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Benefit Plans
12 Months Ended
Dec. 31, 2018
Retirement Benefits [Abstract]  
Benefit Plans
Benefit Plans

Domestic Defined Contribution Retirement Plan

Laureate sponsors a defined contribution retirement plan in the United States under section 401(k) of the Internal Revenue Code. The plan offers employees a traditional “pre-tax” 401(k) option and an “after-tax” Roth 401(k) option, providing the employees with choices and flexibility for their retirement savings. All employees are eligible to participate in the plan after meeting certain service requirements. Participants may contribute up to a maximum of 80% of their annual compensation and 100% of their annual cash bonus, as defined and subject to certain annual limitations. Laureate may, at its discretion, make matching contributions that are allocated to eligible participants. The matching on the “after-tax” Roth contributions is the same as the matching on the traditional “pre-tax” contributions. Laureate made discretionary contributions in cash to this plan of $5,345, $5,638 and $4,737 for the years ended December 31, 2018, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

Non-United States Pension Benefit Plans

Laureate has defined benefit (pension) plans at several non-United States institutions. The projected benefit obligation (PBO) is determined as the actuarial present value as of the measurement date of all benefits calculated by the pension benefit formula for employee service rendered. The amount of benefits to be paid depends on a number of future events incorporated into the pension benefit formula, including estimates of the average life expectancy of employees/survivors and average years of service rendered. The PBO is measured based on assumptions concerning future interest rates and future employee compensation levels. The expected net periodic benefit cost in each year can vary from the subsequent year's actual net periodic benefit cost due to the acquisition of entities with plans, plan amendments, and the impacts of foreign currency translation. The combined unfunded status of these plans is reported as a component of Other current liabilities and Other long-term liabilities.

The net periodic benefit cost for those entities with pension plans was as follows:
For the years ended December 31,
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Service cost
$
352

 
$
661

 
$
1,884

Interest
146

 
165

 
318

Expected return on assets

 

 
(138
)
Amortization of prior service costs
(32
)
 
22

 
279

Recognition of actuarial items
102

 
(261
)
 

Curtailment gain
(47
)
 
(153
)
 

Net periodic benefit cost
$
521

 
$
434

 
$
2,343



As discussed in Note 2, Significant Accounting Policies, on January 1, 2018 Laureate adopted ASU 2017-07. Under the amendments in this ASU, the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost is disaggregated and reported in the same line item(s) as other compensation costs arising from services rendered during the period, and the remaining components are presented on the income statement separately from the service cost component and outside a subtotal of income from operations, if presented. Because the effect of ASU 2017-07 on prior periods presented was insignificant, we did not revise prior periods. Accordingly, for the year ended December 31, 2018, the service cost component of net periodic benefit cost is included in Direct costs on the Consolidated Statement of Operations and all other components of net periodic benefit cost are included in Other income (expense), net on the Consolidated Statement of Operations. For the years ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, all components of net periodic benefit cost are included in Direct costs on the Consolidated Statements of Operations.

The estimated net periodic benefit cost for the year ending December 31, 2019 is approximately $434.

The weighted average assumptions were as follows:
For the years ended December 31,
2018
 
2017
 
2016
Discount rate for obligations
5.00-10.00%
 
5.25-9.25%
 
8.50%
Discount rate for net periodic benefit costs
5.25-9.25%
 
4.75-8.50%
 
0.75-7.50%
Rate of compensation increases
3.00-4.50%
 
4.50-5.00%
 
4.50%
Expected return in plan assets
N/A
 
N/A
 
N/A


The change in PBO, change in plan assets and funded (unfunded) status for those entities with pension plans were as follows:
For the years ended December 31,
2018
 
2017
Change in PBO:
 
 
 
PBO at beginning of year
$
1,804

 
$
1,421

Service cost
352

 
661

Interest
146

 
165

Actuarial loss
(187
)
 
(237
)
Benefits paid by plan
(195
)
 
(124
)
Participants contributions

 

Curtailment gain
(47
)
 
(153
)
Settlements

 

Administrative expenses

 

Foreign exchange
(8
)
 
71

PBO at end of year
$
1,865

 
$
1,804

Change in plan assets:
 
 
 
Fair value of assets at beginning of year
$

 
$

Fair value of assets at end of year
$

 
$

Unfunded status
$
1,865

 
$
1,804

 
 
 
 
Actuarial loss
$
(610
)
 
$
(439
)
Prior service cost

 

Amount recognized in AOCI, pre-tax
$
(610
)
 
$
(439
)
 
 
 
 
Accumulated benefit obligation
$
1,865

 
$
1,804



The Company estimates that employer contributions to plan assets during 2019 will be approximately the same as during the year ended December 31, 2018. The estimated future benefit payments for the next 10 fiscal years are as follows:
For the year ending December 31,
 
2019
$
218

2020
201

2021
223

2022
225

2023
263

2024 through 2028
1,825



Laureate Education, Inc. Deferred Compensation Plan

Laureate maintains a deferred compensation plan to provide certain executive employees and members of our Board of Directors with the opportunity to defer their salaries, bonuses, and Board of Directors retainers and fees in order to accumulate funds for retirement on a pre-tax basis. Participants are 100% vested in their respective deferrals and the earnings thereon. Laureate does not make contributions to the plan or guarantee returns on the investments. Although plan investments and participant deferrals are kept in a separate trust account, the assets remain Laureate’s property and are subject to claims of general creditors.

The plan assets are recorded at fair value with the earnings (losses) on those assets recorded in Other income (expense). The plan liabilities are recorded at the contractual value, with the changes in value recorded in operating expenses. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, plan assets included in Other assets in our Consolidated Balance Sheets were $4,868 and $11,568, respectively. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the plan liabilities reported in our Consolidated Balance Sheets were $7,047 and $18,746, respectively. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, $1,150 and $11,896, respectively, of the total plan liability was classified as a current liability; the remainder was noncurrent and recorded in Other long-term liabilities. The higher current liability in 2017 relates to several participants who retired during the fourth quarter of 2017 and received distributions of their plan balances in 2018.

Supplemental Employment Retention Agreement

In November 2007, Laureate established a Supplemental Employment Retention Agreement (SERA) for one of its executive officers. Since Laureate achieved certain Pro-rata EBITDA targets, as defined in the SERA, from 2007 to 2011 and this officer remained employed through December 31, 2012, this individual received an annual SERA payment of $1,500. The SERA provided annuity payments to the former executive over the course of his lifetime, and, following the former executive's death in 2018, an annual payment of $1,500 will be made to his spouse for the remainder of her life. The SERA is administered through a Rabbi Trust, and its assets are subject to the claims of creditors. At the inception of the plan, Laureate purchased annuities which provided funds for the SERA obligations until the former executive's death, at which point proceeds from corporate-owned life insurance policies were received and will be used to fund the future SERA obligations.

As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the total SERA assets were $13,721 and $6,898, respectively, which were recorded on our Consolidated Balance Sheets in Restricted cash at December 31, 2018 and in Other assets at December 31, 2017. As of December 31, 2018 and 2017, the total SERA liability recorded in our Consolidated Balance Sheets was $14,278 and $15,970, respectively, of which $1,500 and $1,500, respectively, was recorded in Accrued compensation and benefits, and $12,778 and $14,470, respectively, was recorded in Deferred compensation.

Mexico Profit-Sharing

The Fiscal Reform that was enacted in Mexico in December 2013 subjects Laureate's Mexico entities to corporate income tax and also requires them to comply with profit-sharing legislation, whereby 10% of the taxable income of Laureate's Mexican entities will be set aside as employee compensation.