Remarketing Terms Determination Date. On the Remarketing Terms Determination Date, unless notice of the exercise of the call option described below has already been given, the remarketing agent will notify the class A-5 noteholders whether tender is deemed mandatory or optional for their class A-5 notes. Additionally, in consultation with the administrator, the remarketing agent will establish the following terms for the class A-5 notes by the Remarketing Terms Determination Date, which terms will be applicable during the upcoming reset period:
| • | the weighted average life of the class A-5 notes under several assumed prepayment scenarios; |
| • | the name and contact information of the remarketing agent; |
| • | the next reset date and reset period; |
| • | the applicable minimum denomination and additional increments; |
| • | the interest rate mode (i.e., fixed rate or floating rate); |
| • | the applicable currency; |
| • | if in foreign exchange mode, the identities of the Eligible Swap Counterparties from which bids will be solicited; |
| • | if in foreign exchange mode, the applicable distribution dates on which interest and principal will be paid to the reset rate noteholders, if other than quarterly; |
| • | whether the class A-5 notes will be structured to amortize periodically or to receive a payment of principal only at the end of the related reset period (as will be the case, generally, but not exclusively, whenever the class A-5 notes bear a fixed rate of interest); |
| • | if in floating rate mode, the applicable interest rate index; |
| • | if in floating rate mode, the interval between interest rate change dates; |
| • | if in floating rate mode, the applicable interest rate determination date; |
| • | if in fixed rate mode, the applicable fixed rate pricing benchmark; |
| • | if in fixed rate mode, the identities of the Eligible Swap Counterparties from which bids will be solicited; |
| • | if in floating rate mode, whether there will be a swap agreement and if so the identities of the Eligible Swap Counterparties from which bids will be solicited; |
| • | the applicable interest rate day-count basis; and |
| • | the related All Hold Rate, if applicable. |
Any interest rate mode other than a floating rate based on LIBOR or a commercial paper rate will require that the Rating Agency Condition be satisfied.
The remarketing agent will communicate this information by written notice, through DTC, Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg, as applicable, to the class A-5 noteholders, the indenture trustee and the rating agencies on the related Remarketing Terms Determination Date.
If the class A-5 notes are denominated in U.S. Dollars during the then-current reset period and will continue to be denominated in U.S. Dollars during the immediately following reset period (as will be the case on the April 26, 2021 reset date), on each Remarketing Terms Determination Date, the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, will establish the related All Hold Rate. In this event, on or before the Notice Date, the class A-5 noteholders will have the option to deliver a Hold Notice. A Hold Notice must be delivered with respect to all or any portion of the class A-5 notes to be retained by the related class A-5 noteholder. All or any portion of such notes that are not affirmatively specified in a timely and validly delivered Hold Notice as being retained by the class A-5 noteholder will be deemed to have been tendered. See “—Tender of Reset Rate Notes; Remarketing Procedures” below. If the class A-5 notes either are in foreign exchange mode during the then-current reset period or will be reset into foreign exchange mode on the immediately following reset date, the class A-5 noteholders will be deemed to have tendered their class A-5 notes on the related reset date, regardless of any desire by those noteholders to retain their ownership of any of the class A-5 notes, and no All Hold Rate will be applicable.
If applicable, the All Hold Rate will be the minimum rate of interest that will be effective for the upcoming reset period. In the event that the remarketing agent does not receive Hold Notices with respect to all of the reset rate notes for the next applicable reset period, and the rate of interest using the Spread or fixed rate of interest established on the Spread Determination Date is higher than the All Hold Rate, all reset rate notes for which a Hold Notice was delivered will be entitled to the higher rate of interest on those reset rate notes for the upcoming reset period. If 100% of the reset rate noteholders elect to hold all of their reset rate notes for the next applicable reset period, the rate of interest during the upcoming reset period will be the All Hold Rate.
If the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, are unable to determine the terms set forth above that are required to be established on the applicable Remarketing Terms Determination Date, then, unless the holder of the call option chooses to exercise its call option, a Failed Remarketing will be declared on the related Spread Determination Date, all holders will retain their notes, the Failed Remarketing Rate will apply, and a reset period of three months will be established.
In addition, unless notice of the exercise of the call option has already been given, the administrator, not less than fifteen nor more than thirty calendar days prior to any remarketing terms determination date, will provide the required notices as described under “—Tender of Reset Rate Notes; Remarketing Procedures” below.
If a failed remarketing has been declared, all reset rate notes will be deemed to have been held by the holders on the related reset date at the failed remarketing rate regardless of any desire to tender their notes or any mandatory tender of their notes. With respect to any failed remarketing, the next reset period will be established as a three-month period.
Call Option. The class A-5 notes will be subject, as of each reset date, to a call option, held by Navient Corporation or one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries, for 100% of the class A-5 notes exercisable at a price equal to 100% of the principal balance of the class A-5 notes, less all amounts distributed to the class A-5 noteholders as a payment of principal, plus any accrued and unpaid interest not paid by the trust on the applicable reset date. The call option may be exercised by Navient Corporation or one of its wholly-owned subsidiaries at any time prior to the determination of the related Spread or fixed rate or the declaration of a Failed Remarketing on the related Spread Determination Date. Once notice is given, the holder of the call option may not rescind its exercise of that call option. If the call option is exercised with respect to the class A-5 notes, the interest rate on the class A-5 notes will be the Call Rate and the applicable currency will be U.S. Dollars. In that event, a reset period of three months will be established for the class A-5 notes, at the end of which the holder of the call option may either remarket the class A-5 notes pursuant to the remarketing procedures set forth below or retain those notes for one or more successive three-month reset periods at the existing Call Rate. The interest rate will continue to apply for each reset period while the holder of an exercised call option retains the class A-5 notes.
Spread Determination Date. On each Spread Determination Date, the remarketing agent will set the applicable Spread above or below the applicable index (if the reset rate notes will be in floating rate mode during the next reset period) or the applicable fixed rate of interest (if the reset rate notes will be in fixed rate mode during the next reset period), in either case, at a rate that, in the reasonable opinion of the remarketing agent, will enable all tendering noteholders to receive a payment equal to 100% of the outstanding principal balance of their reset rate notes. Also, if applicable, the administrator and the remarketing agent will select from the bids received from the Eligible Swap Counterparty or Counterparties, with which the trust will enter into one or more swap agreements to hedge basis and/or currency risks for the next related reset period. Furthermore, if the reset rate notes are to be reset to foreign exchange mode, the currency exchange rate, the Extension Rate due to the related currency Swap Counterparty and the Failed Remarketing Rate for the applicable reset period will be determined pursuant to the terms of the related currency swap agreement. If required for the immediately following reset period, on or before the related Spread Determination Date the administrator will arrange for new or additional securities identification codes to be obtained.
In addition, on each spread determination date, the remarketing agent will send a written notice to DTC, Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg, as applicable, with instructions to distribute such notice to its related participants in accordance with DTC’s, Euroclear’s and Clearstream, Luxembourg’s respective procedures, the indenture trustee, and the rating agencies setting forth the applicable spread or fixed rate of interest, as the case may be, any applicable currency exchange rate, and, if applicable, the identity of any swap counterparty or counterparties, including the floating rate (or rates) of interest to be due to each selected swap counterparty on each distribution date during the upcoming reset period as well as the extension rate and failed remarketing rate, if applicable.
Timeline. The following chart shows a timeline of the remarketing process:
Failed Remarketing. There will be a failed remarketing for the class A-5 notes with respect to the April 26, 2021 reset date if:
• | the remarketing agent cannot determine the applicable required reset terms on or before the remarketing terms determination date; |
• | the remarketing agent cannot establish the required spread on the spread determination date; |
• | the remarketing agent is unable to remarket some or all of the tendered reset rate notes at the spread set by the remarketing agent, or one or more committed purchasers default on their purchase obligations and the remarketing agent chooses not to purchase such reset rate notes themself; |
• | any rating agency then rating the notes has not confirmed or upgraded its then-current rating of any class of notes, if such confirmation is required; or |
• | certain other conditions specified in the remarketing agreement are not satisfied. |
In the event a failed remarketing is declared with respect to the class A-5 notes:
| • | all holders of the class A-5 notes will retain their notes, including in all deemed mandatory tender situations; |
| • | the related interest rate for the class A-5 notes will be reset to a failed remarketing rate of three-month LIBOR plus 0.75% per annum; and |
| • | the related reset period will be set at three months. |
Foreign Exchange Mode. If the class A-5 notes are to be reset in foreign exchange mode on the related reset date, the administrator, on behalf of the trust, will enter into one or more currency swap agreements with Eligible Swap Counterparties:
| • | to hedge the currency exchange risk that results from the required payment of principal and interest by the trust in the applicable currency during the upcoming reset period; |
| • | to pay additional interest at the applicable interest rate and in the applicable currency on the class A-5 notes from and including the related reset date to, but excluding the second business day following the related reset date; and |
| • | to facilitate the exchange of all secondary market trade proceeds from a successful remarketing (or proceeds from the exercise of the call option) on the applicable reset date to the applicable currency. |
Under any currency swap agreement between the trust and one or more swap counterparties, each related swap counterparty will be obligated to pay to the trust or a paying agent on behalf of the trust, as applicable:
• | on the effective date of such currency swap agreement for the related reset date, the U.S. Dollar equivalent of all secondary market trade proceeds received from purchasers of the class A-5 notes using the exchange rate established on the effective date of such currency swap agreement; |
• | on or before each distribution date, (1) the rate of interest on the class A-5 notes multiplied by the outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes denominated in the applicable currency and (2) the currency equivalent of the U.S. Dollars such swap counterparty concurrently receives from the trust as a payment of principal allocated to the class A-5 notes, including, on the maturity date for the class A-5 notes, if a currency swap agreement is then in effect, the remaining outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes, but only to the extent that the required U.S. Dollar equivalent amount is received from the trust on such date, using the exchange rate established on the applicable effective date of the currency swap agreement; |
• | with respect to a distribution date that is also a reset date, other than for distribution dates during a reset period following a reset date upon which a failed remarketing has occurred, up to and including the reset date resulting in a successful remarketing or an exercise of the call option, additional interest at the applicable interest rate and in the applicable currency for the class A-5 notes from and including the related reset date to, but excluding, the second business day following the related reset date; and |
• | on the reset date corresponding to a successful remarketing or an exercise of the call option of the class A-5 notes, the currency equivalent of all U.S. Dollar secondary market trade proceeds or proceeds from the exercise of the call option received as of that reset date, as applicable, using the exchange rate established on the effective date of the applicable currency swap agreement for that reset date. |
In return, each related swap counterparty will receive from the trust:
• | on the effective date of such currency swap agreement for the related reset date, all secondary market trade proceeds received from purchasers of the class A-5 notes in the applicable currency; |
• | on or before each distribution date, (1) an interest rate of three-month LIBOR plus or minus a spread, as determined from the bidding process described below, multiplied by that swap counterpart’s pro rata share, as applicable, of the U.S. Dollar equivalent of the outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes, and (2) that swap counterpart’s pro rata share of all payments of principal in U.S. Dollars that are allocated to the class A-5 notes; provided that, all principal payments allocated to such notes on any distribution date will be deposited into the related accumulation account and paid to each related swap counterparty on or about the next reset date (including all amounts required to be deposited in the related accumulation account on the related reset date), but excluding all investment earnings thereon; and |
• | on the reset date corresponding to a successful remarketing or an exercise of the call option of the class A-5 notes, all U.S. Dollar secondary market trade proceeds or proceeds from the exercise of the call option, as applicable, received (1) from the remarketing agent that the remarketing agent either received directly from the purchasers of the class A-5 notes, if in U.S. Dollars; (2) from the new swap counterparty or counterparties pursuant to the related currency swap agreements for the upcoming reset period, if in a currency other than U.S. Dollars; or (3) from the holder of the call option, as applicable. |
All such currency swap agreements will terminate, generally, on the earliest to occur of:
• | the next succeeding related reset date resulting in a successful remarketing; |
• | the purchase of all outstanding notes on a reset date, following the exercise of a call option; |
• | the distribution date on which the outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes is reduced to zero, excluding for such purpose all amounts on deposit in the related accumulation account; or |
• | the maturity date of the class A-5 notes. |
Any applicable currency swap agreement may also terminate as a result of the optional purchase of the trust student loans by the servicer or an auction of the trust student loans by the indenture trustee. No currency swap agreement will terminate solely due to the declaration of a Failed Remarketing.
The remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, in determining the counterparty or counterparties to the required currency swap agreements, will solicit bids regarding the LIBOR-based interest rate, extension rate and other terms from at least three eligible swap counterparties and will select the lowest of these bids to provide the currency swap agreements. If the lowest bidder specifies a notional amount that is less than the outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes, the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, may select more than one eligible swap counterparty, but only to the extent that such additional eligible swap counterparties have provided the next lowest received bid or bids, and enter into more than one currency swap agreement to fully hedge the then outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes. On or before the spread determination date, the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, will select the swap counterparty or counterparties.
The terms of all currency swap agreements must satisfy the Rating Agency Condition. The inability to obtain any required currency swap agreement, either as a result of the failure to satisfy the Rating Agency Condition or otherwise, will, in the absence of an exercise of the call option, result in the declaration of a Failed Remarketing for the class A-5 notes on the related reset date; provided that, if the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, on or before the Remarketing Terms Determination Date, determines that it is unlikely that currency swap agreements satisfying the above criteria will be obtainable on the related reset date, the class A-5 notes must be reset to U.S. Dollars on the related reset date. No new currency swap agreements will be entered into by the trust for the applicable reset period following an exercise of the call option.
If the class A-5 notes are either currently in foreign exchange mode or to be reset into foreign exchange mode, the class A-5 notes will be subject to a mandatory tender by the holders thereof on the related reset date. Affected class A-5 noteholders desiring to retain some or all of their class A-5 notes will be required to repurchase their class A-5 notes through the remarketing agent. However, the class A-5 noteholders may or may not be allocated their desired amount of reset rate notes as part of the remarketing process for the class A-5 notes. Holders of the class A‑5 notes denominated in a currency other than U.S. Dollars will receive all principal and interest payments due from the trust as well as payment of any outstanding principal amount payable as a result of the remarketing process on or about the second business day following the reset date as a result of the required delay in payment through Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg.
If a distribution date for the class A-5 notes when such notes are denominated in a foreign currency coincides with a reset date, due to time zone differences and for purposes of making payments through Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg, all principal payments and any remaining interest payments due from the trust will be made to the class A-5 noteholders on or before the second business day following such distribution date. We sometimes refer to such date as the special reset payment date. Under the currency swap agreement for such reset period, the class A-5 noteholders will be entitled to receive such amounts plus approximately two additional business days of interest at the interest rate for the prior reset period in the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency calculated from the period including the related reset date to, but excluding, the second business day following such reset date. However, if a currency swap agreement is terminated, the trust will not pay to the class A-5 noteholders interest for those additional days. In addition, for any reset period following a reset date upon which a failed remarketing has occurred, up to and including the reset date resulting in a successful remarketing or an exercise of the call option for class A-5 notes as described below, payments of interest and principal to the class A-5 noteholders will be made on the special reset payment date without the payment of any additional interest.
In such event, the trust, in consultation with the administrator, will attempt to enter into a substitute currency swap agreement with similar currency exchange terms in order to obtain sufficient funds to provide for an open market purchase of the amount of the applicable currency needed to make the required payments.
In the event no currency swap agreement is in effect on any applicable distribution date or related reset date when payments are required to be made, the trust will be obligated to engage in a spot currency transaction to exchange U.S. Dollars at the current exchange rate for the applicable currency in order to make payments of interest and principal on the class A-5 notes in that currency.
In addition, the indenture will require that, on each reset date that involves a mandatory tender, the trust obtains a favorable opinion of counsel with respect to certain tax related matters; however, prospective purchasers are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors as to the tax consequences to them of purchasing, owning or disposing of the class A-5 notes.
Floating Rate Mode. If, following a successful remarketing, the class A-5 notes will be denominated in U.S. Dollars and are reset to bear a floating rate of interest, then, during the corresponding reset period, the reset rate notes will bear interest at a per annum rate equal to the applicable interest rate index, plus or minus the applicable Spread, as determined on the relevant Spread Determination Date.
In addition, if the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, determine that it would be in the best interest of the trust based on then-current market conditions during any reset period when the class A-5 notes bear a floating rate of interest, or if otherwise required to satisfy the Rating Agency Condition, the trust will enter into one or more interest rate swap agreements with Eligible Swap Counterparties for the next reset period to hedge some or all of the basis risk. In exchange for providing payments to the trust at the applicable interest rate index plus the related Spread, each Swap Counterparty will be entitled to receive on each distribution date a payment from the trust equal to three-month LIBOR plus or minus a spread, which must satisfy the Rating Agency Condition. In the selection of the Swap Counterparties and the establishment of the applicable spread to three-month LIBOR, the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, generally will use the procedures set forth under “—Foreign Exchange Mode” above.
Fixed Rate Mode. If, following a successful remarketing, the class A-5 notes will be denominated in U.S. Dollars and are reset to bear a fixed rate of interest, then the applicable fixed rate of interest for the corresponding reset period will be determined on the Spread Determination Date by adding:
| • | the applicable spread as determined by the remarketing agent on the Spread Determination Date; and |
| • | the yield to maturity on the Spread Determination Date of the applicable fixed rate pricing benchmark, selected by the remarketing agent, as having an expected weighted average life based on a scheduled maturity at the next reset date, which would be used in accordance with customary financial practice in pricing new issues of asset-backed securities of comparable average life, provided, that the remarketing agent shall establish that fixed rate equal to the rate that, in the reasonable opinion of the remarketing agent, will enable all of the tendered reset rate notes to be remarketed by the remarketing agent at 100% of their outstanding principal balance. However, that fixed rate of interest will in no event be lower than the related All Hold Rate, if applicable. |
Interest on the class A-5 notes during any reset period when they bear a fixed rate of interest and are denominated in U.S. Dollars generally will be computed on the basis of a 360-day year of twelve 30-day months. Interest on the class A-5 notes during any reset period when they bear a fixed rate of interest and are denominated in a currency other than U.S. Dollars generally will be calculated based on the Actual/Actual (ISMA) accrual method, or another day-count convention as may be established on the related Remarketing Terms Determination Date. This interest will be payable on each distribution date at the applicable fixed rate of interest, as determined on the Spread Determination Date, during the relevant reset period.
In addition, if, following a successful remarketing, the class A-5 notes will bear a fixed rate of interest during the next related reset period, the trust will enter into one or more interest rate swap agreements with one or more Eligible Swap Counterparties on the related reset date to facilitate the trust’s ability to pay interest at a fixed rate, and any such interest rate swap will be made as part of any required currency swap agreement as described in “Description of the Notes—Distributions—Distributions with Respect to the Reset Rate Notes in Foreign Exchange
Mode” in this free-writing prospectus. Each of these interest rate swap agreements will terminate, generally, on the earliest to occur of:
| • | the next succeeding reset date, if the class A-5 notes are then denominated in U.S. Dollars, or the next succeeding reset date resulting in a successful remarketing, if the class A-5 notes are then in foreign exchange mode; |
| • | the related reset date for which the call option is exercised; |
| • | the distribution date on which the outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes is reduced to zero (including as the result of the optional purchase of the remaining trust student loans by the servicer or an auction of the trust student loans by the indenture trustee); or |
| • | the maturity date of the class A-5 notes. |
No interest rate swap agreement with respect to the class A-5 notes, if such notes are then in foreign exchange mode, will terminate solely due to the declaration of a failed remarketing. Each interest rate swap agreement must satisfy the rating agency condition. No new interest rate swap agreement will be entered into by the trust for any reset period where the call option has been exercised. The remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, generally will use procedures similar to those set forth above under “—Foreign Exchange Mode” in the selection of the related swap counterparties and the establishment of the applicable spread to three-month LIBOR.
In exchange for providing a payment equal to interest at the fixed rate due to the class A-5 notes, the related swap counterparty will be entitled to receive on each distribution date a payment from the trust, as a trust swap payment, in an amount based on three-month LIBOR, plus or minus a spread, as determined from the bidding process described above.
Allocation of Principal to Accumulation Account. If, on any distribution date, principal would be payable to the class A-5 notes during any reset period when such notes are then structured not to receive a payment of principal until the end of the related reset period (as will be the case, generally, but not exclusively, whenever the class A-5 notes bear a fixed rate of interest), principal generally will be allocated to the class A-5 notes and deposited into the accumulation account. Those principal amounts will remain in the accumulation account until the next reset date for the class A-5 notes, unless there occurs, prior to that reset date, an optional termination of the trust, an optional purchase of the remaining trust student loans by the servicer or a successful auction of the remaining trust student loans by the indenture trustee or payment of principal on the notes is accelerated following an event of default. On such reset date, all amounts (exclusive of investment earnings) then on deposit in the accumulation account, including any allocation of principal made on that distribution date, will be distributed to the class A-5 noteholders, as of the related record date, in reduction of principal of the class A-5 notes (or if in foreign exchange mode, on or about that reset date to the related Swap Counterparty, in exchange for the equivalent amount of the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency to be paid to the class A-5 noteholders on or about that reset date).
However, in the event that on any distribution date the amount (exclusive of investment earnings) on deposit in the accumulation account would equal the outstanding principal balance (or if in foreign exchange mode, the U.S. Dollar equivalent thereof) of the class A-5 notes, then no additional amounts will be deposited into the accumulation account, and all amounts therein, exclusive of investment earnings, will be distributed on the next reset date to the class A-5 noteholders (or if in foreign exchange mode, on or about that reset date to the related currency Swap Counterparty, in exchange for the equivalent amount of the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency to be paid to the class A-5 noteholders on or about that reset date). On that reset date the outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes will be reduced to zero. Amounts (exclusive of investment earnings) on deposit in the accumulation account may be used only to pay principal on the class A-5 notes (or to make payments to the related currency Swap Counterparty, but solely in exchange for the equivalent amount of the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency at the conversion rate set forth in the currency swap agreement) and for no other purpose. All investment earnings on deposit in the accumulation account will be withdrawn on each distribution date and deposited into the collection account.
Whenever amounts are deposited into or are on deposit in the accumulation account, the indenture trustee, subject to sufficient available funds therefor, will deposit into the supplemental interest account the Supplemental Interest Account Deposit Amount as described under “—Distributions” below.
Tender of Reset Rate Notes; Remarketing Procedures. On the closing date, the trust, the administrator and the original remarketing agent entered into a remarketing agreement for the remarketing of the class A-5 notes by the original remarketing agents. Pursuant to the remarketing agreement, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and BofA Securities, Inc. (as successor in interest to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated) each initially agreed to act as remarketing agents. The administrator, in its sole discretion, may change or remove the remarketing agents or, if at any time, there is more than one remarketing agent, designate a lead remarketing agent for the class A-5 notes and any reset period at any time on or before the related Remarketing Terms Determination Date. Effective March 26, 2018, the administrator exercised this right and removed Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. as remarketing agent. In addition, the administrator will appoint one or more additional remarketing agents, if necessary, for a reset date when the class A-5 notes will be remarketed in a currency other than U.S. Dollars. Furthermore, a remarketing agent may resign at any time provided that no resignation may become effective on a date that is later than 15 business days prior to the next Remarketing Terms Determination Date.
On each Remarketing Terms Determination Date, the trust, the administrator and the remarketing agent will enter into a remarketing agency agreement that will set forth certain terms of the remarketing for the class A-5 notes, and on the related Spread Determination Date (unless a Failed Remarketing is declared, Hold Notices relating to 100% of the class A-5 notes have been timely delivered, or the call option has been exercised with respect to the related reset date), that remarketing agency agreement will be supplemented to include all other required terms of the related remarketing for the class A-5 notes.
On the reset date that commences each reset period, if the class A-5 notes are not subject to mandatory tender, each class A-5 note will be automatically tendered, or deemed tendered, to the remarketing agent for remarketing by such remarketing agent on the reset date at 100% of its outstanding principal balance, unless the holder, by delivery of a hold notice, if applicable, elects not to tender its reset rate note. If the class A-5 notes are held in book-entry form, 100% of the outstanding principal balance of the class A-5 notes will be paid in accordance with the standard procedures of DTC, which currently provide for payments in same-day funds or procedures of Euroclear and Clearstream, Luxembourg which, due to time zone differences, will be required to provide for payment of principal and interest due on the related distribution date approximately two business days following the reset date, and, with respect to each reset date, other than for any reset period following a reset date upon which a failed remarketing has occurred, up to and including the reset date resulting in a successful remarketing or an exercise of the call option, additional interest at the applicable interest rate and in the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency from and including the related reset date to, but excluding, the second business day following such reset date. Beneficial owners that tender their class A-5 notes through a broker, dealer, commercial bank, trust company or other institution, other than the remarketing agent, may be required to pay fees or commissions to such institution. If a beneficial owner has an account at a remarketing agent and tenders its class A-5 notes through that account, the beneficial owner will not be required to pay any fee or commission to such remarketing agent.
If applicable, the hold notice must be received by the remarketing agent during the period commencing on the remarketing terms determination date and ending on the notice date. To ensure that a hold notice is received on a particular day, the beneficial owner must direct its broker or other designated direct or indirect participant to give the hold notice before the broker’s cut-off time for accepting instructions for that day. Different firms may have different cutoff times for accepting instructions from their customers. Accordingly, beneficial owners should consult the brokers or other direct or indirect participants through which they own their interests in the class A-5 notes for the cut-off times for those brokers or participants. A delivered hold notice will be irrevocable, but will be subject to a mandatory tender of the class A-5 notes pursuant to any exercise of the call option. If a hold notice is not timely received for any reason by the remarketing agent on the notice date, the beneficial owner of the class A-5 notes will be deemed to have elected to tender such note for remarketing by the remarketing agent. All of the class A-5 notes, whether or not tendered, will bear interest upon the same terms.
The remarketing agent will attempt, on a reasonable efforts basis, to remarket the tendered class A-5 notes at a price equal to 100% of the aggregate principal balance so tendered. We cannot assure you that the remarketing agent will be able to remarket the entire principal balance of the class A-5 notes tendered in a remarketing. The obligations of the remarketing agent will be subject to conditions and termination events customary in transactions of this type, including conditions that all of the class A-5 notes in fact were not called, none of the class A-5 notes have been downgraded or put under review by the rating agencies, no events of default with respect to the class A-5 notes have occurred, and no material adverse change in the trust’s financial condition has occurred between the remarketing terms determination date and the reset date. If the call option is not timely exercised and the remarketing agent is unable to remarket some or all of the tendered class A-5 notes and, in its sole discretion, elects not to purchase those class A-5 notes, then the remarketing agent will declare a failed remarketing, all holders will retain their notes, the related reset period will be fixed at three months, and the related interest rate will be set at the related failed remarketing rate.
No noteholder or beneficial owner of any class A-5 note will have any rights or claims against the remarketing agent as a result of the remarketing agent’s not purchasing that class A-5 note. The remarketing agent will have the option, but not the obligation, to purchase any class A-5 notes tendered that it is not able to remarket.
The remarketing agent, in its respective individual or any other capacity, may buy, sell, hold and deal in the class A-5 notes. The remarketing agent may exercise any vote or join in any action which any beneficial owner of the class A-5 notes may be entitled to exercise or take with like effect as if it did not act in any capacity under the remarketing agency agreement. The remarketing agent, in its respective individual capacities, either as principal or agent, may also engage in or have an interest in any financial or other transaction with the trust, the depositor, the servicer or the administrator as freely as if it did not act in any capacity under the remarketing agency agreement.
The remarketing agent will be entitled to receive a fee from amounts on deposit in the remarketing fee account in connection with their services rendered for each reset date. The remarketing agent also will be entitled to reimbursement from the trust, on a subordinated basis, or from the administrator, if there are insufficient Available Funds on the related distribution date, for certain expenses associated with each remarketing. The fees associated with each successful remarketing and certain out-of-pocket expenses with respect to each reset date will be payable generally from amounts on deposit from time to time in the remarketing fee account. On each distribution date that is one year or less prior to a reset date, Available Funds will be deposited into the remarketing fee account, prior to the payment of interest on any class of notes, in an amount up to the Quarterly Funding Amount. If the amount on deposit in the remarketing fee account, after the payment of any remarketing fees therefrom, exceeds the Reset Period Target Amount, the excess will be withdrawn on the distribution date immediately following the related reset date, deposited into the collection account and included in Available Funds for that distribution date. In addition, all investments on deposit in the remarketing fee account will be withdrawn on the next distribution date, deposited into the collection account and included in Available Funds for that distribution date. Also, if on any distribution date a Class A Note Interest Shortfall would exist, or if on the maturity date for any class of class A notes, Available Funds would not be sufficient to reduce the principal balance of that class to zero, the amount of the Class A Note Interest Shortfall or principal deficiency, as applicable, to the extent sums are on deposit in the remarketing fee account, may be withdrawn from that account and used for payment of interest or principal on the class A notes.
The remarketing fee account is held by the indenture trustee for the benefit of the remarketing agent and the class A noteholders. As of the January 2021 distribution date, there was $630,000.00 on deposit in the remarketing fee account. In connection with a successful remarketing of the class A-5 notes on the April 26, 2021 reset date, the remarketing agent will be paid a remarketing fee by the trust in an amount not to exceed $630,000.00.
Distributions
Deposits into the Collection Account. On or before the business day before each distribution date, the servicer and the administrator will provide the indenture trustee with certain information as to the preceding collection period, including the amount of Available Funds received from the trust student loans and the aggregate purchase amount of the trust student loans to be purchased from the trust by the sellers, the depositor or the servicer.
Except as provided in the next paragraph, the servicer will deposit all payments on the trust student loans and all proceeds of the trust student loans collected by it during each collection period into the collection account within two business days of receipt. Except as provided in the next paragraph, the eligible lender trustee will deposit all interest subsidy payments and all special allowance payments on the student loans received by it for each collection period into the collection account within two business days of receipt.
However, for so long as no administrator default has occurred and is continuing, the servicer and the eligible lender trustee will remit the amounts referred to above that would otherwise be deposited into the collection account to the administrator within two business days of receipt, and the administrator will remit those amounts to the collection account on or before the business day preceding each monthly servicing payment date, together with interest calculated from the first day of the month following receipt by the administrator to but excluding the day on which the administrator remits such amounts to the collection account at a rate no less than the federal funds rate for each day during that period less 0.20%. See “Servicing and Administration—Payments on Trust Student Loans” in this free-writing prospectus.
