You should read the following discussion in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements, which are included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q. This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates, and beliefs. Our actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. See "Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements" for more information. Key Terms In connection with the management of our businesses, we identify, measure and assess a variety of operating metrics. The principal metrics we use in managing our businesses are set forth below: Operating Metrics •Lifetime Value ("LTV") - Lifetime Value as the weighted average total amount of tuition and fees paid by every new student that enrolls in the Company's universities, after giving effect to attrition. •Bookings - defined by multiplying LTV by new student enrollments for each operating unit. •Average Revenue per Enrollment ("ARPU") - defined by dividing total bookings by total enrollments for each operating unit. •Marketing Efficiency Ratio ("MER") - is defined as revenue per enrollment divided by cost per enrollment. Operating costs and expenses •Cost of revenues - consists of instructional costs and services and marketing and promotional costs. •Instructional costs - consist primarily of costs related to the administration and delivery of the Company's educational programs. This expense category includes compensation costs associated with online faculty, technology license costs and costs associated with other support groups that provide services directly to the students and are included in cost of revenues. •Marketing and promotional costs - include costs associated with producing marketing materials and advertising, and outside sales costs. Such costs are generally affected by the cost of advertising media, the efficiency of the Company's marketing and recruiting efforts, and expenditures on advertising initiatives for new and existing academic programs. Non-direct response advertising activities are expensed as incurred, or the first time the advertising takes place, depending on the type of advertising activity. •General and administrative expense - consists primarily of compensation expense (including stock-based compensation expense) and other employee-related costs for personnel engaged in executive and academic management and operations, finance, legal, tax, information technology and human resources, fees for professional services, financial aid processing costs, non-capitalizable courseware and software costs, corporate taxes and facilities costs. Long-term debt (for additional information see Note 6. "Debt" in "Item 1. Financial Statements"): •Convertible Notes - OnSeptember 14, 2020 , the$10 million secured Convertible Notes, which were issued by the Company onJanuary 22, 2020 automatically converted into shares of the Company's common stock when the closing price of our common stock was at least$10.725 over a 20 consecutive trading day period at a conversion price of$7.15 per share. The accelerated non-cash amortization charge related to unamortized debt discounts as a result of the debt extinguishment in the second quarter of fiscal year 2021 was approximately$1.4 million , which is included in interest expense. •Revolving Credit Facility - The$5 million Revolving Credit Facility matures onNovember 4, 2021 ; with a 2{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Commitment Fee on the undrawn portion payable quarterly. AtOctober 31, 2020 andApril 30, 2020 , there were no outstanding borrowings under the Revolving Credit Facility. With the conversion of the Convertible Notes, the Company does not intend to borrow under this Facility. 31 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents •Term Loans - OnJanuary 22, 2020 , the Senior Secured Term Loans were cancelled and exchanged for the Convertible Notes discussed above. The$10 million Senior Secured Term Loans were entered into onMarch 6, 2019 ; with an annual interest rate of 12{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} payable monthly. Non-GAAP financial measures: •Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Share - are non-GAAP financial measures that the Company is providing beginning in first quarter of fiscal year 2021. See "Non-GAAP - Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net earnings (loss) and earnings (loss) per share to Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Earnings (Loss) per Share for the three and six months endedOctober 31, 2020 and 2019. •Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("EBITDA") - is a non-GAAP financial measure. See "Non-GAAP - Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net loss to EBITDA for the three and six months endedOctober 31, 2020 and 2019. •Adjusted Earnings Before Interest, Taxes, Depreciation and Amortization ("Adjusted EBITDA") - is a non-GAAP financial measure. See "Non-GAAP - Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of net loss to Adjusted EBITDA for the three and six months endedOctober 31, 2020 and 2019. AGI Student Population Overview AGI's overall active student body (includes bothAspen University and USU) grew 24{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year from 10,718 to 13,238 as ofOctober 31, 2020 and students seeking nursing degrees were 11,442 or 86{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of total active students at both universities. Active student body is comprised of active degree-seeking students, enrolled in a course at the end of the second quarter of fiscal year 2021 or are registered for an upcoming course.Aspen University's total active degree-seeking student body grew 21{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year from 9,016 to 10,779. USU's total active degree-seeking student body grew year-over-year from 1,702 to 2,459 or 44{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. [[Image Removed: aspu-20201031_g2.jpg]] Company Overview AGI is an education technology holding company. It operates two universities,Aspen University ("Aspen University " or "Aspen") andUnited States University ("United States University " or "USU"). All references to the "Company", "AGI", "Aspen Group ", "we", "our" and "us" refer toAspen Group, Inc. , unless the context otherwise indicates. AGI leverages its education technology infrastructure and expertise to allow its two universities,Aspen University andUnited States University , to deliver on the vision of making college affordable again. Because we believe higher education should be a catalyst to our students' long-term economic success, we exert financial prudence by offering affordable tuition that is one of the greatest values in higher education. AGI's primary focus relative to future growth is to target the high growth nursing profession. As ofOctober 31, 2020 , 11,442 of 13,238 or 86{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of all active students across both universities are degree-seeking nursing students. InMarch 2014 ,Aspen University unveiled a monthly payment plan available to all students across every online degree program offered by the university. The monthly payment plan is designed so that students will make one payment per month, and that monthly payment is applied towards the total cost of attendance (tuition and fees, excluding textbooks). The monthly payment plan offers online associate and most bachelor students the opportunity to pay their tuition and fees at$250 /month, online 32 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents master students$325 /month, and online doctoral students$375 /month, interest free, thereby giving students a monthly payment option versus taking out a federal financial aid loan. USU began offering monthly payment plans in the summer of 2017. Today, monthly payment plans are available for the online RN to BSN program ($250 /month), online MBA/M.A. Ed /MSN programs ($325 /month), hybrid Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, Teacher Credentialing tracks approved by theCalifornia Commission on Teacher Credentialing ($350 /month), and the online hybrid Masters of Nursing-Family Nurse Practitioner ("FNP") program ($375 /month). SinceAugust 1, 2019 , new student enrollments for USU's FNP monthly payment plan have been offered a$9,000 two-year payment plan ($375 /month x 24 months) designed to pay for the first year's pre-clinical courses only (approximate cost of$9,000 ). The second academic year of the two-year FNP program in which students complete their clinical courses (approximate cost of$18,000 ) is required to be funded through conventional payment methods (either cash, private loans, corporate tuition reimbursement or federal financial aid). Since 1993,Aspen University has been nationally accredited by the DEAC, a national accrediting agency recognized by theDOE and CHEA. OnFebruary 25, 2019 , the DEAC informedAspen University that it had renewed its accreditation for five years toJanuary 2024 . Since 2009, USU has been regionally accredited by WSCUC. Both universities are qualified to participate under the Higher Education Act and the Federal student financial assistance programs (Title IV, HEA programs). AGI New Student Enrollments In the second quarter of fiscal year 2021, the Company delivered a quarterly record of 2,659 new student enrollments, a sequential increase of 13{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}, and 20{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year.Aspen University accounted for 2,010 new student enrollments, a sequential increase of 13{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} and 10{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year. The strong enrollment growth atAspen University was a result of record quarterly enrollments in its Doctoral and BSN Pre-Licensure units. Millennials that aspire to become RNs enrolled in the BSN Pre-Licensure program inPhoenix in record numbers in the second quarter given that many have been furloughed or laid off since the pandemic first began. USU delivered 649 new student enrollments in the quarter driven primarily by FNP enrollments, a 65{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} increase year-over-year. Below is a table reflecting new student enrollments for the past five quarters: New Student Enrollments Q2'20 Q3'20 Q4'20 Q1'21 Q2'21 Aspen University 1,823 1,371 1,344 1,779 2,010 USU 394 375 432 572 649 Total 2,217 1,746 1,776 2,351 2,659 Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER) Analysis AGI has developed a marketing efficiency ratio to continually monitor the performance of its business model. Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER) = Revenue per Enrollment (RPE) Cost per Enrollment (CAC) Cost per Enrollment (CAC) (previously referred to as CPE) The Cost per Enrollment measures the advertising investment spent in a given six month period, divided by the number of new student enrollments achieved in that given six month period, in order to obtain an average CAC. Revenue per Enrollment (RPE) 33 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents The Revenue per Enrollment takes each quarterly cohort of new degree-seeking student enrollments, and measures the amount of earned revenue on a weighted average basis, including tuition and fees to determine the weighted average RPE for the cohort measured. For the later periods of a cohort, we have used reasonable projections based off of historical results to determine the amount of revenue we will earn in later periods of the cohort. In the second quarter of fiscal year 2021 the Marketing Efficiency Ratio (MER) for our universities remained above 13X, representing revenue-per-enrollment (LTV) over cost-per-enrollment (CAC), which was a decline of 10{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} forAspen University and 30{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} for USU, as shown in the table below:
