that may be assigned subsequent to the final issuance of the debt,
in each case where the transaction structure and terms have not changed
prior to the assignment of the definitive rating in a manner that would
have affected the rating. For further information please see the
ratings tab on the issuer/entity page for the respective issuer on www.moodys.com.
For any affected securities or rated entities receiving direct credit
support from the primary entity(ies) of this rating action, and
whose ratings may change as a result of this rating action, the
associated regulatory disclosures will be those of the guarantor entity.
Exceptions to this approach exist for the following disclosures,
if applicable to jurisdiction: Ancillary Services, Disclosure
to rated entity, Disclosure from rated entity.
Regulatory disclosures contained in this press release apply to the credit
rating and, if applicable, the related rating outlook or rating
review.
Please see www.moodys.com for any updates on changes to
the lead rating analyst and to the Moody's legal entity that has issued
the rating.
Please see the ratings tab on the issuer/entity page on www.moodys.com
for additional regulatory disclosures for each credit rating.
Jinwen Chen
Associate Analyst
Structured Finance Group
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Irina Faynzilberg
VP - Sr Credit Officer/Manager
Structured Finance Group
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Releasing Office:
Moody's Investors Service, Inc.
250 Greenwich Street
New York, NY 10007
U.S.A.
JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376
SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653
Moody's reviews for upgrade 27 classes and downgrades one class of notes issued in Access Group's FFELP student loan securitizations