Distributions from the Collection Account. On each monthly servicing payment date that is not a distribution date, the administrator will instruct the indenture trustee to pay to the servicer the primary servicing fee due for the period from and including the preceding monthly servicing payment date from amounts on deposit in the collection account.
On or before each distribution date, the administrator will instruct the indenture trustee to make the following deposits and distributions in the amounts and in the order of priority shown below, except as otherwise provided under “Description of the Notes—The Notes—The Class A Notes—Distributions of Principal” and “—The Notes—The Class B Notes—Subordination of the Class B Notes” herein, to the extent of Available Funds for that distribution date and amounts transferred from the reserve account with respect to that distribution date:
(a) to the servicer, the primary servicing fee due on that distribution date;
(b) to the administrator, the administration fee due on that distribution date and all prior unpaid administration fees;
(c) to the remarketing fee account, any Quarterly Funding Amount for that distribution date;
(d) pro rata, based on amounts due and owing:
(1) to the class A noteholders (other than the reset rate noteholders if a swap agreement with respect to interest payments to be made to those noteholders is then in effect), the Class A Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount, pro rata, based on the amounts payable as Class A Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount;
(2) if a swap agreement is then in effect for the reset rate notes with respect to interest payments to be made to those noteholders, to each applicable Swap Counterparty, the amount of interest at the related floating rate of interest due to each applicable Swap Counterparty under the related swap agreement; and
(3) if applicable, to each Swap Counterparty, the amount of any swap termination payment due to that Swap Counterparty under the related swap agreement due solely to a swap termination event resulting from a payment default by the trust or the insolvency of the trust;
(e) to the class B noteholders, the Class B Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount;
(f) the class A noteholders’ principal distribution amount, sequentially, to the class A-4 noteholders and class A-5 noteholders, in that order, until each such class is paid in full, the Class A Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount;
(g) to any supplemental interest account, the Supplemental Interest Account Deposit Amount, if any, for that distribution date;
(h) to any investment reserve account, the amount, if any, required to fund that account to the applicable Investment Reserve Account Required Amount;
(i) on each distribution date on and after the Stepdown Date, and provided that no Trigger Event is in effect on such distribution date, to the class B noteholders until paid in full, the Class B Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount;
(j) to the reserve account, the amount, if any, necessary to reinstate the balance of the reserve account to the Specified Reserve Account Balance;
(k) to any investment premium purchase account, the Investment Premium Purchase Account Deposit Amount, if any, together with any carryover shortfalls not deposited on previous distribution dates;
(l) to the servicer, the aggregate unpaid amount of the carryover servicing fee, if any;
(m) if applicable, to any Swap Counterparty or Swap Counterparties, pro rata, the amount of any swap termination payments due to the Swap Counterparty or Swap Counterparties, as the case may be, not payable in clause (d)(3) above;
(n) if applicable, to the remarketing agent, any remarketing fees due and owing by the trust to the extent not paid from amounts on deposit in the remarketing fee account;
(o) if applicable, sequentially, first to the remarketing agent for certain expenses incurred in connection with the remarketing of the reset rate notes on that distribution date, and second to the administrator for advances made on behalf of the trust for the payment of remarketing expenses on that or prior distribution dates; and
(p) sequentially, in this order, to (1) any potential future cap counterparty under a potential future interest rate cap agreement, the amount of any payment under such potential future interest rate cap agreement (including, without limitation, any upfront fees, termination payments or any other amounts due to such potential future cap counterparty), as applicable, and (2) the excess distribution certificateholder, any remaining amounts after application of the preceding clauses.
Amounts that would be paid to each Swap Counterparty pursuant to clauses (d), (f) or (m) above with respect to the reset rate notes may be paid by the trust to the related Swap Counterparty on or prior to the applicable distribution date.
In the event that a swap termination payment is owed by the trust to any Swap Counterparty and a replacement swap agreement is procured by the trust under which the replacement Swap Counterparty makes a payment to the trust, the trust will pay that amount directly to the original Swap Counterparty to the extent that a payment is owed by the trust to that counterparty. If after making that payment, the original Swap Counterparty is still owed a payment, then the remaining amount will be paid as set forth in clause (m) above.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, in the event the trust student loans are not sold on the trust auction date, on each subsequent distribution date on which the Pool Balance is equal to 10% or less of the Initial Pool Balance, the administrator will direct the indenture trustee to distribute as accelerated payments of principal on the notes all amounts that otherwise would be paid to the excess distribution certificateholder.
For a discussion of the ramifications of a termination of a swap agreement meant to hedge currency risk, see “—Distributions with Respect to the Reset Rate Notes in Foreign Exchange Mode” below.
Distributions with Respect to the Reset Rate Notes in Foreign Exchange Mode. On each applicable distribution date, a paying agent, acting at the direction of the administrator, will distribute all amounts on deposit in the applicable currency account to the holders of the reset rate notes if the notes are then in foreign exchange mode. If a currency swap agreement terminates, amounts that would have otherwise been paid to the related Swap Counterparty under that currency swap agreement will be used to make payments to the reset rate notes, in an amount in the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency, equal to the payment that the related Swap Counterparty would have made. If this occurs, the trust will exchange U.S. Dollars for the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency in order to make distributions to the reset rate notes. If the then-current exchange rate of U.S. Dollars for the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency is less favorable than under the applicable currency swap agreement or if the then-current spread to LIBOR for another applicable index or a fixed rate is less favorable than under the applicable currency swap agreement, the trust will use more U.S. Dollars to pay the reset rate noteholders than it would have paid to the related Swap Counterparty. As a result, amounts paid pursuant to clauses (d)(1) and (f) above, as applicable, under “—Distributions from the Collection Account” above could be higher if a currency swap agreement terminates.
Distributions Following an Event of Default and Acceleration of the Maturity of the Notes
After the occurrence of any of the following:
| • | an event of default under the indenture relating to the payment of principal on any class at its maturity date or to the payment of interest on any class of notes which has resulted in an acceleration of the maturity of the notes, |
| • | an event of default under the indenture relating to an insolvency event or a bankruptcy with respect to the trust which has resulted in an acceleration of the maturity of the notes, or |
| • | a liquidation of the trust assets following any event of default under the indenture, |
the priority of the payment of the notes changes. In particular, payments on the notes on each distribution date following the acceleration of the maturity of the notes as provided above will be made in the following order of priority:
FIRST:
| A: | to the noteholders of the reset rate notes then denominated in U.S. Dollars and then structured not to receive a payment of principal until the end of its related reset period, the amount, if any, on deposit in the related accumulation account for the reset rate notes (exclusive of investment earnings) in reduction of the outstanding principal balance of such reset rate notes until they are paid in full; and/or |
| B: | to the related currency Swap Counterparty if the reset rate notes are then in foreign exchange mode and are then structured not to receive a payment of principal until the end of their reset period, the amount, if any, on deposit in the related accumulation account for the reset rate notes (exclusive of investment earnings) in reduction of the outstanding amount of the reset rate notes until they are paid in full; |
SECOND: to the indenture trustee, for annual fees and any other amounts due and owing under the indenture;
THIRD: to the servicer, the primary servicing fee due on that distribution date and all prior unpaid primary servicing fees;
FOURTH: to the administrator, the administration fee due on that distribution date and all prior unpaid administration fees;
FIFTH: pro rata, based on amounts due and owing:
| A: | to the class A noteholders (other than the noteholders of the reset rate notes if a swap agreement with respect to interest payments to be made to such noteholders is then in effect), the Class A Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount, ratably, without preference or priority of any kind, based on the amounts due and payable as the Class A Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount; |
| B: | if a swap agreement is then in effect for the reset rate noteholders with respect to interest payments to be made to such noteholders, to each Swap Counterparty, the amount of any swap interest payments due and payable by the trust (other than as paid to that Swap Counterparty under clause FIRST); and |
| C: | if any swap agreement with respect to the reset rate notes has been terminated, to the related Swap Counterparty, the amount of any swap termination payments due to such Swap Counterparty under the related swap agreement due to a swap termination event relating to a payment default by the trust, acceleration of the notes or the insolvency of the trust; |
SIXTH:
| A: | if the reset rate notes are in foreign exchange mode, pro rata (1) to the class A noteholders (other than the holders of any reset rate notes then in foreign exchange mode), ratably, an amount sufficient to reduce the respective principal balances of those class A notes to zero, and (2) to the applicable currency Swap Counterparties an amount sufficient to reduce the U.S. Dollar equivalent principal balance of the reset rate notes then in foreign exchange mode to zero; or |
| B: | if the reset rate notes are then denominated in U.S. Dollars, pro rata to the class A noteholders, ratably, an amount sufficient to reduce the respective principal balances of those class A notes to zero; |
SEVENTH: to the class B noteholders, the Class B Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount;
EIGHTH: to the class B noteholders, an amount sufficient to reduce the principal balance of the class B notes to zero;
NINTH: to the servicer, the aggregate unpaid amount of the carryover servicing fee, if any;
TENTH: to any Swap Counterparties, pro rata, the amount of any swap termination payments due to such Swap Counterparties from the trust and not payable under clause FIFTH (C);
ELEVENTH: to the remarketing agent, any due and unpaid remarketing fees payable by the trust to the extent not previously paid from amounts on deposit in the remarketing fee account;
TWELFTH: if applicable, sequentially, first to the remarketing agent for certain expenses incurred in connection with the remarketing of the reset rate notes on such distribution date, and second to the administrator for advances made on behalf of the trust for the payment of remarketing expenses on that or prior distribution dates; and
THIRTEENTH: sequentially, in this order, to (a) any potential future cap counterparty under a potential future interest rate cap agreement, the amount of any payment under such potential future interest rate cap agreement (including, without limitation, any upfront fees, termination payments or any other amounts due to such potential future cap counterparty), as applicable, and (b) the excess distribution certificateholder, any remaining amounts after application of the preceding clauses.
If the trust has entered into a currency swap agreement and such currency swap agreement terminates, amounts that would have otherwise been paid to the related currency Swap Counterparty (other than amounts payable as a termination payment thereunder) will be used to make payments to the reset rate noteholders in an amount in the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency, equal to the payment that the related currency Swap Counterparty would have made. If this occurs, the trust will exchange U.S. Dollars for the applicable non-U.S. Dollar currency in order to make distributions on the reset rate notes.
Voting Rights and Remedies
The notes will all vote and exercise remedies together as if they were a single class other than with respect to exercising the right to liquidate collateral, in which case the class A notes and class B notes have different rights. See “The Indenture—Events of Default; Rights Upon Events of Default” in this free-writing prospectus.
Credit Enhancement
Excess Interest. On any distribution date, excess interest is equal to the amount of interest received on the trust student loans that exceeds the amount of interest due and payable on the notes.
Reserve Account. The reserve account was created with an initial deposit by the trust on the closing date and, as of the January 2021 distribution date, it had a balance of $2,280,587.00. The reserve account may be replenished on each distribution date, by deposit into it of the amount, if any, necessary to reinstate the balance of the reserve account to the Specified Reserve Account Balance from the amount of Available Funds remaining after payment for that distribution date under clauses (a) through (i) under “—Distributions—Distributions from the Collection Account” above.
If the market value of securities and cash in the reserve account together with amounts on deposit in any supplemental interest account on any distribution date is sufficient to pay the remaining principal balance of and interest accrued on the notes and any carryover servicing fee, these assets will be so applied on that distribution date.
If the amount on deposit in the reserve account on any distribution date after giving effect to all deposits or withdrawals from the reserve account on that distribution date is greater than the Specified Reserve Account Balance for that distribution date, subject to certain limitations, the administrator will instruct the indenture trustee to deposit the amount of the excess into the collection account for distribution on that distribution date.
Amounts held from time to time in the reserve account will continue to be held for the benefit of the trust. Funds will be withdrawn from cash in the reserve account on any distribution date or, in the case of the payment of any primary servicing fee, on any monthly servicing payment date, to the extent that the amount of Available Funds on that distribution date or monthly servicing payment date is insufficient to pay any of the items specified in clauses (a) through (c), (d)(1), (d)(2) and (e) under “—Distributions—Distributions from the Collection Account” above. These funds also will be withdrawn at maturity of a class of notes or on the final distribution upon termination of the trust to the extent that the amount of Available Funds at that time is insufficient to pay any of the items specified in clauses (f) and (i) and, in the case of the final distribution upon termination of the trust, clauses (l) through (o) under “—Distributions—Distributions from the Collection Account” above. These funds will be paid from the reserve account to the persons and in the order of priority specified for distributions out of the collection account in clauses (a) through (c), (d)(1), (d)(2) and (e), clauses (f) and (i), and clauses (l) through (o), as applicable.
The reserve account is intended to enhance the likelihood of timely distributions of interest to the noteholders and to decrease the likelihood that the noteholders will experience losses. In some circumstances, however, the reserve account could be reduced to zero. Except on the final distribution upon termination of the trust, amounts on deposit in the reserve account, other than amounts in excess of the Specified Reserve Account Balance, will not be available to cover any carryover servicing fees. Amounts on deposit in the reserve account will be available to pay principal on the notes and accrued interest at the maturity of the notes, and to pay the carryover servicing fee and carryover amounts on the final distribution upon termination of the trust.
Subordination of the Class B Notes. On any distribution date, distributions of interest on the class B notes will be subordinated to the payment of interest on the class A notes and distributions of principal on the class B notes will be subordinated to the payment of both interest and principal on all of the class A notes. See “Description of the Notes—The Notes—The Class B Notes—Subordination of the Class B Notes” in this free-writing prospectus.
Capitalized Interest Account. All funds on deposit in the capitalized interest account that was created and funded on the closing date were released to the excess distribution certificateholder on the distribution date that occurred in October 2007. No additional sums have been or will be deposited into this account.
Potential Future Interest Rate Cap Agreement
At any time, at the direction of the administrator, the trust may enter into one or more interest rate cap agreements (collectively, the “potential future interest rate cap agreement”) with one or more Eligible Swap Counterparties (collectively, the “potential future cap counterparty”) to hedge some or all of the interest rate risk of the notes. Any potential future interest rate cap agreement would contain customary and usual terms for such derivative agreements. Any payment due by the trust to a potential future cap counterparty would be payable only out of funds payable under clause (p)(1) of “—Distributions—Distributions from the Collection Account” in this free-writing prospectus. Any payments received from a potential future cap counterparty would be included in Available Funds. The trust will enter into a potential future interest rate cap agreement only upon receipt of a written confirmation from each rating agency then rating the notes that such potential future interest rate cap agreement will not result in the downgrading of its then current rating of any class of notes. It is not anticipated that the trust would be required to make any payments to any potential future cap counterparty under any potential future interest rate cap agreement other than an upfront payment and, in some circumstances, a termination payment. As of the April 26, 2021 reset date, the trust will not be a party to any interest rate cap agreement.
Notice of Interest Rates
Information concerning past and current three-month LIBOR, any other applicable index, and the interest rates applicable to the reset rate notes, will be available on the administrator’s website at https://www.navient.com/about/investors/debtasset/slmsltrusts/issuedetails/2005-7.aspx or by telephoning the administrator at (800) 321-7179 between the hours of 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern time on any business day and will also be available through Reuters Screen LIBOR01 Page or Bloomberg L.P. If any class of notes is listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, the administrator will also notify the Luxembourg paying agent, if any, and will cause the Luxembourg Stock Exchange to be notified, of the current interest rate for each class of notes listed on the exchange prior to the first day of each accrual period.
Additional Interest Rate Swap Agreements
If, on any reset date, the class A-5 notes are reset to bear a fixed rate of interest, the trust will enter into one or more interest rate swap agreements to be effective until the next related reset date.
Optional Purchase
The servicer may purchase or arrange for the purchase of all remaining trust student loans on any distribution date on or after the first distribution date when the Pool Balance is 10% or less of the Initial Pool Balance.
The exercise of this purchase option will result in the early retirement of the remaining notes, including an early distribution of all amounts then on deposit in any accumulation account. The purchase price will equal the amount required to prepay in full, including all accrued and unpaid interest, the remaining trust student loans as of the end of the preceding collection period, but not less than a prescribed minimum purchase amount.
This prescribed minimum purchase amount is the amount that would be sufficient to:
| • | pay to noteholders the interest payable on the related distribution date; and |
| • | reduce the outstanding principal amount of each class of notes then outstanding on the related distribution date to zero, taking into account all amounts then on deposit in any accumulation account. |
See “The Transfer Agreements—Termination” in this free-writing prospectus.
For these purposes, if the reset rate notes:
| • | are then structured not to receive a payment of principal until the end of the related reset period, the outstanding principal balance of the reset rate notes will be deemed to have been reduced by any amounts on deposit, exclusive of any investment earnings, in the related accumulation account; and/or |
| • | are then denominated in a non-U.S. Dollar currency, the U.S. Dollar equivalent of the then-outstanding principal balance of the reset rate notes will be determined based upon the exchange rate provided for in the related currency swap agreement or agreements. |
Auction of Trust Assets
The indenture trustee will offer for sale all remaining trust student loans at the end of the first collection period when the Pool Balance is 10% or less of the Initial Pool Balance.
The trust auction date will be the third business day before the related distribution date. An auction will be consummated only if the servicer has first waived its optional right to purchase all of the remaining trust student loans. The servicer will waive its option to purchase all of the remaining trust student loans if it fails to notify the eligible lender trustee and the indenture trustee, in writing, that it intends to exercise its purchase option before the indenture trustee accepts a bid to purchase the trust student loans. The depositor and its affiliates, including Navient CFC and the servicer, and unrelated third parties may offer bids to purchase the trust student loans. The depositor or any affiliate may not submit a bid representing greater than fair market value of the trust student loans.
If at least two bids are received, the indenture trustee will solicit and re-solicit new bids from all participating bidders until only one bid remains or the remaining bidders decline to resubmit bids. The indenture trustee will accept the highest of the remaining bids if it equals or exceeds the higher of:
| • | the minimum purchase amount described under “—Optional Purchase” above (plus any amounts owed to the servicer as carryover servicing fees); or |
| • | the fair market value of the trust student loans as of the end of the related collection period. |
If at least two bids are not received or the highest bid after the re-solicitation process does not equal or exceed that amount, the indenture trustee will not complete the sale. The indenture trustee may, and at the direction of the depositor will be required to, consult with a financial advisor, including any of the original underwriters of the notes, or the administrator, to determine if the fair market value of the trust student loans has been offered. See “The Transfer Agreements—Termination” in this free-writing prospectus.
The net proceeds of any auction sale will be used to retire any outstanding notes on the related distribution date.
If the sale is not completed, the indenture trustee may, but will not be under any obligation to, solicit bids for sale of the trust student loans after future collection periods upon terms similar to those described above, including the servicer’s waiver of its option to purchase all of the remaining trust student loans. The indenture trustee may or may not succeed in soliciting acceptable bids for the trust student loans either on the trust auction date or subsequently.
If the trust student loans are not sold as described above, on each subsequent distribution date, if the amount on deposit in the reserve account after giving effect to all withdrawals, except withdrawals payable to the depositor, exceeds the specified reserve account balance, the administrator will direct the indenture trustee to distribute the amount of the excess as accelerated payments of note principal.
See “The Transfer Agreements—Termination” in this free-writing prospectus.
The class A-5 notes were issued under and secured by an indenture entered into by the trust, the indenture trustee and the eligible lender trustee.
Modification of Indenture
With the consent of the holders of a majority of the affected notes, the indenture trustee and the eligible lender trustee may execute a supplemental indenture to add, change or eliminate any provisions of the indenture or to modify the rights of such noteholders.
However, without the consent of the holder of each affected note, no supplemental indenture will:
| • | change the due date of any installment of principal of or interest on any note, or reduce its principal amount, the interest rate or redemption price; |
| • | change the provisions of the indenture relating to the application of collections on, or the proceeds of the sale of, the trust student loans to payment of principal of or interest on the notes; |
| • | change the place of payment or the payment currency for any note; |
| • | impair the right to institute suit for the enforcement of provisions of the indenture regarding payment; |
| • | reduce the percentage of outstanding notes whose holders must consent to any supplemental indenture; |
| • | modify the provisions of the indenture regarding the voting of notes held by the trust, the depositor or an affiliate; |
| • | reduce the percentage of outstanding notes whose holders must consent to a sale or liquidation of the trust student loans if the proceeds of the sale would be insufficient to pay the principal amount and accrued interest on the notes; |
| • | modify the provisions of the indenture which specify the applicable percentages of principal amount of notes necessary to take specified actions except to increase these percentages or to specify additional provisions; |
| • | modify any of the provisions of the indenture to affect the calculation of interest or principal due on any note on any distribution date or to affect the rights of the noteholders to the benefit of any provisions for the mandatory redemption of the notes; or |
| • | permit the creation of any lien ranking prior or equal to the lien of the indenture on any of the collateral for that series or, except as otherwise permitted or contemplated in that indenture, terminate the lien of the indenture on any collateral or deprive the holder of any note of the security afforded by that lien. |
The trust and the indenture trustee may also enter into supplemental indentures, without the consent of noteholders, for the purpose of adding, changing or eliminating any provisions of the indenture or of modifying the rights of noteholders, so long as such action will not, in the opinion of counsel satisfactory to the indenture trustee, adversely affect in any material respect the interest of any noteholder.
Events of Default; Rights Upon Event of Default
An “event of default” under the indenture will consist of the following:
| • | a default for five Business Days or more in the payment of any interest on any note after it is due and payable; |
| • | a default in the payment of the principal of any note at maturity; |
| • | a default in the performance of any covenant or agreement of the trust in the indenture, or a material breach of any representation or warranty made by the trust in the indenture or in any certificate, if the default or breach has a material adverse effect on the holders of the notes and is not cured within 30 days after notice by the indenture trustee or by holders of at least 25% in principal amount of the outstanding notes; or |
| • | the occurrence of an insolvency event involving the trust. |
The amount of principal required to be distributed to holders of the notes on any distribution date will generally be limited to amounts available after payment of interest and all other prior obligations of the trust. Therefore, the failure to pay principal on the class A-5 notes generally will not result in the occurrence of any event of default until the final scheduled distribution date for the class A-5 notes.
If an event of default occurs and is continuing, the indenture trustee or holders of a majority of the outstanding notes, may declare the principal of those notes to be immediately due and payable. This declaration may, under certain circumstances, be rescinded by the holders of a majority of the outstanding notes.
If the notes have been declared to be due and payable following an event of default, the indenture trustee may, in its discretion,
| • | exercise remedies as a secured party against the trust student loans and other assets of the trust that are subject to the lien of the indenture; |
| • | sell those properties; or |
| • | elect to have eligible lender trustee maintain ownership of the trust student loans and continue to apply collections on them as if there had been no declaration of acceleration. |
However, the indenture trustee may not sell the trust student loans and other properties following an event of default, other than a default in the payment of any principal at maturity or a default for five days or more in the payment of any interest, unless:
| • | the holders of all the outstanding notes consent to the sale; |
| • | the proceeds of the sale are sufficient to pay in full the principal and accrued interest on the outstanding notes, at the date of the sale; or |
| • | the indenture trustee determines that the collections would not be sufficient on an ongoing basis to make all payments on the notes as the payments would have become due if the notes had not been declared due and payable, and the indenture trustee obtains the consent of the holders of 66 2/3% of the outstanding notes. |
Such a sale also requires the consent of the holders of a majority of the outstanding certificates, unless the proceeds of a sale would be sufficient to discharge all unpaid amounts on the certificates, if applicable.
Subject to the provisions of the indenture relating to the duties of the indenture trustee, if an event of default occurs and is continuing, the indenture trustee will be under no obligation to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request or direction of any of the holders of the notes, if the indenture trustee reasonably believes it will not be adequately indemnified against the costs, expenses and liabilities which it might incur in complying with their request. Subject to the provisions for indemnification and limitations contained in the indenture, the holders of a majority of the outstanding notes will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding or any remedy available to the indenture trustee and may, in certain cases, waive any default, except a default in the payment of principal or interest or a default under a covenant or provision of the indenture that cannot be modified without the waiver or consent of all the holders of outstanding notes.
No holder of notes will have the right to institute any proceeding with respect to the indenture, unless:
• the holder previously has given to the indenture trustee written notice of a continuing event of default;
• the holders of not less than 25% of the outstanding notes, have requested in writing that the indenture trustee institute a proceeding in its own name as indenture trustee;
• the holder or holders have offered the indenture trustee reasonable indemnity;
• the indenture trustee has for 60 days after receipt of notice failed to institute the proceeding; and
• no direction inconsistent with the written request has been given to the indenture trustee during the 60-day period by the holders of a majority of the outstanding notes.
In addition, the indenture trustee and the noteholders will covenant that they will not at any time institute against the trust any bankruptcy, reorganization or other proceeding under any federal or state bankruptcy or similar law.
The indenture trustee, the sellers, the depositor, the administrator, the servicer, the eligible lender trustee, in its individual capacity, the noteholders and their owners, beneficiaries, agents, officers, directors, employees, successors and assigns will not be liable for the payment of the principal of or interest on the notes or for the agreements of the trust contained in the indenture.
Certain Covenants
The indenture provides that the trust may not consolidate with or merge into any other entity, unless:
• the entity formed by or surviving the consolidation or merger is organized under the laws of the United States, any state or the District of Columbia;
• the surviving entity expressly assumes the trust’s obligation to make due and punctual payments on the notes and the performance or observance of every agreement and covenant of the trust under the indenture;
• no default will occur and be continuing immediately after the merger or consolidation;
• the trust has been advised that the ratings then applicable to the notes would not be reduced or withdrawn as a result of the merger or consolidation; and
• the trust has received opinions of federal and Delaware tax counsel that the consolidation or merger would have no material adverse U.S. federal or Delaware state tax consequences to the trust or to any holder of the notes.
The trust will not:
• except as expressly permitted by the indenture, the transfer and servicing agreements or other related documents, sell, transfer, exchange or otherwise dispose of any of the assets of that trust;
• claim any credit on or make any deduction from the principal and interest payable on notes of the series, other than amounts withheld under the Internal Revenue Code or applicable state law, or assert any claim against any present or former holder of notes because of the payment of taxes levied or assessed upon the trust;
• except as contemplated by the indenture and the related documents, dissolve or liquidate in whole or in part;
• permit the validity or effectiveness of the indenture to be impaired or permit any person to be released from any covenants or obligations under the indenture, except as expressly permitted by the indenture; or
• permit any lien, charge or other encumbrance to be created on the assets of the trust, except as expressly permitted by the indenture and the related documents.
The trust may not engage in any activity other than as specified under “The Trust—General” in this free-writing prospectus. In addition, no trust will incur, assume or guarantee any indebtedness other than indebtedness evidenced by the notes and the indenture, except as permitted by the indenture and the related documents.
Indenture Trustee’s Annual Report
The indenture trustee is required to mail all noteholders a brief annual report relating to, among other things, any changes in its eligibility and qualification to continue as the indenture trustee under the indenture, any amounts advanced by it under the indenture, the amount, interest rate and maturity date of indebtedness owing by the trust to the indenture trustee in its individual capacity, the property and funds physically held by the indenture trustee as such and any action taken by it that materially affects the notes and that has not been previously reported.
Satisfaction and Discharge of Indenture
The indenture will be satisfied and discharged when the indenture trustee has received for cancellation all of the notes or, with certain limitations, when the indenture trustee receives funds sufficient for the payment in full of all of the notes.
List Of Noteholders
Holders of the notes evidencing at least 25% of the outstanding notes may, by written request to the indenture trustee, obtain a list of all noteholders for communicating directly with other noteholders regarding any of their rights under the indenture or under the notes. The indenture trustee may elect not to give the noteholders access to the list if it agrees to mail the desired communication or proxy, for and at the expense of the requesting noteholders, to all noteholders. Three or more noteholders or one or more holders of notes evidencing at least 25% of the notes balance may, by written request to the eligible lender trustee obtain access to the list of all noteholders for the purpose of communicating with other noteholders regarding any of their rights under the trust agreement or under the notes.
CERTAIN LEGAL ASPECTS OF THE STUDENT LOANS
Transfer of Student Loans
The sellers intended that the transfer of the student loans by them to the depositor would constitute valid sales and assignments of those loans, which sales were perfected automatically without the filing of any financing statements under the Uniform Commercial Code. We intended that the transfer of the student loans by the depositor to the eligible lender trustee on behalf of the trust would also constitute a valid sale and assignment of those loans, which sale was perfected automatically without the filing of any financing statements. Nevertheless, if the transfer of the student loans by the sellers to the depositor, or the transfer of those loans by us to the eligible lender trustee is deemed to be an assignment of collateral as security for a debt, then a security interest in the student loans to secure repayment of the debt may be perfected by the filing of a notice of the security interest in the manner provided by the applicable Uniform Commercial Code, or the UCC as it is commonly known, for perfection of security interests in accounts.
Accordingly:
• A financing statement or statements covering the student loans naming each related seller, as seller/debtor, was filed under the UCC to protect the interest of the depositor in the event that the transfer by such seller is deemed to be an assignment of collateral as security; and
• A financing statement or statements covering the trust student loans naming the depositor, as seller/debtor, was also filed under the UCC to protect the interest of the eligible lender trustee in the event that the transfer by the depositor is deemed to be an assignment of collateral as security.
If the transfer of the student loans is deemed to be an assignment as security for the benefit of the depositor or a trust, there are limited circumstances under the UCC in which prior or subsequent transferees of student loans could have an interest in the student loans with priority over the eligible lender trustee’s interest. A tax or other government lien on property of a seller or us arising before the time a student loan comes into existence may also have priority over the interest of the depositor or the eligible lender trustee in the student loan. Under the purchase agreements and sale agreement, however, each seller or the depositor, as applicable, warranted that it has transferred the student loans to the depositor or the eligible lender trustee free and clear of the lien of any third-party. In addition, each seller and the depositor covenanted that it will not sell, pledge, assign, transfer or grant any lien on any student loan held by a trust or any interest in that loan other than to the depositor or the eligible lender trustee. The administrator is required to maintain the perfected security interest status by filing all requisite continuation statements.
Under the servicing agreement, the servicer, as custodian, has custody of the promissory notes evidencing the student loans. Although the records of the sellers, the depositor and the servicer are marked to indicate the sale and although, the sellers and the depositor caused UCC financing statements to be filed with the appropriate authorities, the student loans are not physically segregated, stamped or otherwise marked to indicate that the student loans have been sold to the depositor and to the eligible lender trustee.
