BOSTON (Standard&Poor's) Sept. 10, 2004—Standard&Poor's Ratings Services' has assigned its 'SP-1+' rating to University of Pittsburgh, Pa.'s $60 million asset notes (PANTHERS) series 2004, based on the university's history of strong market access and underlying credit strengths. The notes are expected to price on Sept. 14, 2004, and mature Oct. 14, 2005. At the same time, Standard&Poor's affirmed its 'SP-1+' rating on the university's outstanding asset notes (PANTHERS) series 2003. The rating agency also affirmed its 'AA' standard long-term rating and Standard&Poor's underlying rating (SPUR) on the university's outstanding long-term debt. In addition, the rating agency affirmed its 'A-1+' rating on the university's outstanding variable-rate debt, reflecting the presence of liquidity support
