Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is -0.06pp more bearish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Risk Factors
-0.03pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
MD&A
-0.08pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
Per-snippet highlights
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
adversely+6
concern+3
violations+2
unable+1
violation+1
Positive rising
effective+1
superior+1
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
11,356 words
Item 1A. Risk Factors
Investing in our common stock involves risk. Before making an investment in our common stock, you should carefully consider the risk factors set forth below, as well as the other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, including our annual consolidated financial statements and the information set forth in Part I, Item 1, “Business” and Part II, Item 7, “Management ’ s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” The risks described below are those which we believe are the material risks we face.
Upon the consummation of the Sale Transaction on December 1, 2020 (as discussed in Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations”), we became a service provider of education services to Global Campus, our inaugural university client. Accordingly, we have set forth below additional material risks to reflect those factors now applicable to our new business operations. Given that our revenue from operations is currently derived primarily from our contractual relationship with Global Campus, the risk factors include risks attributable to Global Campus operating as a non-profit university, which could materially affect our business. Through December 1, 2020, we were the owner of a for-profit university and certain of the risk factors set forth below are the risks associated with that business.
Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to us or that we currently deem to be immaterial also may impact our business operations. Any of the risks described below could materially adversely affect our business, prospects, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. In these circumstances, the trading price of our common stock could and you could all or part of your investment.
Language change vs prior 10-K
MD&A (Item 7) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
restructuring+1
disclosed+1
investigation+1
defer+1
Positive rising
satisfy+1
valuable+1
resolve+1
MD&A (Item 7)
7,044 words
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following Management ’ s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with our annual consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto included in Part II, Item 8, “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” In addition to historical information, this discussion includes forward-looking information that involves risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from management ’ s expectations. See Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” at the beginning of this report.
Overview
Zovio Inc is an education technology services company that partners with higher education institutions and employers to deliver innovative, personalized solutions to help learners and leaders achieve their aspirations. For additional information regarding our business, see Part I, Item 1, “Business.”
Until December 1, 2020, the Company, through its wholly owned subsidiary, Ashford University, LLC (“AU LLC”), owned and operated Ashford University, a regionally-accredited, online university (the “University”). On December 1, 2020, the Company and AU LLC finalized the Purchase Agreement, by and among the Company, AU LLC, the Arizona Board of Regents, a body corporate, for and on behalf of the University of Arizona (the “University of Arizona”), and the University of Arizona Global Campus, a newly formed Arizona nonprofit corporation (“Global Campus”).
Risks Related to the Sale Transaction and Change in the Structure of Our Operations
The Sale Transaction with the University of Arizona and Global Campus, is subject to certain terms and conditions that if not achieved, could disrupt our business.
In connection with the closing of the Sale Transaction, the Company and Global Campus entered into a long-term Services Agreement pursuant to which the Company will provide recruiting, financial aid, counseling, institutional support, information technology, and academic support services to Global Campus. The Services Agreement has an initial term through June 30, 2036, subject to renewal options, although Global Campus has the right to terminate the Services Agreement after its fiscal year ending June 30, 2028 subject to the payment of a termination fee equal to one-hundred (100%) of the services fees paid to the Company in the trailing twelve (12) month period (payable half in cash and half in an unsecured note).
In return for providing services under the Services Agreement, Global Campus, after covering its direct costs of operations (which may not be increased by more than 2% per year), will pay to the Company services fees equal to the Company’s direct costs to provide the services plus an additional amount equal to 19.5% of Global Campus’s tuition and fees revenue. If, following its fiscal year ending June 30, 2028, Global Campus’s tuition and fees revenue is $440.0 million or less, then the Company’s revenue share percentage is subject to decrease on a sliding scale to between 18.1% and 15.5%, subject to increase back up to 19.5% if, in any subsequent fiscal year, Global Campus’s tuition and fees revenue again exceeds $440.0 million. In addition, the parties to the Services Agreement have agreed on certain minimum profit levels to be achieved by Global Campus after payment of the Company’s services fees of $0 for the period ending June 30, 2021, $0 for Global Campus’ fiscal year ending June 30, 2022, $12.5 million for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2023, $25.0 million for the fiscal years ending June 30, 2024, 2025 and 2026, and $10.0 million for each fiscal year thereafter through the remainder of the initial term; subject to certain limitations, the Company is required to adjust its fees in any year to the extent necessary for Global Campus to achieve such minimum levels. In addition, in accordance with the conditions of the WSCUC approval, the Services Agreement incorporates identified key performance indicators, all as mutually agreed upon the parties.
On an annual basis, immaterial cash penalties could arise from not meeting individual key performance indicators. However, breaches of these key performance indicators over a multi-year period could have a material impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Following the Sale Transaction, we are subject to various risks and uncertainties arising out of the changes in the structure of our operations, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business and operations, and our stock price.
Following the Sale Transaction, various aspects of our operations have changed in important ways. We are no longer the owner and operator of a regulated institution of higher education, but we are now an education technology service provider. While the services we provide were part of our business prior to the Sale Transaction, we have no experience operating solely as an education technology service provider to third parties.
Initially, substantially all of our revenue is derived pursuant to the Services Agreement. Accordingly, Global Campus’ ability to increase its enrollment and tuition and fee revenue, and our ability to continue to perform the services necessary to enable Global Campus to achieve such goals, will be critical to the success of our services business.
If we are unable to successfully re-focus our business to providing education technology services to third-party education providers, or if the Services Agreement fails to achieve the anticipated levels of performance, then our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our stock price, could be materially and adversely affected.
If the University is found to have violated any regulatory requirement while we owned and operated it, we remain responsible for any liabilities arising from such violation, either directly or because of our obligation to indemnify Global Campus, and the payment of any such damages or fines could materially and adversely affect our business and operations, and our stock price.
Following the Sale Transaction, we retained all liabilities associated with the University during the time we owned and operated it and agreed to indemnify Global Campus for such matters if the University is found liable for violations during such period, including regulatory non-compliance. Should violations be determined, we may be required to either pay such liabilities directly or indemnify Global Campus. Such payments could be substantial and could adversely affect us.
If the Department does not recertify Global Campus to continue participating in the Title IV programs, Global Campus' students would lose their access to Title IV program funds, or there could be significant limitations as a condition of Global Campus' continued participation in the Title IV programs, and as a service provider, our business, financial condition and results of operations, as well as our stock price, could be materially and adversely affected.
Institutions are required to seek recertification from the Department on a regular basis in order to continue their participation in Title IV programs. An institution must also apply for recertification by the Department if it undergoes a change in control, as defined by the Department regulations, and may be subject to similar review if it expands its operations or educational programs in certain ways. There can be no assurance that the Department will recertify Global Campus or that the Department will not impose conditions or other restrictions as a condition of granting Global Campus a provisional certification. If the Department does not renew, or withdraws, the certification of Global Campus to participate in the Title IV programs at any time, students would no longer be able to receive Title IV program funds. Similarly, the Department could renew Global Campus’ certification, but restrict or delay its students’ receipt of Title IV funds, limit the students to whom Global Campus could disburse funds, decline to approve Global Campus as a nonprofit institution for Title IV purposes, or place other restrictions on Global Campus.
Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on us. We no longer own or operate the University, and we no longer participate in the Title IV programs as an institution. However, we face the risks discussed above in connection with providing services as a third-party education technology services provider, including adverse effects on our business and operations from a reduction or loss in our revenues under the Services Agreement.
If we are determined to have paid improper incentive compensation to our covered employees, or tuition sharing arrangements are deemed to violate the incentive compensation regulations, our business will be impaired.
An institution that participates in the Title IV programs may not provide any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on success in securing enrollments or financial aid to any person or entity engaged in student recruitment, admissions, or financial aid awarding activity. Current regulations provide that higher education institutions agree that it will not provide any commission, bonus, or other incentive payment based in any part, directly or indirectly, upon success in securing enrollments or the award of financial aid, to any person or entity who is engaged in student recruitment or admission activity, or in making decisions regarding the award of Title IV, HEA program funds. Pursuant to this regulation, we are prohibited from offering our covered employees, which are those employees involved with or responsible for recruiting or admissions activities, any bonus or incentive-based compensation based on the successful recruitment, admission or enrollment of students into a postsecondary institution. We are also precluded from offering our covered employees that work on financial aid matters (if any), any bonus or incentive-based compensation based on the award of financial aid to students enrolled in a postsecondary institution.
Risks Related to the Extensive Regulation of Our Business and University Partners
If our current or any future university partner fails to comply with applicable regulatory requirements, they could face monetary liabilities or penalties, operational restrictions, or loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs from which we derive most of our revenue.
To participate in Title IV programs, an institution must be (i) legally authorized to operate in the state in which it is physically located, (ii) accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Department as a reliable indicator of educational quality and (iii) certified as an eligible institution by the Department. As a result, we are subject to extensive regulation by the Department, WSCUC, and state education agencies. These regulatory requirements cover many aspects of our operations. Given that the Department, WSCUC and state education agencies periodically revise their requirements and modify their interpretations of existing requirements, we cannot reliably predict how these regulatory requirements will be applied or whether we will be able to comply with all the requirements. If our current or any future university partner fails to comply with these regulatory requirements, the Department could impose sanctions on that institution, including monetary liabilities or penalties, operational restrictions, or loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs from which we derive most of our revenue. For additional information, see “Regulation — Department Regulation of Title IV Programs — Potential sanctions for noncompliance with Title IV regulations” in Part I, Item 1, “Business.” If our current or future university partners were to lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs or were to have such participation substantially curtailed, enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations would be materially and adversely affected.
An institution must periodically seek recertification to participate in Title IV programs and may, in certain circumstances, be subject to review or other action by the Department in connection with such recertification.