Numerous federal and state consumer protection laws and related regulations impose substantial requirements upon lenders and servicers involved in consumer finance. Also, some state laws impose finance charge ceilings and other restrictions on consumer transactions and require contract disclosures in addition to those required under federal law. These requirements impose specific statutory liabilities upon lenders who fail to comply with their provisions. The requirements generally do not apply to federally sponsored student loans. The depositor or the trust, however, may be liable for violations of consumer protection laws that apply to the student loans, either as assignee from the sellers or the depositor or as the party directly responsible for obligations arising after the transfer. For a discussion of the trust’s rights if the student loans were not originated or serviced in compliance in all material respects with applicable laws, see “Transfer Agreements—Sale of Student Loans to the Trust; Representations and Warranties of the Depositor” and “Servicing and Administration—Servicer Covenants” in this free-writing prospectus.
Loan Origination And Servicing Procedures Applicable To Student Loans
The Higher Education Act, including the implementing regulations, imposes specific requirements, guidelines and procedures for originating and servicing federally sponsored student loans. Generally, those procedures require that (1) completed loan applications be processed, (2) a determination of whether an applicant is an eligible borrower under applicable standards be made, including a review of a financial need analysis, (3) the borrower’s responsibilities under the loan be explained to him or her, (4) the promissory note evidencing the loan be executed by the borrower and (5) the loan proceeds be disbursed in a specified manner by the lender.�� After the loan is made, the lender must establish repayment terms with the borrower, properly administer deferments and forbearances and credit the borrower for payments made on the loan. If a borrower becomes delinquent in repaying a loan, a lender or its servicing agent must perform collection procedures, primarily telephone calls and demand letters, which vary depending upon the length of time a loan is delinquent.
The servicer performs collection and servicing procedures on behalf of the trust. In performing these functions, the servicer is required to service and collect loans in the same manner as substantially similar loans owned by the sellers and their affiliates. Failure of the servicer to follow these procedures or failure of the originator of the loan to follow procedures relating to the origination of the student loans could result in adverse consequences. Any failure could result in the Department of Education’s refusal to make reinsurance payments to the guarantors or to make interest subsidy payments or special allowance payments to the eligible lender trustee.
Student Loans Generally Not Subject To Discharge In Bankruptcy
FFELP loans made for qualified education expenses are generally not dischargeable by a borrower in bankruptcy under the United States Bankruptcy Code, unless excepting this debt from discharge will impose an undue hardship on the debtor and the debtor’s dependents.
Dodd-Frank Act—Potential Applicability and Orderly Liquidation Authority Provisions
General. The Dodd-Frank Act which gives the Federal Deposit Insurance Company (the “FDIC”) authority to act as receiver of certain bank holding companies, financial companies and their respective subsidiaries (other than an insured depository institution) in specific situations under its Orderly Liquidation Authority (the “OLA”) provisions. The proceedings, standards, powers of the receiver and many other substantive provisions of the OLA differ from those of the United States Bankruptcy Code in several respects. To the extent those differences may affect Navient, the sponsor and their affiliates, they are discussed in this section below. In addition, because the OLA provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act remain subject to clarification through FDIC regulations and have yet to be applied by the FDIC in any receivership, it is unclear what impact these provisions will have on any particular company, including Navient, the sponsor, the depositor, the sellers, any issuing entity, the servicer, the administrator, or any of their respective creditors.
Potential Applicability to Navient, the Sponsor and their Affiliates. The Dodd-Frank Act creates uncertainty as to whether certain companies may be subject to liquidation in a receivership under the OLA in addition to bankruptcy proceedings under the United States Bankruptcy Code. For a company to become subject to the OLA, the Secretary of the Treasury (in consultation with the President of the United States) must determine, among other things, that such company is in default or in danger of default (that is, such company is or is likely to be in bankruptcy, has incurred losses that will deplete all or substantially all of its capital, is insolvent, or is unable to pay its obligations when due,) that the company’s failure and its resolution under the United States Bankruptcy Code “would have serious adverse effects on financial stability in the United States,” that an OLA proceeding would mitigate these adverse effects, and that no viable private sector alternative is available to prevent the default of the company.
If the OLA is determined to apply to Navient or the sponsor as a covered financial company, then the issuing entity, the depositor, Navient CFC, the servicer or the administrator as a “covered subsidiary” of Navient or the sponsor could also be determined to be a “covered financial company.” For an issuing entity, the depositor, Navient CFC, the servicer or the administrator to be subject to receivership under the OLA as a “covered financial company” (1) the FDIC would have to be appointed as receiver for Navient or the sponsor, as applicable, under the OLA as described above, (2) the FDIC and the Secretary of the Treasury would have to jointly determine that (a) such covered subsidiary is in default or in danger of default (that is, such company is likely to be in bankruptcy, has incurred losses that will deplete all or substantially all of its capital, is insolvent, or is unable to pay its obligations when due), (b) appointment of the FDIC as receiver of such covered subsidiary would avoid or mitigate serious adverse effects on the financial stability or economic conditions of the United States, and (c) such appointment would facilitate the orderly liquidation of Navient or the sponsor, as applicable. To mitigate the likelihood that an issuing entity, the depositor, Navient CFC, the servicer or the administrator would be subject to the OLA, no issuing entity intends to issue non-investment grade debt and the depositor, Navient CFC, the servicer and the administrator will not issue any debt. Moreover, each issuing entity will own a relatively small amount of the student loans originated by Navient CFC and serviced by the servicer, and each issuing entity, the depositor, Navient CFC, the servicer or the administrator either is or will be structured as a separate legal entity from the sponsor and the other issuing entities sponsored by the sponsor. Notwithstanding the foregoing, because of the novelty of the Dodd-Frank Act and the OLA provisions, the uncertainty surrounding how the Secretary of the Treasury’s determination will be made and the fact that such determination would be made in the future under potentially different circumstances, no assurance can be given that the OLA provisions would not apply to Navient, the sponsor or their covered subsidiaries or, if it were to apply, that the timing and amounts of payments to the noteholders would not be less favorable than under the United States Bankruptcy Code.
FDIC’s Repudiation Power Under the OLA. Under the OLA, if the FDIC were appointed receiver of Navient, the sponsor or a covered subsidiary, including the applicable issuing entity or the depositor, the FDIC would have various powers, including the power to repudiate any contract to which Navient, the sponsor or such covered subsidiary was a party, if the FDIC determined that performance of the contract was burdensome to the estate and that repudiation would promote the orderly administration of Navient’s, the sponsor’s or such covered subsidiary’s affairs, as applicable.
In January 2011, the Acting General Counsel of the FDIC issued an advisory opinion (the “January 2011 Opinion”) confirming, among other things, its intended application of the FDIC’s repudiation power under OLA. In the January 2011 Opinion, the Acting General Counsel stated that nothing in the Dodd-Frank Act changes the existing law governing the separate existence of separate entities under other applicable law. As a result, the Acting General Counsel was of the opinion that the FDIC as receiver for a covered financial company (as defined in the Dodd-Frank Act), which could include Navient, the sponsor or their covered subsidiaries (including the applicable issuing entity or the depositor), cannot repudiate a contract or lease unless it has been appointed as receiver for that entity or the separate existence of that entity may be disregarded under other applicable law. In addition, the Acting General Counsel was of the opinion that until such time as the FDIC Board of Directors adopts a regulation further addressing the application of Section 210(c) of the Dodd-Frank Act, which relates to contracts that are entered into prior to the appointment of a receiver, if the FDIC were to become receiver for a covered financial company, which could include Navient, the sponsor or their covered subsidiaries (including the applicable issuing entity or the depositor), the FDIC will not, in the exercise of its authority under Section 210(c) of the Dodd-Frank Act, reclaim, recover or recharacterize as property of that covered financial company or the receivership any asset transferred by that covered financial company prior to the end of the applicable transition period of a regulation, provided that such transfer satisfies the conditions for the exclusion of such assets from the property of the estate of that covered financial company under the United States Bankruptcy Code. Although the January 2011 Opinion does not bind the FDIC or its Board of Directors, or any court or any other governmental entity, and could be modified or withdrawn in the future, it also states that the Acting General Counsel would recommend that the FDIC Board of Directors incorporate a transition period of 90 days for any provisions in any further regulations affecting the statutory power to disaffirm or repudiate contracts. To date, the FDIC has not proposed or adopted any regulations addressing these issues.
The January 2011 Opinion also states that the FDIC anticipates recommending consideration of future regulations related to the Dodd-Frank Act. To the extent any future regulations or subsequent FDIC actions or court rulings in an OLA proceeding involving Navient, the sponsor or their covered subsidiaries (including the applicable issuing entity or the depositor), are contrary to the January 2011 Opinion, payment or distributions of principal of and interest on the notes issued by the applicable issuing entity could be delayed and/or reduced. We have structured the transfers of student loans under the purchase agreements and sale agreements with the intent that they would be characterized as legal true sales under applicable state law and that the student loans would not be included in the related transferor’s bankruptcy estate under the United States Bankruptcy Code. If the transfers are so characterized in a FDIC OLA receivership, based on the January 2011 Opinion and other applicable law, the FDIC would not be able to recover the transferred student loans using its repudiation power. However, if the FDIC were to successfully assert that the transfers of student loans were not legal true sales and should instead be characterized as a grant of a security interest to secure a loan, and if the FDIC repudiated those loans, the purchasers of the student loans or the noteholders, as applicable, would have a claim for their “actual direct compensatory damages,” which claim would be no less than the initial principal balance of the loan plus interest accrued to the date the FDIC was appointed receiver.
In addition, to the extent that the value of the collateral securing the loan exceeds such amount, the purchaser or the noteholders, as applicable, would also have a claim for any interest that accrued after such appointment at least through the date of repudiation or disaffirmance. In addition, noteholders could suffer delays in payments on their notes even if the FDIC was unsuccessful in challenging that the transfers were not legal true sales or if it ultimately did not repudiate a legal true sale.
Also assuming that the FDIC were appointed receiver of Navient, the sponsor or a covered subsidiary, including the applicable issuing entity or the depositor, under the OLA, the FDIC’s repudiation power would extend to continuing obligations of the applicable entity or entities under receivership, as applicable, including any obligation to repurchase student loans for a breach of representation or warranty as well as, with respect to the servicer, its obligation to service the student loans. If the FDIC were to exercise this repudiation power, noteholders would not be able to compel the sponsor or any applicable covered subsidiary to repurchase student loans for a breach of representation and warranty and instead would have a claim for damages in the sponsor’s, or that covered subsidiary’s, receivership, as applicable, and thus would suffer delays and may suffer losses of payments on their notes. Noteholders would also be prevented from replacing the servicer during the stay. In addition, if the FDIC were to repudiate the sponsor’s obligations as servicer, there may be disruptions in servicing as a result of a transfer of servicing to a third party and noteholders may suffer delays or losses of payments on their notes. In addition, there are other statutory provisions enforceable by the FDIC under which, if the FDIC takes action, payments or distributions of principal and interest on the notes issued by the related issuing entity would be delayed and may be reduced.
In addition, under the OLA, none of the parties to the purchase agreements, sale agreement, servicing agreement, administration agreement or the indenture could exercise any right or power to terminate, accelerate, or declare a default under those contracts, or otherwise affect the sponsor’s or a covered subsidiary’s rights under those contracts without the FDIC’s consent for 90 days after the receiver is appointed. For at least the same period, and possibly longer, the FDIC’s consent would also be needed for any attempt to obtain possession of or exercise control over any property of Navient, the sponsor or of a covered subsidiary. The requirement to obtain the FDIC’s consent before taking these actions relating to a covered financial company’s or covered subsidiary’s contracts or property is comparable to the “automatic stay” under the United States Bankruptcy Code.
If an issuing entity were to become subject to the OLA, the FDIC may repudiate the debt of such issuing entity. In such an event, the noteholders would have a secured claim in the receivership of such issuing entity for “actual direct compensatory damages” as described above, but delays in payments on such series of notes would occur and possible reductions in the amount of those payments could occur. In addition, for a period of at least 90 days after a receiver was appointed, noteholders would be stayed from accelerating the debt or exercising any remedies under the indenture.
Information concerning the static pool data of previous similar loan securitizations of the sponsor can be found by clicking on the link for this transaction, labeled “2005-7 (Remarketing),” on the sponsor’s website at http://www.navient.com/about/investors/debtasset/slmsltrusts/StaticPoolindex/default.aspx. This webpage presents the static pool data of the sponsor’s previous securitizations involving similar assets in the form of published charts. The information presented with respect to pools that were established prior to January 1, 2006 is not to be deemed a part of this free-writing prospectus, the final remarketing prospectus or the related registration statement. We caution you that this pool of trust student loans may not perform in a similar manner to student loans in other trusts.
PREPAYMENTS, EXTENSIONS, WEIGHTED AVERAGE REMAINING LIFE AND
EXPECTED MATURITY OF THE CLASS A-5 NOTES
The rate of payment of principal of the class A-5 notes and the yield on the class A-5 notes will be affected by prepayments on the trust student loans that may occur as described below. Therefore, payments on the class A-5 notes could occur significantly earlier than expected. Consequently, the actual maturity of the class A-5 notes could be significantly earlier, the weighted average life of the class A-5 notes could be significantly shorter, and periodic balances could be significantly lower, than expected. Each trust student loan is prepayable in whole or in part, without penalty, by the borrowers at any time, or as a result of a borrower’s default, death, disability or bankruptcy and subsequent liquidation or collection of guarantee payments with respect thereto. The rate of such prepayments cannot be predicted and may be influenced by a variety of economic, social, competitive and other factors, including as described below. In general, the rate of prepayments may tend to increase to the extent that alternative financing becomes available on more favorable terms or at interest rates significantly below the interest rates applicable to the trust student loans. Prepayments could increase as a result of certain borrower benefit programs, among other factors. In addition, the depositor is obligated to repurchase any trust student loan (or substitute an eligible student loan) as a result of a breach of any of its representations and warranties relating to trust student loans contained in the sale agreement, and the servicer is obligated to purchase any trust student loan pursuant to the servicing agreement as a result of a breach of certain covenants with respect to such trust student loan, in each case where such breach materially adversely affects the interests of the trust in that trust student loan and is not cured within the applicable cure period. See “Transfer and Servicing Agreements—Purchase of Student Loans by the Depositor; Representations and Warranties of the Sellers” and “Servicing and Administration—Servicer Covenants” in this free-writing prospectus. See also “Summary of Note Terms—Termination of the Trust” in this free-writing prospectus regarding (i) the servicer’s option to purchase the outstanding notes when the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the notes, prior to taking into account any distributions to be made on such distribution date, is 10% or less of the initial aggregate principal balance of the notes and (ii) the indenture trustee’s option to auction the trust student loans when the Pool Balance is less than 10% of the initial Pool Balance.
On the other hand, the rate of principal payments and the yield on the notes will be affected by scheduled payments with respect to, and maturities and average lives of, the trust student loans. These may be lengthened as a result of, among other things, grace periods, deferment periods, forbearance periods, income-drive repayment plans or repayment term or monthly payment amount modifications agreed to by the servicer. See “Risk Factors—Forbearances Granted As a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic May Delay Payments of Interest and Principal” in this remarketing memorandum. Therefore, payments on the class A-5 notes could occur significantly later than expected. Consequently, the actual maturity and the weighted average life of the class A-5 notes could be significantly longer than expected and periodic balances could be significantly higher than expected. The rate of payment of principal of the class A-5 notes and the yield on the class A-5 notes may also be affected by the rate of defaults resulting in losses on defaulted trust student loans which have been liquidated, by the severity of those losses and by the timing of those losses, which may affect the ability of the guarantors to make timely guarantee payments with respect thereto. In addition, the maturity of certain of the trust student loans could extend beyond the legal maturity date for the class A-5 notes.
The rate of prepayments on the trust student loans cannot be predicted due to a variety of factors, some of which are described above, and any reinvestment risks resulting from a faster or slower incidence of prepayment on trust student loans will be borne entirely by the noteholders. Such reinvestment risks may include the risk that interest rates and the relevant spreads above particular interest rate indices are lower at the time noteholders receive payments from the trust than such interest rates and such spreads would otherwise have been if such prepayments had not been made or had such prepayments been made at a different time.
The projected weighted average remaining life to the July 26, 2021 reset date of the class A-5 notes (and assuming a successful remarketing of such notes on the current reset date) under various usual and customary prepayment scenarios is approximately 0.25 years. More information may be found under “Prepayments, Extensions, Weighted Average Remaining Life and Expected Maturity of the Class A-5 Notes,” to be included as Exhibit I to the final remarketing prospectus supplement to be distributed to potential investors on or prior to the Spread Determination Date.
CERTAIN U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax consequences to a U.S. holder, whose functional currency is the U.S. Dollar, pertaining to certain aspects of the reset rate notes. For a summary of additional tax consequences, holders of the reset rate notes should refer to “Appendix B—Global Clearance, Settlement and Tax Documentation Procedures—U.S. Federal Income Tax Documentation Requirements” in this free-writing prospectus.
This discussion is general in nature and does not address all aspects of U.S. federal income taxation. Nor does it address issues that may be relevant to a particular U.S. holder subject to special treatment under U.S. federal income tax laws (such as tax-exempt organizations, partnerships or pass-through entities, persons holding the reset rate notes as part of a hedging, integrated, conversion or constructive sale transaction or a straddle, persons that are members of an “expanded group” or a “modified expanded group” within the meaning of Treasury Regulations Section 1.385-1 of which the issuer is also treated as a member, financial institutions, brokers, dealers in securities or currencies and traders that elect to mark-to-market their securities). In addition, this discussion does not consider the effect of any alternative minimum taxes, the Medicare tax on net investment income or foreign, state, local or other tax laws, or any U.S. tax considerations other than U.S. federal income tax considerations (e.g., estate or gift tax) that may be applicable to particular U.S. holders. Furthermore, this summary assumes that U.S. holders hold the reset rate notes as “capital assets” (generally, property held for investment) within the meaning of section 1221 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). This summary also assumes that, with respect to the reset rate notes reflected on the books of a qualified business unit of a U.S. holder, such qualified business unit is a U.S. resident.
This summary is based on the Code and applicable Treasury regulations, rulings, administrative pronouncements and judicial decisions thereunder as of the date hereof, all of which are subject to change or differing interpretations at any time with possible retroactive effect. The terms of the reset rate notes are unusual and there are no rulings or cases that address the treatment of instruments similar to the reset rate notes. Moreover, the administrator does not intend to request rulings as to the U.S. federal income tax treatment of the reset rate notes. Thus, there can be no assurance that the U.S. federal income tax consequences of the reset rate notes described below will be sustained if the relevant transactions are examined by the Internal Revenue Service (the “IRS”) or by a court if the IRS proposes to disallow such treatment.
Unless otherwise indicated herein, it is assumed that any holder is a U.S. person, and, except as set forth below, this discussion does not address the tax consequences of holding a reset rate note to any holder who is not a U.S. person. As used herein, “U.S. holder” means a beneficial owner of a reset rate note that is for U.S. federal income tax purposes:
| • | a citizen or individual resident of the United States; |
| • | a corporation (including an entity treated as such) organized in or under the laws of the United States, any state thereof or the District of Columbia; |
| • | an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, regardless of its source; or |
| • | a trust whose administration is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more U.S. persons who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust. |
To the extent provided in Treasury regulations, some trusts in existence on August 20, 1996, and treated as U.S. persons before that date, that elect to continue to be treated as U.S. persons, will be U.S. persons and not foreign persons.
The U.S. federal income tax treatment of a partner in a partnership (including any entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes) that holds a note will depend, among other things, upon whether or not the partner is a U.S. person. Partners and partnerships should consult their tax advisors as to the particular U.S. federal income tax consequences applicable to them.
For purposes of this discussion, references to the trust, the notes and related terms, parties and documents refer, unless described differently in this free-writing prospectus, to the trust and the notes and related terms, parties and documents applicable to the trust. References to a holder of a note generally are deemed to refer to the beneficial owner of the note.
EACH HOLDER OF A RESET RATE NOTE IS URGED TO CONSULT SUCH HOLDER’S TAX ADVISOR REGARDING THE POTENTIAL U.S. FEDERAL INCOME TAX CONSEQUENCES (AND ANY FOREIGN, STATE OR LOCAL TAX CONSEQUENCES) OF HOLDING AND DISPOSING OF THE RESET RATE NOTES IN LIGHT OF THE HOLDER’S PARTICULAR CIRCUMSTANCES.
Tax Characterization of the Trust
Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, as special tax counsel to the trust will deliver its opinion to the trust that the trust will not be an association or a publicly traded partnership taxable as a corporation for U.S. federal income tax purposes. This opinion will be based on the assumption that the terms of the trust agreement and related documents will be complied with and that the transfer restrictions described in “Appendix B—Global Clearance, Settlement and Tax Documentation Procedures—Secondary Market Trading” will be complied with. It should be noted that this transaction is not the subject of, or squarely on point with, any Treasury regulation, revenue ruling or judicial decision, and that legal opinions are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service, so no assurance can be given that this characterization of the trust will prevail..
Tax Consequences to Holders of Notes in General
Treatment of the Notes as Indebtedness. Except as otherwise described in this free-writing prospectus, Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP, as special tax counsel to the trust, will deliver an opinion that the class A notes will qualify as debt for purposes of U.S. federal, state and local income and franchise taxes and for purposes of any other tax measured in whole or in part by income. Again, it should be noted that this transaction is not the subject of, or squarely on point with, any Treasury regulation, revenue ruling or judicial decision, and that legal opinions are not binding on the Internal Revenue Service, so no assurance can be given that this characterization of the notes will prevail. The depositor will agree, and the noteholders will agree by their purchase of the notes, to treat the notes as debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes. The consequences of the notes being treated as debt for U.S. federal income tax purposes are described below. Treatment of the notes as equity interests could have adverse tax consequences to certain holders. For example, all or a portion of the income accrued by tax-exempt entities, including pension funds, would be “unrelated business taxable income,” income to foreign holders might be subject to U.S. federal income tax and U.S. federal income tax return filing and withholding requirements, and individual holders might be subject to limitations on their ability to deduct their shares of trust expenses, including losses. Noteholders are strongly encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the possibility that the notes could be treated as equity interests.
Stated Interest. Stated interest on the notes will be taxable as ordinary income for U.S. federal income tax purposes when received or accrued in accordance with the method of tax accounting of the holder of the notes.
Original Issue Discount. Stated interest other than qualified stated interest must be accrued under the rules applicable to original issue discount (“OID”). Qualified stated interest must be unconditionally payable at least annually. Unless otherwise stated herein, the discussion below assumes that all payments on the notes are denominated in U.S. Dollars, and that the interest formula for the notes meets the requirements for “qualified stated interest” under Treasury regulations relating to OID, except as described below.
A note is treated as issued with OID if the excess of the note’s “stated redemption price at maturity” (which generally includes all payments on a note other than payments of “qualified stated interest”) over its issue price equals or exceeds a de minimis amount equal to one-fourth of 1 percent of the note’s stated redemption price at maturity multiplied by the number of years to its maturity, based on the anticipated weighted average life of the notes, calculated using the “prepayment assumption,” if any, used in pricing the notes and weighing each payment by reference to the number of full years elapsed from the closing date prior to the anticipated date of such payment. Generally, the issue price of a note should be the first price at which a substantial amount of the notes is sold to persons other than placement agents, underwriters, brokers or wholesalers. The stated redemption price at maturity of a note of a series is generally equal to all payments on a note other than payments of “qualified stated interest.” Assuming that interest is qualified stated interest, the stated redemption price is generally expected to equal the principal amount of the note. Any de minimis OID must be included as income as principal payments are received on the notes in the proportion that such payment bears to the original principal balance of the note. The treatment of the resulting gain is subject to the general rules discussed under “—Sale or Other Taxable Disposition” below.
If the notes are treated as issued with OID, a holder will be required to include OID in income before the receipt of cash attributable to such income using a constant yield method. The amount of OID generally includible in income is the sum of the daily portions of OID with respect to a note for each day during the taxable year or portion of the taxable year in which the holder holds the note. Special provisions apply to debt instruments on which payments may be accelerated due to prepayments of other obligations securing those debt instruments. Under these provisions, the computation of OID on such debt instruments must be determined by taking into account both the prepayment assumption, if any, used in pricing the debt instrument and the actual prepayment experience. As a result of these special provisions, the amount of OID on the notes issued with OID that will accrue in any given accrual period may either increase or decrease depending upon the actual prepayment rate.
Holders of the notes are strongly encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the impact of the OID rules in the event that notes are issued with OID. In the event a holder purchases a note issued with OID at an acquisition premium—that is, at a price in excess of its “adjusted issue price” but less than its stated redemption price—the amount includible in income in each taxable year as OID is reduced by that portion of the excess properly allocable to such year. The adjusted issue price of a note is the sum of its issue price plus prior accruals of OID, reduced by the total payments made with respect to the note in all prior periods, other than “qualified stated interest” payments. Acquisition premium is allocated on a pro rata basis to each accrual of OID, so that the holder is allowed to reduce each accrual of OID by a constant fraction.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act amended Section 451 of the Code. As a result, accrual method holders that prepare “an applicable financial statement” (as defined in Section 451 of the Code) may be required to include OID no later than at the time such amounts are reflected on such a financial statement. Holders should consult their tax advisors regarding the treatment of OID and the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act on their investment.
Market Discount. The notes, whether or not issued with OID, may be subject to the “market discount rules” of Section 1276 of the Code. In general, these rules apply if the holder purchases the note at a market discount—that is, a discount from its stated redemption price at maturity or, if the notes were issued with OID, adjusted issue price—that exceeds a de minimis amount specified in the Code. If the holder acquires the note at a market discount and (a) recognizes gain upon a disposition, or (b) receives payments that do not constitute qualified stated interest, the lesser of (1) such gain or payment or (2) the accrued market discount that has not previously been included in income, will be taxed as ordinary interest income.
Generally, market discount accrues in the ratio of stated interest allocable to the relevant period to the sum of the interest for such period plus the remaining interest as of the end of such period, computed taking into account the prepayment assumption, if any, or in the case of a note issued with OID, in the ratio of OID accrued for the relevant period to the sum of OID accrued for that period plus the remaining OID as of the end of such period. A holder may elect, however, to determine accrued market discount under the constant yield method, computed taking into account the prepayment assumption, if any. The treatment of the resulting gain is subject to the general rules discussed under “—Sale or Other Taxable Disposition” below.
The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act amended Section 451 of the Code. As a result, accrual method holders that prepare “an applicable financial statement” (as defined in Section 451 of the Code) may be required to include market discount no later than at the time such amounts are reflected on such a financial statement. In The United States Treasury released proposed regulations that generally would exclude from this rule any item of gross income for which a taxpayer uses a special method of accounting permitted or required by certain sections of the Code, including, in general, income subject to the timing rules for OID, income under the contingent payment debt instrument rules, income and gain associated with an integrated transaction, de minimis OID, accrued market discount, and de minimis market discount, provided that the taxpayer applied the proposed regulations consistently to all items of income during such taxpayer’s taxable year. These regulations were recently finalized in a manner that adopted the exclusions provided for in the proposed regulations without substantial relevant revision.
The final regulations are effective for taxable years beginning on or after the later of January 1, 2021 or the date the final regulations are filed for public inspection in the Federal Register. Moreover, a taxpayer may also generally rely on the final regulations for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2017 but before the later of the two dates mentioned in the prior sentence. Prospective investors are encouraged to consult their tax advisors with regard to the application of these rules.
Limitations imposed by the Code which are intended to match deductions with the taxation of income may defer deductions for interest on indebtedness incurred or continued, or short-sale expenses incurred, to purchase or carry a note with accrued market discount. A holder may elect to include market discount in gross income as it accrues. If it makes this election, the holder will not be required to defer deductions. Any such election will apply to all debt instruments acquired by the holder on or after the first day of the first taxable year to which such election applies. The adjusted basis of a note subject to such election will be increased to reflect market discount included in gross income, thereby reducing any gain or increasing any loss on a sale or taxable disposition.
In addition, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, numerous changes have been made to the Code that could impact the tax considerations that investors may consider relevant in acquiring, holding or disposing of notes. Prospective investors should consult their own tax advisor regarding the impact that the changes may have on their ownership, acquisition and disposition of notes.
Moreover, the treatment of broad-based forbearance or modification programs such as forbearances with respect to trust student loans under the Coronavirus Disaster Forbearance Program and other broad-based modifications of trust student loans occasioned by the COVID 19 global pandemic, is uncertain. The Internal Revenue Service has issued guidance providing that, in certain circumstances, forbearances and other modifications of mortgage debt instruments occasioned by the global COVID-19 pandemic will not result in a deemed exchange of those debt instruments. However, such guidance by its terms does not apply to debt instruments such as the trust student loans. Accordingly, the IRS may assert, and a court may hold, that broad-based forbearance and other programs entered into by the servicer with respect to trust student loans and occasioned by the COVID-19 global pandemic, could constitute a deemed exchange of subject loans for United States federal income tax purposes, which could result in the realization of gain or loss, as well as other corollary tax consequences.
Replacement of LIBOR.
If an alternative method or index is designated in place of LIBOR for notes that have an interest rate that currently adjusts based on LIBOR, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of such a replacement are uncertain. If such a replacement constituted a “significant modification” of the notes under Treasury Regulation section 1.1001-3, the replacement may result in a deemed taxable exchange of the notes and the realization of gain or loss, as well as other corollary tax consequences.
The IRS and the Treasury Department have proposed regulations, upon which taxpayers may rely until the promulgation of final regulations, that, in certain circumstances, could reduce the likelihood that replacing a rate based on LIBOR with an alternative method or index would constitute a “significant modification” as described above. Moreover, the IRS recently published Revenue Procedure 2020-44, which set forth certain safe harbors pursuant to which the adoption of an amendment related to replacing a rate based on LIBOR with an alternative method or index would not constitute a “significant modification.” It is unclear whether the substitution of an alternative method or index in place of LIBOR here would qualify for any of these safe harbors. However, we can provide no assurance that these regulations, in their current form, will provide any relief from the tax consequences described above if such a replacement is effected with respect to the notes. Holders of the notes should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the consequences of the designation of an alternative method or index in place of LIBOR.
