NEW YORK (Standard&Poor's) Oct. 6, 2011--Standard&Poor's Ratings Services today assigned its 'AA-/A-1+' rating to Rhode Island Student Loan Authority's $18 million student loan program revenue bonds 2011 series A (taxable). At the same time, we confirmed our 'AA-/A-1+' rating on the $15 million 2008 series B-5 (taxable) bonds. The rating on the 2011 series A bonds reflects our opinion of the credit and liquidity support that State Street Bank and Trust Co. ('AA-/A-1+') provides in the form of an irrevocable direct-pay letter of credit (LOC). Under the LOC, State Street Bank and Trust Co. fully supports all 2011 series A bond payment obligations when the bonds are in the weekly and long-term interest rate reset modes.