Updated: May 15   April 30, 2025 | Brandon Lippold, Vice President, and Max Wilkinson, Vice President   Leveraging Debt for Campus Improvement: A Strategic Guide for Higher Education Institutions In the ever-evolving landscape of higher education, institutions face mounting pressure to maintain and modernize their campuses with limited financial resources.

Updated: May 15   Credit Rating Agency Outlooks The major credit rating agencies shared their 2025 outlook reports for higher education in December of 2024. Moody’s Investor Service assigned a “Stable” outlook for the sector, highlighting a steady financial environment for the sector due, in part, to waning pressure from inflation

Blue Rose Remains a Steady, Trusted Advisor Amid Potential Significant Changes Ahead in 2025 Happy new year and welcome to what is sure to be an exciting 2025!  The beginning of the new year marks a new start for many of us.  New year’s resolutions, new goals and aspirations, perhaps even

Updated: May 15  Higher education has experienced a few years of tumult and recovery since the COVID pandemic. While some institutions are catching their breath, others are struggling to survive. Given the gathering clouds around enrollment trends from this year and well into the future, few can afford themselves the luxury

Higher Education Rating Agency Medians – Some Stabilization in FY 2023, but Enrollment and Operational Challenges Remain In fiscal 2023, the sunsetting of federal pandemic relief aid and growing inflationary pressures weighed on public and private universities alike, pressuring operations and driving margins down to pre-pandemic levels or below. Enrollment

In our previous market update published in mid-May, we focused on interest rate volatility and signaling from the Fed on its rate outlook for the remainder of the year. While rate volatility has somewhat calmed, the interest rate environment is still elevated relative to the last several years. As volatility

A little over a year ago, the transition from the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) to the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) occurred. This transition had been in the works for several years and officially concluded in June of 2023. Below, we summarize some important milestones that have transpired since

Markets have remained volatile through the first four months of 2024, continuing a theme that we observed at the end of last year. Rates have moved significantly higher and equity indexes sit near all-time highs. However, there is significant uncertainty around how the rest of the year will unfold.  Much

Blue Rose Presented at the WHEFA Lunch & Learn Webinar Blue Rose Capital Advisors Erik Kelly, President, and Brandon Lippold, Vice President, shared industry insights and financial strategies to address unique market activity during their presentation at the Wisconsin Health & Education Facilities Authority’s (WHEFA) Lunch & Learn Market Update

As FAFSA Challenges Persist, Colleges and Universities Scramble to Adjust By now, colleges and universities are quite familiar with the unique challenges that changes to the FAFSA (Free Application for Federal Student Aid) pose to financial aid offices for 2024-25. Typically available to prospective students beginning in October, the Department