Amortizable Bond Premium. In general, if a holder purchases a note at a premium—that is, an amount in excess of the amount payable at maturity—the holder will be considered to have purchased the note with “amortizable bond premium” equal to the amount of such excess. A holder may elect to amortize such bond premium as an offset to interest income and not as a separate deduction item as it accrues under a constant yield method, or one of the other methods described above under “—Market Discount” over the remaining term of the note, using the prepayment assumption, if any. A holder’s tax basis in the note will be reduced by the amount of the amortized bond premium. Any such election shall apply to all debt instruments, other than instruments the interest on which is excludible from gross income, held by the holder at the beginning of the first taxable year for which the election applies or thereafter acquired and is irrevocable without the consent of the IRS. Bond premium on a note held by a holder who does not elect to amortize the premium will decrease the gain or increase the loss otherwise recognized on the disposition of the note.
Election to Treat all Interest as OID. A holder may elect to include in gross income all interest with respect to the notes, including stated interest, OID, de minimis OID, market discount, de minimis market discount, and unstated interest, as adjusted by any amortizable bond premium or acquisition premium, using the constant yield method described under “—Original Issue Discount.” This election will generally apply only to the specific note for which it was made. It may not be revoked without the consent of the IRS. Holders are strongly encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors before making this election.
Sale or Other Taxable Disposition. If a holder of a note sells the note, the holder will recognize gain or loss in an amount equal to the difference between the amount realized on the sale and the holder’s adjusted tax basis in the note. The adjusted tax basis will equal the holder’s cost for the note, increased by any market discount, OID and gain previously included by the holder in income with respect to the note, and decreased by the amount of any bond premium previously amortized and by the amount of principal payments previously received by the noteholder with respect to the note. Any such gain or loss will be capital gain or loss if the note was held as a capital asset, except for gain representing accrued interest, accrued market discount not previously included in income and in the event of a prepayment or redemption, any not yet accrued OID. Capital gains or losses will be long-term capital gains or losses if the note was held for more than one year. Capital losses generally may be used only to offset capital gains.
Waivers and Amendments. The indenture may permit noteholders to waive an event of default or rescind an acceleration of the notes in some circumstances upon a vote of the requisite percentage of the holders. Any such waiver or rescission, or any amendment of the terms of the notes, could be treated for U.S. federal income tax purposes as a constructive exchange by a holder of the notes for new notes, upon which gain or loss might be recognized.
Tax Consequences to Foreign Investors. The following information describes the material U.S. federal income tax treatment of investors in the notes that are foreign persons. The term “foreign person” means any person other than a U.S. person, as defined above, or partnership (or entity or arrangement treated as a partnership for U.S. federal income tax purposes). The IRS has issued regulations which set forth procedures to be followed by a foreign person in establishing foreign status for certain purposes. Prospective investors are strongly encouraged to consult with their tax advisors concerning the requirements imposed by the regulations and their effect on the holding of the notes.
Interest paid or accrued to a foreign person that is not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business within the United States by the foreign person will generally be considered “portfolio interest” and generally will not be subject to U.S. federal income tax and withholding tax, as long as the foreign person:
| • | is not actually or constructively a “10 percent shareholder” of Navient, Navient Credit Finance Corporation, the depositor or the trust, or a “controlled foreign corporation” with respect to which Navient, Navient Credit Finance Corporation, the depositor or the trust is a “related person” within the meaning of the Code, and |
| • | provides an appropriate statement, signed under penalties of perjury, certifying that the holder is a foreign person and providing that foreign person’s name and address. For beneficial owners that are individuals or entities treated as corporations, this certification may be made on Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E. If the information provided in this statement changes, the foreign person must report that change within 30 days of such change. The statement generally must be provided in the year a payment occurs or in any of the three preceding years. |
If this interest were not portfolio interest, then it would be subject to U.S. federal income and withholding tax at a current rate of 30% unless reduced or eliminated pursuant to an applicable income tax treaty. For a description of certain documentation requirements pertaining to such withholding tax, see “Appendix B—Global Clearance, Settlement and Tax Documentation Procedures—U.S. Federal Income Tax Documentation Requirements” in this free-writing prospectus.
Any capital gain realized on the sale or other taxable disposition of a note by a foreign person will be exempt from U.S. federal income and withholding tax, provided that:
| • | the gain is not effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States by the foreign person, and |
| • | in the case of an individual foreign person, the foreign person is not present in the United States for 183 days or more in the taxable year and certain other requirements are met. |
If the interest, gain or income on a note held by a foreign person is effectively connected with the conduct of a trade or business in the United States by the foreign person, the holder—although exempt from the withholding tax previously discussed if a duly executed Form W-8ECI is furnished—generally will be subject to U.S. federal income tax on the interest, gain or income at regular U.S. federal income tax rates. In addition, if the foreign person is a foreign corporation, it may be subject to a branch profits tax equal to 30% of its “effectively connected earnings and profits” within the meaning of the Code for the taxable year, as adjusted for certain items, unless it qualifies for a lower rate under an applicable tax treaty.
The Code also imposes a Medicare related surtax of 3.8 percent on the “net investment income” of certain United States individuals, trusts and estates. Among other items, net investment income generally includes interest on debt obligations like the notes and net gain attributable to the disposition of debt instruments like the notes to the extent that such gain otherwise would be included in taxable income.
Information Reporting and Backup Withholding. The indenture trustee will be required to report annually to the IRS, and to each noteholder, the amount of interest (including OID, if any, which will be provided to the indenture trustee by the administrator) paid on, or the proceeds from the sale or other taxable disposition of, the notes and the amount withheld for U.S. federal income taxes, if any, for each calendar year, except as to exempt recipients—generally, corporations, tax-exempt organizations, qualified pension and profit-sharing trusts, individual retirement accounts, or nonresident aliens who provide certification as to their status. Each noteholder other than one who is not subject to the reporting requirements will be required to provide, under penalties of perjury, a certificate containing its name, address, correct federal taxpayer identification number, which includes a U.S. social security number, and a statement that the holder is not subject to backup withholding. Should a non-exempt noteholder fail to provide the required certification or should the IRS notify the indenture trustee or the issuing entity that the holder has provided an incorrect federal taxpayer identification number or is otherwise subject to backup withholding, the indenture trustee or the issuing entity will be required to withhold at a prescribed rate from the interest otherwise payable to the noteholder, or the proceeds from the sale or other taxable disposition of the notes, and remit the withheld amounts to the IRS as a credit against the holder’s U.S. federal income tax liability.
Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act. Under the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act of 2010 (“FATCA”), a 30% withholding tax will be imposed on certain payments (which include interest in respect of notes) made to a foreign entity if such entity fails to satisfy certain disclosure and reporting rules. FATCA generally requires that (i) in the case of a foreign financial institution (defined broadly to include a hedge fund, a private equity fund, a mutual fund, a securitization vehicle or other investment vehicle), the entity identify and provide information in respect of financial accounts with such entity held (directly or indirectly) by U.S. persons and U.S.-owned foreign entities and (ii) in the case of a non-financial foreign entity, the entity identify and provide information in respect of substantial U.S. owners of such entity.
FATCA generally will apply to the notes offered hereby. Furthermore, under the terms of the notes, holders are required to provide the indenture trustee with FATCA-related information, including appropriate IRS forms, and the indenture trustee has the right to withhold interest payable on the notes if any holder fails to provide the required documentation or to the extent any FATCA or other withholding tax is otherwise applicable. Investors in the notes that are foreign persons are strongly encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the application and impact of FATCA.
Replacement of LIBOR. If an alternative method or index is designated in place of LIBOR for notes that have an interest rate that currently adjusts based on LIBOR, the U.S. federal income tax consequences of such a replacement are uncertain. If such a replacement constitutes a “significant modification” of the notes under Treasury Regulation section 1.1001-3, the replacement may result in a deemed taxable exchange of the notes and the realization of gain or loss, as well as other corollary tax consequences.
The Internal Revenue Service and the Treasury Department have recently proposed regulations, upon which taxpayers may rely until the promulgation of final regulations, that, in certain circumstances, could reduce the likelihood that replacing a rate based on LIBOR with an alternative method or index would constitute a “significant modification” as described above. However, we can provide no assurance that these regulations, in their current form, will provide any relief from the tax consequences described above if such a replacement is effected with respect to the notes. Holders of the notes should consult their own tax advisors with respect to the consequences of the designation of an alternative method or index in place of LIBOR.
Special Tax Consequences to Holders of Reset Rate Securities
The following discussion summarizes certain U.S. federal income tax consequences to a holder pertaining to the reset procedure for setting the interest rate, currency and other terms of a class of reset rate notes.
In General. As a general matter, notes that are subject to reset and remarketing provisions are not treated as repurchased and reissued or modified at the time of such reset. Unlike more typical reset rate notes, reset rate notes that are denominated in a currency other than U.S. dollars (“foreign exchange reset rate notes”) are subject to a mandatory tender on the subsequent reset date and other unusual remarketing terms facilitated by the related currency swap agreements, both of which are indicative of treatment as newly issued instruments upon such reset date. Accordingly, although not free from doubt, the remarketing of foreign exchange reset rate notes pursuant to the reset procedures will constitute a retirement and reissuance of such notes under applicable Treasury regulations. In contrast, reset rate notes denominated in U.S. dollars (“U.S. dollar reset rate notes”) will be subject to more typical reset procedures unless they are reset and remarketed into a currency other than U.S. dollars. Thus, subject to the discussion under “—Possible Alternative Treatment of the Reset Rate Notes” below, a non-tendering holder of a U.S. dollar reset rate note will not realize gain or loss if the note continues to be denominated in U.S. dollars, and such note will be deemed to remain outstanding until the note is reset into a currency other than U.S. dollars or until some other termination event (e.g., the call option is exercised, the stated maturity date is reached or the principal balance of the notes is reduced to zero). Although not free from doubt, in the event a U.S. dollar reset rate note is reset into a currency other than U.S. dollars (an event triggering a mandatory tender by all existing holders), the note will be treated as retired and reissued upon such reset.
Regardless of whether they constitute U.S. dollar reset rate notes or foreign exchange reset rate notes, under applicable Treasury regulations, solely for purposes of determining OID thereon, the reset rate notes will be treated as maturing on each reset date for their principal balance on such date and reissued on the reset date for the principal balance resulting from the reset procedures.
If a failed remarketing occurs, for U.S. federal income tax purposes, the reset rate notes will be deemed to remain outstanding until a reset date on which they are subject to mandatory tender (i.e., in the case of the U.S. dollar reset rate notes, they are successfully remarketed into a currency other than U.S. dollars, or in the case of the foreign exchange reset rate notes, until the subsequent reset date on which a successful remarketing occurs), or until some other termination event (e.g., the call option is exercised, the stated maturity date is reached or the principal balance of the notes is reduced to zero).
If the call option is exercised, the reset rate notes will be considered retired for U.S. federal income tax purposes. As a result, the subsequent resale of the reset rate notes to holders unrelated to the issuer will be considered a new issuance of the reset rate notes. The issue price, OID, if any, holding period and other tax-related characteristics of the reset rate notes will accordingly be redetermined on the premise that the reset rate notes will be newly issued on the date on which the reset rate notes are resold.
Tax Accounting for Holders of the Reset Rate Notes. For a discussion of the U.S. federal income tax accounting treatment of the U.S. dollar reset rate notes, holders of such notes should refer to “—Tax Consequences to Holders of Notes in General” above. The tax accounting treatment described in those sections assumes that the conclusions in the discussion under “—Special Tax Consequences to Holders of Reset Rate Notes—In General” above are correct but is subject to the discussion under the heading “—Possible Alternative Treatment of the Reset Rate Notes” below.
Possible Alternative Treatment of the Reset Rate Notes. There can be no assurance that the IRS will agree with the above conclusions as to the expected treatment of the reset rate notes, and it is possible that the IRS could assert another treatment and that such treatment could be sustained by the IRS or a court in a final determination. Contrary to the treatment for U.S. dollar reset rate notes discussed under the heading “—Special Tax Consequences to Holders of Reset Rate Notes—In General” above, it might be contended that a remarketing of U.S. dollar reset rate notes that continue to be denominated in U.S. dollars pursuant to such remarketing will result in the material modification of such notes and will give rise to a new indebtedness for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Given the open-ended nature of the reset mechanism, the possibility that U.S. dollar reset rate notes that continue to be denominated in U.S. dollars upon a reset may be deemed to mature and be reissued on the applicable reset date is somewhat greater than if the reset procedures were merely a device to reset interest rates on a regular basis. Alternatively, even if the reset mechanism did not cause a deemed reissuance of such U.S. dollar reset rate notes, such notes could be treated as bearing contingent interest under applicable Treasury regulations. Under such regulations, the amount treated as taxable interest to a holder of a reset rate note in each accrual period would be a hypothetical amount based upon the issuer’s current borrowing costs for comparable, noncontingent debt instruments (the “noncontingent bond method”), and a holder of a reset rate note might be required to include interest in income in excess of actual cash payments received for certain taxable periods. In addition, if the reset rate notes were treated as contingent payment obligations, any gain upon their sale or exchange would be treated as ordinary income, any loss would be ordinary loss to the extent of the holder’s prior ordinary income inclusions with respect to the reset rate notes, and the balance would be treated as a capital loss.
It might also be contended that U.S. dollar reset rate notes that are reset to a currency other than U.S. dollars or foreign exchange reset rate notes that are successfully remarketed should not be treated as maturing on the reset date, and instead should be treated as maturing on their stated maturity date or over their weighted average life for U.S. federal income tax purposes. Even if such reset rate notes were not so treated, applicable Treasury regulations generally treat reset rate notes as maturing on the reset date for purposes of calculating OID. Such regulations probably would apply to the reset rate notes, although a different result cannot be precluded given the unusual features of the reset rate notes. In the event that U.S. dollar reset rate notes that are reset to a currency other than U.S. dollars or foreign exchange reset rate notes that are successfully remarketed were not treated as maturing on the reset date (e.g., such reset rate notes were treated as maturing on their stated maturity date or over their weighted average life for U.S. federal income tax purposes), it might also follow that such reset rate notes should be treated as bearing contingent interest. It is not entirely clear how such an instrument would be treated for tax accounting purposes. Treasury regulations governing the treatment of contingent payment debt instruments providing for payments denominated in or by reference to a non-U.S. dollar currency may apply to the reset rate notes under this alternative characterization. The rules set forth in these regulations are complex and their potential application to the reset rate notes is not clear. Holders are strongly encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the tax treatment of the reset rate notes if the reset rate notes were recharacterized in the manner described in this paragraph.
STATE AND LOCAL TAX CONSEQUENCES
The above discussion does not address the tax treatment of the trust, the notes, or the holders of the notes of any series under any state or local tax laws. The activities of the servicer in servicing and collecting the trust student loans will take place at each of the locations at which the servicer’s operations are conducted and, therefore, different tax regimes apply to the trust and the holders of the notes. Prospective investors are urged to consult with their own tax advisors regarding the state and local tax treatment of the trust as well as any state and local tax consequences to them of purchasing, owning and disposing of the notes.
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The federal and state tax discussions described above may not be applicable depending upon each holder’s particular tax situation. Prospective purchasers are strongly encouraged to consult with their own tax advisors as to the tax consequences to them of purchasing, owning or disposing of notes, including the tax consequences under state, local, foreign and other tax laws and the possible effects of changes in federal or other tax laws.
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, as amended (“ERISA”) and Section 4975 of the Code impose certain restrictions on:
• employee benefit plans as defined in Section 3(3) of ERISA that are subject to Title I of ERISA;
• certain other retirement plans and arrangements described in Section 4975 of the Code, including:
1. individual retirement accounts and annuities (“IRAs”), and
2. Keogh plans;
• collective investment funds and separate accounts and, as applicable, insurance company general accounts in which those plans, accounts or arrangements are invested that are subject to the fiduciary responsibility provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code;
• any other entity whose assets are deemed to be “plan assets” as a result of any of the above plans, arrangements, funds or accounts investing in such entity; and
• persons who are fiduciaries with respect to plans in connection with the investment of plan assets.
The term “Plans” includes the plans and arrangements listed above.
Some employee benefit plans, such as governmental plans described in Section 3(32) of ERISA, and certain church plans described in Section 3(33) of ERISA, are not subject to the prohibited transaction provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. However, these plans may be subject to the provisions of any other applicable federal or state law, materially similar to the provisions of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code described in this free writing prospectus. Moreover, if a plan is not subject to ERISA requirements but is qualified and exempt from taxation under Sections 401(a) and 501(a) of the Code, the prohibited transaction rules in Section 503 of the Code will apply.
ERISA generally imposes on Plan fiduciaries certain general fiduciary requirements, including those of investment prudence and diversification and the requirement that the Plan’s investments be made in accordance with the documents governing the Plan. In addition, Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code prohibit a broad range of transactions involving assets of a Plan and persons who are called (“Parties in Interest”) under ERISA and “Disqualified Persons” under the Code “Parties in Interest” who have certain specified relationships to the Plan unless a statutory, regulatory or administrative exemption is available. The trust, the depositor, the remarketing agent, the trustee, or the eligible lender trustee, as applicable, the indenture trustee, the servicer, the administrator, any provider of credit support, a swap provider, a cap provider, the auction agent, or any of their affiliates may be considered to be or may become Parties in Interest with respect to certain Plans. Some Parties in Interest that participate in a prohibited transaction may be subject to an excise tax imposed under Section 4975 of the Code or a penalty imposed under Section 502(i) of ERISA, unless a statutory or administrative exemption is available. These prohibited transactions generally are set forth in Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code. In addition, because these parties may receive certain benefits from the sales of the notes, the purchase of the notes using Plan assets with respect to which any of them or any of their affiliated entities has investment authority or renders investment advice for a fee should not be made if it could be deemed a violation of the prohibited transaction rules of ERISA and the Code for which no exemption is available.
Under regulations issued by the Department of Labor called the “Plan Asset Regulations,” if a Plan makes an “equity” investment in an entity, the underlying assets and properties of that entity will be deemed for purposes of ERISA to be assets of the investing Plan unless exceptions in the regulation apply. The Plan Asset Regulations define an “equity interest” as any interest in an entity other than an instrument that is treated as indebtedness under applicable local law and which has no substantial equity features. If the class A-5 notes are treated as debt for purposes of the Plan Asset Regulations, the student loans and the other assets of the trust should not be deemed to be assets of an investing Plan. If, however, the class A-5 notes were treated as “equity” for purposes of the Plan Asset Regulations, a Plan purchasing the class A-5 notes could be treated as holding the student loans and the other assets of the trust.
Although there is little guidance on this, the notes denominated as debt should be treated as debt and not as equity interests for purposes of the Plan Asset Regulations. However, without regard to this characterization of the class A-5 notes, prohibited transactions under Section 406 of ERISA and Section 4975 of the Code may arise if a note is acquired by a Plan with respect to which any of the trust, the depositor, the remarketing agent, the eligible lender trustee, the indenture trustee, as applicable, or certain of their affiliates is a Party in Interest unless the transactions are subject to one or more statutory or administrative exemptions.
Included among the administrative exemptions are the following exemptions:
• Prohibited Transaction Class Exemption (“PTCE”) 96‑23, which exempts certain transactions effected on behalf of a Plan by an “in‑house asset manager”;
• PTCE 90‑1, which exempts certain transactions between insurance company separate accounts and Parties in Interest;
• PTCE 91‑38, which exempts certain transactions between bank collective investment funds and Parties in Interest;
• PTCE 95‑60, which exempts certain transactions between insurance company general accounts and Parties in Interest; or
• PTCE 84‑14, which exempts certain transactions effected on behalf of a Plan by a “qualified professional asset manager.”
There is also a statutory exemption that may be available under Section 408(b)(17) of ERISA and Section 4975(d)(20) of the Code to a party in interest that is a service provider to a Plan investing in the class A-5 notes for adequate consideration, provided such service provider is not (i) the fiduciary with respect to the Plan’s assets used to acquire the class A-5 notes or an affiliate of such fiduciary or (ii) an affiliate of the employer sponsoring the Plan. Adequate consideration means fair market value as determined in good faith by the applicable Plan fiduciary pursuant to regulations to be promulgated by the Department of Labor.
These administrative and statutory exemptions may not apply with respect to any particular Plan’s investment in notes and, even if an exemption were deemed to apply, it might not apply to all prohibited transactions that may occur in connection with the investment. Accordingly, before making an investment in the notes, investing Plans should determine whether the trust, the depositor, the remarketing agent, the eligible lender trustee, as applicable, the indenture trustee, the servicer, the administrator, any provider of credit support, a swap provider, a cap provider or any of their affiliates is a Party in Interest for that Plan and, if so, whether the transaction is eligible for one or more statutory, regulatory or administrative exemptions.
Each purchaser that is acquiring its interest in the class A-5 notes by, for or with the assets of a benefit plan, shall be deemed to represent that: (1) In the case of a Plan, such acquisition or holding of the class A-5 notes will not constitute or otherwise result in a non‑exempt prohibited transaction in violation of Section 406 of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Code which is not covered by a class or other applicable exemption; and (2) in the case of a benefit plan subject to a federal, state, local or foreign law substantially similar to Section 406 of ERISA and/or Section 4975 of the Code, the acquisition or holding of the note will not constitute or otherwise result in a non‑exempt violation of such substantially similar law. Any transfer found to have been made in violation of such deemed representations shall be null and void and of no effect.
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A Plan fiduciary considering the purchase of the class A-5 notes is strongly encouraged to consult with its tax and/or legal advisors regarding whether the assets of the trust would be considered Plan assets, the possibility of exemptive relief from the prohibited transaction rules and other related issues and their potential consequences. Each Plan fiduciary also should determine whether, under the fiduciary standards of investment prudence and diversification, an investment in the notes is appropriate for the Plan, also considering the overall investment policy of the Plan and the composition of the Plan’s investment portfolio, as well as whether the investment is permitted under the Plan’s governing instruments.
ACCOUNTING CONSIDERATIONS
Various factors may influence the accounting treatment applicable to an investor’s acquisition and holding of asset-backed securities. Accounting standards, and the application and interpretation of such standards, are subject to change from time to time. Before making an investment in the notes, potential investors are strongly encouraged to consult their own accountants for advice as to the appropriate accounting treatment for their class of notes.
Quarterly and annual reports concerning the trust will be delivered to noteholders. These periodic unaudited reports will contain information concerning the trust student loans. They will be sent only to Cede & Co., as nominee of DTC. The administrator will not send reports directly to the beneficial holders of the notes. However, these reports may be viewed at sponsor’s website: https://www.navient.com/about/investors/debtasset/navientsltrusts. The reports will not constitute financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. These reports will be available at the office of the Luxembourg paying agent, if any, or Luxembourg listing agent. The next such quarterly distribution report is expected to be available on or about April 26, 2021.
So long as it is required to do so, the trust will cause the administrator to file with the SEC all periodic reports required under the Exchange Act. The reports concerning the trust are required to be delivered to the holders of the notes. These reports include (but are not limited to):
| • | Reports on Form 8-K (Current Report), following the occurrence of events specified in Form 8-K requiring disclosure, which are required to be filed within the time-frame specified in Form 8-K related to the type of event; |
| • | Reports on Form 10-D (Asset-Backed Issuer Distribution Report), containing the distribution and pool performance information required on Form 10-D, which are required to be filed 15 days following the distribution date; and |
| • | Reports on Form 10-K (Annual Report), containing the items specified in Form 10-K with respect to a fiscal year and the items required pursuant to Items 1122 and 1123 of Regulation AB under the Securities Act. |
The trust has a Central Index Key assigned by the SEC to the trust. Reports filed with respect to the trust with the SEC will be available under the trust’s Central Index Key, which is a serial company number assigned to the file number of the depositor.
On each distribution date, the administrator will provide to noteholders of record as of the record date a statement containing substantially the same information as is required to be provided on the periodic report to the indenture trustee and the trust described under ‘‘Servicing and Administration—Statements to the Indenture Trustee and the Trust’’ in this free-writing prospectus. These statements and reports will be included with filings to be made with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules promulgated thereunder. The statements provided to noteholders will not constitute financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles and will not be audited.
Within the prescribed period of time for tax reporting purposes after the end of each calendar year, the trustee will mail to each person, who at any time during that calendar year was a noteholder and who received a payment from that trust, a statement containing certain information to enable it to prepare its federal income tax return. See ‘‘U.S. Federal Income Tax Consequences’’ in this free-writing prospectus.
The remarketing for the class A-5 notes by the remarketing agent is being done in accordance with the terms of the remarketing agreement, dated as of August 11, 2005, among the trust, the administrator, Deutsche Bank Securities Inc. and BofA Securities, Inc. (as successor in interest to Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Incorporated), and the related remarketing agency agreement, dated as of April 14, 2021 and the supplemental remarketing agency agreement, to be dated as of the Spread Determination Date, each among the trust, the administrator and BofA Securities, Inc., as the remarketing agent. The remarketing agent is offering the class A-5 notes on a best efforts basis and, while the remarketing agent may choose to purchase any or all of the class A-5 notes that have been tendered by the holders thereof, the remarketing agent is under any obligation to purchase any of the class A-5 notes. The administrator, in its sole discretion, may change or remove the remarketing agent or, if at any time, there is more than one remarketing agent, designate a lead remarketing agent for the reset rate notes for any reset period at any time on or before the related Remarketing Terms Determination Date. Furthermore, a remarketing agent may resign at any time provided that no resignation may become effective on a date that is later than 15 business days prior to a Remarketing Terms Determination Date. Unless all tendered class A-5 notes are sold pursuant to the remarketing (or the call option is exercised), a Failed Remarketing will be declared and all existing class A-5 noteholders will retain their notes.
The remarketing agent will represent and agree that:
| (a) | it has not offered, sold or otherwise made available and will not offer, sell or otherwise make available any class A-5 notes to any EU retail investor in the EEA. For the purposes of this provision: |
| (i) | the expression “EU retail investor” means a person who is one (or more) of the following: (A) a retail client as defined in point (11) of Article 4(1) of Directive 2014/65/EU (as amended, “MiFID II”); or (B) a customer within the meaning of Directive (EU) 2016/97 (as amended), where that customer would not qualify as a professional client as defined in point (10) of Article 4(1) of MiFID II; or (C) not a qualified investor as defined in Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 (as amended, the “Prospectus Regulation”); and |
| (ii) | the expression “offer” includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the class A-5 notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe the class A-5 notes; |
| (b) | it has not offered, sold or otherwise made available and will not offer, sell or otherwise make available any notes to any UK retail investor in the United Kingdom. For the purposes of this provision: |
| (i) | the expression UK retail investor means a person who is one (or more) of the following: (i) a retail client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2017/565 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018 (the "EUWA"); or (ii) a customer within the meaning of the provisions of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000, as amended (the "FSMA" and any rules or regulations made under the FSMA to implement Directive (EU) 2016/97, where that customer would not qualify as a professional client, as defined in point (8) of Article 2(1) of Regulation (EU) No 600/2014 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA; or (iii) not a qualified investor as defined in Article 2 of Regulation (EU) 2017/1129 as it forms part of domestic law by virtue of the EUWA (the "UK Prospectus Regulation"); and |
| (ii) | the expression an “offer” includes the communication in any form and by any means of sufficient information on the terms of the offer and the Notes to be offered so as to enable an investor to decide to purchase or subscribe for the Notes. |
| (c) | it has only communicated or caused to be communicated and will only communicate or cause to be communicated an invitation or inducement to engage in investment activity (within the meaning of Section 21 of the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (“FSMA”)) received by it in connection with the issue or sale of the class A-5 notes in circumstances in which Section 21(1) of the FSMA does not apply to the trust; and |
| (d) | it has complied and will comply with all applicable provisions of the FSMA with respect to anything done by it in relation to the class A-5 notes in, from or otherwise involving the United Kingdom. |
No action has been or will be taken by the depositor or the remarketing agent that would permit a public offering of the class A-5 notes in any country or jurisdiction other than the United States, where action for that purpose is required. Accordingly, the class A-5 notes may not be offered or sold, directly or indirectly, and neither this free-writing prospectus nor any term sheet, circular, prospectus (including any free-writing prospectus or supplement thereto), form of application, advertisement or other material may be distributed in or from or published in any country or jurisdiction, except under circumstances that will result in compliance with any applicable laws and regulations. Persons into whose hands all or any part of such documents (including any free-writing prospectus or supplement thereto) come are required by the depositor and the remarketing agent to comply with all applicable laws and regulations in each country or jurisdiction in which they purchase, sell or deliver class A-5 notes or have in their possession or distribute such documents, in all cases at their own expense.
The class A-5 notes are currently listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. You should consult with Deutsche Bank Luxembourg S.A., the Luxembourg listing agent for the class A-5 notes at 2 Boulevard Konrad Adenauer, L 1115 Luxembourg, phone number (352) 421.22.639 for additional information regarding their status. In connection with the listing application, the certificate of formation and limited liability company operating agreement of the depositor, as well as a legal notice relating to the issuance of the notes together with copies of the indenture, the trust agreement, the form of the class A-5 notes, the administration agreement, the servicing agreement, and the other basic documents were deposited with the Trade and Companies Register (Régistre de Commerce et des Sociétés) in Luxembourg where copies of those documents may be obtained upon request. Copies of the indenture, the trust agreement, the form of the class A-5 notes, the administration agreement, the servicing agreement, and the other basic documents are available at the offices of the Luxembourg paying agent, if any, or the Luxembourg listing agent. Trading of the class A-5 notes may be effected on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange. So long as any class of notes is listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange’s Euro MTF Market, and its rules so require, notices will also be published in a leading newspaper having general circulation in Luxembourg (which is expected to be Luxemburger Wort) and/or on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange’s website at http://www.bourse.lu. The Luxembourg Stock Exchange will also be advised if the class A-5 notes are delisted.
The class A-5 notes are currently able to be cleared and settled through Clearstream, Luxembourg and Euroclear.
The class A-5 notes are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange and definitive notes have been issued. We will appoint a Luxembourg paying and transfer agent if required to do so by the Luxembourg Stock Exchange.
As long as the class A-5 notes are listed on the Luxembourg Stock Exchange, quarterly distribution reports and annual servicing and administration reports concerning the trust and its activities will be available at the office of the Luxembourg paying agent, if any, or the Luxembourg listing agent. The next such quarterly distribution report is expected to be available on or about April 26, 2021.