Second Quarter Marketing Efficiency Ratio
Enrollments CAC1 LTV2 Q2 '21 MER Q2 '20 MER MER {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change Aspen University 2,010$ 1,112 $ 15,181 3 13.7X 15.2X (10) {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} USU 649$ 1,240 $ 17,820 4 14.4X 20.7X (30) {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}
_____________________
1 Based on 6-month rolling weighted average CAC for each university’s
enrollments
2 Weighted Lifetime Value (LTV) of a new student enrollment
3 Weighted average LTV for all
4 LTV for USU’s MSN-FNP Program
Compared to the prior year period, AGI’s weighted average cost of enrollment
(CAC) increased 31{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}, from
sequential basis, AGI’s CAC declined 5{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}, from
Second
Quarter Weighted Average Cost of Enrollment
Q2 '20 Enrollments Q2'20 CAC1 Q2'21 Enrollments Q2'21 CAC1 CAC {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change Aspen University 1,823$ 879 2,010$ 1,112 27 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} USU 394$ 862 649$ 1,240 44 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Weighted Average$ 875 $ 1,143 31 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} _ 1Based on 6-month rolling average Bookings Analysis and ARPU On a year-over-year basis, fiscal second quarter 2021 Bookings increased 34{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to$42,079,380 , delivering a company-wide average revenue per enrollment (ARPU) increase of 12{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to$15,825 , reflecting a shift in the revenue mix toward higher LTV nursing licensure degree programs. Second
Quarter Bookings and Average Revenue Per Enrollment (ARPU)
Percent Change Total Bookings & Q2'20 Enrollments Q2'20 Bookings 1 Q2'21 Enrollments Q2'21 Bookings 1 ARPU 1 Aspen University 1,823$ 24,294,600 2,010$ 30,514,200 26 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} USU 394$ 7,021,080 649$ 11,565,180 65 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Total 2,217$ 31,315,680 2,659$ 42,079,380 34 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ARPU $ 14,125 $ 15,825 12 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}
_____________________
1 "Bookings" are defined by multiplying Lifetime Value (LTV) per enrollment by new student enrollments for each operating unit. "Average Revenue Per Enrollment" (ARPU) is defined by dividing total Bookings by total new student enrollments for each operating unit. ASPEN UNIVERSITY'S PRE-LICENSURE BSN HYBRID (ONLINE/ON-CAMPUS) DEGREE PROGRAM InJuly 2018 ,Aspen University throughAspen Nursing of Arizona, Inc. began its Pre-Licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree program at its initial campus inPhoenix, Arizona . As a result of overwhelming demand in thePhoenix metropolitan area, inJanuary 2019 Aspen University began offering both day (July, November, March semesters) and evening/weekend (January, May, September semesters) programs, equaling six semester starts per year. Moreover, inSeptember 2018 ,Aspen University opened a second campus in thePhoenix metropolitan area in partnership withHonorHealth .Aspen University's innovative hybrid (online/on-campus) program allows most of the credits to be completed online (83 of 120 credits or 69{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}), with pricing offered at current low tuition rates of$150 /credit hour for online general education courses and 34 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents$325 /credit hour for online core nursing courses. For students with no prior college credits, the total cost of attendance is less than$50,000 .Aspen University's Pre-Licensure BSN program is offered as a full-time, three-year (nine semester) program that is specifically designed for students who do not currently hold a state nursing license and have no prior nursing experience.Aspen University is admitting students into one of two program components: (1) a pre-professional nursing (PPN) component for students that have less than the required 41 general education credits completed (Year 1), and (2) the nursing core component for students that are ready to participate in the competitive evaluation process for entry (Years 2-3). As of the end of the second fiscal quarter,Aspen University had nearly 500 active students in the final two-year core program which drives revenues of approximately$20,000 per year, per student in those final two years compared to approximately$7,000 per year, per student in year one of the program. In addition,Aspen University currently has approximately 1,800 active students in the first-year PPN program in thePhoenix metro. In order to ensure these students have very short wait times to begin in the core program,Aspen University will be moving to double cohorts in the mainPhoenix campus by the airport starting this coming February, 2021. So rather than starting 30 students into the core program each semester,Aspen University will increase that capacity by approximately 50{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to a total of approximately 45 students each semester start. This will increaseAspen University's annual revenue run rate at the mainPhoenix campus by approximately$1.8 million starting in the fiscal fourth quarter.
Pre-Licensure BSN Program – Campus Expansion
Aspen University has executed a definitive lease agreement for ten years to occupy approximately 30,000 square feet (Suites 150 and 450) of the Tampa Oaks I property located at12802 Tampa Oaks Boulevard . The building is visible from the intersection ofInterstate 75 andEast Fletcher Avenue , near theUniversity of South Florida , providing visibility to approximately 126,500 cars per day. Regulatory approvals were completed inAugust 2020 and marketing has begun in theTampa metropolitan area.Aspen University enrolled PPN nursing students for itsDecember 8, 2020 semester start date.Aspen University has executed an agreement withBayfront Health , a regional network of seven hospitals and over 1,900 medical professionals on staff serving the residents ofFlorida's Gulf Coast to provide required clinical placements for Aspen's nursing students. In addition, clinical affiliation agreements have been signed in theTampa metropolitan area withJohn Hopkins All Children's Hospital, Inc. , Care Connections at Home,Global Nurse Network, LLC andThe American National Red Cross .
Aspen University has executed a definitive lease agreement for eight years to occupy approximately 22,000 square feet in a portion of the first floor of theFrontera Crossing office building located at101 W. Louis Henna Boulevard in theAustin suburb ofRound Rock . The building is situated at the junction ofInterstate 35 andState Highway 45 , one of the most heavily trafficked freeway exchanges in the metropolitan area with visibility to approximately 143,000 cars per day. Regulatory approvals were completed inJuly 2020 and marketing has begun in theAustin metropolitan area. Aspen has executed a clinical affiliation agreement withBaylor Scott & White Health - Central division, the largest not-for-profit healthcare system inTexas and one of the largest inthe United States .Baylor Scott & White includes 48 hospitals, more than 800 patient care sites, more than 7,800 active physicians, over 47,000 employees and theScott & White Health Plan . In addition to theRound Rock campus, effectiveAugust 1, 2020 ,Aspen University executed a sublease to take over the remaining 20-month lease held by sublandlord National American University (NAU) to occupy approximately 7,200 square feet of their campus in the suburb ofGeorgetown, Texas , which is approximately 10 miles north of Aspen's futureFrontera Crossing campus in the suburb ofRound Rock . In exchange, Aspen as subtenant, at no additional cost, shall have the right to utilize all the existing furniture, fixtures and equipment owned by sublandlord and will convey all such furniture, fixtures and equipment to subtenant via a bill of sale for$10.00 .Aspen University enrolled PPN and core nursing students for itsSeptember 29, 2020 semester start date.
AGI’s Plan for
Immersions in Every Campus
35 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents While lab hours to date have been done at USU'sSan Diego facility, the rapid growth of the MSN-FNP program has caused AGI to plan to expand the lab immersions in multiple locations acrossthe United States . For example, the Company has leased an additional suite on the ground floor of our main campus facility inPhoenix (by the airport) to begin offering weekend immersions for MSN-FNP students in bothSan Diego andPhoenix . We expect this additional clinical facility inPhoenix , as well as theTampa campus clinical facility to be open at the end of this calendar year, for a total of three clinical facilities available for MSN-FNP weekend immersions scheduled to start early in 2021.