An institution must periodically seek recertification from the Department to continue to participate in Title IV programs and may, in certain circumstances, be subject to review or other action by the Department in connection with such recertification. The Department may review an institution’s continued certification to participate in Title IV programs in the event of a change of control and may take emergency action to suspend an institution’s certification without advance notice if it determines the institution is violating Title IV requirements and immediate action is necessary to prevent misuse of Title IV funds. If the Department revokes or does not renew the certifications to participate in Title IV programs, our university partner’s students would no longer be able to receive Title IV funds, which would have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
The failure of our current or any future university partners to maintain accreditation would denigrate the value of their educational programs and result in a loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
An institution must be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by the Department to participate in Title IV programs. WSCUC is recognized by the Department as a reliable authority regarding the quality of education and training provided by the institutions it accredits. To remain accredited, our university partners must continuously meet accreditation standards relating to, among other things, performance, governance, institutional integrity, educational quality, faculty, administrative capability, resources and financial stability. If a university partner fails to satisfy any of the standards of its accrediting agency, it could lose its accreditation. Loss of accreditation would denigrate the value of its educational programs and would result in its loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, which would have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Our current or future university partners may lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs or face other sanctions or fines if they are not compliant with the Higher Education Act for a variety of reasons.
Our current or future university partners could lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs or face other sanctions or fines if any of the following occur:
• An institution is not legally authorized to offer its educational programs by the states in which it is physically located. To maintain these authorizations and registrations, an institution must comply with applicable requirements under the statutes and rules of the applicable state.
• An institution derives more than 90% of its revenues from Title IV program funds for two consecutive fiscal years, as calculated in accordance with Department regulations. Any institution that violates the 90/10 rule for two consecutive fiscal years becomes ineligible to participate in Title IV programs for at least two fiscal years. In addition, an institution whose rate exceeds 90% for any single fiscal year will be placed on provisional certification and may be subject to other enforcement measures.
• An institution has too many students that default on their loans. For each federal fiscal year, the Department calculates a rate of student defaults over a three-year measuring period for each educational institution, which is known as a “cohort default rate.” An institution may lose its eligibility to participate in the Direct Loan Program and the Federal Pell Grant Program if for each of the three most recent federal fiscal years 30% or more of its students who became subject to a repayment obligation in that federal fiscal year defaulted on such obligation by the end of the following federal fiscal year.
• An institution has a failure to demonstrate financial responsibility. To participate in Title IV programs, an eligible institution must satisfy specific measures of financial responsibility prescribed by the Department. One measure of financial responsibility is an institution’s composite score, a number between negative 1.0 and positive 3.0. An institution’s composite score must be at least 1.5 for the institution to be deemed financially responsible without the need for further Department oversight.
• An institution pays incentive compensation to persons or entities involved in certain recruiting, admissions or financial aid awarding activities. The Higher Education Act prohibits an institution from providing any commission, bonus or other incentive payment based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or financial aid to any persons or entities involved in student recruiting or admissions activities or making decisions about the award of student financial assistance. The criteria for complying with the Department’s rules prohibiting incentive compensation are not clear in all circumstances, and the Department will not review or approve compensation plans prior to their implementation.
• An institution engages in substantial misrepresentation regarding the nature of its educational programs, its financial charges or the employability of its graduates. If the Department determines an institution has engaged in substantial misrepresentation, the Department may (i) attempt to revoke the institution’s program participation agreement if the institution is provisionally certified, (ii) impose limitations on the institution’s participation in Title IV programs if the institution is provisionally certified, (iii) deny applications from the institution for approval of new programs or locations or other matters or (iv) initiate proceedings to fine the institution or limit, suspend or terminate its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
• An institution fails to correctly calculate the amount of unearned Title IV program funds that have been disbursed to students who withdraw from their educational programs before completion, and must return those unearned funds in a timely manner, generally within 45 days of the date the institution determines that the student has withdrawn. Failure to make timely returns of Title IV program funds for 5% or more of students sampled in the institution’s annual financial aid compliance audit in either of its two most recently completed fiscal years can result in an institution having to post a letter of credit equal to 25% of the amount of unearned Title IV funds the institution was required to return for its most recently completed fiscal year. If unearned funds are not properly calculated and returned in a timely manner, an institution may also be subject to monetary liabilities or an action to impose a fine or to limit, suspend or terminate its participation in Title IV programs.
If any of the above were to occur and there was a loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, there could be a material adverse effect on enrollments of our current or future university partners, and therefore on our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Changes to the 90/10 rule or related Title IV regulation could adversely impact our university partners, which in turn could adversely affect our revenues or our ability to grow.
In March 2021, President Biden signed the American Rescue Plan Act (“ARPA”) of 2021. The ARPA includes a major change in the 90/10 revenue test that provides for-profit institutions and their students access to the Federal Student Aid (“FSA”) programs. Under the ARPA, the Higher Education Act would be modified to change the formula from counting only Title IV program funds on the '90 side' to instead include all “federal funds that are disbursed or delivered to or on behalf of a student to be used to attend such institution” or collectively “federal education assistance funds.” The 90/10 provision will be subject to negotiated rulemaking after October 2021, with an earliest effective date on or after January 1, 2023. Additionally, in June 2021, the Department held virtual public hearings to receive stakeholder feedback on potential issues for the upcoming negotiated rulemaking sessions. These issues include borrower defense to repayment for students, gainful employment requirements, and change in ownership and change in control of institutions of higher education among other topics. If these changes were to go into effect, it could adversely impact our university partners, which in turn could adversely affect our revenues or our ability to grow.
The borrower defense to repayment regulations expand the circumstances in which students may assert a defense to repayment against an institution and could result in the imposition of significant restrictions on our university partners ability to operate.
The Department has regulations regarding borrower defense to repayment. The regulations allow a borrower to assert a defense to repayment on the basis of a substantial misrepresentation, any other misrepresentation in cases where certain other factors are present, a breach of contract or a favorable non-defaultcontested judgment against a school for its act or omission relating to the making of the borrower’s loan or the provision of educational services for which the loan was provided. In addition, the financial responsibility standards contained in the regulations establish the conditions or events that trigger the requirement for an institution to provide the Department with financial protection in the form of a letter of credit or other security against potential institutional liabilities. Triggering conditions or events include, among others, certain state, federal or accrediting agency actions or investigations, and in the case of publicly traded companies, receipt of certain warnings from the SEC or the applicable stock exchange, or the failure to timely file a required annual or quarterly report with the SEC. The regulations also prohibit schools from requiring that students agree to settle future disputes through arbitration.
Under the borrower defense to repayment regulations, an institution could face claims by students based on the expanded circumstances in which students may assert a defense to repayment of their student loans, and the Department may be entitled to seek recoupment of student loans discharged pursuant to the regulations.
In July 2020, the Department notified the Company that the Department would be initiating a preliminary review of borrower defense applications from borrowers who made claims regarding the University. As part of the initial fact-finding process, the Department sent individual student claims to the University and allowed the institution to submit a response to the individual borrower’s claim. The Company received and timely responded to each individual student claim and cannot predict the outcome of the Department's review at this time.
If we fail to maintain adequate systems and processes to detect and prevent fraudulent activity in student enrollment and financial aid, our business could be adversely impacted.
We are susceptible to an increased risk of fraudulent activity by outside parties with respect to student enrollment and student financial aid programs. The potential for outside parties to perpetratefraud in connection with the award and disbursement of Title IV program funds, including as a result of identity theft, may be heightened because we are an online education provider. Our systems and processes may not always be adequate in the face of increasingly sophisticated and ever-changing fraud schemes. We must maintain systems and processes to successfully identify and prevent fraudulent applications for enrollment and financial aid.
The Department’s regulations require institutions that participate in Title IV programs to refer to the OIG credible information indicating that any applicant, employee, third-party servicer or agent of the institution that acts in a capacity that involves administration of Title IV programs has been engaged in any fraud or other illegal conduct involving Title IV programs. If the systems and processes that we have established to detect and prevent fraud are inadequate, the Department may find that we do not satisfy its “administrative capability” requirements. In addition, an institution’s ability to participate in Title IV programs is conditioned on their maintaining accreditation by an accrediting agency that is recognized by the Department. Under the Higher Education Act, accrediting agencies that evaluate institutions offering distance learning programs, must require such institutions to have processes by which they establish that a student who registers for a distance education program is the same student who participates in and receives credit for the program. Any failure to satisfy the Department’s administrative capability requirements or any loss of accreditation as a result of a failure to detect and prevent fraudulent activity could result in limits on or loss of Global Campus’ eligibility to participate in Title IV programs and have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Governmental proceedings or other claims and lawsuits asserting regulatory noncompliance could result in monetary liabilities or penalties, injunctions or loss of Title IV funding for students at our current or any future university partner.
Because our current, and any future university partner operates in a highly regulated industry, we are subject to compliance reviews, claims of noncompliance and lawsuits by government agencies, regulatory agencies and third parties, including claims brought by third parties on behalf of the federal government under the federal FalseClaims Act. If the results of these reviews or proceedings are unfavorable to us or if we are unable to defendsuccessfullyagainst such lawsuits or claims, we may be required to pay money damages or be subject to fines, limitations, loss of Title IV funding, injunctions or other penalties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. Even if we adequately address issues raised by an agency review or successfullydefend a lawsuit or claim, we may have to divert significant financial and management resources from our ongoing business operations to address issues raised by those reviews or to defendagainst those lawsuits or claims. In addition, claims and lawsuits brought against us may damage our reputation or adversely affect our stock price, even if such claims and lawsuits are eventually determined to be without merit.
Additional regulations or regulatory scrutiny resulting from action by the Department could result in increased compliance costs, fines, sanctions or lawsuits, which could have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
The Department released final regulations to clarify state authorization requirements for postsecondary institutions offering distance education that participate in federal student loan programs, as required by the Higher Education Act. Among other things, the final regulations (i) require institutions offering distance education to be authorized by each state in which they enroll students, if such authorization is required by the state, (ii) require institutions to document the state process for resolving student complaints regarding distance education programs, (iii) require public and individualized disclosures to enrolled and prospective students in distance education programs, including disclosures regarding adverse actions taken against the institution, the institution’s refund policies and whether each of the institution’s programs meet applicable state licensure or certification requirements, and (iv) require institutions to explain to students the consequences of moving to a state where the school is not authorized, which could include loss of eligibility for federal student aid. The final regulations recognize authorization through participation in a state authorization reciprocity agreement, as long as the agreement does not prevent a state from enforcing its own consumer laws.