The notes, the indenture and the administration agreement are governed by the laws of the State of New York. The trust agreement is governed by the laws of the State of Delaware.
As of the date of this free-writing prospectus, none of the trust, the eligible lender trustee or the indenture trustee is involved in any litigation or arbitration proceeding relating to the notes. The depositor is not aware of any proceedings relating to the notes, whether pending or threatened.
The depositor has taken all reasonable care to confirm that the information contained in this free-writing prospectus is true and accurate in all material respects. In relation to the depositor, the trust, Navient Solutions, LLC or the class A-5 notes, the depositor accepts full responsibility for the accuracy of the information contained in this free-writing prospectus. Having made all reasonable inquiries, the depositor confirms that, to the best of its knowledge, there have not been omitted material facts the omission of which would make misleading any statements of fact or opinion contained in this free-writing prospectus.
The depositor confirms that there has been no material adverse change in the assets of the trust since February 28, 2021, which is the statistical disclosure date and the date of the information with respect to the assets of the trust set forth in this free-writing prospectus.
CERTAIN INVESTMENT COMPANY ACT CONSIDERATIONS
The issuing entity will be relying on an exclusion or exemption from the definition of “investment company” under the Investment Company Act contained in Rule 3a-7 under the Investment Company Act, although there may be additional exclusions or exemptions available to the issuing entity. The issuing entity, as structured, does not constitute a “covered fund” for purposes of the regulations adopted to implement Section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act (such statutory provision together with such implementing regulations, the “Volcker Rule”). The Volcker Rule generally prohibits “banking entities” (which is broadly defined to include U.S. banks and bank holding companies and many non-U.S. banking entities, together with their respective subsidiaries and other affiliates) from (i) engaging in proprietary trading, (ii) acquiring or retaining an ownership interest in or sponsoring a “covered fund” and (iii) entering into certain relationships with such funds. The Volcker Rule became effective on July 21, 2012, and final regulations implementing the Volcker Rule were adopted on December 10, 2013 and became effective on April 1, 2014. Conformance with the Volcker Rule and its implementing regulations was required by July 21, 2015, although certain covered funds in existence prior to December 31, 2013 were granted an extended conformance date of July 21, 2017. Under the Volcker Rule, “covered fund” includes any issuer that would be an “investment company” but for the exclusions contained in Section 3(c)(1) and Section 3(c)(7) of the Investment Company Act. Therefore, unless jointly determined otherwise by specified federal regulators, an issuer that may rely on an exclusion or exemption from the definition of “investment company” under the Investment Company Act other than Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) generally will not be a covered fund. The general effects of the Volcker Rule remain uncertain. Any prospective investor in the certificates, including a U.S. or foreign bank or a subsidiary or other affiliate thereof, should consult its own legal advisors regarding such matters and other effects of the Volcker Rule.
The class A-4 notes are currently rated “AAAsf” by Fitch, “Aaa (sf)” by Moody’s and “AAA (sf)” by S&P. The class A-5 notes are currently rated “AAAsf” by Fitch, “Aa2 (sf)” by Moody’s and “AA+ (sf)” by S&P. The class B notes are currently rated “Asf” by Fitch, “Baa3 (sf)” by Moody’s and “AA (sf)” by S&P. The inclusion of an “sf” or “(sf)” in the rating is an identifier recently implemented for structured finance product ratings by the applicable rating agency.
A rating addresses only the likelihood of the timely payment of stated interest and the payment of principal at final maturity, and does not address the timing or likelihood of principal distributions prior to final maturity. A rating is not a recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities and may be subject to revision or withdrawal at any time by the assigning rating agency. Each rating agency will monitor its ratings under its normal surveillance process. The sponsor has agreed to provide ongoing information about the notes and the trust student loans to each rating agency. A rating action taken by one rating agency may not necessarily be taken by another rating agency.
Deutsche Bank National Trust Company (“DBNTC”) and Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas (“DBTCA”) have been sued by investors in civil litigation concerning their role as trustees of certain RMBS trusts.
On June 18, 2014, a group of investors, including funds managed by Blackrock Advisors, LLC, PIMCO-Advisors, L.P., and others, filed an action against DBNTC and DBTCA in New York State Supreme Court alleging that DBNTC and DBTCA failed to perform purported duties, as trustees for 544 private-label RMBS trusts, to enforce breaches of representations and warranties as to mortgage loans held by the trusts and to enforce breaches by servicers of their mortgage loan servicing obligations for the trusts. During the course of the litigation, plaintiffs dismissed the case from New York State Supreme Court and refiled two separate cases, one in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York (the “BlackRock SDNY Case”) and the other in the Superior Court of California, Orange County (the “BlackRock California Case”). Pursuant to a settlement among the parties, the BlackRock SDNY Case was dismissed on December 6, 2018 and the BlackRock California Case was dismissed on January 11, 2019.
On June 18, 2014, Royal Park Investments SA/NV filed a class and derivative action complaint on behalf of investors in ten RMBS trusts against DBNTC in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York asserting claims for alleged violations of the U.S. Trust Indenture Act of 1939 (“TIA”), breach of contract and breach of trust based on DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform its duties as trustee for the trusts. During the course of the litigation, the court dismissed plaintiff’s TIA claim and its derivative theory. On August 4, 2017, Royal Park filed a separate, additional class action complaint against DBNTC in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York asserting claims for breach of contract, unjust enrichment, conversion, breach of trust, equitable accounting and declaratory and injunctive relief arising out of the payment from trust funds of DBNTC’s legal fees and expenses in the other, ongoing Royal Park litigation. Pursuant to a settlement between the parties, both cases were dismissed on June 10, 2019.
On November 7, 2014, the National Credit Union Administration Board (“NCUA”), as an investor in 121 RMBS trusts, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against DBNTC as trustee of those trusts, alleging violations of the TIA and the New York Streit Act for DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform certain purported statutory and contractual duties. On March 5, 2015, NCUA amended its complaint to assert claims as an investor in 97 of the 121 RMBS trusts that were the subject of its first complaint. The amended complaint alleges violations of the TIA and Streit Act, as well as breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of the covenant of good faith. NCUA’s complaint alleges that the trusts at issue have suffered total realized collateral losses of U.S. $17.2 billion, but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On May 1, 2015, DBNTC filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On July 31, 2018, the court issued an order that, among other things, denied DBNTC’s motion to dismiss without prejudice to its renewal. On August 31, 2018, NCUA filed a letter informing the court that it intends to: (i) drop all of its claims as to 60 of the 97 trusts at issue; (ii) drop its claims as to certain, but not all, certificates for 3 additional trusts; and (iii) move for leave to file an amended complaint bringing claims as to the remaining 37 trusts at issue. On October 5, 2018, NCUA filed a motion for leave to file a second amended complaint that asserts claims as to only 37 of the 97 trusts that were originally at issue, and adds new claims for a declaratory judgment and breach of contract arising out of the payment from trust funds of DBNTC’s legal fees and expenses in NCUA’s action and in other actions brought by investors against DBNTC for alleged breaches of its duties as an RMBS trustee. On November 5, 2018, DBNTC filed a motion to stay NCUA’s new claims relating to payment from trust funds of DBNTC’s legal fees and expenses and all related discovery. On October 15, 2019, the court: (i) granted in part NCUA’s motion for leave to file a second amended complaint; and (ii) granted DBNTC’s motion to stay NCUA’s new claims relating to payment from trust funds of DBNTC’s legal fees and expenses and all related discovery. The court permitted NCUA to file a second amended complaint asserting claims for: (i) breach of contract arising out of DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform certain purported statutory and contractual duties; and (ii) declaratory judgment and breach of contract arising out of the payment from trust funds of DBNTC’s legal fees and expenses. The court denied NCUA’s request to assert additional claims for: (i) negligence and gross negligence; and (ii) breach of fiduciary duty. On October 21, 2019, NCUA filed a second amended complaint. On November 15, 2019, DBNTC filed an answer to the second amended complaint. Discovery is ongoing.
On December 23, 2014, certain special purpose entities including Phoenix Light SF Limited that held RMBS certificates issued by 21 RMBS trusts filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against DBNTC as trustee of the trusts, asserting claims for violation of the TIA and the Streit Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence, and negligent misrepresentation, based on DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform its duties as trustee for the trusts. On April 10, 2015, plaintiffs filed an amended complaint relating to an additional 34 trusts (for a total of 55 trusts) and amended their complaint for a second time on July 15, 2015 to include additional allegations and to drop their claim for negligent misrepresentation. In that complaint, plaintiffs alleged damages of over U.S. $527 million. On February 2, 2016, the court entered a stipulation signed by the parties to dismiss with prejudice claims relating to four of the 55 trusts, leaving 51 trusts at issue. DBNTC filed a motion to dismiss. On March 29, 2016, the court granted in part and denied in part DBNTC’s motion to dismiss. The court allowed the majority of plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims to proceed. The court denied DBNTC’s motion to dismiss breach of fiduciary duty claims. The court granted the motion to dismiss to the extent that negligence claims were duplicative of breach of contract claims but denied the motion to dismiss to the extent plaintiffs alleged DBNTC violated extra-contractual duties. In addition, the court dismissed breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing claims. The court also denied the motion to dismiss claims for alleged violations of Sections 315(b) and 315(c) of the TIA, but dismissed claims under 316(b). Finally, the court dismissed plaintiffs’ Streit Act claim. Following the court’s decision on the motion to dismiss, 46 trusts remained at issue. On May 13, 2016, DBNTC filed an answer to the amended complaint. On December 20, 2016, the court ordered the parties’ stipulation dismissing plaintiffs’ claims relating to three trusts, leaving 43 trusts at issue. On September 27, 2017, plaintiffs filed a third amended complaint that names DBTCA as a defendant in addition to DBNTC. DBTCA serves as trustee for one of the 43 trusts at issue. DBNTC serves as trustee for the other 42 trusts at issue. Plaintiffs’ third amended complaint brings claims for violation of the TIA; breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; negligence and gross negligence; violation of the Streit Act; and breach of the covenant of good faith. However, in the third amended complaint, plaintiffs acknowledge that the court previously dismissed plaintiffs’ TIA Act claims, negligence and gross negligence claims, Streit Act claims, claims for breach of the covenant of good faith, and certain theories of plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims, and plaintiffs only include these claims to preserve any rights on appeal. Plaintiffs allege damages of “hundreds of millions of dollars.” On November 13, 2017, DBNTC and DBTCA filed an answer to the third amended complaint. On December 7, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed a motion for summary judgment. Also on December 7, 2018, plaintiffs, jointly with Commerzbank AG (see description of Commerzbank case below), filed a motion for partial summary judgment. As of March 8, 2019, both motions for summary judgment have been briefed and are awaiting decision by the court. Discovery is ongoing.
On March 24, 2015, the Western and Southern Life Insurance Company and five related entities (collectively “Western & Southern”), as investors in 18 RMBS trusts, filed a complaint in the Court of Common Pleas, Hamilton County, Ohio, against DBNTC as trustee for 12 of those trusts, asserting claims for violation of the TIA and the Streit Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing, based on DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform its duties as trustee for the trusts. DBNTC filed a motion to dismiss based upon lack of personal jurisdiction and forum non conveniens; a motion to stay the case pending the resolution of similar actions in New York against DBNTC; and a motion to sever the claims against DBNTC from those against its co-defendant. On November 5, 2015, the court denied DBNTC’s motion to dismiss and motion to stay the case but granted DBNTC’s motion to sever. After DBNTC’s first motion to dismiss was decided, DBNTC filed another motion to dismiss, this time for failure to state a claim. On June 24, 2016, the court granted in part and denied in part DBNTC’s motion to dismiss. The court allowed the majority of plaintiffs’ breach of contract claims to proceed. The court granted the motion to dismiss most negligence claims as duplicative breach of contract claims, but denied the motion to dismiss negligence/breach of fiduciary duty claims insofar as those claims relate to alleged conflicts of interest. In addition, the court dismissed claims alleging: (a) breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, (b) negligent misrepresentation, (c) breach of the TIA, (d) any breach of alleged duties relating to the misconduct of IndyMac Bank fsb, the sponsor of 9 of the 12 trusts at issue, (e) any breaches relating to one resecuritization trust at issue, as to which the court found plaintiffs had alleged no breaches by DBNTC, and (f) breach of the Streit Act. On July 25, 2016, DBNTC filed an answer to the complaint. On October 14, 2016, Western & Southern filed an amended complaint, asserting claims for violation of the TIA and the Streit Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, gross negligence, negligent misrepresentation, and breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing. In the amended complaint, Western & Southern alleged that it purchased certificates of the trusts with a face value of more than U.S.$168 million and that the trusts at issue suffered total realized collateral losses of U.S.$ 1 billion, but the amended complaint did not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On November 18, 2016, DBNTC filed an answer to the amended complaint. On September 28, 2017, Western & Southern voluntarily dismissed its case without prejudice.
On December 23, 2015, Commerzbank AG (“Commerzbank”), as an investor in 50 RMBS trusts, filed a complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York against DBNTC as trustee of the trusts, asserting claims for violations of the TIA and New York’s Streit Act, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, negligence, and breach of the covenant of good faith, based on DBNTC’s alleged failure to perform its duties as trustee for the trusts. Commerzbank alleges that DBNTC caused it to suffer “hundreds of millions of dollars in losses,” but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On April 29, 2016, Commerzbank filed an amended complaint. The amended complaint asserts the same claims as did the original complaint, and, like the original complaint, alleges that DBNTC caused Commerzbank to suffer “hundreds of millions of dollars in losses,” but does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On May 27, 2016, DBNTC filed a motion to dismiss the amended complaint. On February 10, 2017, the court granted in part and denied in part DBNTC’s motion to dismiss. The court granted the motion to dismiss with respect to Commerzbank’s claim for breach of the covenant of good faith and claim under the Streit Act, dismissing those claims with prejudice. The court also granted the motion to dismiss with respect to Commerzbank’s claim under the TIA as to the 46 trusts at issue governed by pooling and servicing agreements, dismissing that claim with prejudice as to those 46 trusts. The court also granted the motion to dismiss, without prejudice, with respect to Commerzbank’s breach of contract claim as to ten trusts whose governing agreements limit the right to file suit under the governing agreements to certain specified parties, including the registered holder of a certificate issued by the trust. The court held that, although Commerzbank has not received authorization from the registered holder of the certificates at issue to file suit, it may still obtain that authorization from the registered holder. The court denied the remainder of the motion to dismiss. Therefore, with the exception of the claims relating to the ten trusts for which Commerzbank has not received authorization to file suit, Commerzbank’s claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and negligence will proceed. Commerzbank’s claim under the TIA as to the four trusts governed by agreements other than pooling and servicing agreements will also proceed. On May 1, 2017, DBNTC filed an answer to the amended complaint. On November 30, 2017, Commerzbank filed a second amended complaint that names DBTCA as a defendant in addition to DBNTC. DBTCA serves as trustee for 1 of the 50 trusts at issue. DBNTC serves as trustee for the other 49 trusts at issue. Commerzbank’s second amended complaint brings claims for violation of the TIA; breach of contract; breach of fiduciary duty; negligence; violation of the Streit Act; and breach of the covenant of good faith. However, in the second amended complaint, Commerzbank acknowledges that the court previously dismissed its TIA claims for the trusts governed by pooling and servicing agreements, as well as its Streit Act claims and claims for breach of the covenant of good faith, and Commerzbank only includes these claims to preserve any rights on appeal. The second amended complaint alleges that DBNTC and DBTCA caused Commerzbank to suffer “hundreds of millions of dollars in losses,” but the complaint does not include a demand for money damages in a sum certain. On January 29, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed an answer to the second amended complaint. On December 7, 2018, DBNTC and DBTCA filed a motion for summary judgment. Also on December 7, 2018, Commerzbank, jointly with the Phoenix Light plaintiffs, filed a motion for partial summary judgment. As of March 8, 2019, both motions for summary judgment have been briefed and are awaiting decision by the court. Discovery is ongoing.
On December 30, 2015, IKB International, S.A. in Liquidation and IKB Deutsche Industriebank A.G. (collectively, “IKB”), as an investor in 37 RMBS trusts, filed a summons with notice in the Supreme Court of the State of New York, New York County, against DBNTC and DBTCA as trustees of the trusts. On May 27, 2016, IKB served its complaint asserting claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest, violation of the Streit Act, violation of the TIA, violation of Regulation AB, and violation of Section 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code. IKB alleges that DBNTC and DBTCA are liable for over U.S. $268 million in damages. On October 5, 2016, DBNTC and DBTCA, together with several other trustees defending lawsuits by IKB, filed a joint motion to dismiss. On January 6, 2017, IKB filed a notice of discontinuance, voluntarily dismissing with prejudice all claims as to three trusts. On June 20, 2017, the parties filed a stipulation, voluntarily dismissing with prejudice all claims as to four additional trusts. On January 27, 2021, the court granted in part and denied in part DBNTC and DBTCA’s motion to dismiss. The court granted the motion to dismiss with respect to IKB’s claims for violations of the Streit Act, Regulation AB, and Section 9 of the Uniform Commercial Code, as well as certain aspects of IKB’s claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, and violation of the TIA. The court denied the remainder of the motion to dismiss. IKB’s remaining claims for breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, breach of duty to avoid conflicts of interest, and violation of the TIA will proceed. Discovery is ongoing.
It is each of DBTCA’s and DBNTC’s belief, respectively, that it has no pending legal proceedings (including, based on DBTCA’s or DBNTC’s current evaluation, respectively, the litigation disclosed in the foregoing paragraphs) that would materially affect its ability to perform its respective duties as eligible lender trustee or indenture trustee on behalf of the holders.
On the closing date, a Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of Navient Solutions, LLC, acting as counsel to Navient CFC, VG Funding, the servicer, the administrator and the depositor, and McKee Nelson LLP, New York, New York, as special counsel to Navient CFC, VG Funding, the trust, the servicer, the administrator and the depositor, gave opinions on specified legal matters for Navient CFC, VG Funding, the trust, the depositor, the servicer and the administrator. Shearman & Sterling LLP gave opinions on specified federal income tax matters for the trust. Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A., as Delaware counsel for the trust, gave opinions on specified legal matters for the trust, including specified Delaware state income tax matters.
If there is a successful remarketing of the class A-5 notes on the April 26, 2021 reset date, the General Counsel of Navient Corporation, or any Deputy General Counsel or Associate General Counsel of Navient Solutions, LLC, acting as counsel to the sellers, the servicer, the administrator and the depositor. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP will give opinions on specified federal income tax matters for the trust. Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP is advising the remarketing agent on legal matters regarding the remarketing and Richards, Layton & Finger, P.A. is acting as Delaware counsel for the trust.
GLOSSARY
“Act” means the Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Adjusted Pool Balance” means, for any distribution date,
| • | if the Pool Balance as of the last day of the related collection period is greater than 40% of the Initial Pool Balance, then the Adjusted Pool Balance shall be the sum of that Pool Balance and the Specified Reserve Account Balance for that distribution date, or |
| • | if the Pool Balance as of the last day of the related collection period is less than or equal to 40% of the Initial Pool Balance, then the Adjusted Pool Balance shall be that Pool Balance. |
“All Hold Rate” means, if the reset rate notes are denominated in U.S. Dollars during the then-current reset period and the immediately following reset period, the applicable index plus or minus the related Spread (if the reset rate notes are in floating rate mode) or the applicable fixed rate, which may be expressed as the fixed rate pricing benchmark plus or minus a spread (if the reset rate notes are in fixed rate mode), that the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, determine will be effective, unless the call option is exercised, in the event that 100% of the holders of the reset rate notes choose to hold their reset rate notes for the upcoming reset period. The All Hold Rate shall be a rate that the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, determine based on then-existing market conditions.
“Available Funds” means, as to a distribution date or any related monthly servicing payment date, the sum of the following amounts received with respect to the related collection period or, in the case of a monthly servicing payment date, the applicable portion of these amounts:
| • | all collections on the trust student loans, including any guarantee payments received on the trust student loans, but net of: |
| (1) | any collections in respect of principal on the trust student loans applied by the trust to repurchase guaranteed loans from the guarantors under the guarantee agreements, and |
| (2) | amounts required by the Higher Education Act to be paid to the Department of Education or to be repaid to borrowers, whether or not in the form of a principal reduction of the applicable trust student loan, on the trust student loans for that collection period, including consolidation loan rebate fees; |
| • | any interest subsidy payments and special allowance payments received by the servicer or the eligible lender trustee with respect to the trust student loans during that collection period; |
| • | all proceeds of the liquidation of defaulted trust student loans which were liquidated during that collection period in accordance with the servicer’s customary servicing procedures, net of expenses incurred by the servicer related to their liquidation and any amounts required by law to be remitted to the borrower on the liquidated student loans, and all recoveries on liquidated student loans which were written off in prior collection periods or during that collection period; |
| • | the aggregate purchase amounts received during that collection period for those trust student loans repurchased by the depositor or purchased by the servicer or for trust student loans sold to another eligible lender pursuant to the servicing agreement; |
| • | the aggregate purchase amounts received during that collection period for those trust student loans purchased by the sellers; |
| • | the aggregate amounts, if any, received from the sellers, the depositor or the servicer, as the case may be, as reimbursement of non-guaranteed interest amounts, or lost interest subsidy payments and special allowance payments, on the trust student loans pursuant to the sale agreement or the servicing agreement; |
| • | amounts received by the trust pursuant to the servicing agreement during that collection period as to yield or principal adjustments; |
| • | any interest remitted by the administrator to the collection account prior to that distribution date or monthly servicing date; |
| • | investment earnings for that distribution date earned on amounts on deposit in each trust account (other than any accumulation account and any currency account); |
| • | investment earnings actually received by the trust for that distribution date earned on amounts on deposit in any accumulation account; |
| • | amounts transferred from the remarketing fee account in excess of the Reset Period Target Amount for that distribution date; |
| • | amounts transferred from any investment premium purchase account in excess of the amount required to be on deposit therein pursuant to the formula set forth in the administration agreement; |
| • | all amounts on deposit in any investment reserve account not transferred to the accumulation account to offset realized losses on eligible investments as of that distribution date; |
| • | all amounts on deposit in any supplemental interest account; |
| • | amounts transferred from the reserve account in excess of the Specified Reserve Account Balance as of that distribution date; |
| • | all amounts received by the trust from any potential future cap counterparty, or otherwise under any potential future interest rate cap agreement, for deposit into the collection account for that distribution date; and |
| • | all amounts received by the trust from any Swap Counterparty for deposit into the collection account, but only to the extent paid in U.S. Dollars, for that distribution date; |
provided that if on any distribution date there would not be sufficient funds, after application of Available Funds, as defined above, and application of amounts available from the reserve account, to pay any of the items specified in clauses (a) through (e) under “Description of the Notes—Distributions—Distributions from the Collection Account” in this free-writing prospectus (but excluding clause (e), and including clauses (f) and (g), in the event that a condition exists as described in either (1) or (2) under “Description of the Notes—The Notes—The Class B Notes—Subordination of the Class B Notes” in this free-writing prospectus), then Available Funds for that distribution date will include, in addition to Available Funds as defined above, amounts on deposit in the collection account, or amounts held by the administrator, or which the administrator reasonably estimates to be held by the administrator, for deposit into the collection account which would have constituted Available Funds for the distribution date succeeding that distribution date, up to the amount necessary to pay those items, and Available Funds for the succeeding distribution date will be adjusted accordingly.
“Business Day” means:
| • | with respect to calculating LIBOR of a specified maturity, any day on which banks in New York, New York and London, England are open for the transaction of international business; and |
| • | for all other purposes, any day other than a Saturday, a Sunday or a day on which banking institutions or trust companies in Minneapolis, Minnesota, New York, New York or Wilmington, Delaware are authorized or obligated by law, regulation or executive order to remain closed. |
“Call Rate” means, if the call option has been exercised with respect to the reset rate notes, the rate of interest that is either:
| • | if the reset rate notes did not have at least one related swap agreement in effect during the previous reset period, the floating rate applicable for the most recent reset period during which the Failed Remarketing Rate was not in effect; or |
| • | if the reset rate notes had one or more swap agreements in effect during the previous reset period, the weighted average of the floating rates of interest that were due to the related Swap Counterparties from the trust during the previous reset period. |
The Call Rate will continue to apply for each reset period while the holder of the call option retains the reset rate notes.
“Class A Note Interest Shortfall” means, for any distribution date, the excess of:
| • | the Class A Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount on the preceding distribution date, over |
| • | the amount of interest actually distributed to the class A noteholders on that preceding distribution date, |
plus interest on the amount of that excess, to the extent permitted by law, at the interest rate applicable for each related class of notes from that preceding distribution date to the current distribution date.
“Class A Note Principal Shortfall” means, as of the close of any distribution date, the excess of:
| • | the Class A Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount on that distribution date, over |
| • | the amount of principal actually distributed or allocated to the class A noteholders or deposited into the accumulation account on that distribution date. |
“Class A Noteholders’ Distribution Amount” means, for any distribution date, the sum of the Class A Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount and the Class A Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount for that distribution date.
“Class A Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount” means, for any distribution date, the sum of:
| • | the amount of interest accrued at the class A note interest rates for the related accrual period on the aggregate outstanding principal balances of all classes of class A notes on the immediately preceding distribution date, after giving effect to all principal distributions to class A noteholders on that preceding distribution date; and |
| • | the Class A Note Interest Shortfall for that distribution date. |
“Class A Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount” means, for any distribution date, the Principal Distribution Amount times the Class A Percentage for that distribution date, plus any Class A Note Principal Shortfall as of the close of business on the preceding distribution date; provided that the Class A Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount will not exceed the outstanding principal balance of the class A notes, less all amounts, other than investment earnings, on deposit in the accumulation account.
In addition, on the maturity date for any class of class A notes, the principal required to be distributed to the related noteholders will include the amount required to reduce the outstanding principal balance of that class to zero.
“Class A Percentage” means 100% minus the Class B Percentage.
“Class B Note Interest Shortfall” means, for any distribution date, the excess of:
| • | the Class B Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount on the preceding distribution date, over |
| • | the amount of interest actually distributed to the class B noteholders on that preceding distribution date, |
plus interest on the amount of that excess, to the extent permitted by law, at the class B note interest rate from that preceding distribution date to the current distribution date.
“Class B Note Principal Shortfall” means, as of the close of any distribution date, the excess of:
| • | the Class B Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount on that distribution date, over |
| • | the amount of principal actually distributed to the class B noteholders on that distribution date. |
“Class B Noteholders’ Distribution Amount” means, for any distribution date, the sum of the Class B Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount and the Class B Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount for that distribution date.
“Class B Noteholders’ Interest Distribution Amount” means, for any distribution date, the sum of:
| • | the amount of interest accrued at the class B note rate for the related accrual period on the outstanding principal balance of the class B notes on the immediately preceding distribution date, after giving effect to all principal distributions to class B noteholders on that preceding distribution date, and |
| • | the Class B Note Interest Shortfall for that distribution date. |
“Class B Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount” means, for any distribution date, the Principal Distribution Amount times the Class B Percentage for that distribution date, plus any Class B Note Principal Shortfall as of the close of business on the preceding distribution date; provided that the Class B Noteholders’ Principal Distribution Amount will not exceed the principal balance of the class B notes.
In addition, on the class B maturity date, the principal required to be distributed to the class B noteholders will include the amount required to reduce the outstanding principal balance of the class B notes to zero.
“Class B Percentage” with respect to any distribution date, means:
| • | prior to the Stepdown Date or with respect to any distribution date on which a Trigger Event is in effect, zero; and |
| • | on and after the Stepdown Date and provided that no Trigger Event is in effect, a fraction expressed as a percentage, the numerator of which is the aggregate principal balance of the class B notes immediately prior to that distribution date and the denominator of which is the aggregate principal balance of all outstanding notes, less all amounts (other than investment earnings) on deposit in the accumulation account, immediately prior to that distribution date. |
“Clearstream, Luxembourg” means Clearstream Banking, société anonyme (formerly known as Cedelbank, société anonyme), or any successor thereto.
“Code” means The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the Treasury Regulations promulgated thereunder.
“Department of Education” means the United States Department of Education.
“DTC” means The Depository Trust Company, or any successor thereto.
“Eligible Swap Counterparty” means an entity, which may be an affiliate of a remarketing agent, engaged in the business of entering into derivative instrument contracts that satisfies the Rating Agency Condition.
“Euroclear” means the Euroclear System in Europe, or any successor thereto.
“European Clearing Systems” means, collectively, Clearstream, Luxembourg and Euroclear.
“Extension Rate” means, for each distribution date following a Failed Remarketing with respect to the reset rate notes if such notes are then in foreign exchange mode, the rate of interest payable to the related currency Swap Counterparty, generally not to exceed three-month LIBOR plus 0.75%, unless the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, determine that market conditions or some other benefit to the trust requires a higher rate; provided that in each case the Rating Agency Condition is satisfied.
“Failed Remarketing” means, with respect to any reset date for the reset rate notes, the situation where:
| • | the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, cannot establish one or more of the terms required to be set on the Remarketing Terms Determination Date, |
| • | the remarketing agent is unable to establish the related Spread or fixed rate on the Spread Determination Date, |
| • | the remarketing agent is unable to remarket some or all of the tendered reset rate notes at the Spread or fixed rate established on the Spread Determination Date, or committed purchasers default on their purchase obligations, and the remarketing agent, in its sole discretion, elects not to purchase the reset rate notes themselves, |
| • | the remarketing agent, in consultation with the administrator, are unable to obtain one or more swap agreements meeting the required criteria, if applicable, |
| • | certain conditions specified in the remarketing agreement are not satisfied, or |
| • | any applicable Rating Agency Condition has not been satisfied. |
“Failed Remarketing Rate” means, for any reset period when the reset rate notes are then denominated in U.S. Dollars, three-month LIBOR plus 0.75%; and when the reset rate notes are in foreign exchange mode during a reset period, such rate as will be determined on the related Spread Determination Date pursuant to the terms of the related currency swap agreement.
“Hold Notice” means a written statement (or an oral statement confirmed in writing, which may be by e-mail) from a holder of reset rate notes denominated in U.S. Dollars during the then-current and immediately following reset periods, delivered to a remarketing agent that the holder desires to hold some or all of its reset rate notes for the upcoming reset period and affirmatively agrees to receive a rate of interest of not less than the applicable All Hold Rate during that reset period.
