According to Moody's, the purpose of its ratings is "to provide investors with a simple system of gradation by which future relative creditworthiness of securities may be gauged." A rating of A2 is considered an upper-medium grade and reflects a low credit risk; Baa1 is considered a medium grade and reflects a medium credit risk. Banks and other lenders use credit ratings to assess the risk of lending money. This downgrade affects Yeshiva's $323 million line of debt through the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and will affect the University's ability to borrow more money. In addition, the downgrade reflects a trend in the higher education industry in which many universities face similar financial troubles, which consequently affects their credit ratings.