We cannot predict the scope and content of the regulations that may emerge from these or other rulemaking activities that the Department initiates. The Departments actions could result in direct and indirect costs related to compliance, increased scrutiny, fines, liabilities, sanctions or lawsuits, which could have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Any action by Congress to revise the laws governing Title IV programs or to reduce funding for these programs could negatively impact our business.
Congress must periodically reauthorize the Higher Education Act and annually determine the funding level for each Title IV program through the budget and appropriations process. The Higher Education Act’s programs will continue year-to-year without explicit reauthorization as long as Congress appropriates funds for the programs. Congress may propose and pass revisions to the Higher Education Act between reauthorizations by using other legislative vehicles such as budget bills and appropriations bills, which could impact funding for student financial aid programs.
We cannot predict what legislation, if any, will arise out of the reauthorization of the Higher Education Act or other Congressional deliberations, or what impact any such legislation might have on the for-profit education sector and our business. However, any action by Congress that significantly reduces Title IV program funding or the eligibility of our current or any future university partners or students to participate in Title IV programs, or that requires us to modify our practices in ways that could increase our administrative costs and reduce our profit margin, would have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Business
A large percentage of our revenue is attributable to our contractual relationship with Global Campus, and the loss of, or a decline in enrollment in, Global Campus programs could significantly reduce our revenue and impact our overall financial performance.
We expect the programs of Global Campus to account for a large percentage of our revenue for the foreseeable future. Any decline in reputation or changes in policies of Global Campus could adversely affect its student enrollment and its overall financial and operating results, which could materially impact us. Furthermore, Global Campus has the right to terminate the Services Agreement early if certain conditions apply. If Global Campus were to terminate or not renew its relationship with us, or if certain of the programs with Global Campus were to materially underperform for any reason, it could negatively affect our reputation, revenue and future operating results.
We face litigation and legal proceedings that could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
We are subject to lawsuits, investigations and claims covering a wide range of matters. We are the subject of complaintsallegingviolations of various laws including, but not limited to, federal securities laws, and the California State Attorney General. These and other legal proceedings could cause us to incur significant defense costs, are disruptive to our normal business operations and could damage our reputation and adversely affect our stock price. An adverse outcome of any legal proceeding could result in monetary losses or restrictions on our business, which could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
On March 7, 2022, the Superior Court of the State of California, County of San Diego, or the Court, issued a Statement of Decision in favor of the Attorney General of the State of California, or the California Attorney General, in an action brought by the California Attorney General alleging we, and our previous subsidiary, Ashford University, LLC, or Ashford, among other things deliberatelymisled Ashford students and falsely advertised Ashford’s academic programs. Ashford no longer exists and we are responsible for Ashford’s portion of the liability under this matter. The Court ordered us to pay $22.4 million in statutory penalties but denied the California Attorney General’s demands for restitution and injunctive relief. We are currently considering all options available to us related to the Statement of Decision. On April 7, 2022, we filed a motion for a new trial and/or to set aside and vacate the judgement, which is currently set for a hearing on May 13, 2022. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, this decision could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and financial condition.
For additional information regarding current material legal proceedings involving us and our subsidiaries, see Note 19, “Commitments and Contingencies” to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
We may need to raise additional funding, which may not be available on acceptable terms, or at all. If such financing is not available or not available on terms acceptable to us, it could adversely affect our ability to continue operations.
We assess going concern considerations in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2014-15, “Disclosures of Uncertainties about an Entity's Ability to Continue as a Going Concern,” as to whether there is substantial doubt about the ability to continue as a going concern for a period of one year after the date that our financial statements are issued.
As of December 31, 2021, our cash and cash equivalents were $28.3 million. If we are unable to obtain sufficient capital when needed, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
The amount, timing and terms of such additional financing will vary principally depending on the amount of cash flows from our operations and our forecasted operations. To the extent that we require additional financing in the future, such financing may not be available on terms acceptable to us or at all and, consequently, we may not be able to fully implement our plans. For additional information on financing obtained in April 2022, see Note 22, “Subsequent Events” to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
A failure of our information systems to properly store, process and report relevant data may reduce our management’s effectiveness, interfere with our regulatory compliance and increase our operating expenses.
We are heavily dependent on the integrity of our data management systems. If these systems do not effectively collect, store, process and report relevant data for the operation of our business, whether due to equipment malfunction or constraints, software deficiencies or human error, our ability to effectively plan, forecast and execute our business plan and comply with applicable laws and regulations will be impaired. Any such impairment could have a material adverse effect on our business, revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
We rely on a third-party vendor to provide the online learning platform for students and related support and hosting.
We have a license agreement with Instructure pursuant to which we license an online Canvas learning management system and platform for students at our university partners. We currently rely on Instructure for administrative support and hosting of the applicable systems. If Instructure ceases to operate or is unwilling or unable to work with us, or if our agreement with Instructure is otherwise terminated, the online learning platform for students at our university partners and related administrative support and hosting could be interrupted or become unavailable, which could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are subject to laws and regulations as a result of our collection and use of personal information, and any violations of such laws or regulations, or any security or cybersecurity breach, theft or loss of such information, could adversely affect our business.
Possession and use of personal information in our operations subjects us to risks and costs that could harm our business. We collect, use and retain large amounts of personal information regarding applicants, students, faculty and staff. We also collect and maintain personal information about our employees in the ordinary course of our business. Our services can be accessed globally through the internet. Therefore, we may be subject to the application of national privacy laws in countries outside the United States from which applicants and students access our services. Such privacy laws could impose conditions that limit the way we market and provide our services.
Our computer networks and the networks of certain of our vendors that hold and manage confidential information on our behalf may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, employee theft or misuse, computer hackers, computer viruses and other security and cybersecurity threats. Confidential information may also inadvertently become available to third parties when we integrate systems or migrate data to our servers following an acquisition of a school or in connection with periodic hardware or software upgrades. Due to the sensitive nature of the personal information stored on our servers, our networks may be targeted by hackers seeking to access this data. Users who circumvents security measures could misappropriate sensitive information or cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations. Although we use security and business controls to limit access to and use of personal information, a third-party may be able to circumvent those security and business controls, which could result in a breach of student or employee privacy. In addition, errors in the storage, use or transmission of personal information could result in a breach of privacy for current or prospective students or employees.
Our use of personal information also subjects us to legislative and regulatory burdens that could require notification of data breaches and could restrict our use of personal information, and a violation of any laws or regulations relating to the collection or use of personal information could result in the imposition of finesagainst us or lawsuits brought against us. We maintain a cybersecurity program with ongoing monitoring. However, we may be required to expend significant resources to protect against the threat of any security and cybersecurity breaches or to alleviate problems caused by these breaches. A major breach, theft or loss of personal information held by us or our vendors regarding students and their families or our employees, or a violation of laws or regulations relating to the same, could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, result in lawsuits and result in further regulation and oversight by federal and state authorities and increased costs of compliance. The adoption of new or modified state or federal data or cybersecurity legislation could increase our costs and/or require changes in our operating procedures or systems.
We are required to comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act ( “ FERPA ” ), and failure to do so could harm our reputation and negatively affect our business.
FERPA generally prohibits an institution of higher education participating in Title IV programs from disclosing personally identifiable information from a student’s education records without the student’s consent. Our university partners and their students disclose to us certain information that originates from or comprises a student education record under FERPA. As an entity that provides services to institutions participating in Title IV programs, we are indirectly subject to FERPA, and we may not transfer or otherwise disclose any personally identifiable information from a student record to another party other than in a manner permitted under the statute. If we violate FERPA, such violation could result in a material breach of contract with one or more of our university partners and could harm our reputation. Further, in the event that we disclose student information in violation of FERPA, the Department could require a university partner to suspend our access to its student information for at least five years.
Changes in accounting principles and guidance could result in unfavorable accounting charges or effects.
We prepare our consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP. These principles are subject to interpretation by the SEC and various bodies formed to create and interpret appropriate accounting principles and guidance. A change in these principles or guidance, or in their interpretations, may have a material effect on our results and disclosures, as well as our processes and related controls. For additional information, see Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Recent Accounting Pronouncements” to our annual consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
System disruptions and vulnerability from security risks to our technology infrastructure could damage our reputation and the reputation of our other subsidiaries, and negatively impact our business.
The performance and reliability of our technology infrastructure (including the software and related hosting and maintenance services for our online learning platform, student information system, and lead management system) is critical to our reputation and our ability to attract and retain students. Any system error or failure, or a sudden and significant increase in bandwidth usage, could result in the unavailability of systems to us or our university partners and negatively impact our business and reputation. Our computer networks may also be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer hackers, computer viruses, denial of service attacks and other security problems. Although we continually monitor the security of our technology infrastructure and take proactive measures to prevent potential threats, these efforts may not protect our computer networks against all threats of security breaches, which could damage our reputation and the reputation of our other subsidiaries, and negatively impact our business and prospects.
Our spending in the areas of new investments or other marketing opportunities may cause us to incur additional operating losses if we do not realize our expected revenues.
Our spending is based in significant part on our estimates of future revenue and is largely fixed in the short term. As a result, we may be unable to adjust our spending in a timely manner if our revenue falls short of our expectations. Accordingly, any significant shortfall in revenues in relation to our expectations would have an immediate and material adverse effect on our profitability. We anticipate increasing operating expenses on new investments and marketing initiatives. Any such increase could cause material losses to the extent we do not generate additional revenues sufficient to cover those expenses.
We may not be able to retain our key personnel or hire and retain the personnel we need to sustain and grow our business.