“Initial Pool Balance” means the sum of the Pool Balance of the initial trust student loans as of the closing date and all amounts deposited into the supplemental purchase account and the add-on consolidation loan account on the closing date.
“Investment Premium Purchase Account Deposit Amount” means, with respect to each distribution date when funds are deposited into an accumulation account, an amount generally equal to 1.0% of the amount deposited into such accumulation account.
“Investment Reserve Account Required Amount” means, with respect to each distribution date, immediately following the date when the ratings of any eligible investment in an accumulation account have been downgraded by one or more rating agencies, an amount (to the extent funds are available), to be set by each applicable rating agency in satisfaction of the Rating Agency Condition (that amount not to exceed the amount of the unrealized loss on the related eligible investments).
“Notice Date” means, for the reset rate notes, 12:00 p.m. (noon), New York City time, on the sixth business day prior to the applicable reset date.
“Pool Balance” means, for any date, the aggregate principal balance of the trust student loans on that date, including accrued interest that is expected to be capitalized, as such balance has been reduced through such date by:
| • | all payments received by the trust through that date from borrowers, the guaranty agencies and the Department of Education; |
| • | all amounts received by the trust through that date from repurchases of the trust student loans by any of the sellers, the depositor or the servicer; |
| • | all liquidation proceeds and Realized Losses on the trust student loans liquidated through that date; |
| • | the amount of any adjustments to balances of the trust student loans that the servicer makes under the servicing agreement through that date; and |
| • | the amount by which guarantor reimbursements of principal on defaulted trust student loans through that date are reduced from 100% to 98%, or other applicable percentage, as required by the risk sharing provisions of the Higher Education Act. |
“Principal Distribution Amount” means:
| • | as to the initial distribution date, the amount by which the aggregate outstanding principal amount of the notes exceeds the Adjusted Pool Balance for that distribution date, and |
| • | as to each subsequent distribution date, the amount by which the Adjusted Pool Balance for the preceding distribution date exceeds the Adjusted Pool Balance for that distribution date. |
“Quarterly Funding Amount” means, with respect to the reset rate notes and for any distribution date that is: (1) more than one year before the next reset date, zero, and (2) one year or less before the next reset date, an amount to be deposited in the remarketing fee account so that the amount therein in respect of the reset rate notes equals the Quarterly Required Amount; provided, however, that if on any distribution date that is not a reset date, the amount on deposit in the remarketing fee account in respect of the reset rate notes is greater than the Quarterly Required Amount, the excess will be transferred to the collection account and included in Available Funds for that distribution date.
“Quarterly Required Amount” means, for the reset rate notes, (1) on any reset date, the Reset Period Target Amount or (2) on a distribution date that is one year or less before the next reset date (x) the Reset Period Target Amount multiplied by (y) 5 minus the number of distribution dates remaining until the next reset date for the reset rate notes (excluding the current distribution date and including the next reset date), divided by (z) 5.
“Rating Agency Condition” means the written confirmation or reaffirmation, as the case may be, from each rating agency then rating the notes that any intended action will not result in the downgrading of its then-current rating of any class of notes.
“Realized Loss” means the excess of the principal balance, including any interest that had been or had been expected to be capitalized, of any liquidated student loan over liquidation proceeds for a student loan to the extent allocable to principal, including any interest that had been or had been expected to be capitalized.
“Remarketing Terms Determination Date” means, for the reset rate notes, not later than 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the eighth business day prior to the applicable reset date.
“Reset Period Target Amount” means for the reset rate notes and for any distribution date that is: (1) more than one year before the next reset date, zero, and (2) one year or less before the next reset date, the highest remarketing fee payable to the remarketing agent for the reset rate notes (not to exceed 0.35% of the maximum principal balance of the reset rate notes that could be remarketed) on the next reset date as determined by the administrator based on the assumed weighted average life of the reset rate notes and the maximum remarketing fee set forth on a schedule attached to the remarketing agreement, as that schedule may be amended from time to time.
“SEC” means the United States Securities and Exchange Commission.
“Secretary” means the Secretary of the Department of Education.
“Securities Act” means the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended.
“Significant Guarantor” means the guaranty agency that guarantees trust student loans comprising at least 10% of the Pool Balance of the trust student loans as of the statistical disclosure date.
“Specified Reserve Account Balance” means, for any distribution date, the greater of:
| (a) | 0.25% of the Pool Balance as of the close of business on the last day of the related collection period; and |
provided that in no event will that balance exceed the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the notes. For these purposes, if the reset rate notes are not then structured to receive a payment of principal until the end of the related reset period, the outstanding principal balance of the reset rate notes (or their U.S. Dollar equivalent, if applicable) will be reduced by any amounts (exclusive of investment earnings) on deposit in the accumulation account.
“Spread” means the percentage determined by the remarketing agent with respect to the reset rate notes if, following a successful remarketing, they are reset to bear a floating rate of interest, in excess of or below the applicable interest rate index that will be applicable to the reset rate notes during the upcoming reset period, so as to result in a rate that, in the reasonable opinion of the remarketing agent, will enable all of the class A-5 notes tendered for remarketing to be purchased at a price equal to 100% the outstanding principal balance thereof, as described under “Description of the Notes—The Reset Rate Notes—Tender of Reset Rate Notes; Remarketing Procedures” in this free-writing prospectus.
“Spread Determination Date” means, for the reset rate notes, any time after the Notice Date but no later than 3:00 p.m., New York City time, on the third business day prior to the related reset date.
“Stepdown Date” means the earlier to occur of (1) the July 2011 distribution date or (2) the first date on which no class A notes remain outstanding. For this purpose, the outstanding principal balance of the reset rate notes will be deemed reduced by any amounts (other than investment earnings) on deposit in the accumulation account.
“Supplemental Interest Account Deposit Amount” means, with respect to any distribution date during a reset period when the reset rate notes are then structured not to receive a payment of principal until the end of the related reset period, the lesser of:
| (1) | the difference between (a) the weighted average of the LIBOR-based rates (as determined on the LIBOR Determination Date immediately preceding that distribution date) that will be payable by the trust to any related Swap Counterparties on the next distribution date, or the LIBOR-based rate (as determined on the LIBOR Determination Date immediately preceding that distribution date) that will be payable by the trust to the reset rate noteholders on the next distribution date, as applicable, and (b) an assumed rate of investment earnings that satisfies the Rating Agency Condition, |
| (2) | the amount on deposit in the accumulation account immediately after that distribution date, and |
| (3) | the actual number of days from that distribution date to the next reset date, divided by 360; and |
| • | an amount that satisfies the Rating Agency Condition. |
“Swap Counterparty” means each Eligible Swap Counterparty with which the trust has entered, or will later enter, into an interest rate or currency swap agreement to hedge in part basis and/or currency risks associated with the reset rate notes.
“Trigger Event” means, on any distribution date while any of the class A notes are outstanding, that the outstanding principal balance of the notes, less any amounts (exclusive of investment earnings) on deposit in any accumulation account, after giving effect to distributions to be made on that distribution date, would exceed the Adjusted Pool Balance as of the end of the related collection period.
“Trust Accounts” means, collectively, the collection account, the reserve account, the capitalized interest account, the supplemental purchase account, the add-on consolidation loan account, the accumulation account, any supplemental interest account, any investment premium purchase account, any investment reserve account and any currency accounts.
“UCC” means the Uniform Commercial Code as in effect in the applicable state or jurisdiction.
“United States Bankruptcy Code” means the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, Title 11 of the United States Code, as amended from time to time.
“U.S. Person” has the meaning assigned to the term “U.S. person” in Rule 902(k) of Regulation S.
ANNEX A
THE TRUST STUDENT LOAN POOL
The trust student loans owned by the trust were originally selected from a portfolio of consolidation student loans owned by Navient CFC, VG Funding or one of their affiliates by employing several criteria, including requirements that each trust student loan as of the original statistical cutoff date (and with respect to each additional trust student loan as of its related subsequent cutoff date):
| • | was a consolidation loan guaranteed as to principal and interest by a guaranty agency under a guarantee agreement and the guaranty agency was, in turn, reinsured by the Department of Education in accordance with the FFELP; |
| • | contained terms in accordance with those required by the FFELP, the guarantee agreements and other applicable requirements; |
| • | was not more than 210 days past due; |
| • | did not have a borrower who was noted in the related records of the servicer as being currently involved in a bankruptcy proceeding; and |
| • | had special allowance payments, if any, based on the three-month commercial paper rate or the 91-day Treasury bill rate. |
No trust student loan as of the applicable cutoff date was subject to any prior obligation to sell that loan to a third party.
Unless otherwise specified, all information with respect to the trust student loans is presented as of February 28, 2021, which is the statistical disclosure date.
The following tables provide a description of specified characteristics of the trust student loans as of the statistical disclosure date. The aggregate outstanding principal balance of the loans in each of the following tables includes the principal balance due from borrowers, plus accrued interest of $816,105 to be capitalized as of the statistical disclosure date. Percentages and dollar amounts in any table may not total 100% or whole dollars due to rounding. The following tables also contain information concerning the total number of loans and total number of borrowers in the portfolio of trust student loans. For ease of administration, the servicer separates a consolidation loan on its system into two separate loan segments representing subsidized and unsubsidized segments of the same loan. The following tables reflect those loan segments within the number of loans. In addition, 1 borrower has more than one trust student loan.
The distribution by weighted average interest rate applicable to the trust student loans on any date following the statistical disclosure date may vary significantly from that in the following tables as a result of variations in the effective rates of interest applicable to the trust student loans and in rates of principal reduction. Moreover, the information below about the weighted average remaining term to maturity of the trust student loans as of the statistical disclosure date may vary significantly from the actual term to maturity of any of the trust student loans as a result of prepayments or the granting of deferment and forbearance periods. See “Risk Factors—Forbearances Granted As a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic May Delay Payments of Interest and Principal” in this remarketing memorandum.
The following tables also contain information concerning the total number of loans and the total number of borrowers in the portfolio of trust student loans.
Percentages and dollar amounts in any table may not total 100% of the trust student loan balance, as applicable, due to rounding.
COMPOSITION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS AS OF
THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | $ | 321,198,463 | |
Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance – Treasury Bill | | $ | 124,556 | |
Percentage of Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance – Treasury Bill | | | 0.04 | % |
Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance – One-Month LIBOR | | $ | 321,073,907 | |
Percentage of Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance – One-Month LIBOR | | | 99.96 | % |
Number of Borrowers | | | 14,271 | |
Average Outstanding Principal Balance Per Borrower | | $ | 22,507 | |
Number of Loans | | | 24,608 | |
Average Outstanding Principal Balance Per Loan – Treasury Bill | | $ | 17,794 | |
Average Outstanding Principal Balance Per Loan – One-Month LIBOR | | $ | 13,051 | |
Weighted Average Remaining Term to Scheduled Maturity | | 174 months | |
Weighted Average Annual Interest Rate. | | | 3.60 | % |
We determined the weighted average remaining term to maturity shown in the table from the statistical disclosure date to the stated maturity date of the applicable trust student loan without giving effect to any deferment or forbearance periods that may be granted in the future. See Appendix A to the free-writing prospectus.
The weighted average annual borrower interest rate shown in the table is exclusive of special allowance payments. The weighted average spread for special allowance payments to the 91-day Treasury bill rate was 3.10% as of the statistical disclosure date.
The weighted average spread for special allowance payments to the one-month LIBOR rate was 2.64% as of the statistical disclosure date. See “Special Allowance Payments” in Appendix A to the free-writing prospectus.
For these purposes, the 91-day Treasury bill rate is the weighted average per annum discount rate, expressed on a bond equivalent basis and applied on a daily basis, for direct obligations of the United States with a maturity of thirteen weeks, as reported by the U.S. Department of the Treasury.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS
BY BORROWER INTEREST RATES AS OF THE STATISTICAL
DISCLOSURE DATE
Interest Rates | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
Less than or equal to 3.00% | | | 9,901 | | | $ | 122,332,214 | | | | 38.1 | % |
3.01% to 3.50% | | | 7,515 | | | | 74,531,717 | | | | 23.2 | |
3.51% to 4.00% | | | 2,839 | | | | 46,644,465 | | | | 14.5 | |
4.01% to 4.50% | | | 3,385 | | | | 49,579,232 | | | | 15.4 | |
4.51% to 5.00% | | | 366 | | | | 8,854,988 | | | | 2.8 | |
5.01% to 5.50% | | | 168 | | | | 4,190,279 | | | | 1.3 | |
5.51% to 6.00% | | | 109 | | | | 3,531,786 | | | | 1.1 | |
6.01% to 6.50% | | | 116 | | | | 3,573,254 | | | | 1.1 | |
6.51% to 7.00% | | | 68 | | | | 2,036,524 | | | | 0.6 | |
7.01% to 7.50% | | | 54 | | | | 2,633,557 | | | | 0.8 | |
7.51% to 8.00% | | | 53 | | | | 1,294,389 | | | | 0.4 | |
8.01% to 8.50% | | | 32 | | | | 1,954,988 | | | | 0.6 | |
Equal to or greater than 8.51% | | | 2 | | | | 41,071 | | | | * | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
* | Represents a percentage greater than 0% but less than 0.05%. |
We determined the interest rates shown in the table above using the interest rates applicable to the trust student loans as of the statistical disclosure date. Because trust student loans with different interest rates are likely to be repaid at different rates, this information is not likely to remain applicable to the trust student loans after the statistical disclosure date. See Appendix A to the free-writing prospectus and “The Student Loan Pools – SLM Corporation’s Student Loan Financing Business” in the prospectus.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS BY
OUTSTANDING PRINCIPAL BALANCE PER BORROWER
AS OF THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Range of Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Number of Borrowers | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
Less than $5,000.00 | | | | 3,453 | | | $ | 8,787,825 | | | | 2.7 | % |
$ | 5,000.00-$ 9,999.99 | | | | 3,177 | | | | 23,347,247 | | | | 7.3 | |
$ | 10,000.00-$14,999.99 | | | | 1,655 | | | | 20,295,519 | | | | 6.3 | |
$ | 15,000.00-$19,999.99 | | | | 1,326 | | | | 23,054,474 | | | | 7.2 | |
$ | 20,000.00-$24,999.99 | | | | 888 | | | | 19,783,588 | | | | 6.2 | |
$ | 25,000.00-$29,999.99 | | | | 670 | | | | 18,353,467 | | | | 5.7 | |
$ | 30,000.00-$34,999.99 | | | | 520 | | | | 16,903,636 | | | | 5.3 | |
$ | 35,000.00-$39,999.99 | | | | 379 | | | | 14,187,495 | | | | 4.4 | |
$ | 40,000.00-$44,999.99 | | | | 305 | | | | 12,954,485 | | | | 4.0 | |
$ | 45,000.00-$49,999.99 | | | | 246 | | | | 11,682,834 | | | | 3.6 | |
$ | 50,000.00-$54,999.99 | | | | 217 | | | | 11,375,297 | | | | 3.5 | |
$ | 55,000.00-$59,999.99 | | | | 190 | | | | 10,890,067 | | | | 3.4 | |
$ | 60,000.00-$64,999.99 | | | | 133 | | | | 8,302,961 | | | | 2.6 | |
$ | 65,000.00-$69,999.99 | | | | 136 | | | | 9,168,530 | | | | 2.9 | |
$ | 70,000.00-$74,999.99 | | | | 113 | | | | 8,197,045 | | | | 2.6 | |
$ | 75,000.00-$79,999.99 | | | | 86 | | | | 6,670,999 | | | | 2.1 | |
$ | 80,000.00-$84,999.99 | | | | 93 | | | | 7,669,078 | | | | 2.4 | |
$ | 85,000.00-$89,999.99 | | | | 90 | | | | 7,872,857 | | | | 2.5 | |
$ | 90,000.00-$94,999.99 | | | | 71 | | | | 6,554,244 | | | | 2.0 | |
$ | 95,000.00-$99,999.99 | | | | 48 | | | | 4,674,417 | | | | 1.5 | |
$ | 100,000.00 and above | | | | 475 | | | | 70,472,398 | | | | 21.9 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | | 14,271 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS
BY DELINQUENCY STATUS AS OF THE
STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Number of Days Delinquent | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
0-30 days | | | 23,803 | | | $ | 307,098,705 | | | | 95.6 | % |
31-60 days | | | 364 | | | | 6,059,033 | | | | 1.9 | |
61-90 days | | | 133 | | | | 2,118,707 | | | | 0.7 | |
91-120 days | | | 76 | | | | 1,331,565 | | | | 0.4 | |
121-150 days | | | 59 | | | | 1,439,162 | | | | 0.4 | |
151-180 days | | | 39 | | | | 977,878 | | | | 0.3 | |
181-210 days | | | 50 | | | | 839,990 | | | | 0.3 | |
Greater than 210 days | | | 84 | | | | 1,333,423 | | | | 0.4 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS
BY REMAINING TERM TO SCHEDULED MATURITY
AS OF THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Number of Months Remaining to Scheduled Maturity | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
0 to 3 | | | 164 | | | $ | 28,848 | | | | * | |
4 to12 | | | 628 | | | | 429,446 | | | | 0.1 | % |
13 to 24 | | | 1,093 | | | | 1,310,955 | | | | 0.4 | |
25 to 36 | | | 951 | | | | 2,051,908 | | | | 0.6 | |
37 to 48 | | | 678 | | | | 2,096,636 | | | | 0.7 | |
49 to 60 | | | 3,891 | | | | 14,420,267 | | | | 4.5 | |
61 to 72 | | | 1,676 | | | | 7,958,660 | | | | 2.5 | |
73 to 84 | | | 1,306 | | | | 7,658,150 | | | | 2.4 | |
85 to 96 | | | 960 | | | | 6,847,327 | | | | 2.1 | |
97 to 108 | | | 787 | | | | 6,793,852 | | | | 2.1 | |
109 to 120 | | | 2,043 | | | | 20,504,718 | | | | 6.4 | |
121 to 132 | | | 1,914 | | | | 27,631,223 | | | | 8.6 | |
133 to 144 | | | 1,486 | | | | 24,763,979 | | | | 7.7 | |
145 to 156 | | | 985 | | | | 17,320,509 | | | | 5.4 | |
157 to 168 | | | 645 | | | | 12,253,686 | | | | 3.8 | |
169 to 180 | | | 1,459 | | | | 31,058,025 | | | | 9.7 | |
181 to 192 | | | 855 | | | | 21,152,639 | | | | 6.6 | |
193 to 204 | | | 607 | | | | 16,164,621 | | | | 5.0 | |
205 to 216 | | | 497 | | | | 15,394,836 | | | | 4.8 | |
217 to 228 | | | 405 | | | | 14,341,821 | | | | 4.5 | |
229 to 240 | | | 447 | | | | 16,254,611 | | | | 5.1 | |
241 to 252 | | | 279 | | | | 11,162,821 | | | | 3.5 | |
253 to 264 | | | 182 | | | | 6,961,004 | | | | 2.2 | |
265 to 276 | | | 199 | | | | 8,487,545 | | | | 2.6 | |
277 to 288 | | | 109 | | | | 4,546,485 | | | | 1.4 | |
289 to 300 | | | 112 | | | | 4,848,306 | | | | 1.5 | |
301 to 312 | | | 59 | | | | 3,436,255 | | | | 1.1 | |
313 to 324 | | | 35 | | | | 2,759,944 | | | | 0.9 | |
325 to 336 | | | 29 | | | | 1,902,016 | | | | 0.6 | |
337 to 348 | | | 27 | | | | 2,253,518 | | | | 0.7 | |
349 to 360 | | | 77 | | | | 6,137,823 | | | | 1.9 | |
361 and above | | | 23 | | | | 2,266,025 | | | | 0.7 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
• | Represents a percentage greater than 0% but less than 0.05%. |
We have determined the number of months remaining to scheduled maturity shown in the table from the statistical disclosure date to the stated maturity date of the applicable trust student loan without giving effect to any deferment or forbearance periods that may be granted in the future. See Appendix A to the free-writing prospectus and “The Student Loan Pools – SLM Corporation’s Student Loan Financing Business” in the prospectus.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS
BY CURRENT BORROWER PAYMENT STATUS
AS OF THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Current Borrower Payment Status | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
Deferment | | | 732 | | | $ | 10,523,623 | | | | 3.3 | % |
Forbearance | | | 1,519 | | | | 29,059,965 | | | | 9.0 | |
Repayment | | | | | | | | | | | | |
First year in repayment | | | 333 | | | | 10,718,433 | | | | 3.3 | |
Second year in repayment | | | 235 | | | | 7,203,640 | | | | 2.2 | |
Third year in repayment | | | 264 | | | | 6,325,254 | | | | 2.0 | |
More than 3 years in repayment. | | | 21,525 | | | | 257,367,548 | | | | 80.1 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
(1) Of the trust student loans in forbearance status, approximately 314 loans with an aggregate outstanding principal balance of $ 6,887,089, representing 2% of the pool by principal, are in the Coronavirus Disaster Forbearance Program.
Current borrower payment status refers to the status of the borrower of each trust student loan as of the statistical disclosure date. The borrower:
| • | may have temporarily ceased repaying the loan through a deferment or a forbearance period (this category includes the Coronavirus Disaster Forbearance Program); or |
| • | may be currently required to repay the loan – repayment. |
See Appendix A to the free-writing prospectus and “The Student Loan Pools – SLM Corporation’s Student Loan Financing Business” in the prospectus.
The weighted average number of months in repayment for all trust student loans currently in repayment is approximately
121.9 calculated as the term to maturity at the commencement of repayment less the number of months remaining to scheduled maturity as of the statistical disclosure date.
SCHEDULED WEIGHTED AVERAGE REMAINING MONTHS IN
STATUS OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS BY
CURRENT BORROWER PAYMENT STATUS AS OF THE
STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
| Scheduled Months in Status Remaining |
Current Borrower Payment Status | Deferment | Forbearance | Repayment |
Deferment | 18.2 | - | 203.7 |
Forbearance | - | 8.3 | 191.3 |
Repayment | - | - | 170.1 |
| | | |
We have determined the scheduled weighted average remaining months in status shown in the previous table without giving effect to any deferment or forbearance periods that may be granted in the future. Of the $
10,523,623 aggregate outstanding principal balance of the trust student loans in deferment as of the statistical disclosure date, $
7,553,560 or approximately 71.8% of such loans are to borrowers who had not graduated as of that date. We expect that a significant portion of these loans could qualify for additional deferments or forbearances at the end of their current deferment periods as the related borrowers continue their education beyond their current degree programs. As a result, the overall duration of any applicable deferment and forbearance periods as well as the likelihood of future deferment and forbearance periods within this pool of trust student loans is likely to be higher than in other pools of student loans without similar numbers of in-school consolidation loans. See Appendix A to the preliminary remarketing memorandum.
GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS
AS OF THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
State | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
Alabama | | | 175 | | | $ | 2,327,691 | | | | 0.7 | % |
Alaska | | | 16 | | | | 238,199 | | | | 0.1 | |
Arizona | | | 477 | | | | 6,971,936 | | | | 2.2 | |
Arkansas | | | 108 | | | | 1,042,792 | | | | 0.3 | |
California | | | 2,655 | | | | 37,681,319 | | | | 11.7 | |
Colorado | | | 372 | | | | 4,558,202 | | | | 1.4 | |
Connecticut | | | 500 | | | | 5,878,659 | | | | 1.8 | |
Delaware | | | 88 | | | | 1,204,020 | | | | 0.4 | |
District of Columbia | | | 119 | | | | 1,870,258 | | | | 0.6 | |
Florida | | | 1,899 | | | | 28,333,247 | | | | 8.8 | |
Georgia | | | 636 | | | | 9,270,429 | | | | 2.9 | |
Hawaii | | | 140 | | | | 1,800,347 | | | | 0.6 | |
Idaho | | | 68 | | | | 914,413 | | | | 0.3 | |
Illinois | | | 975 | | | | 11,491,183 | | | | 3.6 | |
Indiana | | | 948 | | | | 10,927,621 | | | | 3.4 | |
Iowa | | | 71 | | | | 1,088,821 | | | | 0.3 | |
Kansas | | | 367 | | | | 2,890,819 | | | | 0.9 | |
Kentucky | | | 195 | | | | 2,547,246 | | | | 0.8 | |
Louisiana | | | 627 | | | | 9,479,648 | | | | 3.0 | |
Maine | | | 83 | | | | 1,417,194 | | | | 0.4 | |
Maryland | | | 707 | | | | 10,210,953 | | | | 3.2 | |
Massachusetts | | | 1,149 | | | | 12,542,999 | | | | 3.9 | |
Michigan | | | 532 | | | | 8,872,315 | | | | 2.8 | |
Minnesota | | | 198 | | | | 2,071,889 | | | | 0.6 | |
Mississippi | | | 146 | | | | 2,422,547 | | | | 0.8 | |
Missouri | | | 375 | | | | 4,334,179 | | | | 1.3 | |
Montana | | | 40 | | | | 400,910 | | | | 0.1 | |
Nebraska | | | 40 | | | | 435,659 | | | | 0.1 | |
Nevada | | | 125 | | | | 1,742,374 | | | | 0.5 | |
New Hampshire | | | 133 | | | | 1,150,385 | | | | 0.4 | |
New Jersey | | | 998 | | | | 12,510,877 | | | | 3.9 | |
New Mexico | | | 58 | | | | 625,044 | | | | 0.2 | |
New York | | | 2,159 | | | | 25,891,693 | | | | 8.1 | |
North Carolina | | | 625 | | | | 9,293,628 | | | | 2.9 | |
North Dakota | | | 11 | | | | 176,491 | | | | 0.1 | |
Ohio | | | 564 | | | | 6,772,978 | | | | 2.1 | |
Oklahoma | | | 407 | | | | 4,847,006 | | | | 1.5 | |
Oregon | | | 319 | | | | 4,731,871 | | | | 1.5 | |
Pennsylvania | | | 884 | | | | 10,810,447 | | | | 3.4 | |
Rhode Island | | | 66 | | | | 912,863 | | | | 0.3 | |
South Carolina | | | 284 | | | | 3,754,325 | | | | 1.2 | |
South Dakota | | | 10 | | | | 102,634 | | | | * | |
Tennessee | | | 392 | | | | 5,320,551 | | | | 1.7 | |
Texas | | | 1,886 | | | | 24,863,195 | | | | 7.7 | |
Utah | | | 78 | | | | 1,685,040 | | | | 0.5 | |
Vermont | | | 47 | | | | 640,106 | | | | 0.2 | |
Virginia | | | 813 | | | | 9,188,247 | | | | 2.9 | |
Washington | | | 569 | | | | 6,605,446 | | | | 2.1 | |
West Virginia | | | 101 | | | | 1,341,037 | | | | 0.4 | |
Wisconsin | | | 187 | | | | 2,300,390 | | | | 0.7 | |
Wyoming | | | 14 | | | | 77,857 | | | | * | |
Other | | | 172 | | | | 2,628,481 | | | | 0.8 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
| Represents a percentage greater than 0% but less than 0.05%. |
We have based the geographic distribution shown in the table on the billing addresses of the borrowers of the trust student loans shown on the servicer’s records as of the statistical disclosure date.
Each of the trust student loans provides or will provide for the amortization of its outstanding principal balance over a series of regular payments. Except as described below, each regular payment consists of an installment of interest which is calculated on the basis of the outstanding principal balance of the trust student loan. The amount received is applied first to interest accrued to the date of payment and the balance of the payment, if any, is applied to reduce the unpaid principal balance. Accordingly, if a borrower pays a regular installment before its scheduled due date, the portion of the payment allocable to interest for the period since the preceding payment was made will be less than it would have been had the payment been made as scheduled, and the portion of the payment applied to reduce the unpaid principal balance will be correspondingly greater. Conversely, if a borrower pays a monthly installment after its scheduled due date, the portion of the payment allocable to interest for the period since the preceding payment was made will be greater than it would have been had the payment been made as scheduled, and the portion of the payment applied to reduce the unpaid principal balance will be correspondingly less.
In either case, subject to any applicable deferment periods or forbearance periods, and except as provided below, the borrower pays a regular installment until the final scheduled payment date, at which time the amount of the final installment is increased or decreased as necessary to repay the then outstanding principal balance of that trust student loan.
The servicer makes available to borrowers of student loans it holds (including the trust student loans) payment terms that may result in the lengthening of the remaining term of the student loans. For example, not all of the loans sold to the trust provide for level payments throughout the repayment term of the loans. Some student loans provide for interest only payments to be made for a designated portion of the term of the loans, with amortization of the principal of the loans occurring only when payments increase in the latter stage of the term of the loans. Other loans provide for a graduated phase in of the amortization of principal with a greater portion of principal amortization being required in the latter stages than would be the case if amortization were on a level payment basis. The servicer also offers an income-sensitive repayment plan, under which repayments are based on the borrower’s income. Under that plan, ultimate repayment may be delayed up to five years. Borrowers under trust student loans will continue to be eligible for the graduated payment and income-sensitive repayment plans. These programs are applicable to the trust student loans and may be offered by the servicer to related borrowers at its discretion.
The following table provides certain information about trust student loans subject to the repayment terms described in the preceding paragraphs.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS BY REPAYMENT
TERMS AS OF THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Loan Repayment Terms | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
Level Repayment | | | 13,686 | | | $ | 140,044,834 | | | | 43.6 | % |
Other Repayment Options(1) | | | 8,909 | | | | 136,632,527 | | | | 42.5 | |
Income-driven Repayment(2) | | | 2,013 | | | | 44,521,102 | | | | 13.9 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
(1) Includes, among others, graduated repayment and interest-only period loans.
(2) Includes income sensitive and income based repayment.
With respect to interest-only loans, as of the statistical disclosure date, there are 90 loans with an aggregate outstanding principal balance of
$3,524,919 currently in an interest-only period. These interest-only loans represent approximately
1.1% of the aggregate outstanding principal balance of the trust student loans. Interest-only periods range up to 48 months in overall length.