Network (A-APN)
On
American-Advanced Practice Network (A-APN), a national clinical network for
advanced practice nurses that provides comprehensive health care and nursing
services at its outpatient centers and clinical facilities throughout the
A-APN offers independent nurse practitioners (NPs) a unique, multi-state network or "group practice without walls" with best-in-class technology and business support. A-APN was created for and by NPs. Rural and remote members of the network have nationwide, trusted peer cross-coverage for patients. A-APN members deliver clinical care using CareSpan's Digital Care Delivery platform, facilitating care delivery in-person, or at a distance. The platform includes diagnostics, EMR, e-prescribing, remote monitoring, and dynamic documentation. Through this affiliation, A-APN will appoint an Educational Coordinator to work withUSU's Office of Field Experience to place USU MSN-FNP students with qualified, experienced NP preceptors. We expect that this telehealth partnership will enable MSN-FNP students to complete their required direct care clinical hours with A-APN throughout the COVID-19 crisis and thereafter. As a benefit, the Company doesn't anticipate any material delays to their projected graduation dates. ACCOUNTS RECEIVABLE AND MONTHLY PAYMENT PLAN Since the beginning of fiscal year 2021, the monthly payment plan accounts receivable balance, both short-term and long-term, has increased by approximately$6.3 million . The attractive aspect of being able to pay for a degree over a fixed period of time has fueled the growth of this plan. Each student's receivable account is different depending on how many classes a student takes each period. If a student takes two classes each eight-week period while paying$250 ,$325 or$375 a month, that student's account receivable balance will rise accordingly. The common thread is the actual monthly payment, which functions as a retail installment contract with no interest that each student commits to pay over a fixed number of months.Aspen University students paying tuition and fees through a monthly payment method grew by 12{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year, from 5,927 to 6,638, representing 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University's total active student body.
USU students paying tuition and fees through a monthly payment method grew from
1,427 to 1,609 students sequentially. Those 1,609 students paying through a
monthly payment method represent 65{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU’s total active student body.
Change in Business Mix and Relationship to Accounts Receivable
During the second quarter of fiscal year 2021, revenue from students using the Monthly Payment Plan increased by approximately 34.9{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year over year, but declined as a percentage of total revenue for the second year in a row down from approximately 2.2{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} in Q2 Fiscal 2020 to 52.4{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} in Q2 Fiscal 2021, while total revenue increased 40{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year over year. Our two highest lifetime value programs areAspen University's Pre-Licensure BSN Program and USU's MSN-Family Nurse Practitioner Program. These programs are our fastest growing programs and now represent 50{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of total annual revenue. We expect the revenue from these programs to continue to grow as a percentage of our total revenue as we continue to expand our campus footprint from 2 to over 10 campuses over the next 3-4 years. This change in our business mix is expected to have a meaningful impact on our accounts receivable and our allowance for doubtful accounts. The BSN Pre-Licensure program and the second academic year of the MSN-FNP program require payment prior to the start of each term. This means that approximately 90{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of all revenue from these two programs will be paid in 36 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents advance; meaningfully reducing our accounts receivable and the allowance for doubtful accounts as a percentage of our total revenue.
As revenue from these programs continues to grow as a percentage of overall
revenue, we expect that we will see a corresponding increase in our cash flows
from operations that in turn will allow AGI to turn cash flow positive and
generate positive free cash flow over time.
In addition to this change in our business mix, we have built upon the existing analysis of our accounts receivable and expanded our analysis to include evaluation of all payment types, student status, and aging within programs. Previously our evaluation was focused primarily on students using the Monthly Payment Plan. As we upgrade our financial systems we expect to gain greater ability to track discrete data faster and easier to support more proactive student engagement that we believe will improve the performance of our student receivable portfolio. As we identify program and student status specific trends, we will strive to create ways to isolate program specific revenue and accounts receivable activity to gather, analyze and report program specific data and trends. Over time we will use this knowledge to enhance our allowance reserving policies going forward.
By improving visibility into trends earlier we expect to see improvement in
overall student performance and a reduction of account delinquencies.
Reserving for Allowance for Doubtful Accounts and Charges to the Allowance
During the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we built upon the existing analysis of our accounts receivable and evaluated several segments of our older dated student files. During this analysis we made the determination that receivables for approximately 656 students, amounting to$686,000 forAspen University and$81,000 of receivables for approximately 39 students for USU were deemed uncollectible based on the payment detail and student status. These amounts were charged against the allowance for doubtful accounts in the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2020. As part of the account receivable analysis discussed earlier, we evaluated our long-term MPP student receivables. The analysis evaluated students in two categories: nursing and non-nursing. Based on our analysis of the payment details and student performance, in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2020, we elected to charge$152,000 of MPP receivables against the reserve for doubtful accounts. The MPP receivables will be evaluated in conjunction with our updated recovery and collection process and we expect results to be positive. In the first half of fiscal year 2021, no changes to the methodology were made and$232,000 of student accounts were written off. Our accounts receivable remaining for former students are from 2018 or more recent with the exception of certain alumni from our nursing programs. We believe our analysis is appropriate and reasonable. We further believe that we are positioned to focus our enhanced recovery and collections efforts on delinquencies and past due amounts from recent graduates and current enrolled students. Based on our review of accounts receivable, overall revenue growth trends and changes in our mix of business, we evaluated our reserve methodology and increased our reserve by$572,000 forAspen University and by$60,000 for USU in the second quarter of fiscal year 2021. Note that the AGI's bad debt allowance started the quarter at$2.16 million and ended the quarter at$2.52 million . As part of the process of evaluating our reserving methodology we also evaluated our processes in student accounts, our accounts receivable recovery and collections processes. We have designed an enhanced recovery and collections process that is expected to begin recovery of student late payments earlier and manage these students more proactively during their course of study and post-graduation for MPP students. We will continue to reserve against our receivables based on revenue growth trends, mix of business and specific trends we identify on a program by program basis. We believe we currently have sufficient reserves against our current student portfolio but we intend to stay vigilant to become aware of external changes that could affect our students ability to meet their obligations such as the continuation of the COVID-19 economic slowdown or other exogenous events and circumstances that could give us reason to make a material change to our current methodology and reserve policy. 37 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Overtime we expect the change in our mix of business together with process improvements and collection enhancements to result in a better managed portfolio of student receivables and improving cash flow from operations. Relationship Between Accounts Receivable and Revenue The gross accounts receivable balance for any period is the net effect of the following three factors: 1.Revenue; 2.Cash receipts; and 3.The net change in deferred revenue. All three factors equally determine the gross accounts receivable. If one quarter experiences particularly high cash receipts, the gross accounts receivable will go down. The same effect happens if cash receipts are lower or if there are significant changes in either of the other factors. Simply looking at the change in revenue does not translate into an equally similar change in gross accounts receivable. The relative change in cash and the deferral must also be considered. For net accounts receivable, the changes in the reserve must also be considered. Any additional reserve or write-offs will influence the balance. As it is a straight mathematical formula for both gross accounts receivable and net accounts receivable, and most of the information is public, one can reasonably calculate the two non-public pieces of information, namely the cash receipts in gross accounts receivable and the write-offs in net accounts receivable. For revenue, the quarterly change is primarily billings and the net impact of deferred revenue. The deferral from the prior quarter or year is added to the billings and the deferral at the end of the period is subtracted from the amount billed. The total deferred revenue at the end of every period is reflected in the liability section of the consolidated balance sheet. Deferred revenue can vary for many reasons, but seasonality and the timing of the class starts in relation to the end of the quarter will cause changes in the balance. As mentioned in the accounts receivable discussion above, the change in revenue cannot be compared to the change in accounts receivable. Revenue does not have the impact of cash received whereas accounts receivable does. Depending on the month and the amount of cash received, it is likely that revenue or accounts receivable will increase at a rate different from the other. The impact of cash is easy to substantiate as it agrees to deposits in our bank accounts. AtOctober 