Our success depends largely on the skills, efforts and motivations of our executive officers, who generally have significant experience with our company and within the education industry. Due to the nature of our business, we face significant competition in attracting and retaining personnel who possess the skill sets we seek. In addition, key personnel may leave us and may subsequently compete against us. We do not carry life insurance on our key personnel as part of our benefits. The loss of the services of any of our key personnel or our failure to attract, replace and retain other qualified and experienced personnel on acceptable terms could impair our ability to sustain and grow our business. In addition, because we operate in a highly competitive industry, our hiring of qualified executives or other personnel may cause us or such persons to be subject to lawsuits allegingmisappropriation of trade secrets, improper solicitation of employees or other claims.
If we are unable to hire new employees or to continue to develop existing employees responsible for student recruitment, the effectiveness of our new enrollment efforts would be adversely affected.
We intend to (i) hire, develop and train additional employees responsible for new enrollment and (ii) retain and continue to develop and train our existing new enrollment personnel. Our ability to develop and maintain a strong new enrollment function may be affected by a number of factors, including our ability to integrate and motivate our enrollment service advisors, our ability to effectively train our enrollment service advisors, the length of time it takes new enrollment service advisors to become productive, regulatory restrictions on the method of compensating enrollment service advisors and the competition involved in hiring and retaining enrollment service advisors. If we are unable to hire new employees or retain and develop current employees responsible for new enrollment, it could have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
A decline in the overall growth of enrollment in postsecondary institutions, or in the number of students seeking degrees online, could cause our university partners to experience a decline in enrollment.
If enrollment at our university partners decline, this could cause our revenues to decline in the future. In addition, if job growth in the fields related to the core disciplines of our university partners is weaker than expected, fewer students may seek the types of degrees that such university partners offer. To return to growth in our revenues and increase enrollments of our university partners, our university partners will need to attract and retain a larger percentage of students in existing markets and expand their markets by creating new academic programs. Any further decline in enrollment as a result of the inability to attract and retain students in existing markets or expand our markets by creating new academic programs in areas where there is market demand could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Our success depends in part on our university partners' ability to update and expand the content of existing programs and to develop new programs and specializations on a timely basis and in a cost-effective manner.
The updates and expansions of existing programs and the development of new programs and specializations may not be accepted by existing or prospective students or prospective employers of our university partners’ graduates. If we do not adequately respond to changes in market requirements by updating and expanding our existing programs or developing new programs, our business will be adversely affected. Even if our university partners are able to develop acceptable new programs, they may not be able to introduce these new programs as quickly as students require or as quickly as our competitors introduce competing programs. To offer a new academic program, our university partners may be required to obtain appropriate federal, state and accrediting agency approvals, which may be conditioned or delayed in a manner that could significantly affect our operations. In addition, to be eligible for federal student financial aid programs, a new academic program may need to be approved by the Department.
Establishing new academic programs or modifying existing programs requires investments in management, faculty and capital expenditures, additional marketing expenses and reallocation of other resources. If our university partners are unable to increase enrollment in new programs, offer new programs in a cost-effective manner or otherwise manage effectively the operations of newly established academic programs, it could have a material adverse effect on our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Our current or any future university partners failure to keep pace with changing market needs could harm their ability to attract students.
Our success depends partially on the willingness of employers to hire, promote or increase the pay of our university partners’ graduates. Increasingly, employers demand that their new employees possess appropriate technical and analytical skills, and appropriate interpersonal skills, such as communication and teamwork. These skills can evolve rapidly in a changing economic and technological environment. Accordingly, it is important that our university partners’ educational programs continually evolve in response to those economic and technological changes.
The expansion of existing academic programs and the development of new programs may not be accepted by current or prospective students or by prospective employers. Even if our university partners develop acceptable new programs, they may not be able to begin offering those new programs in a timely fashion or as quickly as our competitors offer similar programs. If we are unable to adequately respond to changes in market requirements due to regulatory or financial constraints, unusually rapid technological changes or other factors, the rates at which our university partners’ graduates obtain jobs in their fields of study could suffer, our ability to attract and retain students could be impaired and our business could be adversely affected.
We may be unable to sufficiently protect our proprietary rights and we may encounter disputes from time to time relating to our use of the intellectual property of third parties.
We rely on a combination of copyrights, trademarks, service marks, patents, trade secrets, domain names and agreements with employees and third parties to protect our proprietary rights. We have trademark and service mark registrations and pending applications for additional registrations in the United States and select foreign jurisdictions. In addition, we have applied for domestic and international patents for certain technology developed by us. Nonetheless, as new challenges arise in protecting these proprietary rights online, we cannot ensure that these measures will be adequate to protect our proprietary rights, that we have secured, or will be able to secure, appropriate protections for all our proprietary rights in the United States or select foreign jurisdictions, or that third parties will not infringe upon or violate our proprietary rights. Despite our efforts to protect these rights, unauthorized third parties may attempt to duplicate or copy the proprietary aspects of our technology, curricula and online resource material, among others. Our management’s attention may be diverted by these attempts, and we may need to expend funds in litigation to protect our proprietary rights against any infringement or violation.
We may also encounter disputes from time to time over rights and obligations concerning intellectual property, and we may not prevail in these disputes. In certain instances, we may not have obtained sufficient rights to the content of a course. Third parties may raise claimsagainst us alleging an infringement or violation of their intellectual property. Some third-party intellectual property rights may be extremely broad, and it may not be possible for us to conduct our operations in such a way as to avoid all allegedviolations of such intellectual property rights. Any such intellectual property claim could subject us to costlylitigation and impose a significant strain on our financial resources and management personnel regardless of whether such claim has merit. Our insurance may not cover potential claims of this type adequately or at all, and we may be required to pay monetary damages, which may be significant.
Government regulations relating to the internet could increase our cost of doing business, affect our ability to grow or otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business.
The increasing use of the internet and other online services has led and may lead to the adoption of new laws and regulatory practices in the United States or in foreign countries and to new interpretations of existing laws and regulations. These new laws and interpretations may relate to issues such as online privacy, copyrights, trademarks and service marks, sales taxes, fair business practices and the requirement that online education institutions qualify to do business as foreign corporations or be licensed in one or more jurisdictions where they have no physical location or other presence. New laws, regulations or interpretations related to doing business over the internet could increase our costs and materially and adversely affect enrollments.
A protracted economic slowdown and rising unemployment could lead to lower enrollment at our university partner.
We believe that many students pursue postsecondary education to be more competitive in the job market. However, a protracted economic slowdown could increase unemployment and diminish job prospects generally. Diminished job prospects and heightened financial worries could affect the willingness of students to incur loans to pay for postsecondary education and to pursue postsecondary education in general. As a result, enrollments at our university partner could suffer.
In addition, many students borrow Title IV loans to pay for tuition, fees and other expenses. A protracted economic slowdown could negatively impact their ability to repay those loans which would negatively impact cohort default rates. Our university partner’s students also are frequently able to borrow Title IV loans in excess of their tuition. The excess is received by such students as a stipend. However, if a student withdraws, our university partner must return any unearned Title IV funds,
including stipends. A protracted economic slowdown could negatively impact such students’ ability to repay those stipends. As a result, the amount of Title IV funds we would have to return without reimbursement from students could increase, and our results of operations could suffer.
The acquisition, integration and growth of acquired businesses may present challenges that could harm our business.
The successful integration and profitable operation of an acquired institution or business, including the realization of anticipated cost savings and additional revenue opportunities, can present challenges, and the failure to overcome these challenges can have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations. Some of these challenges include:
• the inability to maintain uniform standards, controls, policies and procedures;
• distraction of management’s attention from normal business operations during the integration process;
• the inability to attract and/or retain key management personnel to operate the acquired entity;
• the inability to obtain, or delay in obtaining, regulatory or other approvals necessary to operate the business;
• the inability to correctly estimate the size of a target market or accurately assess market dynamics;
• the inability to retain the clients of the acquired entity;
• the lingering effects of poor client relations or service performance by the acquired entity, which also may negatively affect the Company’s existing business;
• the inability to fully realize the desiredefficiencies and economies of scale;
• expenses associated with the integration efforts; and
• unidentified issues not discovered in the due diligence process, including legal contingencies.
An acquisition related to an institution or other educational business often requires various regulatory approvals. If we are unable to obtain such approvals, or we obtain them on unfavorable terms, our ability to consummate a transaction may be impaired or we may be unable to operate the acquired entity in a manner that is favorable to us. If we fail to properly evaluate an acquisition, we may be required to incur costs in excess of what we anticipated, and we may not achieve the anticipated benefits of such acquisition.
An increase in interest rates could adversely affect our university partners' ability to attract and retain students.
Interest rates have reached relatively low levels in recent years, creating a favorable borrowing environment for students. However, if Congress increases interest rates on Title IV loans, or if private loan interest rates rise, our university partners’ students would have to pay higher interest rates on their loans. Any future increase in interest rates will result in a corresponding increase in educational costs to existing and prospective students. Higher interest rates could also contribute to higher default rates with respect to students’ repayment of their education loans. Higher default rates may in turn adversely impact an institution’s eligibility to participate in some or all Title IV programs, which could have a material adverse effect on enrollments and our revenues, financial condition, cash flows and results of operations.
Our financial results may suffer if we fail to successfully implement our restructuring plans and/or cost reduction initiatives aimed at right-sizing our operations to match revenue streams.
We have described elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K our reductions in force which are intended to strengthen our business by right-sizing our operations to match revenue streams. We also described various restructuring charges related to these plans. If we fail to achieve the intended cost savings, our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows may be further impacted. This plan also may have an adverse impact upon the morale or motivation of our employees and may result in further distractions to our management. In addition, management will continue to evaluate our cost structure, and additional restructuring plans may be needed. Any cost-saving measures could impact employee retention. In addition, we cannot be sure that the cost reduction will be successful in reducing our overall expenses as we expect or that additional costs, or reduced revenue, will not offset any such reductions. If our operating costs are higher than we expect or if we do not maintain adequate control of our costs and expenses, our results of operations may be adversely affected.
If we fail to effectively identify, pursue and consummate acquisitions, either in the U.S. or outside of the U.S., our ability to grow could be impacted and our profitability may be adversely affected.