The servicer may in the future offer repayment terms similar to those described above to borrowers of trust student loans who are not entitled to these repayment terms as of the statistical disclosure date. If repayment terms are offered to and accepted by those borrowers, the weighted average life of the securities could be lengthened.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS BY LOAN
TYPE AS OF THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Loan Type | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
Subsidized. | | | 12,057 | | | $ | 128,527,889 | | | | 40.0 | % |
Unsubsidized | | | 12,551 | | | | 192,670,574 | | | | 60.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
The following table provides information about the trust student loans regarding date of disbursement.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS
BY DATE OF DISBURSEMENT AS OF
THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Disbursement Date | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
September 30, 1993 and earlier | | | 0 | | | $ | 0 | | | | 0.0 | % |
October 1, 1993 through June 30, 2006 | | | 24,608 | | | | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | |
July 1, 2006 and later | | | 0 | | | | 0 | | | | 0.0 | |
| | | | | | | | | | | | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
Guaranty Agencies for the Trust Student Loans. The eligible lender trustee has entered into a separate guarantee agreement with each of the guaranty agencies listed below, under which each of the guarantors has agreed to serve as guarantor for specified trust student loans.
The following table provides information with respect to the portion of the trust student loans guaranteed by each guarantor.
DISTRIBUTION OF THE TRUST STUDENT LOANS
BY GUARANTY AGENCY AS OF
THE STATISTICAL DISCLOSURE DATE
Name of Guaranty Agency | | Number of Loans | | | Aggregate Outstanding Principal Balance | | | Percent of Pool by Outstanding Principal Balance | |
American Student Assistance | | | 1,825 | | | $ | 18,494,717 | | | | 5.8 | % |
Educational Credit Management Corporation | | | 1,577 | | | | 15,007,037 | | | | 4.7 | |
Florida Off Of Student Fin'l Assistance | | | 881 | | | | 9,454,525 | | | | 2.9 | |
Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation | | | 12,051 | | | | 186,899,433 | | | | 58.2 | |
Illinois Student Assistance Comm | | | 1,113 | | | | 11,410,113 | | | | 3.6 | |
Kentucky Higher Educ. Asst. Auth. | | | 762 | | | | 5,931,771 | | | | 1.8 | |
Louisiana Office Of Student Financial Asst | | | 376 | | | | 4,670,769 | | | | 1.5 | |
Michigan Guaranty Agency | | | 325 | | | | 3,786,510 | | | | 1.2 | |
New York State Higher Ed Services Corp | | | 2,442 | | | | 28,947,477 | | | | 9.0 | |
Oklahoma Guaranteed Stud Loan Prog | | | 404 | | | | 4,361,841 | | | | 1.4 | |
Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency | | | 1,178 | | | | 12,970,280 | | | | 4.0 | |
Texas Guaranteed Student Loan Corp | | | 1,674 | | | | 19,263,990 | | | | 6.0 | |
Total | | | 24,608 | | | $ | 321,198,463 | | | | 100.0 | % |
SIGNIFICANT GUARANTOR
The information shown for the Significant Guarantor relates to all student loans, including but not limited to trust student loans, guaranteed by the Significant Guarantor.
We obtained the following information from various sources, including from the Significant Guarantor and/or from the Department of Education. None of the depositor, the sellers, the servicer, their affiliates or the remarketing agent has audited or independently verified this information for accuracy or completeness.
ASCENDIUM EDUCATION SOLUTIONS, INC.
Ascendium Education Solutions, Inc. f/k/a Great Lakes Higher Education Guaranty Corporation (“Ascendium”) is a Wisconsin nonstock, nonprofit corporation, the sole member of which is Ascendium Education Group, Inc. f/k/a Great Lakes Higher Education Corporation (“Ascendium Education Group”). Ascendium’s predecessor organization, Ascendium Education Group, was organized as a Wisconsin nonstock, nonprofit corporation and began guaranteeing student loans under the Higher Education Act in 1967. Ascendium is the designated guaranty agency under the Higher Education Act for Wisconsin, Arkansas, Iowa, Minnesota, Montana, North Dakota, Ohio, South Dakota, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. On January 1, 2002, Ascendium Education Group (and Ascendium directly and through its support services agreement with Ascendium Education Group), outsourced certain aspects of its student loan program guaranty support operations to Great Lakes Educational Loan Services, Inc. (“GLELSI”). Ascendium continues as the “guaranty agency” as defined in Section 435(j) of the Higher Education Act and continues its default aversion, claim purchase and compliance, collection support and federal reporting responsibilities as well as custody and responsibility for all revenues, expenses and assets related to that status. The primary operations center for Ascendium Education Group and its affiliates (including Ascendium) is in Madison, Wisconsin, which includes operational staff offices for guaranty functions. Ascendium also maintain offices in; Eagan, Minnesota; Aberdeen, South Dakota; and Indianapolis, Indiana. Ascendium will provide a copy of Ascendium Education Group’s most recent consolidated financial statements on receipt of a written request directed to 2501 International Lane, Madison, Wisconsin 53704, Attention: Chief Financial Officer.
United Student Aid Funds, Inc. (“USAF”) was organized as a private, nonprofit corporation under the General Corporation Law of the State of Delaware in 1960. USAF (i) maintained facilities for the provision of guarantee services with respect to approved education loans made to or for the benefit of eligible students attending approved educational institutions; (ii) guaranteed education loans made pursuant to certain loan programs under the Higher Education Act, as well as loans made under certain private loan programs; and (iii) served as the designated guarantor for education-loan programs under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (“the Act”) in Arizona, Hawaii and certain Pacific Islands, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada and Wyoming.
USAF was the sole member of the Northwest Education Loan Association (“NELA”), a guarantor serving the states of Washington, Idaho and the Northwest. Ascendium Education Group became a member of USAF effective January 1, 2017.
Effective as of December 31, 2018, NELA was dissolved, with its remaining assets going to its sole member, USAF. Immediately thereafter, USAF was merged into Ascendium. Thus, the portfolios previously held by USAF and NELA are now held by Ascendium.
The information in the following tables has been provided to the Issuer from reports provided by or to the U.S. Department of Education and has not been verified by the Issuer, Ascendium, or the initial purchasers. No representation is made by the Issuer, Ascendium, or the initial purchasers as to the accuracy or completeness of this information. Prospective investors may consult the U.S. Department of Education Data Books and Web sites http://www2.ed.gov/finaid/prof/resources/data/opeloanvol.html and http://www.fp.ed.gov/pubs.html for further information concerning Ascendium or any other guaranty agency.
Guaranty Volume. Pursuant to the SAFRA Act, part of the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, Ascendium, the former USAF, and the former NELA ceased issuing new loan guarantees on June 30, 2010. The most recent year for which the U.S. Department of Education has issued guaranty volume information is 2009. Ascendium issued $7.0 billion in new loan guarantees in that year.
Reserve Ratio. The reserve ratios for Ascendium, the former USAF and the former NELA are as follows:
The Ascendium Portfolio*
Following are Ascendium’s reserve fund levels as calculated in accordance with 34 CFR 682.410(a)(10) for the last five federal fiscal years:
Federal Fiscal Year | | Federal Guaranty Reserve Fund Level1 | |
2015 | | | 1.05 | % |
2016 | | | 1.37 | % |
2017 | | | 1.80 | % |
2018 | | | 2.21 | % |
2019 | | | 0.64 | % |
1 | In accordance with Section 428(c)(9) of the Higher Education Act, does not include loans transferred from the former Higher Education Assistance Foundation, Northstar Guarantee Inc., Ohio Student Aid Commission, Puerto Rico Higher Education Assistance Corporation, Student Loan Guarantee Foundation of Arkansas, Student Loans of North Dakota, Montana Guaranteed Student Loan Program, or designated states of Arizona, Hawaii, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Maryland, Mississippi, Nevada, Washington, Wyoming, and certain Pacific Trust Territories . (The minimum reserve fund ratio under the Higher Education Act is 0.25 %.) |
* | The percentages for 2015-2018 include only the Ascendium portfolio; the percentage for 2019 include the combined portfolios of Ascendium, USAF and NELA. |
The U.S. Department of Education’s website at http://www.fp.ed.gov/pubs.html has posted reserve ratios for Ascendium for federal years 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019 of 0.608%, 0.827%, 1.000% ,1.480% and 0.49% respectively. Ascendium believes the Department of Education has not calculated the reserve ratio in accordance with the Act and the correct ratio should be 1.05%, 1.37%, 1.80%, 2.21%, and 0.64% respectively, as shown above and as explained in the following footnote. On November 17, 2006, the U.S. Department of Education advised Ascendium that beginning in Federal Fiscal Year 2006 it will publish reserve ratios that include loan loss provision and deferred revenues. Ascendium believes this change more closely approximates the statutory calculation. According to the U.S. Department of Education, available cash reserves may not always be an accurate barometer of a guarantor’s financial health.
The Former USAF Portfolio Now Held by Ascendium
Following are USAF’s reserve fund levels as calculated in accordance with 34 CFR 682.410(a)(10) for the five federal fiscal years:
Federal Fiscal Year | | Federal Guaranty Reserve Fund Level1 | |
2014 | | | 0.277 | % |
2015 | | | 0.251 | % |
2016 | | | 0.308 | % |
2017 | | | 0.350 | % |
2018 | | | 0.363 | % |
The Former NELA Portfolio Now Held by Ascendium
Following are NELA’s reserve fund levels as calculated in accordance with 34 CFR 682.410(a)(10) for the five federal fiscal years:
Federal Fiscal Year | | Federal Guaranty Reserve Fund Level1 | |
2014 | | | 0.377 | % |
2015 | | | 0.295 | % |
2016 | | | 0.373 | % |
2017 | | | 0.430 | % |
2018 | | | 0.460 | % |
Claims Rate. The claims rate for Ascendium, USAF and NELA are as follows:
The Ascendium Portfolio*
For the past five federal fiscal years, Ascendium’s claims rate has not exceeded 5%, and, as a result, the highest allowable reinsurance has been paid on all Ascendium’s claims. The actual claims rates are as follows:
Federal Fiscal Year | | Claims Rate | |
2015 | | | 0.96 | % |
2016 | | | 1.00 | % |
2017 | | | 0.35 | % |
2018 | | | 0.35 | % |
2019 | | | 2.00 | % |
The Former USAF Portfolio Now Held by Ascendium
For the five federal fiscal years, USAF’s claims rate has not exceeded 5%, and, as a result, the highest allowable reinsurance has been paid on all USAF’s claims. The actual claims rates are as follows:
Federal Fiscal Year | | Claims Rate | |
2014 | | | 4.73 | % |
2015 | | | 4.71 | % |
2016 | | | 0.60 | % |
2017 | | | 0.67 | % |
2018 | | | 2.15 | % |
As a result of various statutory and regulatory changes over the past several years, historical rates may not be an accurate indicator of current delinquency or default trends or future claims rates.
The Former NELA Portfolio Now Held by Ascendium
For the five federal fiscal years, NELA’s claims rate has not exceeded 5%, and, as a result, the highest allowable reinsurance has been paid on all NELA’s claims. The actual claims rates are as follows:
Federal Fiscal Year | | Claims Rate | |
2014 | | | 1.37 | % |
2015 | | | 0.60 | % |
2016 | | | 1.31 | % |
2017 | | | 0.63 | % |
2018 | | | 1.52 | % |
APPENDIX A
Federal Family Education Loan Program
On March 30, 2010, the President of the United States signed into law the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 (“HCERA”) which terminated as of July 1, 2010 the Federal Family Education Loan Program (“FFELP”), under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. This appendix presents a summary of the program prior to its termination date. The new law does not alter or affect the terms and conditions of existing education loans made under the FFELP prior to July 1, 2010.
This appendix and the free-writing prospectus describe or summarize the material provisions of Title IV of the Higher Education Act, the FFELP and related statutes and regulations. They, however, are not complete and are qualified in their entirety by reference to each actual statute and regulation. Both the Higher Education Act and the related regulations have been the subject of extensive amendments over the years. We cannot predict whether future amendments or modifications might materially change any of the programs described in this appendix or the statutes and regulations that implement them.
General
The FFELP provided for loans to students who were enrolled in eligible institutions, or to parents of dependent students who were enrolled in eligible institutions, to finance their educational costs. As further described below, payment of principal and interest on the education loans is insured by a state or not-for-profit guaranty agency against:
| • | default of the borrower; |
| • | the death, bankruptcy or permanent, total disability of the borrower; |
| • | closing of the borrower’s school prior to the end of the academic period; |
| • | false certification of the borrower’s eligibility for the loan by the school; and |
| • | an unpaid school refund. |
Claims are paid from federal assets, known as “federal student loan reserve funds,” which are maintained and administered by state and not-for-profit guaranty agencies. In addition, the holders of education loans are entitled to receive interest subsidy payments and special allowance payments from the United States Department of Education (which we refer to as the Department of Education) on eligible education loans.
Special allowance payments raise the yield to education loan lenders when the statutory borrower interest rate is below an indexed market value. Subject to certain conditions, a program of federal reinsurance under the Higher Education Act entitles guaranty agencies to reimbursement from the Department of Education for between 75% and 100% of the amount of each guarantee payment.
Four types of education loans were authorized under the Higher Education Act:
| • | Subsidized Stafford Loans to students who demonstrated requisite financial need; |
| • | Unsubsidized Stafford Loans to students who either did not demonstrate financial need or require additional loans to supplement their Subsidized Stafford Loans; |
| • | Parent Loans for Undergraduate Students, known as “PLUS Loans,” to parents of dependent students whose estimated costs of attending school exceeded other available financial aid; and |
| • | Consolidation Loans, which consolidated into a single loan a borrower’s obligations under various federally authorized education loan programs. |
Before July 1, 1994, the Higher Education Act also authorized loans called “Supplemental Loans to Students” or “SLS Loans” to independent students and, under some circumstances, dependent undergraduate students, to supplement their Subsidized Stafford Loans. The Unsubsidized Stafford Loan program replaced the SLS program.
Legislative Matters
The federal education loan programs are subject to frequent statutory and regulatory changes. The most significant change to the FFELP was with the enactment of the HCERA, which terminated the FFELP as of July 1, 2010.
On December 23, 2011, the President of the United States signed the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2012 into law. This law includes changes that permit FFELP lenders or beneficial holders to change the index on which the special allowance payments are calculated for FFELP loans first disbursed on or after January 1, 2000. The law allows owners of FFELP loans to elect to change the applicable index from the three-month commercial paper rate to the one-month LIBOR index. Such elections must have been made by April 1, 2012. Unless otherwise stated in this free-writing prospectus, such election was made with respect to the trust student loans underlying your notes.
Eligible Lenders, Students and Educational Institutions
Lenders who were eligible to make loans under the FFELP generally included banks, savings and loan associations, credit unions, pension funds and, under some conditions, schools and guaranty agencies. FFELP loans were required to be made to, or on behalf of, a “qualified student.” A “qualified student” is an individual who:
| • | is a United States citizen, national or permanent resident; |
| • | has been accepted for enrollment or is enrolled and is maintaining satisfactory academic progress at a participating educational institution; |
| • | is carrying at least one-half of the normal full-time academic workload for the course of study the student is pursuing; and |
| • | meets the financial need requirements for the particular loan program. |
Eligible schools include institutions of higher education, including proprietary institutions, meeting the standards provided in the Higher Education Act. For a school to participate in the program, the Department of Education had to approve its eligibility under standards established by regulation.
Financial Need Analysis
Subject to program limits and conditions, education loans generally were made in amounts sufficient to cover the student’s estimated costs of attending school, including tuition and fees, books, supplies, room and board, transportation and miscellaneous personal expenses as determined by the institution. Generally, each loan applicant (and parents in the case of a dependent child) underwent a financial need analysis.
Special Allowance Payments
The Higher Education Act provides for quarterly special allowance payments to be made by the Department of Education to holders of education loans to the extent necessary to ensure that they receive at least specified market interest rates of return. The rates for special allowance payments depend on formulas that vary according to the type of loan, the date the loan was made and the type of funds, tax-exempt or taxable, used to finance the loan. The Department of Education makes a special allowance payment for each calendar quarter, generally within 45 to 60 days after the receipt of a bill from the lender.
The special allowance payment equals the average unpaid principal balance, including interest which has been capitalized, of all eligible loans held by a holder during the quarterly period multiplied by the special allowance percentage.
For education loans disbursed before January 1, 2000, the special allowance percentage is computed by:
(1) determining the average of the bond equivalent rates of 91-day Treasury bills auctioned for that quarter;
(2) subtracting the applicable borrower interest rate;
(3) adding the applicable special allowance margin described in the table below; and
(4) dividing the resultant percentage by 4.
If the result is negative, the special allowance payment is zero.
Date of First Disbursement | | | |
| | | |
Before 10/17/86 | | | 3.50 | % |
From 10/17/86 through 09/30/92 | | | 3.25 | % |
From 10/01/92 through 06/30/95 | | | 3.10 | % |
From 07/01/95 through 06/30/98 | | 2.50% for Stafford Loans that are in In-School, Grace or Deferment | |
| | 3.10% for Stafford Loans that are in Repayment and all other loans | |
From 07/01/98 through 12/31/99 | | 2.20% for Stafford Loans that are in In-School, Grace or Deferment | |
| | 2.80% for Stafford Loans that are in Repayment and Forbearance | |
| | 3.10% for PLUS, SLS and Consolidation Loans | |
For education loans disbursed after January 1, 2000, the special allowance percentage is computed by:
(1) determining the average of the bond equivalent rates of 3-month commercial paper (financial) rates or one-month London Inter-Bank Offered Rates (LIBOR), as applicable, quoted for that quarter;
(2) subtracting the applicable borrower interest rate;
(3) adding the applicable special allowance margin described in the table below; and
(4) dividing the resultant percentage by 4.
If the result is negative, the special allowance payment is zero.
Date of First Disbursement | | |
From 01/01/00 through 09/30/07 | | 1.74% for Stafford Loans that are in In-School, Grace or Deferment |
| | 2.34% for Stafford Loans that are in Repayment and Forbearance |
| | 2.64% for PLUS and Consolidation Loans |
From 10/01/07 and after | | 1.19% for Stafford Loans that are In-School, Grace or Deferment |
| | 1.79% for Stafford Loans that are in Repayment and PLUS |
| | 2.09% for Consolidation Loans |
For education loans disbursed on or after April 1, 2006, lenders are required to pay the Department of Education any interest paid by borrowers on education loans that exceeds the special allowance support levels applicable to such loans.
Special allowance payments are available on variable rate PLUS Loans and SLS Loans only if the variable rate, which is reset annually, exceeds the applicable maximum borrower rate. The variable rate is based on the weekly average one-year constant maturity Treasury yield for loans made before July 1, 1998 and based on the 91-day Treasury bill for loans made on or after July 1, 1998. The maximum borrower rate for these loans is between 9% and 12%. Effective July 1, 2006, this limitation on special allowance payments for PLUS Loans made on and after January 1, 2000 was repealed.
Fees
Origination Fee. An origination fee was required to be paid to the Department of Education for all Stafford and PLUS Loans originated in the FFELP. An origination fee was not required to be paid on a Consolidation Loan. A 3% origination fee was required to be deducted from the amount of each PLUS Loan.
An origination fee may have been, but was not required to be, deducted from the amount of a Stafford Loan according to the following table:
Date of First Disbursement | | Maximum Origination Fee | |
Before 07/01/06 | | | 3.0 | % |
From 07/01/06 through 06/30/07 | | | 2.0 | % |
From 07/01/07 through 06/30/08 | | | 1.5 | % |
From 07/01/08 through 06/30/09 | | | 1.0 | % |
From 07/01/09 through 06/30/10 | | | 0.5 | % |
From 07/01/10 and after | | | 0.0 | % |
Federal Default Fee. A federal default fee up to 1% (previously called an insurance premium) may have been, but was not required to be, deducted from the amount of a Stafford or PLUS Loan. A federal default fee was not deducted from the amount of a Consolidation Loan.
Lender Loan Fee. A lender loan fee was required to be paid to the Department of Education on the amount of each loan disbursement of all FFELP loans. For loans disbursed from October 1, 1993 to September 30, 2007, the fee was 0.50% of the loan amount. The fee increased to 1% of the loan amount for loans disbursed on or after October 1, 2007.
Loan Rebate Fee. A loan rebate fee of 1.05% is paid annually on the unpaid principal and interest of each Consolidation Loan disbursed on or after October 1, 1993. This fee was reduced to 0.62% for loans made from October 1, 1998 to January 31, 1999.
Stafford Loan Program
For Stafford Loans, the Higher Education Act provided for:
| • | federal reimbursement of Stafford Loans made by eligible lenders to qualified students; |
| • | federal interest subsidy payments on Subsidized Stafford Loans paid by the Department of Education to holders of the loans in lieu of the borrowers’ making interest payments during in-school, grace and deferment periods or, in certain cases, during enrollment in an income-based repayment plan; and |
| • | special allowance payments representing an additional subsidy paid by the Department of Education to the holders of eligible Stafford Loans. |
We refer to all three types of assistance as “federal assistance.”
Interest. The borrower’s interest rate on a Stafford Loan can be fixed or variable. Stafford Loan interest rates are presented below.
| | | | | | |
Before 10/01/81 | | 7% | | N/A | | N/A |
From 01/01/81 through 09/12/83 | | 9% | | N/A | | N/A |
From 09/13/83 through 06/30/88 | | 8% | | N/A | | N/A |
From 07/01/88 through 09/30/92 | | 8% for 48 months; thereafter, 91-day Treasury + Interest Rate Margin | | 8% for 48 months, then 10% | | 3.25% for loans made before 7/23/92 and for loans made on or before 10/1/92 to new student borrowers; 3.10% for loans made after 7/23/92 and before 7/1/94 to borrowers with outstanding FFELP loans |
From 10/01/92 through 06/30/94 | | 91-day Treasury + Interest Rate Margin | | 9% | | 3.10% |
From 07/01/94 through 06/30/95 | | 91-day Treasury + Interest Rate Margin | | 8.25% | | 3.10% |
From 07/01/95 through 06/30/98 | | 91-day Treasury + Interest Rate Margin | | 8.25% | | 2.50% (In-School, Grace or Deferment); 3.10% (Repayment) |
From 07/01/98 through 06/30/06 | | 91-day Treasury + Interest Rate Margin | | 8.25% | | 1.70% (In-School, Grace or Deferment); 2.30% (Repayment) |
From 07/01/06 through 06/30/08 | | 6.8% | | N/A | | N/A |
From 07/01/08 through 06/30/09 | | 6.0% for undergraduate subsidized loans; and 6.8% for unsubsidized loans and graduate subsidized loans | | 6.0%, 6.8% | | N/A |
From 07/01/09 through 06/30/10 | | 5.6% for undergraduate subsidized loans; and 6.8% for unsubsidized loans and graduate loans | | 5.6%, 6.8% | | N/A |
The rate for variable rate Stafford Loans applicable for any 12-month period beginning on July 1 and ending on June 30 is determined on the preceding June 1 and is equal to the lesser of:
| • | the applicable maximum borrower rate |
and
| • | the bond equivalent rate of 91-day Treasury bills auctioned at the final auction held before that June 1, |
and
| • | the applicable interest rate margin. |
Interest Subsidy Payments. The Department of Education is responsible for paying interest on Subsidized Stafford Loans:
| • | while the borrower is a qualified student, |
| • | during the grace period, |
| • | during prescribed deferment periods, and |
| • | in certain cases, during a borrower’s enrollment in an income-based repayment plan. |
The Department of Education makes quarterly interest subsidy payments to the owner of a Subsidized Stafford Loan in an amount equal to the interest that accrues on the unpaid balance of that loan before repayment begins or during any deferment periods. The Department of Education also makes quarterly interest subsidy payments to the owner of a Subsidized Stafford Loan in an amount equal to the unpaid interest payable during up to three consecutive calendar years of a period of financial hardship during enrollment in an income-based repayment plan. The Higher Education Act provides that the owner of an eligible Subsidized Stafford Loan has a contractual right against the United States to receive interest subsidy and special allowance payments. However, receipt of interest subsidy and special allowance payments is conditioned on compliance with the requirements of the Higher Education Act, including the following:
| • | satisfaction of need criteria, and |
| • | continued eligibility of the loan for federal insurance or reinsurance. |
If the loan is not held by an eligible lender in accordance with the requirements of the Higher Education Act and the applicable guarantee agreement, the loan may lose its eligibility for federal assistance.
Lenders generally receive interest subsidy payments within 45 days to 60 days after the submission of the applicable data for any given calendar quarter to the Department of Education. However, there can be no assurance that payments will, in fact, be received from the Department of Education within that period.
Loan Limits. The Higher Education Act generally required that lenders disburse education loans in at least two equal disbursements. The Higher Education Act limited the amount a student could borrow in any academic year. The following chart shows current and historic loan limits.
| | Dependent Students | | | Independent Students | |
Borrower’s Academic Level | | Subsidized and Unsubsidized on or after 10/1/93 | | | Subsidized and Unsubsidized on or after 7/1/07 | | | Subsidized and Unsubsidized on or after 7/1/08 | | | Additional Unsubsidized only on or after 7/1/94 | | | Additional Unsubsidized only on or after 7/1/07 | | | Additional Unsubsidized only on or after 7/1/08 | | | | |
Undergraduate (per year): | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
1st year | | $ | 2,625 | | | $ | 3,500 | | | $ | 5,500 | | | $ | 4,000 | | | $ | 4,000 | | | $ | 4,000 | | | $ | 9,500 | |
2nd year | | $ | 3,500 | | | $ | 4,500 | | | $ | 6,500 | | | $ | 4,000 | | | $ | 4,000 | | | $ | 4,000 | | | $ | 10,500 | |
3rd year and above | | $ | 5,500 | | | $ | 5,500 | | | $ | 7,500 | | | $ | 5,000 | | | $ | 5,000 | | | $ | 5,000 | | | $ | 12,500 | |
Graduate (per year) | | $ | 8,500 | | | $ | 8,500 | | | $ | 8,500 | | | $ | 10,000 | | | $ | 12,000 | | | $ | 12,000 | | | $ | 20,500 | |
Aggregate Limit: | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | |
Undergraduate | | $ | 23,000 | | | $ | 23,000 | | | $ | 31,000 | | | $ | 23,000 | | | $ | 23,000 | | | $ | 26,500 | | | $ | 57,500 | |
Graduate (including undergraduate) | | $ | 65,500 | | | $ | 65,500 | | | $ | 65,500 | | | $ | 73,000 | | | $ | 73,000 | | | $ | 73,000 | | | $ | 138,500 | |
For the purposes of the table above:
| • | The loan limits include both FFELP and Federal Direct Lending Program (FDLP) loans. |
| • | The amounts in the final column represent the combined maximum loan amount per year for Subsidized and Unsubsidized Stafford Loans. Accordingly, the maximum amount that a student may borrow under an Unsubsidized Stafford Loan is the difference between the combined maximum loan amount and the amount the student received in the form of a Subsidized Stafford Loan. |
| • | Independent undergraduate students, graduate students and professional students were permitted to borrow the additional amounts shown in the third and fourth columns. Dependent undergraduate students were also permitted to receive these additional loan amounts if their parents were unable to provide the family contribution amount and could not qualify for a PLUS Loan. |
| • | Students attending certain medical schools were eligible for $38,500 annually and $189,000 in the aggregate. |
| • | The annual loan limits were sometimes reduced when the student was enrolled in a program of less than one academic year or has less than a full academic year remaining in his program. |
Repayment. Repayment of principal on a Stafford Loan does not begin while the borrower remains a qualified student, but only after a 6-month grace period. In general, each loan must be scheduled for repayment over a period of not more than 10 years after repayment begins. New borrowers on or after October 7, 1998 who accumulated FFELP loans totaling more than $30,000 in principal and unpaid interest are entitled to extend repayment for up to 25 years, subject to minimum repayment amounts. Consolidation Loan borrowers may be scheduled for repayment up to 30 years depending on the borrower’s indebtedness. Outlined in the table below are the maximum repayment periods available based on the outstanding FFELP indebtedness.
Outstanding FFELP Indebtedness | | |
$ | 7,500-$9,999 | | 12 Years |
$ | 10,000-$19,999 | | 15 Years |
$ | 20,000-$30,000 | | 20 Years |
$ | 30,001-$59,999 | | 25 Years |
$ | 60,000 or more | | 30 Years |
Note: Maximum repayment period excludes authorized periods of deferment and forbearance. |
In addition to the outstanding FFELP indebtedness requirements described above, the Higher Education Act currently requires minimum annual payments of $600, unless the borrower and the lender agree to lower payments, except that negative amortization is not allowed. The Higher Education Act and related regulations require lenders to offer a choice among standard, graduated, income-driven and extended repayment schedules, if applicable, to all borrowers entering repayment. The 2007 legislation introduced an income-based repayment plan on July 1, 2009 that a student borrower may elect during a period of partial financial hardship and have annual payments that do not exceed 15% of the amount by which adjusted gross income exceeds 150% of the poverty line. The Secretary repays or cancels any outstanding principal and interest under certain criteria after 25 years.
Grace Periods, Deferment Periods and Forbearance Periods. After the borrower stops pursuing at least a half-time course of study, he generally must begin to repay principal of a Stafford Loan following the grace period. However, no principal repayments need be made, subject to some conditions, during deferment and forbearance periods.
For borrowers whose first loans are disbursed on or after July 1, 1993, repayment of principal may be deferred while the borrower returns to school at least half-time. Additional deferments are available, when the borrower is:
| • | enrolled in an approved graduate fellowship program or rehabilitation program; |
| • | seeking, but unable to find, full-time employment, subject to a maximum deferment of three years; or |
| • | having an economic hardship, as defined in the Higher Education Act, subject to a maximum deferment of three years; or |
| • | serving on active duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency, or performing qualifying National Guard duty during a war or other military operation or national emergency, subject to a maximum deferment period of three years, and effective July 1, 2006 on loans made on or after July 1, 2001. |
The Higher Education Act also permits, and in some cases requires, “forbearance” periods from loan collection in some circumstances. Interest that accrues during a forbearance period is never subsidized. When a borrower ends forbearance and enters repayment, the account is considered current. When a borrower exits grace, deferment or forbearance, any interest that has not been subsidized is generally capitalized and added to the outstanding principal amount.
In response to the continuing outbreak of COVID-19, the servicer has implemented the Coronavirus Disaster Forbearance Program. See “Forbearances Granted As a Result of the COVID-19 Pandemic May Delay Payments of Interest and Principal” in this remarketing memorandum. Currently, Navient’s policy is that borrowers will be granted a one-time forbearance pursuant to the Coronavirus Disaster Forbearance Program; however, borrowers may apply for different forbearance programs during the current period of economic disruption caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic and therefore could be granted forbearance multiple times. The Coronavirus Disaster Forbearance Program will be reviewed and may be revised periodically.