31, 2020 , the allowance for doubtful accounts was$2,523,293 which represents approximately 8{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of the gross accounts receivable balance of$30,765,400 , the sum of both short-term and long-term receivables. The Introduction of Long-Term Accounts Receivable When a student signs up for the monthly payment plan, there is a contractual amount that the Company can expect to earn over the life of the student's program. This contractual amount cannot be recorded as an account receivable as the student does have the option to stop attending. As a student takes a class, revenue is earned over that eight-week class. Some students accelerate their program, taking two classes every eight-week period, and as we discussed, that increases the student's accounts receivable balance. If any portion of that balance will be paid in a period greater than 12 months, that portion is reflected as long-term accounts receivable. As a result of the growing acceptance of our monthly payment plans, our long-term accounts receivable balance has grown from$6,701,136 atApril 30, 2020 to$10,246,622 atOctober 31, 2020 . The primary components of MPP are students who make monthly payments over 36, 39 and 72 months. The average student completes their academic program in 30 months, therefore most of the Company's accounts receivable are short-term. However, when students graduate earlier than the 30 month average completion duration, and as students enter academic year two of USU's MSN-FNP legacy 72 month payment plan, they transition to long-term accounts receivable when their liability increases to over$4,500 . Those are the two primary factors that have driven an increase in long-term accounts receivable. Here is a graphic of both short-term and long-term receivables, as well as contractual value: 38
——————————————————————————–
Table of Contents
A B C
Payments owed for classes taken where Payments owed for classes taken where
Expected classes
payment plans for classes are less payment plans are greater than
to be taken over than 12 months, less monthly payments 12 months balance of program. received Short-Term Long-term Not recorded in Accounts Receivable Accounts Receivable financial statements The Sum of A, B and C will equal the total cost
of the program. Fiscal 2021 Developments OnSeptember 14, 2020 , after the closing price of our common stock was at least$10.725 over a 20 consecutive trading day period the$10 million Convertible Notes automatically converted into 1,398,602 shares of the Company's common stock at a conversion price of$7.15 per share. The accelerated amortization charge related to unamortized debt discounts as a result of the debt extinguishment in the second quarter of fiscal year 2021 was approximately$1.4 million , which was included in interest expense in the consolidated statement of operations. OnAugust 31, 2020 , the closing price of the Company's common stock was at least$9 for 20 consecutive trading days, resulting in, 10{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} or 37,500 of theFebruary 4, 2020 RSU grants to executives vesting immediately. Additionally, onSeptember 2, 2020 , the Company's common stock was at least$10 for 20 consecutive trading days and 25{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} or 93,750 of the RSUs granted vested immediately. On the grant date, the closing price of the Company's common stock on The Nasdaq Global Market was$9.49 per share. See Note 7. "Stockholders' Equity" in "Item 1. Financial Statements" for additional information on the vesting terms for these RSUs. The accelerated amortization expense related to this transaction in the second quarter of fiscal year 2021 was approximately$1.2 million for the vesting of these 131,250 RSUs, which is included in general and administrative expense in the consolidated statement of operations. OnAugust 31, 2020 , the Company entered into an Equity Distribution Agreement (the "Agreement") withCanaccord Genuity LLC ("Canaccord"), pursuant to which the Company may issue and sell from time to time, through Canaccord, up to$12,309,750 of shares of the Company's common stock. The purpose of this Agreement is to allow the Company to sell common stock that has been surrendered from executive officers and director vesting events to pay their portion of withholding taxes as well as to pay the Company the strike price of options upon cashless exercise. As of the date of this filing, 292,000 shares have been sold under the Agreement. OnJune 5, 2020 , the Company, as an inducement to exercise, reduced by 5{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} the exercise price of the common stock purchase warrants issued toThe Leon and Toby Cooperman Family Foundation (the "Foundation"), of which Mr.Leon Cooperman , a stockholder of the Company, is the trustee. The warrants were issued onNovember 5, 2018 (the "2018 Cooperman Warrants") and onMarch 5, 2020 (the "2019 Cooperman Warrants"). The 2018 Cooperman Warrants exercise price was reduced from$5.85 to$5.56 per share. The 2019 Cooperman Warrants exercise price was reduced from$6.00 to$5.70 per share. OnJune 8, 2020 , the Foundation immediately exercised the 2018 and 2019 Cooperman Warrants paying the Company$1,081,792 and the Company issued 192,049 shares of common stock to the Foundation.
COVID-19 Update
The COVID-19 crisis did not have a material impact on the Company's consolidated financial results for the second quarter of fiscal year 2021, as evidenced by our record revenues of approximately$17.0 million . In fact, the Company's two highest LTV programs, USU's MSN-FNP and Aspen's BSN Pre-Licensure program, saw enrollment tailwinds this quarter related to COVID-19. RN's, looking to attain their nurse practitioner license to broaden their career options, drove MSN-FNP enrollment. Additionally, millennials, aspiring to become RNs, enrolled in the BSN Pre-Licensure program inPhoenix in record numbers, given that many were furloughed or laid off since the pandemic first started.
COVID-19 has focused a spotlight on the shortage of nurses in the
particular, the need for nurses with four-year and advanced degrees such as
operating in a tailwind environment for many years relative to the planned
expansion of our Pre-Licensure BSN hybrid campus business.
39 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents In our current, third fiscal quarter endingJanuary 31, 2021 , which has been historically a seasonally slower quarter given it falls during the holiday months of November and December,Aspen University is seeing slightly lower course registrations than seasonally expected in our Aspen Nursing + Other unit. We believe COVID-19 'Wave Two' is partly a factor given that all the states in the country are now affected - not just some of the major metros. Our predominant student demographic of RNs has been especially overwhelmed over the past few months, so this isn't unexpected. Given the rollout of COVID-19 vaccines, we are anticipating a full recovery in expected course registrations in our fourth quarter. Results of Operations Set forth below is the discussion of the results of operations of the Company for the three months endedOctober 31, 2020 ("Q2 Fiscal 2021") compared to the three months endedOctober 31, 2019 ("Q2 Fiscal 2020"), and for the first six months endedOctober 31, 2020 ("1H Fiscal 2021") compared to the six months endedOctober 31, 2019 ("1H Fiscal 2020"). Revenue Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 Revenue$ 16,971,045 $ 4,885,080 40{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 12,085,965 $ 32,136,607 $ 9,692,660 43{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 22,443,947
Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020
Revenue from operations for Q2 Fiscal 2021 increased to$16,971,045 from$12,085,965 for Q2 Fiscal 2020, an increase of$4,885,080 or 40{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase was primarily due to enrollment and student body growth in USU's MSN-FNP and Aspen's BSN Pre-Licensure program, the degree programs with the highest lifetime value (LTV). By focusing our marketing spend on delivering enrollment growth in the degree programs with the highest LTV, we increased our average revenue per enrollment (ARPU) from$14,125 to$15,825 or 12{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The Company expects revenue growth to continue in future periods as we continue prioritizing our highest LTV degree programs to achieve our long-term growth plans.Aspen University's revenues in Q2 Fiscal 2021 increased 36{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year, while USU's revenues in Q2 Fiscal 2021 increased 53{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year.Aspen University's traditional post-licensure online nursing + other business unit and doctoral unit contributed 50{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of total Company revenue in Q2 Fiscal 2021, whileAspen University's Pre-Licensure BSN program delivered 21{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of the Company's revenues in Q2 Fiscal 2021. Finally, USU contributed 29{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of the total revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2021. 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 Revenue from operations for 1H Fiscal 2021 increased to$32,136,607 from$22,443,947 for 1H Fiscal 2020, an increase of$9,692,660 or 43{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase was primarily due to enrollment and student body growth in the degree programs with the highest lifetime value (LTV). The Company expects revenue growth to continue in future periods as we continue prioritizing our highest LTV degree programs to achieve our long-term growth plans.Aspen University's revenues in 1H Fiscal 2021 increased 38{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year, while USU's revenues in 1H Fiscal 2021 increased 59{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year.Aspen University's traditional post-licensure online nursing + other business unit and doctoral unit contributed 51{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of total Company revenue in 1H Fiscal 2021, whileAspen University's Pre-Licensure BSN program delivered 20{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of the Company's revenues in 1H Fiscal 2021. Finally, USU contributed 29{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of the total revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021. The Company now expects annual revenue growth to meet or exceed 38{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} or$67.7 million for the full fiscal year 2021. Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below) 40
——————————————————————————–
