Higher Education
With tuition revenue pressures, endowment volatility, and aging infrastructure converging across campuses nationwide, colleges and universities require sage financing solutions to sustain institutional vitality. Recent regulatory shifts and evolving investor expectations have transformed traditional approaches to higher education debt issuance. Stradling provides strategic legal counsel to academic institutions navigating this increasingly intricate capital landscape. Our team structures transactions for state university systems, private liberal arts colleges, academic medical centers, and community college districts—blending financial acumen with deep institutional knowledge to create pathways for campus development despite fiscal constraints.
Every transaction in which we are involved reflects the distinctive mission, revenue model, and governance structure of the individual institution we serve. Our attorneys scrutinize debt capacity, analyze credit implications, and craft appropriate covenant packages that preserve operational autonomy while satisfying investor requirements. The firm's multidisciplinary approach to problem-solving addresses the intricate interplay between financial considerations and the broader institutional objectives that drive capital decisions within academic settings. Our experience includes advising on:
- Traditional tax-exempt and taxable bond issuances
- Variable-rate structures and commercial paper programs
- Public-private partnerships for auxiliary facilities
- Equipment lease financing for research instrumentation
- Philanthropic bridge financing aligned with capital campaigns
- Green bonds for sustainability initiatives and carbon reduction projects
Beyond transaction execution, our team contributes substantive insights on industry-wide developments affecting institutional borrowers. Our team has cultivated and maintained productive communications rating agencies, underwriters, and financial advisors focused on the higher education sector. This continuous engagement enables us to more easily identify emerging financial strategies, anticipate regulatory developments, and recognize shifting market preferences that can influence financing terms. When paired with our detailed understanding of campus planning processes, governing board dynamics, and institutional budgeting cycles, this market intelligence transforms standard financing transactions into tactical tools supporting broader academic and research objectives.