Acquisitions are one component of our overall long-term growth strategy. The successful implementation of this strategy depends upon the Company’s ability to identify suitable domestic and international acquisition candidates, acquire such businesses on acceptable terms and finance such acquisitions. There can be no assurance that such candidates will be available or, if such candidates are available, that the price will be attractive or that the Company will be able to identify, acquire or finance such businesses successfully. In addition, in pursuing such acquisition opportunities, the Company may compete with other entities with similar growth strategies; these competitors may be larger and have greater financial and other resources than the Company. Competition for these acquisition targets could also result in increased prices of acquisition targets and/or a diminished pool of companies available for acquisition. There may be particular difficulties and complexities (regulatory or otherwise) associated with our expansion into international markets, and our strategies may not succeed beyond our current markets. If we are unable to effectively address these challenges, our ability to execute this component of our long-term strategy will be impaired, which could have an adverse effect on our ability to grow and our profitability.
We may be susceptible to a number of political, economic, and geographic risks that could harm our business. Significant disruptions in the global economic environment, as a result of a pandemic such as COVID-19, may adversely affect our business and financial results.
The occurrence of certain political, economic or geographic events, such as natural disasters or a pandemic, including the outbreak of COVID-19 could result in a significant decline in our revenue. We are dependent on customers that are geographically diverse and could be negatively impacted if economic conditions in the U.S. and globally were negatively impacted. Such an occurrence could cause a decrease in our university partner’s enrollment, including a decline in student retention.
The outbreak of COVID-19 continues to grow both in the U.S. and globally, and related government and private sector responsive actions could adversely affect our business operations, including continued work-from home orders. The extent to which COVID-19 impacts our results will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information that may emerge concerning the COVID-19 and the actions taken to contain it or treat its impact. We have asked our corporate employees whose jobs allow them to work remotely to do so, as deemed necessary. Such precautionary measures could create operational challenges as we adjust to a remote workforce, which could adversely impact our business. We are also dependent on customers that are geographically diverse and would be negatively impacted if economic conditions in the U.S. and globally continue to be negatively impacted and cause a decrease in our enrollment.
Risks Related to Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock has fluctuated significantly in the past and may continue to do so in the future. As a result, you could lose all or part of your investment.
Volatility in the market price of our common stock may prevent you from being able to sell your shares at or above the price you paid for your shares. The market price of our common stock has fluctuated significantly in the past, and may continue to fluctuate significantly for a variety of different reasons, including, without limitation:
• developments regarding the accreditation or state licensing of our university partners;
• our quarterly or annual earnings or those of other companies in our industry;
• public reaction to our press releases, corporate communications and SEC filings;
• changes in earnings estimates or recommendations by research analysts who track our common stock or the stocks of other companies in our industry;
• seasonal variations in our student enrollment;
• new laws or regulations or new interpretations of laws or regulations applicable to our industry or business;
• negative publicity, including government hearings and other public lawmaker or regulator criticism, regarding our industry or business;
• changes in enrollment;
• changes in accounting standards, policies, guidance, interpretations or principles;
• litigation involving our company or investigations or audits by regulators into the operations of our company or our competitors;
• sales of common stock by our directors, executive officers and significant stockholders; and
• changes in general conditions in the United States and global economies or financial markets, including those resulting from war, incidents of terrorism or responses to such events.
In addition, in recent years, the stock market has experienced extreme price and volume fluctuations. This volatility has had a significant impact on the market price of securities issued by many companies, including companies in our industry. Changes may occur without regard to the operating performance of these companies. The price of our common stock could fluctuate based upon factors that have little or nothing to do with our company.
Sales of outstanding shares of our common stock into the market in the future could cause the market price of our stock to drop significantly, even if our business is doing well.
If our stockholders sell, or indicate an intention to sell, substantial amounts of our common stock in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline. At December 31, 2021, 33.5 million shares of our common stock were outstanding. In addition, as of December 31, 2021, there were 1.2 million shares of our common stock underlying outstanding stock options and 4.9 million shares of our common stock underlying outstanding stock awards, including restricted stock units and performance stock units. All shares subject to outstanding stock options are eligible for sale in the public market to the extent permitted by the provisions of the applicable stock option agreement and Rule 144 under the Securities Act. If these additional shares of common stock are sold, or if it is perceived that they will be sold in the public market, the trading price of our common stock could decline. Under Rule 144, shares held by non-affiliates for more than six months may generally be sold without restriction, other than a current public information requirement, and may be sold freely without any restrictions after one year. Shares held by affiliates may also be sold under Rule 144 after one year, subject to applicable restrictions, including volume and manner of sale limitations.
If securities or industry analysts change their recommendations regarding our common stock adversely or cease to cover our company, or if our operating results do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline.
The trading market for our common stock is influenced by the research and reports that industry or securities analysts publish about us or our business or industry. If one or more of these analysts ceases coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which in turn could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline. Moreover, if one or more of the analysts who cover our company downgrades our common stock, or if our operating results do not meet their expectations, our stock price could decline.
We currently do not intend to pay dividends on our common stock and, consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a return on your investment in our common stock is if the price of our common stock appreciates.
We do not expect to pay dividends on shares of our common stock in the foreseeable future and we intend to use our cash position to grow our business. Consequently, your only opportunity to achieve a positive return on your investment in our common stock will be if the market price of our common stock appreciates.
Your percentage ownership in the Company may be diluted by future issuances of capital stock, which could reduce your influence over matters on which stockholders vote.
Subject to the rules of the Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (“NASDAQ”), our board has the authority, without any action or vote of our stockholders, to issue all or any part of our authorized but unissued shares of capital stock. At December 31, 2021, there were 300.0 million shares of common stock authorized for issuance under our certificate of incorporation, 33.5 million shares of which were outstanding. At December 31, 2021, there were 20.0 million shares of preferred stock authorized for issuance under our certificate of incorporation, no shares of which were outstanding. Issuances of common stock or voting preferred stock would reduce the influence of our current stockholders over matters on which our stockholders vote and, in the case of issuances of preferred stock, would likely result in the rights of our current stockholders being subject to the prior rights of holders of that preferred stock.
Our common stock has relatively low trading volume, compared to many other public companies.
Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ. Our average daily trading volume over these various mediums is relatively low, particularly when compared to many larger public companies. This low trading volume can cause our common stock price to fluctuate significantly and can make it difficult for investors to buy or sell our common stock quickly and efficiently, compared to companies with a larger publicly traded float and higher average daily trading volumes.
If we fail to maintain proper and effective internal controls, our ability to produce accurate financial statements on a timely basis could be impaired.
We are subject to the reporting requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Sarbanes-Oxley Act and the rules and regulations of NASDAQ. The Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires, among other things, that we maintain effective disclosure controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting. We are required to perform system and process evaluation and testing of our internal control over financial reporting to allow management to report on the effectiveness of our internal control over financial reporting in our Annual Report on Form 10‑K filing for that year, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act. This may require us to incur substantial additional professional fees and internal costs to further expand our accounting and finance functions and expend significant management efforts. As a smaller reporting company (as defined by the SEC), we are not required to obtain a separate attestation of our internal control over financial reporting from our independent auditors. If we are not able to comply with the requirements of Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act in a timely manner, or if we are unable to maintain proper and effective internal controls, we may not be able to produce timely and accurate financial statements. If that were to happen, the market price of our stock could decline and we could be subject to sanctions or investigations by the stock exchange on which our common stock is listed, the SEC or other regulatory authorities.
Provisions in our certificate of incorporation and bylaws and Delaware law may discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our management and, therefore, may depress the trading price of our stock.
Our certificate of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could depress the trading price of our stock by acting to discourage, delay or prevent a change of control of our company or changes in our board that the stockholders of our company may deem advantageous. These provisions:
• authorize the issuance of “blank check” preferred stock by our board to increase the number of outstanding shares to discourage a takeover attempt;
• provide for a classified board (three classes);
• provide that stockholders may only remove directors for cause;
• provide that any vacancy on our board, including a vacancy resulting from an increase in the size of the board, may only be filled by the affirmative vote of a majority of our directors then in office, even if less than a quorum;
• provide that a special meeting of stockholders may only be called by our board or by our chief executive officer;
• provide that action by written consent of the stockholders may be taken only if the board first approves such action, whenever the vote of stockholders is required at a meeting for any corporate action, the meeting and vote of stockholders may be dispensed with, and the action may be taken without such meeting and vote, if a written consent is signed by the holders of outstanding stock having not less than the minimum number of votes that would be necessary to authorize or take such action at the meeting of stockholders; provided that, notwithstanding the foregoing, we will hold an annual meeting of stockholders in accordance with NASDAQ rules for so long as our shares are listed on the NASDAQ, and as otherwise required by the bylaws;
• provide that the board is expressly authorized to make, alter or repeal our bylaws; and
• establish advance notice requirements for nominations for elections to our board or for proposing matters that can be acted upon by stockholders at stockholder meetings.
Additionally, we are subject to Section 203 of the Delaware General Corporation Law, which generally prohibits a Delaware corporation from engaging in any of a broad range of business combinations with any “interested” stockholder for a period of three years following the date on which the stockholder became an “interested” stockholder.
In April 2019, we acquired Fullstack Academy, Inc. (“Fullstack”) an immersive coding bootcamp offering web development and cybersecurity training to students looking for competitive paying and in-demand tech jobs. Fullstack offers full- and part-time programs online, in addition to working with colleges and universities to expand their program offerings and close technological skills gaps in their local communities.
Also in April 2019, we acquired TutorMe.com, Inc. (“TutorMe”), which provides 24/7 tutoring services. Students are matched online with tutors within minutes who can help them with more than 300 subjects. With live video chat, whiteboarding, and screen sharing, students can get the personalized help they need, in the subject they need, at a time that works for them. TutorMe optimizes the student learning journey and is a valuable-resources for high-school and college students. TutorMe is also offered as an employee benefit, providing an added benefit for parents of high-school students.