PLUS and SLS Loan Programs
The Higher Education Act authorized PLUS Loans to be made to parents of eligible dependent students and graduate and professional students and originally authorized SLS Loans to be made to the categories of students later served by the Unsubsidized Stafford Loan program. Borrowers who had no adverse credit history or who were able to secure an endorser without an adverse credit history were eligible for PLUS Loans, as well as some borrowers with extenuating circumstances. The basic provisions applicable to PLUS and SLS Loans are similar to those of Stafford Loans for federal insurance and reinsurance. However, interest subsidy payments are not available under the PLUS and SLS programs and, in some instances, special allowance payments are more restricted.
Loan Limits. PLUS and SLS Loans disbursed before July 1, 1993 were limited to $4,000 per academic year with a maximum aggregate amount of $20,000. The annual loan limits for SLS Loans disbursed on or after July 1, 1993 range from $4,000 for first and second year undergraduate borrowers to $10,000 for graduate borrowers, with a maximum aggregate amount of $23,000 for undergraduate borrowers and $73,000 for graduate and professional borrowers.
The annual and aggregate amounts of PLUS Loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 1993 were limited only to the difference between the cost of the student’s education and other financial aid received, including scholarship, grants and other education loans.
Interest. The interest rates for PLUS Loans and SLS Loans are presented in the chart below.
For PLUS or SLS Loans that bear interest based on a variable rate, the rate is set annually for 12-month periods, from July 1 through June 30, on the preceding June 1 and is equal to the lesser of:
| • | the applicable maximum borrower rate |
and
| • | the applicable 1-year Index or the bond equivalent rate of 91-day Treasury bills, as applicable, |
and
| • | the applicable interest rate margin. |
Under current law, PLUS Loans with a first disbursement on or after July 1, 2006 will return to a fixed annual interest rate of 8.5%.
Until July 1, 2001, the 1-year index was the bond equivalent rate of 52-week Treasury bills auctioned at the final auction held prior to each June 1. Beginning July 1, 2001, the 1-year index is the weekly average 1-year constant maturity Treasury, as published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, for the last calendar week ending on or before the June 26 immediately preceding the July 1 reset date.
| | | | | | |
Before 10/01/81 | | 9% | | N/A | | N/A |
From 10/01/81 through 10/30/82 | | 14% | | N/A | | N/A |
From 11/01/82 through 06/30/87 | | 12% | | N/A | | N/A |
From 07/01/87 through 09/30/92 | | 1-year Index + Interest Rate Margin | | 12% | | 3.25% |
From 10/01/92 through 06/30/94 | | 1-year Index + Interest Rate Margin | | PLUS 10%, SLS 11% | | 3.10% |
From 07/01/94 through 06/30/98 | | 1-year Index + Interest Rate Margin | | 9% | | 3.10% |
From 07/01/98 through 06/30/06 | | 91-day Treasury + Interest Rate Margin | | 9% | | 3.10% |
From 07/01/06 | | 8.5% | | 8.5% | | N/A |
A holder of a PLUS or SLS Loan is eligible to receive special allowance payments during any quarter if:
| • | the borrower rate is set at the maximum borrower rate and |
| • | the sum of the average of the bond equivalent rates of 91-day Treasury bills auctioned during that quarter and the applicable interest rate margin exceeds the maximum borrower rate. |
Effective July 1, 2006, this limitation on special allowance payments for PLUS Loans made on or after January 1, 2000 was repealed.
Repayment; Deferments. Borrowers begin to repay principal on their PLUS and SLS Loans no later than 60 days after the final disbursement, unless they use deferment available for the in-school period and the six-month post enrollment period. Deferment and forbearance provisions, maximum loan repayment periods, repayment plans and minimum payment amounts for PLUS and SLS loans are generally the same as those for Stafford Loans.
Consolidation Loan Program
The enactment of HCERA ended new originations under the FFELP consolidation program, effective July 1, 2010. Previously, the Higher Education Act authorized a program under which borrowers could consolidate one or more of their education loans into a single Consolidation Loan that is insured and reinsured on a basis similar to Stafford and PLUS Loans. Consolidation Loans were made in an amount sufficient to pay outstanding principal, unpaid interest, late charges and collection costs on all federally reinsured education loans incurred under the FFELP that the borrower selects for consolidation, as well as loans made under various other federal education loan programs and loans made by different lenders. In general, a borrower’s eligibility to consolidate federal education loans ends upon receipt of a Consolidation Loan. With the end of new FFELP originations, borrowers with multiple loans, including FFELP loans, may only consolidate their loans under the FDLP.
Consolidation Loans made on or after July 1, 1994 had no minimum loan amount. Consolidation Loans for which an application was received on or after January 1, 1993 but before July 1, 1994 were available only to borrowers who had aggregate outstanding education loan balances of at least $7,500. For applications received before January 1, 1993, Consolidation Loans were available only to borrowers who had aggregate outstanding education loan balances of at least $5,000.
To obtain a FFELP Consolidation Loan, the borrower was required to be either in repayment status or in a grace period before repayment begins. For applications received on or after January 1, 1993, delinquent or defaulted borrowers were eligible to obtain Consolidation Loans if they re-entered repayment through loan consolidation. Prior to July 1, 2006, married couples who agreed to be jointly and severally liable could apply for one Consolidation Loan. In some cases, borrowers could enter repayment status while still in school and thereby become eligible to obtain a Consolidation Loan.
Consolidation Loans bear interest at a fixed rate equal to the greater of the weighted average of the interest rates on the unpaid principal balances of the consolidated loans rounded up to the nearest whole percent and 9% for loans originated before July 1, 1994. For Consolidation Loans made on or after July 1, 1994 and for which applications were received before November 13, 1997, the weighted average interest rate is rounded up to the nearest whole percent. Consolidation Loans made on or after July 1, 1994 for which applications were received on or after November 13, 1997 through September 30, 1998 bear interest at the annual variable rate applicable to Stafford Loans subject to a cap of 8.25%. Consolidation Loans for which the application is received on or after October 1, 1998 bear interest at a fixed rate equal to the lesser of (i) the weighted average interest rate of the loans being consolidated rounded up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent or (ii) 8.25%.
The 1998 reauthorization maintained interest rates for borrowers of Federal Direct Consolidation Loans whose applications were received prior to February 1, 1999 at 7.46%, which rates are adjusted annually based on a formula equal to the 91-day Treasury bill rate plus 2.3%. The borrower interest rates on Federal Direct Consolidation Loans for borrowers whose applications were received on or after February 1, 1999 and before July 1, 2006 is a fixed rate equal to the lesser of the weighted average of the interest rates of the loans consolidated, adjusted up to the nearest one-eighth of one percent, and 8.25%. This is the same rate that the 1998 legislation set on FFELP Consolidation Loans for borrowers whose applications were received on or after October 1, 1998 and before July 1, 2006. The 1998 legislation, as modified by the 1999 act and in 2002, set the special allowance payment rate for FFELP Consolidation Loans at the three-month commercial paper (financial) rate plus 2.64% for loans disbursed on or after January 1, 2000 and before July 1, 2006. Public Law 112-74, dated December 23, 2011, allowed FFELP lenders to make an election to permanently change the index for special allowance payment calculations on all FFELP loans in the lender’s portfolio (with certain exceptions) disbursed after January 1, 2000 from the three-month commercial paper (financial) rate to the one-month LIBOR index, commencing with the special allowance payment calculations for the calendar quarter beginning on April 1, 2012. Lenders of FFELP Consolidation Loans pay a reinsurance fee to the Department of Education. All other guarantee fees may be passed on to the borrower.
Interest on Consolidation Loans accrues and, for applications received before January 1, 1993, is paid without interest subsidy by the Department of Education. For Consolidation Loans for which applications were received between January 1, 1993 and August 10, 1993, all interest of the borrower is paid during all deferment periods. Consolidation Loans for which applications were received on or after August 10, 1993 are subsidized only if all of the underlying loans being consolidated were Subsidized Stafford Loans. In the case of Consolidation Loans made on or after November 13, 1997, the portion of a Consolidation Loan that is comprised of Subsidized Stafford Loans retains subsidy benefits during deferment periods.
No insurance premium was charged to a borrower or a lender in connection with a Consolidation Loan. However, FFELP lenders were required to pay an origination fee to the Department of Education of 0.50% on principal of Consolidation Loans disbursed and a monthly rebate fee to the Department of Education at an annualized rate of 1.05% on principal of and interest on Consolidation Loans disbursed on or after October 1, 1993, or at an annualized rate of 0.62% for Consolidation Loan applications received between October 1, 1998 and January 31, 1999. The rate for special allowance payments for Consolidation Loans is determined in the same manner as for other FFELP loans.
A borrower must begin to repay his Consolidation Loan within 60 days after his consolidated loans have been disbursed. For applications received on or after January 1, 1993, repayment schedule options include graduated or income-driven repayment plans. Loans are repaid over periods determined by the sum of the Consolidation Loan and the amount of the borrower’s other eligible education loans outstanding. The lender may, at its option, include graduated and income-driven repayment plans in connection with education loans for which the applications were received before that date. The maximum maturity schedule is 30 years for indebtedness of $60,000 or more.
Guaranty Agencies under the FFELP
Under the FFELP, guaranty agencies guarantee loans made by eligible lending institutions, paying claims from “federal student loan reserve funds.” These loans are guaranteed as to 100% of principal and accrued interest against death or discharge. The guaranty agency also pays 100% of the unpaid principal and accrued interest on PLUS Loans, where the student on whose behalf the loan was borrowed dies.
FFELP loans are also insured against default, with the percent insured dependent on the date of the related loan’s disbursement. For loans made prior to October 1, 1993, lenders are insured against default for 100% of principal and accrued interest. For loans disbursed from October 1, 1993 through June 30, 2006, lenders are insured against default for 98% of principal and accrued interest. For loans disbursed on or after July 1, 2006, lenders are insured against default for 97% of principal and accrued interest.
The Department of Education reinsures guaranty agencies for amounts paid to lenders on loans that are discharged or defaulted. The reimbursement rate on discharged loans is for 100% of the amount paid to the holder. The reimbursement rate for defaulted loans decreases as a guaranty agency’s default rate increases. The first trigger for a lower reinsurance rate is when the amount of defaulted loan reimbursements exceeds 5% of the amount of all loans guaranteed by the agency in repayment status at the beginning of the federal fiscal year. The second trigger is when the amount of defaults exceeds 9% of the loans in repayment. Guaranty agency reinsurance rates are presented in the table below.
| | | | | | | | | |
Before October 1, 1993 | | | 100 | % | | | 90 | % | | | 80 | % |
October 1, 1993 — September 30, 1998 | | | 98 | % | | | 88 | % | | | 78 | % |
On or after October 1, 1998 | | | 95 | % | | | 85 | % | | | 75 | % |
After the Department of Education reimburses a guaranty agency for a default claim, the guaranty agency attempts to collect the loan from the borrower. However, the Department of Education requires that the defaulted loans be assigned to it when the guaranty agency is not successful. A guaranty agency also refers defaulted loans to the Department of Education to “offset” any federal income tax refunds or other federal reimbursement that may be due the borrowers. Some states have similar offset programs.
To be eligible for federal reinsurance, FFELP loans must meet the requirements of the Higher Education Act and the regulations issued thereunder. Generally, these regulations require that lenders determine whether the applicant is an eligible borrower attending an eligible institution, explain to borrowers their responsibilities under the loan, ensure that the promissory notes evidencing the loan are executed by the borrower, and disburse the loan proceeds as required. After the loan is made, the lender must establish repayment terms with the borrower, properly administer deferments and forbearances, credit the borrower for payments made, and report the loan’s status to credit reporting agencies. If a borrower becomes delinquent in repaying a loan, a lender must perform collection procedures that vary depending upon the length of time a loan is delinquent. The collection procedures consist of telephone calls, demand letters, skiptracing procedures and requesting assistance from the guaranty agency.
A lender may submit a default claim to the guaranty agency after the related education loan has been delinquent for at least 270 days. The guaranty agency must review and pay the claim within 90 days after the lender filed it. The guaranty agency will pay the lender interest accrued on the loan for up to 450 days after delinquency. The guaranty agency must file a reimbursement claim with the Secretary within 30 days after the guaranty agency paid the lender for the default claim. Following payment of claims, the guaranty agency endeavors to collect the loan. Guaranty agencies also must meet statutory and regulatory requirements for collecting loans.
Education Loan Discharges
FFELP loans are not generally dischargeable in bankruptcy. Under the United States Bankruptcy Code, before an education loan may be discharged, the borrower must demonstrate that repaying it would cause the borrower or his family undue hardship. When a FFELP borrower files for bankruptcy, collection of the loan is suspended during the time of the proceeding. If the borrower files under the “wage earner” provisions of the United States Bankruptcy Code or files a petition for discharge on the grounds of undue hardship, then the lender transfers the loan to the guaranty agency which guaranteed that loan and that agency then participates in the bankruptcy proceeding. When the proceeding is complete, unless there was a finding of undue hardship, the loan is transferred back to the lender and collection resumes.
Education loans are discharged if the borrower dies or becomes totally and permanently disabled. If a school closes while a student is enrolled, or within 120 days after the student withdrew, loans made for that enrollment period are discharged. If a school falsely certifies that a borrower is eligible for the loan, the loan may be discharged, and if a school fails to make a refund to which a student is entitled, the loan is discharged to the extent of the unpaid refund. Effective July 1, 2006, a loan is also eligible for discharge if it is determined that the borrower’s eligibility for the loan was falsely certified as a result of a crime of identity theft.
Rehabilitation of Defaulted Loans
The Department of Education is authorized to enter into agreements with a guaranty agency under which such guaranty agency may sell defaulted loans that are eligible for rehabilitation to an eligible lender. For a loan to be eligible for rehabilitation the related guaranty agency must have received reasonable and affordable payments originally for 12 months which was reduced to 9 payments in 10 months effective July 1, 2006, and then the borrower may request that the loan be rehabilitated. Because monthly payments are usually greater after rehabilitation, not all borrowers opt for rehabilitation. Upon rehabilitation, a borrower is again eligible for all the benefits under the Higher Education Act for which he or she is not eligible as a borrower on a defaulted loan, such as new federal aid, and the negative credit record is expunged. No education loan may be rehabilitated more than once.
The July 1, 2009 technical corrections made to the Higher Education Act under H.R. 1777, Public Law 111-39 provide authority, between July 1, 2009 through September 30, 2011, for a guaranty agency to assign a defaulted loan to the Department of Education depending on market conditions.
The Bipartisan Budget Act of 2013 reduced the charge that a guaranty agency may assess to a borrower to defray the collection cost for assisting a borrower with the rehabilitation of a defaulted FFELP loan. The change was effective for loans sold by a guaranty agency to an eligible lender on or after July 1, 2014.
Guarantor Funding
In addition to administering the federal reserve funds, from which claims are paid, guaranty agencies are charged with responsibility for maintaining records on all loans which they have insured (“account maintenance”), assisting lenders to prevent default by delinquent borrowers (“default aversion”), post-default loan administration and collections and program awareness and oversight. These activities are funded by revenues from the following statutorily prescribed sources plus earnings on investments.
| | |
Insurance Premium | | Up to 1% of the principal amount guaranteed, withheld from the proceeds of each loan disbursement |
Loan Processing and Issuance Fee | | 0.40% of the principal amount guaranteed, paid by the Department of Education |
Account Maintenance Fee | | Originally 0.10%, which was reduced to 0.06% on October 1, 2007, of the original principal amount of loans outstanding, paid by the Department of Education |
Default Aversion Fee | | 1% of the outstanding amount of loans submitted by a lender for default aversion assistance, minus 1% of the unpaid principal and interest paid on default claims, which is paid once per loan by transfers out of the Student Loan Reserve Fund |
Collection Retention Fee | | 16% of the amount collected on loans on which reinsurance has been paid (10% or 18.5% of the amount collected for a defaulted loan that is purchased by a lender for consolidation or rehabilitation, respectively), withheld from gross receipts |
The Higher Education Act requires guaranty agencies to establish two funds: a Federal Student Loan Reserve Fund and an Agency Operating Fund. The Federal Student Loan Reserve Fund contains the payments received from the Department of Education and insurance premiums. The fund is federal property and its assets may be used only to pay Default Aversion Fees. Collection fees on defaulted loans are deposited into the Agency Operating Fund. The Agency Operating Fund is the guaranty agency’s property and is not subject to strict limitations on its use.
Department of Education Oversight
If the Department of Education determines that a guaranty agency is unable to meet its insurance obligations, the holders of loans insured by that guaranty agency may submit claims directly to the Department of Education and the Department of Education is required to pay the full reimbursement amounts due, in accordance with claim processing standards no more stringent than those applied by the affected guaranty agency. However, the Department of Education’s obligation to pay guarantee claims directly in this fashion is contingent upon the Department of Education determining a guaranty agency is unable to meet its obligations. While there have been situations where the Department of Education has made such determinations regarding affected guaranty agencies, there can be no assurances as to whether the Department of Education must make such determinations in the future or whether payments of reimbursement amounts would be made in a timely manner.
APPENDIX B
Global Clearance, Settlement and
Tax Documentation Procedures
Except in some limited circumstances, the notes offered under this free-writing prospectus will be available only in book-entry form as “Global Securities.” Investors in the Global Securities may hold them through DTC or, if applicable, Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear. The Global Securities are tradable as home market instruments in both the European and U.S. domestic markets. Initial settlement and all secondary trades will settle in same-day funds.
Secondary market trading between investors holding Global Securities through Clearstream, Luxembourg and Euroclear will be conducted in the ordinary way in accordance with their normal rules and operating procedures and in accordance with conventional Eurobond practice.
Secondary market trading between investors holding Global Securities through DTC will be conducted according to the rules and procedures applicable to U.S. corporate debt obligations.
Secondary cross-market trading between Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear and DTC participants holding Securities will be effected on a delivery-against-payment basis through the depositaries of Clearstream, Luxembourg and Euroclear and as participants in DTC.
Non-U.S. holders of Global Securities will be exempt from U.S. withholding taxes, provided that the holders meet specific requirements and deliver appropriate U.S. tax documents to the securities clearing organizations or their participants.
Initial Settlement
All U.S. Dollar denominated Global Securities will be held in book-entry form by DTC in the name of Cede & Co., as nominee of DTC. Investors’ interests in the U.S. Dollar denominated Global Securities will be represented through financial institutions acting on their behalf as direct and indirect participants in DTC. As a result, Clearstream, Luxembourg and Euroclear will hold positions in U.S. Dollar denominated Global Securities on behalf of their participants through their respective depositaries, which in turn will hold positions in accounts as participants of DTC.
All non-U.S. Dollar denominated Global Securities will be held in book-entry form by a common depositary for Clearstream, Luxembourg and Euroclear in the name of a nominee to be selected by the common depositary. Investors’ interests in the non-U.S. Dollar denominated Global Securities will be represented through financial institutions acting on their behalf as direct and indirect participants in Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear. As a result, DTC will hold positions in the non-U.S. Dollar denominated Global Securities on behalf of its participants through its depositaries, which in turn will hold positions in accounts as participants of Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear.
Investors electing to hold their Global Securities through DTC will follow the settlement practices applicable to U.S. corporate debt obligations. Investor securities custody accounts will be credited with their holdings against payment in same-day funds on the settlement date.
Investors electing to hold their Global Securities through Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear accounts will follow the settlement procedures applicable to conventional Eurobonds, except that there will be no temporary global security and no “lock-up” or restricted period. Global Securities will be credited to the securities custody accounts on the settlement date against payment in same-day funds.
Secondary Market Trading
Since the purchase determines the place of delivery, it is important to establish at the time of the trade where both the purchaser’s and the depositor’s accounts are located to ensure that settlement can be made on the desired value date.
Trading between DTC participants. Secondary market trading between DTC participants will be settled using the procedures applicable to U.S. corporate debt issues in same-day funds.
Trading between Clearstream, Luxembourg and/or Euroclear participants. Secondary market trading between Clearstream, Luxembourg participants and/or Euroclear participants will be settled using the procedures applicable to conventional Eurobonds in same-day funds.
Trading between DTC seller and Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear purchaser. When Global Securities are to be transferred from the account of a DTC participant to the account of a Clearstream, Luxembourg participant or a Euroclear participant, the purchaser will send instructions to Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear through a participant at least one Business Day before settlement. Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear will instruct the applicable depositary to receive the Global Securities against payment. Payment will include interest accrued on the Global Securities from and including the last coupon payment date to and excluding the settlement date. Payment will then be made by the respective depositary to the DTC participant’s account against delivery of the Global Securities.
Securities. After settlement has been completed, the Global Securities will be credited to the applicable clearing system and by the clearing system, in accordance with its usual procedures, to the Clearstream, Luxembourg participant’s or Euroclear participant’s account. The Global Securities credit will appear the next day (European time) and the cash debit will be back-valued to, and the interest on the Global Securities will accrue from, the value date, which would be the preceding day when settlement occurred in New York. If settlement is not completed on the intended value date so that the trade fails, the Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear cash debit will be valued instead as of the actual settlement date.
Clearstream, Luxembourg participants and Euroclear participants will need to make available to the clearing systems the funds necessary to process same-day funds settlement. The most direct means of doing so is to preposition funds for settlement, either from cash on hand or existing lines of credit, as they would for any settlement occurring within Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear. Under this approach, they may take on credit exposure to Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear until the Global Securities are credited to their accounts one day later.
As an alternative, if Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear has extended a line of credit to them, participants can elect not to preposition funds and allow that credit line to be drawn upon to finance settlement. Under this procedure, Clearstream, Luxembourg participants or Euroclear participants purchasing Global Securities would incur overdraft charges for one day, assuming they cleared the overdraft when the Global Securities were credited to their accounts. However, interest on the Global Securities would accrue from the value date. Therefore, in many cases the investment income on the Global Securities earned during that one-day period may substantially reduce or offset the amount of the overdraft charges, although this result will depend on each participant’s particular cost of funds.
Since the settlement is taking place during New York business hours, DTC participants can employ their usual procedures for sending Global Securities to the applicable depositary for the benefit of Clearstream, Luxembourg participants or Euroclear participants. The sale proceeds will be available to the DTC seller on the settlement date. Thus, to the DTC participant a cross-market transaction will settle no differently than a trade between two DTC participants.
Trading between Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear seller and DTC purchaser. Due to time zone differences in their favor, Clearstream, Luxembourg and Euroclear participants may employ their customary procedures for transactions in which Global Securities are to be transferred by the respective clearing system, through the respective depositary, to a DTC participant. The depositor will send instructions to Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear through a participant at least one Business Day before settlement. In this case, Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear will instruct the applicable depositary to deliver the securities to the DTC participant’s account against payment. Payment will include interest accrued on the Global Securities from and including the last coupon payment date to and excluding the settlement date. The payment will then be reflected in the account of the Clearstream, Luxembourg participant or Euroclear participant the following day, and receipt of the cash proceeds in the Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear participant’s account would be back-valued to the value date, which would be the preceding day, when settlement occurred in New York. Should the Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear participant have a line of credit with its clearing system and elect to be in debit in anticipation of receipt of the sale proceeds in its account, the back-valuation will extinguish any overdraft charges incurred over that one-day period. If settlement is not completed on the intended value date so that the trade fails, receipt of the cash proceeds in the Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear participant’s account would instead be valued as of the actual settlement date.
Finally, day traders that use Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear and that purchase Global Securities from DTC Participants for delivery to Clearstream, Luxembourg participants or Euroclear participants should note that these trades would automatically fail on the sale side unless affirmative action is taken. At least three techniques should be readily available to eliminate this potential problem:
| • | borrowing through Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear for one day until the purchase side of the day trade is reflected in their Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear accounts, in accordance with the clearing system’s customary procedures; |
| • | borrowing the Global Securities in the U.S. from a DTC participant no later than one day before settlement, which would give the Global Securities sufficient time to be reflected in their Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear account in order to settle the sale side of the trade; or |
| • | staggering the value dates for the buy and sell sides of the trade so that the value date for the purchase from the DTC participant is at least one day before the value date for the sale to the Clearstream, Luxembourg participant or Euroclear participant. |
Because the Notes will be held through DTC (or Clearstream, Luxembourg or Euroclear, as applicable), it is possible that book-entry transfers of beneficial interests in the notes could be effected without the knowledge of the trustee or registrar, as applicable, making it more difficult to monitor compliance with the transfer restrictions.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Documentation Requirements
A holder of Global Securities may be subject to U.S. withholding tax (currently at 30%), or U.S. backup withholding tax (currently at 24%), as appropriate, on payments of interest, including original issue discount, on registered debt issued by U.S. persons, unless:
• each clearing system, bank or other financial institution that holds customers’ securities in the ordinary course of its trade or business in the chain of intermediaries between the beneficial owner and the U.S. entity required to withhold tax complies with applicable certification requirements, and
• that holder takes one of the following steps to obtain an exemption or reduced tax rate:
1. Exemption for non-U.S. person—Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E. Non-U.S. persons that are beneficial owners can obtain a complete exemption from the withholding tax. To obtain this exemption, they are generally required to file a signed Form W-8BEN (Certificate of Foreign Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Individuals)) or Form W-8BEN-E (Certificate of Status of Beneficial Owner for United States Tax Withholding and Reporting (Entities)).
2. Exemption for non-U.S. persons with effectively connected income—Form W-8ECI. A non-U.S. person, including a non-U.S. corporation or partnership, for which the income is effectively connected with its conduct of a trade or business in the United States, can obtain an exemption from the withholding tax with respect to the notes by filing Form W-8ECI (Certificate of Foreign Person’s Claim That Income Is Effectively Connected With the Conduct of a Trade or Business in the United States).
3. Exemption or reduced rate for non-U.S. persons resident in treaty countries — Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E. Non-U.S. persons that are beneficial owners residing in a country that has a tax treaty with the United States can obtain an exemption or reduced tax rate, depending on the treaty terms, by filing Form W-8BEN or Form W-8BEN-E.
4. Exemption for U.S. persons—Form W-9. U.S. persons can obtain a complete exemption from the withholding tax by filing Form W-9 (Request for Taxpayer Identification Number and Certification) certifying that they are not subject to U.S. backup withholding tax.
If the information shown on the applicable certification changes, new certification must be filed within 30 days of the change.
U.S. Federal Income Tax Reporting Procedure. The Global noteholder or his agent files by submitting the appropriate form to the person through which he holds. This is the clearing agency, in the case of persons holding directly on the books of the clearing agency. Form W-8BEN, Form W-8BEN-E, and Form W-8ECI are generally effective from the date the form is signed to the last day of the third succeeding calendar year unless a change in circumstances makes any information on the form incorrect.
For these purposes, a U.S. person is:
• a citizen or individual resident of the United States,
• a corporation or partnership, including an entity treated as such for U.S. federal income tax purposes, organized in or under the laws of the United States or any state thereof or the District of Columbia,
• an estate the income of which is includible in gross income for U.S. federal income tax purposes, regardless of its source, or
• a trust whose administration is subject to the primary supervision of a U.S. court and which has one or more U.S. persons who have the authority to control all substantial decisions of the trust.
To the extent provided in Treasury regulations, some trusts in existence on August 20, 1996, and treated as U.S. persons before that date, that elect to continue to be treated as U.S. persons, will be U.S. persons and not foreign persons.
This discussion does not deal with all aspects of U.S. federal income tax withholding that may be relevant to foreign holders of the Global Securities. Investors are advised to consult their own tax advisors for specific tax advice concerning their holding and disposing of the Global Securities.
PREPAYMENTS, EXTENSIONS, WEIGHTED REMAINING AVERAGE LIFE AND
EXPECTED MATURITY OF THE CLASS A-5 NOTES
[to be included as Exhibit I to the final remarketing prospectus supplement to be
distributed to potential investors on or prior to the spread determination date]
PRINCIPAL OFFICES
ISSUING ENTITY
SLM STUDENT LOAN TRUST 2005-7
c/o Deutsche Bank Trust Company Americas
1761 East St. Andrew Place
Santa Ana, CA 92705
DEPOSITOR
NAVIENT FUNDING, LLC
13865 Sunrise Valley Drive
Herndon, Virginia 20171
SPONSOR, SERVICER AND ADMINISTRATOR
NAVIENT SOLUTIONS, LLC
13865 Sunrise Valley Drive
Herndon, Virginia 20171
ELIGIBLE LENDER TRUSTEE DEUTSCHE BANK TRUST COMPANY AMERICAS 1761 East St. Andrew Place Santa Ana, CA 92705 | DELAWARE TRUSTEE BNY MELLON TRUST OF DELAWARE 301 Bellevue Parkway, 3rd Floor, Wilmington, Delaware 19809 | INDENTURE TRUSTEE AND PAYING AGENT DEUTSCHE BANK NATIONAL TRUST COMPANY 1761 E. Saint Andrew Place Santa Ana, California 92705 |
LUXEMBOURG LISTING AGENT
DEUTSCHE BANK LUXEMBOURG S.A.
2 Boulevard Konrad Adenauer
L-1115 Luxembourg
LEGAL ADVISORS TO THE DEPOSITOR, THE TRUST, THE SPONSOR, THE SERVICER AND THE
ADMINISTRATOR
MORGAN, LEWIS & BOCKIUS LLP 1111 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W. Washington, D.C. 20004-2541 | RICHARDS, LAYTON & FINGER, P.A. 920 N. King Street Wilmington, Delaware 19801 | |
LEGAL ADVISOR TO THE REMARKETING AGENT
CHAPMAN AND CUTLER LLP 111 W. Monroe Street Chicago, IL 60603 |
INDEPENDENT PUBLIC ACCOUNTANTS
KPMG LLP
1676 International Drive, Suite 1200
McLean, Virginia 22102
(up to)
$180,000,000
CLASS A-5 NOTES
SLM STUDENT LOAN TRUST 2005-7
Issuing Entity
NAVIENT FUNDING, LLC
Depositor
NAVIENT SOLUTIONS, LLC
Sponsor, Servicer and Administrator
FREE-WRITING PROSPECTUS
Remarketing Agent
BofA Merrill Lynch
April , 2021