Table of Contents Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 Cost of Revenues (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below)$ 7,324,780 $ 3,136,724 75{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 4,188,056 $ 13,172,303 $ 4,631,189 54{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 8,541,114 As a percentage of revenue 43{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 35{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 41{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 38{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020 Instructional costs and services Instructional costs and services for Q2 Fiscal 2021 increased to$3,726,248 or 22{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues from$2,181,067 or 18{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2020, an increase of$1,545,181 or 71{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase was primarily due to more class starts year-over-year and additional full-time faculty staffing in the USU MSN-FNP program and the pre-licensure BSN campuses inPhoenix ,Austin andTampa .Aspen University instructional costs and services represented 20{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2021, while USU instructional costs and services was 26{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues during Q2 Fiscal 2021. Marketing and promotional Marketing and promotional costs for Q2 Fiscal 2021 were$3,598,532 or 21{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues compared to$2,006,989 or 17{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2020, an increase of$1,591,543 or 79{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase of marketing as a percentage of revenues from 17{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to 21{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year in Fiscal Q2 is a result of a planned advertising spending increase throughout Fiscal Year 2021, targeted primarily to our highest LTV programs, which has resulted in record new student enrollments the past two quarters. In addition, pre-revenue marketing spend commenced this quarter in our two new pre-licensure metros;Austin andTampa .Aspen University marketing and promotional costs represented 20{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2021, while USU marketing and promotional costs was 18{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2021. AGI corporate marketing expenses was$274,552 for Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to$247,904 for Q2 Fiscal 2020, an increase of$26,647 or 11{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 Instructional costs and services Instructional costs and services for 1H Fiscal 2021 increased to$6,782,961 or 21{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues from$4,324,886 or 19{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues for 1H Fiscal 2020, an increase of$2,458,075 or 57{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase was primarily due to more class starts year-over-year and additional full-time faculty staffing in the USU MSN-FNP program and the pre-licensure BSN campuses inPhoenix ,Austin andTampa .Aspen University instructional costs and services represented 20{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021, while USU instructional costs and services was 24{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues during 1H Fiscal 2021. Marketing and promotional Marketing and promotional costs for 1H Fiscal 2021 were$6,389,342 or 20{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues compared to$4,216,228 or 19{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues for 1H Fiscal 2020, an increase of$2,173,114 or 52{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase of marketing as a percentage of revenues from 19{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to 20{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} year-over-year in 1H Fiscal 2021 is a result of a planned advertising spending increase throughout Fiscal Year 2021, targeted primarily to our highest LTV programs, which has resulted in record new student enrollments the past two quarters. In addition, pre-revenue marketing spend commenced in the second quarter in our two new pre-licensure metros;Austin andTampa .Aspen University marketing and promotional costs represented 19{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021, while USU marketing and promotional costs was 16{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021. 41 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents AGI corporate marketing expenses was$507,403 for 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to$476,135 for 1H Fiscal 2020, an increase of$31,268 or 7{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. General and administrative Three Months Ended October 31, Six
Months Ended
2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 General and administrative$ 11,285,155 $ 4,091,455 57{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 7,193,700 $ 20,078,911 $ 6,088,960 44{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 13,989,951 As a percentage of revenue 66{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 60{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}
Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020
General and administrative costs for Q2 Fiscal 2021 were$11.3 million or 66{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues compared to$7,193,700 or 60{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues during Q2 Fiscal 2020, an increase of$4,091,455 or 57{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase was primarily due to higher headcount and related increase in compensation and benefits expense to support the growth of the business, accelerated stock-based compensation amortization expense related to the$9 and$10 tranche RSU price vesting of$1.2 million at AGI and new campus expansion costs of approximately$0.2 million atAspen University . The remaining$12 tranche related to the Executive RSU grant has approximately$1.8 million of total unrecognized compensation expense atOctober 31, 2020 , that could accelerate during the next three years. Growth of the business includes the element of growth opex. Growth opex represents our investment in key infrastructure projects to support our expansion strategy. In Q2 Fiscal 2021, our growth opex investment of$0.24 million is specifically defined as personnel and related costs to expand our enrollment center, academic and financial aid advisors, and clinical operations personnel. In our enrollment center specifically, we decided to grow our enrollment advisors ("EAs") staff from 96 EAs to 118 EAs, adding EAs across every unit of the Company. We are now fully staffed for the fiscal year to accomplish our enrollment goals for the remainder of the fiscal year.Aspen University general and administrative costs which are included in the above amount represented 32{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2021. The increase was primarily due to new campus expansion costs of approximately$0.2 million for investment in faculty and campus leadership positions to launch and support the newTampa andAustin markets; and approximately$0.1 million in growth opex. USU general and administrative costs equaled 43{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues for Q2 Fiscal 2021. The increase was primarily due to higher headcount and related increase in compensation and benefits expense to support the growth of the business, which includes growth opex of$0.14 million . AGI's general and administrative costs for Q2 Fiscal 2021 and Q2 Fiscal 2020 which are included in the above amounts equaled$5.3 million and$1.9 million , respectively. The increase was primarily due to higher headcount and related increase in compensation and benefits expense to support the growth of the business and accelerated non-cash stock-based compensation amortization expense related to the$9 and$10 tranche RSU price vesting of$1.2 million . 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 General and administrative costs for 1H Fiscal 2021 was$20,078,911 or 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues compared to$13,989,951 or 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues for 1H Fiscal 2020, an increase of$6,088,960 or 44{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The increase was primarily due to higher headcount and related increase in compensation and benefits expense to support the growth of the business and other-employee related costs, accelerated stock-based compensation amortization expense related to the$9 and$10 tranche RSU price vesting of$1.2 million at AGI and new campus expansion costs of approximately$0.2 million atAspen University .Aspen University general and administrative costs which are included in the above amount represented 32{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021. The increase was primarily due to new campus expansion costs of approximately$0.2 million for investment in faculty and campus leadership positions to launch and support the newTampa andAustin markets; and approximately$0.1 million in growth opex. 42 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents USU general and administrative costs equaled 42{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021. The increase was primarily due to higher headcount and related increase in compensation and benefits expense to support the growth of the business, which includes growth opex of$0.14 million . AGI corporate general and administrative costs for 1H Fiscal 2021 and 1H Fiscal 2020 which are included in the above amounts was$8.8 million and$3.9 million , respectively. The increase was primarily due to higher headcount and related increase in compensation and benefits expense to support the growth of the business and accelerated stock-based compensation amortization expense related to the$9 and$10 tranche RSU price vesting of$1.2 million . Bad debt expense Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 Bad debt expense$632,000 $ 224,241 55{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$407,759 $ 1,032,000 $ 383,342 59{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 648,658 As a percentage of revenue 4{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 3{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 3{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 3{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020 Bad debt expense for Q2 Fiscal 2021 increased to$632,000 from$407,759 for Q2 Fiscal 2020, an increase of$224,241 , or 55{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. Based on revenue growth trends and review of accounts receivable, the Company evaluated its reserve methodology and increased reserves for Aspen and USU accordingly, as well as$232,000 ofAspen University student accounts were written off. 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 Bad debt expense for 1H Fiscal 2021 increased to$1,032,000 from$648,658 for 1H Fiscal 2020, an increase of$383,342 , or 59{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. Based on revenue growth trends and review of accounts receivable, the Company evaluated its reserve methodology and increased reserves for Aspen and USU accordingly, as well as$232,000 ofAspen University student accounts were written off in Q2 Fiscal 2021.