Reporting Segments
Prior to December 1, 2020, the Company operated in one segment for reporting purposes. Following the Sale Transaction on December 1, 2020, our business operates in two reportable segments, including the University Partners segment and the Zovio Growth segment. The Company’s reportable segments are determined based on (i) financial information reviewed by the chief operating decision maker, (“the CODM”), (ii) internal management and related reporting structure, and (iii) the basis upon which the CODM makes resource allocation decisions. University Partners includes the technology and services provided to colleges and universities to enable the online delivery of degree programs. The inaugural partner in the University Partners segment is Global Campus. University Partners also includes the tuition revenue related to the University prior to the Sale Transaction. The Zovio Growth segment includes our other subsidiaries, including Fullstack and TutorMe.
Key Financial Metrics
In evaluating our operating performance, our management focuses in large part on our revenue and operating income (loss). The following table, which should be read in conjunction with our annual consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report, presents our key operating data for each of the periods presented (in thousands):
Year Ended December 31,
Consolidated Statement of Income (Loss) Data:
Revenue and other revenue
Operating loss
Revenue and other revenue
After December 1, 2020, revenue is now primarily derived from service revenue from our university partners. On December 1, 2020, the Company entered into the Services Agreement with Global Campus whereby the Company will provide certain educational technology and support services, which has an initial term of fifteen years and seven months, subject to renewal options and certain early termination provisions. The amounts earned from the Services Agreement are denoted as revenue on the consolidated statements of income (loss). On December 1, 2020, the Company also entered into a transition services agreement with Global Campus whereby the Company will provide certain temporary transition services (the “Transition Services Agreement”), which has a term of three years. The amounts earned from the Transition Services Agreement are denoted as other revenue on the consolidated statements of income (loss).
Prior to December 1, 2020, the majority of the amounts earned by the Company were from tuition, technology fees, and digital materials related to students whose primary funding source is governmental funding. The amounts earned from these streams is denoted as university-related revenue on the consolidated statements of income (loss). Factors affecting this revenue include (i) the number of students who enroll and remain enrolled in courses, (ii) degree and program mix, (iii) changes in tuition rates and (iv) the amount of scholarships offered. Enrollments are a function of the number of continuing students at the beginning of each period and new enrollments during the period, offset by students who either graduated or withdrew during the period.
Costs and expenses
Technology and academic services costs consist primarily of costs related to ongoing maintenance of educational infrastructure, including online course delivery and management, student records, assessment, customer relations management and other internal administrative systems. This also includes costs to provide support for curriculum and new program development, support for faculty training and development and technical support. This expense category includes salaries, benefits and share-based compensation, information technology costs, curriculum and new program development costs (which are expensed as incurred), provision for bad debt and other costs associated with these support services. This category also includes an allocation of depreciation, amortization, rent, and occupancy costs attributable to the provision of these services.
Counseling services and support costs consist primarily of costs including team-based counseling and other support to prospective and current students as well as financial aid processing. This expense category includes salaries, benefits and share-based compensation, and other costs such as dues, fees and subscriptions and travel costs. This category also includes an allocation of depreciation, amortization, rent, and occupancy costs attributable to the provision of these services.
Marketing and communication costs consist primarily of lead acquisition, digital communication strategies, brand identity advertising, media planning and strategy, video, data science and analysis, marketing to potential students and other promotional and communication services. This category was primarily from our historical captions of advertising and marketing and promotional. This expense category includes salaries, benefits and share-based compensation for marketing and communication personnel, brand advertising, marketing leads and other promotional and communication expenses. This category also includes an allocation of depreciation, amortization, rent, and occupancy costs attributable to the provision of these services. Advertising costs are expensed as incurred.
General and administrative costs consist primarily of compensation and benefit costs, including related stock-based compensation, for employees engaged in corporate management, finance, human resources, compliance, and other corporate functions. This category also includes an allocation of depreciation, amortization, rent, and occupancy costs attributable to the provision of these services.
University-related expenses represent those costs that were transferred to Global Campus in the Sale Transaction and that are no longer incurred by the Company. These costs were previously primarily components of instructional costs and services, with some costs from admissions advisory and marketing and some general and administrative.
Legal expense is comprised of charges related to the amounts to resolve the previously disclosedinvestigation by the California Attorney General.
Restructuring and impairment expenses are primarily comprised of (i) severance costs related to headcount reductions made in connection with restructuring plans and (ii) estimated lease losses related to facilities vacated or consolidated under restructuring plans.
Loss on transaction amount represents the net assets transferred in the Sale Transaction, as well as other transaction-related expenses and costs to sell.
Factors Affecting Comparability
We believe the following factors have had, or can be expected to have, a significant effect on the comparability of recent or future results of operations:
Sale transaction
The results of operations prior to December 1, 2020 are not comparable to those following that date. On December 1, 2020, the Company entered into the Services Agreement with Global Campus whereby the Company will provide certain educational technology and support services. On December 1, 2020, the Company also entered into the Transition Services Agreement with Global Campus whereby the Company will provide certain temporary transition services. After December 1, 2020, revenue is primarily derived from service revenue from our university partners.
Seasonality
Our operations are generally subject to seasonal trends. Our university partners generally experience a seasonal increase in new enrollments during the first quarter of each year, subsequent to holiday break, as well as during the third quarter each year, when most other colleges and universities begin their fall semesters. While our university partners enroll students throughout the year, fourth quarter revenue is generally lower than other quarters due to the holiday break in December, with a relative increase in the first quarter of each year.
Trends and uncertainties regarding continuing operations
Restructuring and impairment charges
We have implemented various restructuring plans to better align our resources with our business strategy and the related charges are recorded in the restructuring and impairment charges line item on our consolidated statements of income (loss). Changes to these estimates could have a material impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. For information regarding the restructuring and impairment charges recorded, refer to Note 4, “Restructuring and Impairment Charges” to our consolidated financial statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Valuation allowance
We recognize deferred tax assets if realization of such assets is more-likely-than-not. In order to make this determination, we evaluate factors including the ability to generate future taxable income from reversing taxable temporary differences, and forecasts of financial and taxable income or loss. The cumulative loss incurred over the three-year period ended December 31, 2021 constituted significant negative objective evidence against our ability to realize a benefit from our federal deferred tax assets. Such objective evidence limited our ability to consider in our evaluation other subjective evidence such as our projections for future growth. On the basis of our evaluation, we determined that our deferred tax assets were not more-likely-than-not to be realized and that a valuation allowance against our deferred tax assets should continue to be maintained as of December 31, 2021.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Critical accounting policies are those policies that, in management’s view, are most important in the portrayal of our financial condition and results of operations. The footnotes to our annual consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report include disclosure of significant accounting policies. The methods, estimates and judgments we use in applying our accounting policies have a significant impact on the results we report in our financial statements. These critical accounting policies require us to make difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates regarding matters that are inherently uncertain.
The discussion of our financial condition and results of operations is based upon our annual consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States. The preparation of these financial statements requires us to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, costs and expenses. We evaluate our estimates and assumptions on an ongoing basis. These estimates are based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances. The results of our analysis form the basis for making assumptions about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions, and the impact of such differences may be material to our consolidated financial statements.
Revenue recognition
Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services are transferred, in an amount that reflects the consideration we expect to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services. Determining whether a valid customer contract exists includes an assessment of whether amounts due under the contract are collectible. We perform this assessment at the beginning of every contract and subsequently thereafter if new information indicates there has been a significant change in facts and circumstances.
On December 1, 2020, the Company entered into the Services Agreement with Global Campus, which has an initial term of fifteen years and seven months, subject to renewal options and certain early termination provisions. The amounts earned from the Services Agreement are within the scope of ASC 606, Revenue from Contracts with Customers (“ASC 606”), and are denoted as revenue on the consolidated statements of income (loss). On December 1, 2020, the Company also entered into a the Transition Services Agreement, which has a term of three years. The amounts earned from the Transition Services Agreement are denoted as other revenue on the consolidated statements of income (loss).
The Services Agreement has a single performance obligation, as the promises to provide the identified services are not distinct within the context of these agreements. The single performance obligation constitutes a series of distinct services as the customer benefits as services are provided. Service revenue is recognized over time using the input method cost. The input method provides a faithful depiction of the performance toward complete satisfaction of the performance obligation and can be tied to the direct cost incurred. The service fees received over the term of the agreement are variable in nature in that they are dependent upon the number of students attending the university and revenues generated from those students during the service period. The service fees are subject to certain adjustments, including performance-based adjustments, minimum profit level adjustments, and excess direct cost adjustments. These adjustments are all variable in nature in that they depend upon the Company’s performance during each service period. Such adjustments are presented as minimum residual liability within accounts payable and accrued liabilities in the consolidated financial statements. The Company allocates variable consideration to the distinct increments of service to which it relates, as the variability is directly related to the Company’s effort to satisfy the distinct increments of service provided. This is consistent with the allocation objective in ASC 606. The Company meets the criteria in the standard and exercises the practical expedient to not disclose the aggregate amount of the transaction price allocated to the single performance obligation that is unsatisfied as of the end of the reporting period. The Company does not disclose the value of unsatisfied performance obligations because the variable consideration is allocated entirely to a wholly unsatisfied promise to transfer a service that forms part of a single performance obligation.
Fullstack offers both full-time and part-time technology bootcamps. The tuition fees for these programs are recognized as revenue as the services are provided to the student, which occurs over the applicable period of instruction. For most Fullstack programs, tuition is collected prior to the start of the cohort; however, for certain programs students can defer payment until completion of the program and for these students an accounts receivable balance is recorded.
TutorMe provides online on-demand tutoring services through hourly and access license contracts. Revenue for these contracts are recognized based on hours used or ratably over the contract period depending on the type of contract. For most TutorMe contracts, cash is collected at or near the onset of the contract. The collected cash is recognized as deferred revenue until recognized into revenue.
Prior to December 1, 2020, the majority of the amounts earned by the Company were from tuition, technology fees, and digital materials related to students whose primary funding source is governmental funding. The amounts earned from these streams are denoted as university-related revenue on the consolidated statements of income (loss).
