Revenue Recognition

3 Months Ended

Mar. 31, 2023

Revenue From Contract With Customer [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition

6. REVENUE RECOGNITION

Disaggregation of Revenue

The following tables disaggregate our revenue by major source for the quarters ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 (dollars in thousands):

	For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2023								For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2022
	CTU (3)		AIUS (4)		Corporate and Other		Total		CTU		AIUS		Corporate and Other		Total
Tuition, net (1)	$	117,998	$	66,645	$	-	$	184,643	$	106,927	$	65,451	$	-	$	172,378
Technology and miscellaneous fees		5,423		3,253		-		8,676		5,624		3,325		-		8,949
Total tuition and fees, net		123,421		69,898		-		193,319		112,551		68,776		-		181,327
Other revenue (2)		1,071		942		266		2,279		597		756		279		1,632
Total revenue	$	124,492	$	70,840	$	266	$	195,598	$	113,148	$	69,532	$	279	$	182,959

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(1)Tuition includes revenue earned for all degree-granting programs as well as revenue earned for non-degree and professional development programs.

(2)Other revenue primarily includes contract training revenue and miscellaneous non-student related revenue.

(3)CTU includes revenue related to an acquisition completed on December 1, 2022.

(4)AIUS includes revenue related to an acquisition completed on July 1, 2022.

Performance Obligations

Our revenue, which is derived primarily from academic programs taught to students who attend our universities, is generally segregated into two categories: (1) tuition and fees, and (2) other. Tuition and fees represent costs to our students for educational services provided by our universities and are reflected net of scholarships and tuition discounts. Our universities charge tuition and fees at varying amounts, depending on the university, the type of program and specific curriculum. Our universities bill students a single charge that covers tuition, certain fees and required program materials, such as textbooks and supplies, which we treat as a single performance obligation. Generally, we bill student tuition at the beginning of each academic term for our degree programs and recognize the tuition as revenue on a straight-line basis over the academic term. As part of a student’s course of instruction, certain fees, such as technology fees and graduation fees, are billed separately to students. These fees are generally earned over the applicable term and are not considered separate performance obligations. We generally bill student tuition upon enrollment for our non-degree professional development programs and recognize the tuition as revenue on a straight-line basis over the length of the offering.

Other revenue, which primarily consists of contract training revenue and miscellaneous non-student related revenue, is billed and recognized as goods are delivered or services are performed.

Our institutions’ academic year is generally at least 30 weeks in length but varies both by institution and program of study and is divided by academic terms. Academic terms are determined by regulatory requirements mandated by the federal government and/or applicable accrediting body, which also vary by university and program. Academic terms are determined by start dates, which vary by university and program and are generally 8-12 weeks in length. Our non-degree professional development programs are available via subscription –based access for up to 52 weeks or online courses which are generally 12-18 weeks in length.

Contract Assets

For each term, the portion of tuition and fee payments received from students but not yet earned is recorded as deferred revenue and reported as a current liability on our condensed consolidated balance sheets, as we expect to earn these revenues within the next year. A contract asset is recorded for each student for the current term for which they are enrolled for the amount charged for the current term that has not yet been received as payment and to which we do not have the unconditional right to receive payment because the student has not reached the point in the student’s current academic term at which the amount billed is no longer refundable to the student. On a student by student basis, the contract asset is offset against the deferred revenue balance for the current term and

the net deferred revenue balance is reflected within current liabilities on our condensed consolidated balance sheets. For certain of our institutions, students are billed as they enroll in courses, including courses related to future periods. Any billings for future periods would meet the definition of a contract asset as we do not have the unconditional right to receive payment as the course has not yet started. Contract assets related to future periods are offset against the respective deferred revenue associated with the future period.

Due to the short-term nature of our academic terms, the contract asset balance which exists at the beginning of each quarter will no longer be a contract asset at the end of that quarter, with the exception of the contract assets associated with future periods. The decrease in contract asset balances are a result of one of the following: it becomes a student receivable balance once a student reaches the point in a student’s academic term where the amount billed is no longer refundable to the student; a refund is made to withdrawn students for the portion entitled to be refunded under each institutions’ refund policy; we receive funds to apply against the contract asset balance; or a student makes a change to the number of classes they are enrolled in which may cause an adjustment to their previously billed amount. As of the end of each quarter, a new contract asset is determined on a student by student basis based on the most recently started term and a student’s progress within that term as compared to the date at which the student is no longer entitled to a refund under each institution’s refund policy. Contract assets associated with future periods remain as contract assets until the course begins and the student reaches the point in that course that they are no longer entitled to a refund.

The amount of deferred revenue balances which are being offset with contract assets balances as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	As of
	March 31, 2023			December 31, 2022
Gross deferred revenue	$	65,832		$	107,200
Gross contract assets		(21,122	)		(35,610	)
Deferred revenue, net	$	44,710		$	71,590

Deferred Revenue

Changes in our deferred revenue balances for the quarters ended March 31, 2023 and 2022 were as follows (dollars in thousands):

	For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2023									For the Quarter Ended March 31, 2022
	CTU			AIUS			Total			CTU			AIUS			Total
Gross deferred revenue, January 1	$	67,245		$	39,955		$	107,200		$	64,674		$	49,045		$	113,719
Revenue earned from prior balances		(54,712	)		(29,753	)		(84,465	)		(53,952	)		(36,987	)		(90,939	)
Billings during period(1)		100,012			53,132			153,144			86,621			48,575			135,196
Revenue earned for new billings during the period		(68,709	)		(40,145	)		(108,854	)		(58,599	)		(31,789	)		(90,388	)
Other adjustments		(1,464	)		271			(1,193	)		599			(337	)		262
Gross deferred revenue, March 31	$	42,372		$	23,460		$	65,832		$	39,343		$	28,507		$	67,850

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(1)Billings during period includes adjustments for prior billings.

Cash Receipts

Our students pay for their costs through a variety of funding sources, including federal loan and grant programs, institutional payment plans, employer reimbursement, Veterans’ Administration and other military funding and grants, private and institutional scholarships and cash payments, as well as private loans. Cash receipts from government related sources are typically received during the current academic term. We typically receive funds after the end of an academic term for students who receive employer reimbursements. Students who have not applied for any type of financial aid generally set up a payment plan with the university and make payments on a monthly basis per the terms of the payment plan.

If a student withdraws from one of our academic institutions prior to the completion of the academic term, we refund the portion of tuition and fees already paid that, pursuant to our refund policy and applicable federal and state law and accrediting agency standards, we are not entitled to retain. Generally, the amount to be refunded to a student is calculated based upon the percent of the term attended and the amount of tuition and fees paid by the student as of their withdrawal date. In certain circumstances, we have recognized revenue for students who have withdrawn that we are not entitled to retain. We have estimated a reserve for these limited circumstances based on historical evidence in the amount of $2.4 million and $2.5 million as of March 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. Students are typically entitled to a partial refund until approximately halfway through their term. Pursuant to each university’s policy, once a student reaches the point in the term where no refund is given, the student would not have a refund due if withdrawing from the university subsequent to that date.