Depreciation and amortization
Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 Depreciation and amortization$526,357 $ (101,868) (16){de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$628,225 $ 1,016,981 $ (217,818) (18){de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ 1,234,799 As a percentage of revenue 3{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 5{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 3{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 6{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}
Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020
Depreciation and amortization for Q2 Fiscal 2021 decreased to$526,357 from$628,225 for Q2 Fiscal 2020, a decrease of$101,868 , or 16{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The decrease in depreciation and amortization expense is due primarily to intangible assets becoming fully amortized at USU, partially offset by investments in developed capitalized software to support the Company's services. 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 Depreciation and amortization for 1H Fiscal 2021 decreased to$1,016,981 from$1,234,799 for 1H Fiscal 2020, a decrease of$217,818 , or 18{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. The decrease in depreciation and amortization expense is due primarily to intangible assets becoming fully amortized at USU, partially offset by investments in developed capitalized software to support the Company's services. Other expense, net Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 Other expense, net$1,536,748 $ 1,240,355 418{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}
$296,393 $2,115,503 $ 1,418,223 203{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$697,280 43
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020 Other expense, net in Q2 Fiscal 2021 of$1,536,748 primarily includes interest expense of (i)$1.4 million related to the accelerated amortization expense related to the conversion of the Convertible Notes which occurred onSeptember 14, 2020 and (ii)$111,507 on the Convertible Notes issued onJanuary 22, 2020 as well as the commitment fee on the Revolving Credit Facility. Other expense, net in Q2 Fiscal 2020 of$296,393 includes: interest expense of$428,960 primarily related to the Term Loans issued inMarch 2019 and the commitment fees on the Revolving Credit Facility; partially offset by$132,567 of other income. 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 Other expense, net in 1H Fiscal 2021 of$2,115,503 primarily includes: interest expense of (i) a non-cash charge of$1.4 million of accelerated amortization expense related to the conversion of the Convertible Notes which occurred onSeptember 14, 2020 ; (ii)$0.5 million for the Convertible Notes issued onJanuary 22, 2020 as well as the commitment fee on the Revolving Credit Facility; (iii) an adjustment of$0.3 million related to the previously reported earned revenue fee calculation deemed immaterial to our Fiscal 2019 revenue; (iv) a non-cash modification and accelerated amortization charges of$0.2 million related to the exercise of the 2018 and 2019 Cooperman Warrants onJune 5, 2020 ; partially offset by$0.3 million of other income. Other expense, net in 1H Fiscal 2020 of$697,280 includes: interest expense of$0.8 million on the Term Loans issued inMarch 2019 and the commitment fees on the Revolving Credit Facility; partially offset by$0.1 million of other income. Net loss Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 2020 $ Change {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Change 2019 Net loss$(4,370,525) $ (3,732,357) (585){de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$(638,168) $ (5,313,721) $ (2,600,271) (96){de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}$ (2,713,450)
Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020
Net loss was$(4,370,525) , or net loss per basic and diluted share of$(0.19) for Q2 Fiscal 2021 as compared to$(638,168) , or net loss per share of$(0.03) for Q2 Fiscal 2020, or an increase in net loss of$(3,732,357) , or (585){de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. This increase in net loss of$3.7 million includes$2.6 million of non-cash items previously disclosed ($1.2 million non-cash charge related to the RSU vesting, and the$1.4 million charge related to the conversion of$10 million Convertible Notes). Without these two items, the net loss increase would have been approximately$1.2 million . This$1.2 million increase in net loss year-over-year is a result of the investments in marketing (approximately$1.6 million ), growth opex (approximately$0.25 million ) and new campus costs (approximately$0.25 million ) disclosed above. 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 Net loss was$(5,313,721) , or net loss per basic and diluted share of$(0.23) for 1H Fiscal 2021 as compared to$(2,713,450) , or net loss per share of$(0.14) for 1H Fiscal 2020, or an increase in net loss of$(2,600,271) , or (96){de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This discussion and analysis includes both financial measures in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP, as well as non-GAAP financial measures. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company's performance, financial position or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally included or excluded in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplemental to, and should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), operating income (loss), and cash flow from operating activities, liquidity or any other financial measures. They may not be indicative of the historical operating results of AGI nor are they intended to be predictive of potential future results. Investors should not consider non-GAAP financial measures in isolation or as substitutes for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Our management uses and relies on Adjusted Net Income (Loss), Adjusted Earnings (Loss) Per Share, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted Gross Profit, which are non-GAAP financial measures. We believe that management, analysts and 44 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents shareholders benefit from referring to the following non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate and assess our core operating results from period-to-period after removing the impact of items that affect comparability. Our management recognizes that the non-GAAP financial measures have inherent limitations because of the excluded items described below. We have included a reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. We believe that providing the non-GAAP financial measures, together with the reconciliation to GAAP, helps investors make comparisons between AGI and other companies. In making any comparisons to other companies, investors need to be aware that companies use different non-GAAP measures to evaluate their financial performance. Investors should pay close attention to the specific definition being used and to the reconciliation between such measure and the corresponding GAAP measure provided by each company under applicableSEC rules.
General and administrative
Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020
General and administrative costs for Q2 Fiscal 2021 were$11.3 million or 66{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues compared to$7,193,700 or 60{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues during Q2 Fiscal 2020, an increase of$4,091,455 or 57{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. Growth of the business includes the element of growth opex. Growth opex represents our investment in key infrastructure projects to support our expansion strategy. In Q2 Fiscal 2021, our growth opex investment of$0.24 million is specifically defined as personnel and related costs to expand our enrollment center, academic and financial aid advisors, and clinical operations personnel. In our enrollment center specifically, we decided to grow our enrollment advisors ("EAs") staff from 96 EAs to 118 EAs, adding EAs across every unit of the Company. We are now fully staffed for the fiscal year to accomplish our enrollment goals for the remainder of the fiscal year. New campus expansion costs were approximately$0.2 million atAspen University . This growth spending typically happens in the first half of the fiscal year and is done in conjunction with our increased marketing spend to drive and support the increasing enrollment activity across both universities. This investment in marketing, enrollment staff and other supporting roles will strengthen our student pipeline for enrollments, which will lead to higher course registrations and revenue in Q4 and into our next fiscal year. For Q2 Fiscal 2021, after removing non-cash stock-based compensation expense of$1.2 million related to the accelerated amortization expense for the price vesting of Executive RSUs at AGI and the growth investments, our remaining consolidated G&A was$9.6 million . This represents an increase of$2.4 million from Q2 Fiscal 2020 compared to the revenue growth of$4.9 million in the year over year quarter, which is in-line with our target to grow general and administrative expense at or below 50{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenue growth. 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 General and administrative costs for 1H Fiscal 2021 was$20,078,911 or 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues compared to$13,989,951 or 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenues for 1H Fiscal 2020, an increase of$6,088,960 or 44{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb}. For 1H Fiscal 2021, after removing non-cash stock-based compensation expense of$1.2 million related to the accelerated amortization expense for the price vesting of Executive RSUs at AGI and the growth investments, our remaining consolidated G&A was$18.3 million . This represents an increase of$4.5 million from 1H Fiscal 2020 compared to the revenue growth of$9.7 million in the year over year period, which is in-line with our target to grow general and administrative expense at or below 50{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenue growth.
Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Earnings (Loss) Per Share
AGI defines Adjusted Net Income (Loss) as net earnings (loss) from operations adding back stock-based compensation expense and non-recurring charges as reflected in the table below. Q2 Fiscal 2021 includes non-cash stock-based compensation expense of$1.2 million related to the accelerated amortization expense for the price vesting of Executive RSUs and non-recurring charges of$1.4 million related to the accelerated amortization expense of the original issue discount for the automatic conversion of$10 million Convertible Notes onSeptember 14, 2020 , which is included in interest expense on the statement of operations. 45 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents 1H 2021 includes non-cash stock-based compensation expense of$1.2 million and non-recurring charges of$1.9 million primarily related to items described above in the Q2 Fiscal 2021 discussion, and$123,947 of interest expense which arose from the acceleration of amortization arising from the exercise of warrants issued to a lender incurred in Q1 Fiscal 2021. The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss and earnings (loss) per share to Adjusted Net Income (Loss) and Adjusted Earnings (Loss) Per Share: Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Earnings (loss) per share $ (0.19)$ (0.03) $ (0.23)$ (0.14) Weighted average number of common stock outstanding* 22,791,503 18,985,371 22,763,235 18,859,344 Net loss$ (4,370,525) $ (638,168) $ (5,313,721) $ (2,713,450) Add back: Stock-based compensation 1,831,548 492,130 2,318,658 990,547 Non-recurring charges 1,362,819 - 1,906,203 132,949 Adjusted Net (Loss)$ (1,176,158) $ (146,038) $ (1,088,860) $ (1,589,954)
Adjusted (Loss) per Share $ (0.05)$ (0.01) $ (0.05)$ (0.08) ________________
*Same share count used for GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures.
EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA
AGI defines Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA excluding: (1) bad debt expense; (2)
stock-based compensation; and (3) non-recurring charges. The following table
presents a reconciliation of net loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA:
Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 2019 2020 2019 Net loss$ (4,370,525) $ (638,168) $ (5,313,721) $ (2,713,450) Interest expense, net 1,529,517 426,694 1,984,740 846,761 Taxes 36,530 44,168 34,630 134,445 Depreciation and amortization 526,357 628,225 1,016,981 1,234,799 EBITDA (2,278,121) 460,919 (2,277,370) (497,445) Bad debt expense 632,000 407,759 1,032,000 648,658 Stock-based compensation 1,831,548 492,130 2,318,658 990,547 Non-recurring charges - - 419,437 132,949 Adjusted EBITDA $ 185,427$ 1,360,808 $ 1,492,725 $ 1,274,709 Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020 The Company incurred an EBITDA of$(2,278,121) for Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to an EBITDA of$460,919 for Q2 Fiscal 2020. Adjusted EBITDA decreased to$0.2 million for Q2 Fiscal 2021 from Adjusted EBITDA of$1.4 million for Q2 Fiscal 2020.Aspen University generated$2.2 million of net income, EBITDA of$2.7 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$3.4 million in Q2 Fiscal 2021 as compared to$1.8 million of net income, EBITDA of$2.1 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$2.5 million in Q2 Fiscal 2020. Aspen's Pre-Licensure BSN program accounted for$1.1 million of the$2.7 million EBITDA generated atAspen University in Q2 Fiscal 2021 as compared to$0.5 million of the$2.1 million EBITDA generated in Q2 Fiscal 2020. USU generated net income of$0.6 million , EBITDA of$0.6 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$0.7 million in Q2 Fiscal 2021 as compared to net income of$0.2 million , EBITDA of$0.5 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$0.5 million in Q2 Fiscal 2020. 46 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents AGI corporate incurred net loss of$(7.1 million) , EBITDA of ($5.6 million ) and Adjusted EBITDA of ($3.9 million ) in Q2 Fiscal 2021 as compared to net loss of$(2.6 million) , EBITDA of ($2.1 million ) and Adjusted EBITDA of ($1.6 million ) in Q2 Fiscal 2020. Adjusted EBITDA in Q2 Fiscal 2021 includes non-cash stock based compensation expense of$1.2 million related to the accelerated amortization expense for the price vesting of Executive RSUs. EBITDA includes$1.4 million related to the accelerated amortization expense of the original issue discount for the automatic conversion of$10 million Convertible Notes onSeptember 14, 2020 . 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 The Company incurred an EBITDA of$(2,277,370) for 1H Fiscal 2021 compared to an EBITDA of$(497,445) for 1H Fiscal 2020. Adjusted EBITDA increased to$1,492,725 for 1H Fiscal 2021 from Adjusted EBITDA of$1,274,709 for 1H Fiscal 2020.Aspen University generated$4.5 million of net income, EBITDA of$5.5 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$6.5 million in 1H Fiscal 2021 as compared to$2.7 million of net income, EBITDA of$3.4 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$4.1 million in 1H Fiscal 2020. Aspen's Pre-Licensure BSN program accounted for$2.1 million of the$5.5 million EBITDA generated atAspen University in 1H Fiscal 2021 as compared to$0.9 million of the$3.4 million EBITDA generated in 1H Fiscal 2020. USU generated net income of$1.6 million , EBITDA of$1.6 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$1.8 million in 1H Fiscal 2021 as compared to net loss of$0.3 million , EBITDA of$0.3 million and Adjusted EBITDA of$0.5 million in 1H Fiscal 2020. AGI corporate incurred net loss of$(11.4 million) , EBITDA of ($9.4 million ) and Adjusted EBITDA of ($6.9 million ) in 1H Fiscal 2021 as compared to net loss of$(5.2 million) , EBITDA of ($4.2 million ) and Adjusted EBITDA of ($3.3 million ) in 1H Fiscal 2020. Adjusted EBITDA in 1H Fiscal 2021 includes non-cash stock based compensation expense of$1.2 million related to the accelerated amortization expense for the price vesting of Executive RSUs in Q2 Fiscal 2021 and$419,437 of non-recurring charges in Q1 Fiscal 2021, compared to$132,949 of non-recurring charges in Q1 Fiscal 2020. EBITDA in Q2 Fiscal 2021 includes$1.4 million related to the accelerated amortization expense of the original issue discount for the automatic conversion of$10 million Convertible Notes onSeptember 14, 2020 . An additional non-recurring item in Q1 Fiscal 2021 of$123,947 is included in interest expense, net, which arose from the acceleration of amortization arising from the exercise of warrants issued to a lender. Adjusted Gross Profit AGI defines Adjusted Gross Profit as GAAP Gross Profit including amortization expense which is included in cost of revenue on the statements of operations. The following table presents a reconciliation of GAAP Gross Profit to Adjusted Gross Profit inclusive of amortization: Three Months Ended October 31, Six Months Ended October 31, 2020 2019 2020 2019 GAAP Gross Profit$9,289,096 $7,638,195 $18,280,081 $13,403,524 Add back amortization expense included in cost of revenue: Intangible Asset Amortization 10,516 16,917 22,463 36,059 Call Center Software/Website 346,653 242,797 661,760 463,250 Total amortization included in cost of revenue 357,169 259,714 684,223 499,309 Adjusted Gross Profit$9,646,265 $7,897,909 $18,964,304 $13,902,833 Revenue$16,971,045 $12,085,965 $32,136,607 $22,443,947 Cost of Revenue 7,324,780 4,188,056 13,172,303 8,541,114 Adjusted Gross Profit$9,646,265 $7,897,909 $18,964,304 $13,902,833 GAAP Gross Profit as a {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenue 55 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 63 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 57 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 60 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} Adjusted Gross Profit as a {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of revenue 57 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 65 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 59 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 62 {de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} 47
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents Q2 Fiscal 2021 compared to Q2 Fiscal 2020 GAAP Gross profit increased by 22{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to$9,289,096 or 55{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin for Q2 Fiscal 2021 from$7,638,195 or 63{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin in Q2 Fiscal 2020. Adjusted Gross profit increased 22{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to$9,646,265 or 57{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin for Q2 Fiscal 2021 from$7,897,909 or 65{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin in Q2 Fiscal 2020.
Q2 Fiscal 2021, and USU gross margin represented 56{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues for Q2
Fiscal 2021.
1H Fiscal 2021 compared to 1H Fiscal 2020 GAAP Gross profit increased by 36{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to$18,280,081 or 57{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin for 1H Fiscal 2021 from$13,403,524 or 60{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin in 1H Fiscal 2020. Adjusted Gross profit increased 36{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} to$18,964,304 or 59{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin for 1H Fiscal 2021 from$13,902,833 or 62{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} gross margin in 1H Fiscal 2020.Aspen University gross margin represented 58{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} ofAspen University revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021, and USU gross margin represented 60{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of USU revenues for 1H Fiscal 2021. Liquidity and Capital Resources A summary of the Company's cash flows is as follows: Six Months EndedOctober 31, 2020 2019
Net cash (used in) provided by
Operating activities$ (2,076,821) $ (2,025,107) Investing activities (2,244,723) (1,253,653) Financing activities 3,297,107 237,713 Net decrease in cash$ (1,024,437) $ (3,041,047) Net Cash Used in Operating Activities Net cash used in operating activities for the six months endedOctober 31, 2020 consists of net loss adjusted for non-cash items and the effect of changes in working capital. Non-cash adjustments include stock-based compensation, bad debt expense, amortization of debt discounts and issue costs, warrants issued for services, modification charge for warrants exercised, loss on asset disposition and other adjustments. Adjustments to Net loss consist primarily of stock-based compensation of$2,318,658 , amortization of debt discounts of$1,550,854 , bad debt expense of$1,032,000 and depreciation and amortization expense of$1,016,981 . The increase from changes in working capital primarily consists of an increase in gross accounts receivable (both short and long term accounts receivable, before allowance for doubtful accounts) of$8,246,180 , partially offset by an increase in deferred revenue of$4,915,504 and accrued expenses of$1,282,983 . The increase in accounts receivable is primarily attributed to the growth in revenues from increased enrollments and students paying through the monthly payment plan as well as timing of billings for class start near the end of Q2 Fiscal 2021. The increase in deferred revenue is due primarily to timing of billings for class start near the end of Q2 Fiscal 2021. The increase in accrued expenses is due primarily to accrual of executive bonus for Fiscal 2021, accrued payroll due to higher headcount and related increase in compensation and benefits expense to support the growth of the business and an increase in accrued marketing due to timing. The Company expects a favorable trend in working capital over time, but there may be volatility from quarter to quarter. So, in aggregate the Company expects a general trend toward lower cash used in operations in future quarters; however, some quarters could have higher cash used in operations as a result of more cash used to support changes in working capital. Program start timings and the related federal financial aid drawdowns also impact cash timing. Net cash used in operations for the six months endedOctober 31, 2019 consist primarily of depreciation and amortization expense of$1,234,799 , stock-based compensation of$889,484 and bad debt expense of$648,658 . The increase from changes in working capital primarily consists of an increase in gross accounts receivable (both short and long term accounts receivable, before allowance for doubtful accounts) of$5,211,195 , partially offset by an increase in deferred revenue of$3,052,996 . The 48 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents increase in accounts receivable is primarily attributed to the growth in revenues from increased enrollments and students paying through the monthly payment plan as well as timing of billings for class start near the end of Q2 Fiscal 2020. The increase in deferred revenue is due primarily to timing of billings for class start near the end of Q2 Fiscal 2020.Net Cash Used in Investing Activities Net cash used in investing activities for the six months endedOctober 31, 2020 includes purchases of property and equipment of$2,233,348 primarily due to investments in computer equipment and hardware, Company developed software and new campuses; and purchases of courseware and accreditation of$11,375 . Net cash used in investing activities for the six months endedOctober 31, 2019 includes purchases of property and equipment of$1,244,078 primarily due to investments in Company developed software, computer equipment and hardware and instructional equipment; and purchases of courseware and accreditation of$9,575 . Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities Net cash provided by financing activities for the six months endedOctober 31, 2020 includes proceeds from stock options exercised of$2,215,315 and proceeds from warrants exercised of$1,081,792 received from the cash exercise of warrants associated with the Term Loan and Revolving Credit Facility. Net cash provided by financing activities for the six months endedOctober 31, 2019 includes proceeds from stock options exercised of$237,713 . Liquidity and Capital Resources AtDecember 10, 2020 , the Company had cash deposits of approximately$15.9 million and approximately$3.2 million of restricted cash. The Company also has access to a$5 million Revolving Credit Facility. AtOctober 31, 2020 andApril 30, 2020 , there were no outstanding borrowings under this credit facility. With the conversion of the Convertible Notes onSeptember 14, 2020 , the Company does not intend to borrow under this facility. The Company anticipates that it will need to make capital and other expenditures in connection with the development and expansion of its campus operations. The Company's FY Fiscal 2021 capital expenditures are expected to be higher than FY Fiscal 2020 capital expenditures by approximately$1.0 million related to new campus costs. Additionally, the Company expects additional cash commitments for letters of credits related to securing new campus locations. The Company expects that its existing cash resources will be sufficient to fund its working capital, including capital expenditures, investing and other needs for more than the next 12 months. Our cash balances are kept liquid to support our growing infrastructure needs. The majority of our cash is concentrated in large financial institutions. Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates In response to financial reporting release FR-60, Cautionary Advice Regarding Disclosure About Critical Accounting Policies, from theSEC , we have selected our more subjective accounting estimation processes for purposes of explaining the methodology used in calculating the estimate, in addition to the inherent uncertainties pertaining to the estimate and the possible effects on our financial condition. There were no material changes to our principal accounting estimates during the period covered by this report. Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue Revenue consisting primarily of tuition and fees derived from courses taught by Aspen online as well as from related educational resources that Aspen provides to its students, such as access to our online materials and learning management system. Tuition revenue is recognized pro-rata over the applicable period of instruction. Aspen maintains an institutional tuition refund policy, which provides for all or a portion of tuition to be refunded if a student withdraws during stated refund periods. Certain states in which students reside impose separate, mandatory refund policies, which override Aspen's policy to the extent in conflict. If a student withdraws at a time when a portion or none of the tuition is refundable, then in accordance with its 49 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Table of Contents revenue recognition policy, Aspen recognizes as revenue the tuition that was not refunded. Since Aspen recognizes revenue pro-rata over the term of the course and because, under its institutional refund policy, the amount subject to refund is never greater than the amount of the revenue that has been deferred, under Aspen's accounting policies revenue is not recognized with respect to amounts that could potentially be refunded. Aspen's educational programs have starting and ending dates that differ from its fiscal quarters. Therefore, at the end of each fiscal quarter, a portion of revenue from these programs is not yet earned and is therefore deferred. Aspen also charges students annual fees for library, technology and other services, which are recognized over the related service period. Deferred revenue represents the amount of tuition, fees, and other student payments received in excess of the portion recognized as revenue and it is included in current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Other revenue may be recognized as sales occur or services are performed. Accounts Receivable and Allowance for Doubtful Accounts Receivable All students are required to select both a primary and secondary payment option with respect to amounts due to Aspen for tuition, fees and other expenses. The most common payment option for Aspen's students is personal funds or payment made on their behalf by an employer. In instances where a student selects financial aid as the primary payment option, he or she often selects personal cash as the secondary option. If a student who has selected financial aid as his or her primary payment option withdraws prior to the end of a course but after the date that Aspen's institutional refund period has expired, the student will have incurred the obligation to pay the full cost of the course. If the withdrawal occurs before the date at which the student has earned 100{de3fc13d4eb210e6ea91a63b91641ad51ecf4a1f1306988bf846a537e7024eeb} of his or her financial aid, Aspen will have to return all or a portion of the Title IV funds to theDOE and the student will owe Aspen all amounts incurred that are in excess of the amount of financial aid that the student earned and that Aspen is entitled to retain. In this case, Aspen must collect the receivable using the student's second payment option. For accounts receivable from students, Aspen records an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability, failure or refusal of its students to make required payments, which includes the recovery of financial aid funds advanced to a student for amounts in excess of the student's cost of tuition and related fees. Aspen determines the adequacy of its allowance for doubtful accounts using a general reserve method based on an analysis of its historical bad debt experience, current economic trends, and the aging of the accounts receivable and student status. AGI establishes reserves to its receivables based upon an estimate of the risk presented by the program within the university, student status, payment type and age of receivables. Aspen writes off accounts receivable balances at the time the balances are deemed uncollectible. Aspen continues to reflect accounts receivable with an offsetting allowance as long as management believes there is a reasonable possibility of collection. For accounts receivable from primary payors other than students, Aspen estimates its allowance for doubtful accounts by evaluating specific accounts where information indicates the customers may have an inability to meet financial obligations, such as bankruptcy proceedings and receivable amounts outstanding for an extended period beyond contractual terms. In these cases, Aspen uses assumptions and judgment, based on the best available facts and circumstances, to record a specific allowance for those customers against amounts due to reduce the receivable to the amount expected to be collected. These specific allowances are re-evaluated and adjusted as additional information is received. The amounts calculated are analyzed to determine the total amount of the allowance. Aspen may also record a general allowance as necessary. Direct write-offs are taken in the period when Aspen has exhausted its efforts to collect overdue and unpaid receivables or otherwise evaluate other circumstances that indicate that Aspen should abandon such efforts. Business Combinations We include the results of operations of businesses we acquire from the date of the respective acquisition. We allocate the purchase price of acquisitions to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at fair value. The excess of the purchase price of an acquired business over the amount assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. We expense transaction costs associated with business combinations as incurred.Goodwill and IntangiblesGoodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair market value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed from the 2017 acquisition of USU.Goodwill has an indefinite life and is not amortized.Goodwill is tested annually for impairment. 50
——————————————————————————–
Table of Contents Intangible assets represent both indefinite lived and definite lived assets. Accreditation and regulatory approvals and Trade name and trademarks are deemed to have indefinite useful lives and accordingly are not amortized but are tested annually for impairment. Student relationships and curriculums are deemed to have definite lives and are amortized accordingly. Off Balance Sheet Arrangements The Company does not have any off-balance sheet arrangements as ofOctober 31, 2020 . Cautionary Note Regarding Forward Looking Statements This report contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements regarding the expected rate of subsequent campus openings, the expected effect of telehealth partnership with A-APN, including in relation to expected graduation dates, our planned USU MSN-FNP weekend lab immersion expansions, the anticipated impact of our investment in marketing, enrollment staff and other supporting roles on our student pipeline for enrollments, course registrations and revenue in Q4 fiscal 2021 and the next fiscal year, the planned introduction of double cohorts in the core Pre-Licensure BSN Program and the expected effect of this increase on our revenue run rate at our main campus, the expected impact of bookings, our estimates concerning Lifetime Value and ARPU, the expected revenue growth, including growth in our future revenues from theAspen University's Pre-Licensure BSN Program and USU's MSN-FNP Program as a percentage of revenue, the expected changes in our accounts receivable and allowance for doubtful accounts, including as a percentage of total revenue, our anticipated increase in cash flows from operations, the expected impact of the COVID-19 vaccines' rollout on Q4 2021 course starts, our expectations with respect to capital expenditures and cash commitments, and future liquidity. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this report, including statements regarding our future financial position, liquidity, business strategy and plans and objectives of management for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words "believe," "may," "estimate," "continue," "anticipate," "intend," "should," "plan," "could," "target," "potential," "is likely," "will," "expect" and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. The results anticipated by any or all of these forward-looking statements might not occur. Important factors, uncertainties and risks that may cause actual results to differ materially from these forward-looking statements include our ability to obtain the necessary regulatory approvals to launch our future campuses in a timely fashion or at all, the continued ability of our in-house CRM to perform as expected, continued high demand for nurses, the continued effectiveness of our marketing efforts, the effectiveness of our collection efforts and process improvements, national and local economic factors including the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, any delays or other issues occurring in the manufacturing, delivery and administration of COVID-19 vaccines, the competitive impact from the trend of major non-profit universities using online education, unfavorable regulatory changes and our failure to continue obtaining enrollments at low acquisition costs and keeping teaching costs down. Further information on the risks and uncertainties affecting our business is contained in our filings with theSEC , including our Prospectus Supplement datedAugust 31, 2020 and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year endedApril 30, 2020 . We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as the result of new information, future events or otherwise.
© Edgar Online, source
More Stories
7 Tips To Help You Promote Your Business
Koji Miyao Named President Of Ricoh Graphic Communications Business Unit
Saudi Arabia Getting World’s First ‘Ronaldo Correspondent’