Goodwill and intangible assets
We test goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment, testing annually in the third quarter of each fiscal year, or more frequently if events and circumstances warrant. Under ASC 350, Intangibles - Goodwill and Other, to evaluate the impairment of goodwill, we first assess qualitative factors, such as deterioration in general economic conditions or negative company financial performance, to determine whether it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. To evaluate the impairment of the indefinite-lived intangible assets, we assess the fair value of the assets to determine whether they were greater or less than the carrying values. Determining the fair value of indefinite-lived intangible assets is judgmental in nature and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. These estimates and assumptions are inherently uncertain and may include such items as growth rates used to calculate projected future cash flows, risk-adjusted discount rates, future economic and market conditions, and a determination of appropriate market comparables.
We have three distinct reporting units including (i) Zovio, (ii) Fullstack and (iii) TutorMe. The Fullstack and TutorMe reporting units have goodwill associated with them. During the third quarter of 2021, our quantitative assessment of goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets noted no impairment indicators in either the Fullstack or the TutorMe reporting unit, and noted a material amount of fair value in excess of the carrying amount. There were no additional triggering events noted during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021 and therefore there was no impairment of our goodwill amounts.
Impairment of long-lived assets
We assess potential impairment to our long-lived assets when there is evidence that events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of an asset may not be recoverable. An impairmentloss is recorded if the carrying amount of the long-lived asset is not recoverable. The carrying amount of a long-lived asset is not recoverable if it exceeds the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset. Any required impairmentloss is measured as the amount by which the carrying amount of a long-lived asset exceeds fair value, and is recorded as a reduction in the carrying value of the related asset and an expense to operating results.
During 2021, we did note certain indicators of impairment during our qualitative assessments of long-lived assets under ASC 360, Property and Equipment . However, based upon the quantitative assessment, no impairment in long-lived assets is deemed necessary as of December 31, 2021.
Income taxes
We utilize the asset-liability method of accounting for income taxes. Significant judgments are required in determining the consolidated provision for income taxes. During the ordinary course of business, there are many transactions and calculations for which the ultimate tax settlement is uncertain. As a result, we recognize tax liabilities based on estimates of whether additional taxes and interest will be due. These tax liabilities are recognized when, despite our belief that our tax return positions are supportable, we believe that it is more-likely-than-not that those positions may not be fully sustained upon review by tax authorities. We believe that our accruals for tax liabilities are adequate for all open audit years based on our assessment of many factors, including past experience and interpretations of tax law. This assessment relies on estimates and assumptions and may involve a series of complex judgments about future events. To the extent that the final tax outcome of these matters differs from our expectations, such differences will impact income tax expense in the period in which such determination is made.
We evaluate and account for uncertain tax positions using a two-step approach. Recognition (step one) occurs when we conclude that a tax position, based solely on its technical merits, is more-likely-than-not to be sustained upon examination. Measurement (step two) determines the amount of benefit that is greater than 50% likely to be realized upon ultimate settlement with a taxing authority that has full knowledge of all relevant information. Derecognition of a tax position that was previously recognized would occur when we subsequently determine that a tax position no longer meets the more-likely-than- not threshold of being sustained.
In addition to estimates inherent in the recognition of current taxes payable, we estimate the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets each reporting period. Realization of our deferred tax assets is dependent upon future taxable income. To the extent we believe it is more-likely-than-not that all or some portion of our net deferred tax assets will not be realized, we establish a valuation allowance against deferred tax assets. Significant judgment is required in determining any valuation allowance recorded against deferred tax assets. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all available evidence, including past operating results, estimates of future taxable income and the feasibility of ongoing tax planning strategies.
Stock-based compensation
We have granted options to purchase our common stock, restricted stock units (“RSUs”) and performance stock units (“PSUs”) to eligible persons under our 2009 Stock Incentive Plan. We also awarded contingent shares of the Company’s common stock for future service during our acquisitions. The benefits provided by these awards are share-based payments and are recorded in our consolidated statements of income (loss) based upon their fair values.
Stock-based compensation cost is measured using the grant date fair value of the award and is expensed over the vesting period. The fair value of RSUs is the stock price on the date of grant multiplied by the number of units awarded. The fair value of PSUs was estimated based on our stock price as of the date of grant using a Monte Carlo simulation model. We estimate the fair value of stock options on the grant date using the Black-Scholes option pricing model. Determining the fair value of stock options and PSUs at the grant date under these models requires judgment, including estimating our volatility, employee stock option exercise behaviors and forfeiture rates. The assumptions used in calculating the fair value of stock options and PSUs represent our best estimates, but these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management judgment.
Stock options awarded under our 2009 Stock Incentive Plan have an exercise price that equals or exceeds the closing price of our common stock on the date of grant. The risk-free interest rate is based on the U.S. Treasury yield of those maturities that are consistent with the expected term of the stock option or PSUs in effect on the date of grant. Dividend rates are based upon historical dividend trends and expected future dividends. As we have never declared or paid any cash dividends and do not presently plan to pay cash dividends in the foreseeable future, a zero-dividend rate is assumed in our calculation. We have sufficient historical stock option exercise information to compute an expected term for use as an assumption in the Black-Scholes option pricing and Monte Carlo simulation models, and as such, our computation of expected term was calculated using our own historical data. We also have sufficient historical data on the volatility of our stock to use as a direct assumption in the option pricing models.
The amount of stock-based compensation expense we recognize during a period is based on the portion of the awards that are ultimately expected to vest. We estimate stock option forfeitures at the time of grant and revise those estimates in subsequent periods if actual forfeitures differ from those estimates. The effect of a 10% change in estimates to any of the individual inputs to the Black-Scholes option pricing model or the Monte Carlo simulation model would not have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For information regarding recent accounting pronouncements, refer to Note 2, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to our annual consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
Results of Operations
On December 1, 2020, the Company and AU LLC finalized the Purchase Agreement, by and among the Company, AU LLC, the University of Arizona, and Global Campus. Accordingly, the results of operations discussed herein reflect both the Company’s operations prior to December 1, 2020, which was made up primarily of the operations of the University, as well as the Company’s operations commencing on December 1, 2020 as an education technology service provider.
The following table sets forth our consolidated statements of income (loss) data as a percentage of revenue for each of the periods indicated:
Year Ended December 31,
Total revenue and other revenue
Costs and expenses:
Technology and academic services
Counseling services and support
Marketing and communication
General and administrative
University-related expense
Legal expense
Restructuring and impairment charges
Loss on transaction
Total costs and expenses
Operating loss
Other income (loss), net
Loss before income taxes
Income tax expense (benefit)
Net loss
Year Ended December 31, 2021 Compared to Year Ended December 31, 2020
Total revenue and other revenue. Our total revenue and other revenue for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, was $263.0 million and $397.1 million, respectively, representing a decrease of $134.1 million, or 33.8%. For the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, University Partners segment revenue was $232.8 million and $376.2 million, respectively, representing a decrease of 38.1%, and the Zovio Growth segment revenue was $30.2 million and $20.9 million, respectively, representing an increase of 44.7%.
The decrease in revenue in the University Partners segment of $143.4 million between periods was primarily due to the decrease in university-related revenue of $356.1 million, or 89.7%, as compared to the prior year. This decrease was due to the sale of Global Campus on December 1, 2020 (see also Note 1, “Nature of Business,” included in Part II, Item 8, for further information). This decrease was also due to a decrease of 16.0% in average weekly enrollment for the year ended December 31, 2021 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2020. Partially offsetting the decrease in the University Partners segment was a $203.0 million increase of service revenue due to the Services Agreement entered into on December 1, 2020, as well as an increase in other revenue generated from the Transition Services Agreement of approximately $8.9 million.
The increase in revenue in the Zovio Growth segment between periods was primarily due to the growth in the new customer contracts experienced this year within our subsidiaries, Fullstack Academy and TutorMe.com.
Technology and academic services. Our technology and academic services for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were $70.7 million and $74.4 million, respectively, representing a decrease of $3.7 million, or 5.0%. Specific decreases between periods primarily include consulting and outside services of $4.9 million, employee costs of $2.4 million, amortization of intangible assets of $1.0 million, professional fees of $0.7 million, and facility costs of $0.4 million. These decreases were partially offset by increases in other technology and academic services expenses of $3.5 million, license fees of $1.8 million, and instructional supplies of $0.3 million. Our technology and academic services, as a percentage of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were 26.9% and 18.7%, respectively, representing an increase of 8.2%. This increase primarily included increases in employee costs of 3.6%, other technology and academic services expenses of 1.9%, license fees of 1.7%, and instructional supplies of 0.8%. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in consulting and outside services of
0.5%. As a percentage of revenue, bad debt expense decreased to 0.5% for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to 3.6% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Counseling services and support . Our counseling services and support expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were $89.5 million and $97.0 million, respectively, representing a decrease of $7.5 million, or 7.7%. Specific factors contributing to the overall decrease between periods were primarily due to decreases in employee costs of $3.8 million, facility costs of $2.4 million, and other counseling services and support expenses of $1.4 million. The overall decrease was partially offset by an increase in depreciation of $0.4 million. Our counseling services and support expenses, as a percentage of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were 34.0% and 24.4%, respectively, representing an increase of 9.6%. This increase primarily included increases in employee costs of 8.6%, depreciation of 0.6%, human resources costs of 0.5%.
Marketing and communication. Our marketing and communication expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were $85.3 million and $91.6 million, respectively, representing a decrease of $6.3 million, or 6.9%. Specific factors contributing to the overall decrease between periods were primarily due to decreases in advertising of $4.9 million, other marketing and communication expenses of $1.9 million and license fees of $1.2 million. The overall decrease was partially offset by increases in employee costs of $1.2 million and consulting and outside services of $0.7 million. Our marketing and communication expenses, as a percentage of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were 32.4% and 23.1%, respectively, representing an increase of 9.3%. This increase primarily included increases in advertising of 7.1%, employee costs of 1.9%, and consulting and outside services of 0.8%. The overall increase was offset by a decrease in other marketing and communication expenses of 0.4%.
