CHICAGO (Standard&Poor's) Dec. 21, 2007--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services revised its outlook to positive and affirmed the 'AA+' rating on the Illinois Finance Authority's tax-exempt bonds, issued for Northwestern University. In addition, Standard&Poor's affirmed its 'A-1+' rating on the university's outstanding parity short term debt. "The positive outlook reflects our anticipation that a continuation of strong financial performance, growth of unrestricted financial resources, and improvement in demand could lead to a higher rating," said Standard&Poor's credit analyst Linda Eremita. "The university's credit profile benefits from exceptional liquidity, a strong track record of positive financial operations, and a solid management team." Financial operations are consistently balanced with solid operating surpluses. A large long term investment