General and administrative. Our general and administrative expenses for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were $43.2 million and $47.4 million, respectively, representing a decrease of $4.2 million, or 8.9%. The decrease between periods was primarily due to decreases in employee costs of $5.8 million, other general and administrative expenses of $3.8 million, professional fees of $3.0 million, consulting and outside services of $0.5 million, and legal settlements of $0.3 million. These decreases were partially offset by increases in executive severance of $4.4 million, human resource costs of $1.6 million, non-recurring stock compensation of $1.3 million, insurance of $1.0 million, and legal fees of $0.9 million. Our general and administrative expenses, as a percentage of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, were 16.4% and 12.0%, respectively, representing an increase of 4.4%. This increase is mainly due to increases in other general and administrative expenses of 3.4%, legal fees of 1.2%, employee costs of 1.1%, insurance of 0.8%, and consulting and outside services of 0.4%, partially offset by decreases in executive severance of 1.7% and professional fees of 0.5%.
University-related expense . Our university-related expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 were $89.0 million. The university-related expenses represent those costs that were transferred to Global Campus in the Sale Transaction and that are no longer incurred by the Company.
Legal expense. Legal expense for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $14.3 million, which represents the additional amounts necessary to get to the $22.4 million in statutory penalties relating to the California Attorney General’s lawsuit. There were no such legal expense for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Restructuring and impairment charges. Our restructuring and impairment charges for the year ended December 31, 2021 were $2.6 million, as compared to $4.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, representing a decrease of $2.2 million. The charges for the year ended December 31, 2021 were comprised of $2.6 million relating to severance costs for wages and benefits resulting from a reduction in force.
Loss on transaction . The loss on transaction amount of $54.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 represents the net assets transferred in the Sale Transaction, as well as other transaction-related expenses and costs to sell.
Other income (loss), net. The other income, net, for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $0.1 million, as compared to other loss, net, of $0.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The results for the year ended December 31, 2021 were primarily a result of increased interest income due to changes in the levels of average cash and cash equivalents and investment balances.
Income tax benefit. Income tax benefit for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $0.1 million as compared to income tax benefit of $13.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, or a decrease of $12.9 million in income tax benefit. Income tax benefit was recognized at effective tax rates of 0.3% and 21.1% for the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The income tax benefit at December 31, 2021 is mainly attributable to certain federal and state tax refund true-ups related prior years, whereas the income tax benefit at December 31, 2020 is mainly attributable to the tax refunds and interest related to CARES Act and IRS audit examination.
Net loss. Our net loss for the year ended December 31, 2021 was $42.3 million compared to net loss of $49.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, a $6.6 million increase in net income as a result of the factors discussed above.
Segment Operating Results
Segment profitability represents net income (loss), before net interest income (expense), taxes, depreciation and amortization expense (“EBITDA”).
University Partners segment operating results for the year ended December 31, 2021 was a loss of $26.6 million, or 11.4% of revenue, compared to a loss of $41.2 million, or 10.9% of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2020. This represents a $14.6 million increase in operating results. However, the operating results for the prior year ended December 31, 2020 include the loss on sale transaction of $54.8 million. The resulting decrease, excluding the loss on sale, is primarily due to the decrease in revenue in this segment.
Zovio Growth segment operating results for the year ended December 31, 2021 was a loss of $7.7 million, or 25.5% of revenue, compared to a loss of $9.3 million, or 44.6% of revenue, for the year ended December 31, 2020. This represents a $1.6 million increase in operating results, which was primarily driven by the continued demand seen within the Fullstack and TutorMe businesses in 2021.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
We financed our operating activities and capital expenditures during the years ended December 31, 2021 and 2020 primarily through cash on hand. Our cash and cash equivalents at December 31, 2021 and 2020, were $28.3 million and $35.5 million, respectively, which can be used for operating activities or capital expenditures. Additionally, at December 31, 2021 and 2020, we had restricted cash of $9.3 million and $20.0 million, respectively, as well as investments of $1.0 million and $1.5 million, respectively.
There was a slight decrease in the fair value of our investments at December 31, 2021 as compared to the prior year. We believe that any fluctuations we have experienced are temporary in nature and, while our securities are classified as available-for-sale, we have the ability and intent to hold them until maturity, if necessary, to recover their full value. Additionally, our income tax receivable decreased from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021 primarily due to tax refunds received from tax audit examinations.
On April 14, 2022, the Company entered into a Financing Agreement (the “Credit Facility”) among the Company, as borrower, each of its wholly-owned subsidiaries as subsidiary guarantors (the “Guarantors”), the lenders party thereto from time to time (the “Lenders”) and Blue Torch Finance LLC, as administrative agent and collateral agent for the Lenders (the “Agent”). The Credit Facility provides for, among other things, a term loan in the aggregate principal amount of $31.5 million (the “Term Loan”). The proceeds of the Term Loan will be used (i) to satisfy any final judgement in the California Attorney General lawsuit and (ii) to fund the working capital of the Company and the Guarantors. For additional information on financing obtained in April 2022, see Note 22, “Subsequent Events” to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
In March 2022, the Company received a court order to pay $22.4 million in statutory penalties relating to the California Attorney General’s lawsuit. We are currently considering all options available and have filed a motion for a new trial on the Court’s decision. Regardless of the ultimate outcome, this decision could have a material impact on our financial condition. For additional information regarding this lawsuit, see Note 22, “Subsequent Events” to our consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report.
We manage our cash pursuant to the quantitative and qualitative operational guidelines of our cash investment policy. Our cash investment policy, which is managed by our Chief Financial Officer, has the following primary objectives: (i) preserving principal, (ii) meeting our liquidity needs, (iii) minimizing market and credit risk, and (iv) providing after-tax returns. Under the policy’s guidelines, we invest our excess cash exclusively in high-quality, U.S. dollar-denominated financial instruments. For a discussion of the measures we use to mitigate the exposure of our cash investments to market risk, credit risk and interest rate risk, see Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk.”
Operating Activities
Net cash used in operating activities was $15.4 million for 2021, whereas the cash provided by operating activities was $25.3 million for 2020. The primary drivers of the decreased net cash provided by operations was the $51.9 million adjustment of the loss on transaction in 2020, as well as the net changes in operating assets and liabilities. These year over year changes include the accounts receivable of $14.0 million, deferred revenue of $5.1 million, a change in accounts payable and accrued
liabilities of $19.5 million, and a change in operating lease liabilities of $1.5 million, partially offset by a change of $11.1 million in prepaid and other current assets and a change in other liabilities of $2.5 million.
Investing Activities
Net cash used in investing activities was $1.4 million and $64.7 million for 2021 and 2020, respectively. During 2021, we purchased $1.1 million of investments and had $0.7 million of capitalized costs for intangible assets, partially offset by $1.8 million sales of investments. In 2020, we had $62.3 million of cash transferred in connection with the sale to Global Campus, as well as purchases of investments of $0.7 million, and had $0.3 million of capitalized costs for intangible assets.
Capital expenditures were $1.4 million and $3.2 million for 2021 and 2020, respectively. For the year ending December 31, 2022, we expect our capital expenditures to be approximately $1.4 million, primarily in the areas of computer and software upgrades, as well as leasehold improvements.
Financing Activities
Net cash used in financing activities was $1.1 million for 2021, whereas net cash provided by financing activities was $2.3 million for 2020. During 2021, net cash used in financing activities was primarily due to the cash used for tax withholdings related to vesting of restricted stock awards of $1.2 million. During 2020, net cash provided by financing activities was primarily due to borrowings from notes payable of $2.7 million and the cash provided by proceeds from the issuance of stock under our employee stock purchase plan of $0.2 million, partially offset by the cash used for the tax withholdings related to vesting of restricted stock awards of $0.5 million.
Agreements with Global Campus
Our largest university partner, Global Campus, derives the majority of its respective cash revenues from students who enroll and are eligible for various federal student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act. An institution is subject to significant regulatory scrutiny as a result of numerous standards that must be satisfied in order to participate in Title IV programs. For additional information regarding Title IV programs and the regulation thereof, see “Business—Regulation” included in Part I, Item 1. The balance of revenues derived by Global Campus is from government tuition assistance programs for military personnel, including veterans, payments made in cash by individuals, reimbursement from corporate partnerships and private loans from third parties.
The majority of our cash comes from our Services Agreement with Global Campus. The service fees in the Services Agreement are subject to certain minimum residual liability adjustments, including performance-based adjustments, minimum profit level adjustments, and excess direct cost adjustments. These adjustments are all variable in nature in that they depend upon the Company’s performance, and to a certain extent the performance of Global Campus, during each service period. In connection with the Services Agreement, the minimum residual payment will be paid annually in June. If the Company's restructuring efforts and enrollment initiatives do not occur as planned, then the Company will need to find alternative sources to fund operations.
Future Contractual Obligations
We have future contractual obligations relating to operating lease obligations in the amount of $53.6 million, of which approximately $7.0 million is short-term in nature.
We also have contractual obligations in the amount of $16.3 million, of which $10.8 million is a short-term obligation. These obligations include agreements with vendors in the areas of software, facilities, telephony, licensing fees, consulting, marketing, among others.
Debt and Financing Arrangements
As of December 31, 2021, the Company has a long-term notes payable valued at $2.7 million, including accrued interest. The counterparty advanced funds to the Company for certain program development costs, which the Company is obligated to repay out of future revenues from the developed program. The Company recognized these advances as a debt obligation, and expects to begin repayments from future program revenues four years from the contract start date.
The Company has issued letters of credit that are collateralized with cash, in the aggregate amount of $9.2 million as of December 31, 2021. The letters of credit relate primarily to the Company's leased facilities and insurance requirements. The collateralized cash is held in restricted cash on the Company's consolidated balance sheets.
The Company is required to provide surety bonds in certain states in which it does business. As a result, the Company had previously entered into a surety bond facility with an insurance company to provide such bonds when required. Although there are no remaining bonds on the Company’s behalf under this facility as of December 31, 2021, the Company still holds certain liability associated with any required collateral.
The Company does not have any off-balance sheet financing arrangements.
