17.

Risks and Uncertainties

Many of the amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses reported in our consolidated financial statements are based on estimates and assumptions that affect the amounts reported. We are subject to risks and uncertainties that could affect amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements in future periods. Our future performance, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, liquidity, capital resources, ability to meet our obligations and ability to comply with covenants, metrics and regulatory requirements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to be materially different from our estimated results, including, but not limited to, the following:

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The Consolidation of the PEAKS Trust and other factors, among other things:

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have resulted in violations by us of covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement. We have obtained waivers and amendments relating to those violations;

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have negatively impacted our compliance with:

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the ED’s financial responsibility measurements, primarily our institutions’ composite score; and

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our compliance with the financial requirements of certain state education and professional licensing authorities (“SAs”); and

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have negatively impacted the financial metrics to which we are subject under the PEAKS Program and 2009 RSA.

See Note 13 – Debt and Note 16 – Commitments and Contingencies for additional information.

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We believe that we will be required to consolidate the 2009 Entity into our consolidated financial statements in the foreseeable future, which could impact our compliance with:

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covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement;

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the ED’s financial responsibility measurements, primarily our institutions’ composite score;

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the financial requirements of certain SAs; and

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the financial metrics to which we are subject under the PEAKS Program and 2009 RSA.

See Note 10 – Variable Interest Entities for additional information.

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Our institutions’ failure to submit their audited consolidated financial statements and Compliance Audits to the ED by the due date resulted in sanctions imposed by the ED on our institutions that include, among other things, our institutions having to post a letter of credit, being placed on heightened cash monitoring (“HCM”) and being provisionally certified. We have arranged for the letter of credit and have implemented procedures to address HCM, which requirements are not expected to significantly impact the timing of receipt of student financial aid funds. See Note 13 – Debt for additional information.

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We are required to submit the ED Letter of Credit on or before November 4, 2014. The term of the letter of credit is for a period that ends on November 4, 2019. With respect to any letter of credit issued under the Amended Credit Agreement, we are required to provide cash collateral in an amount equal to 109% of the face amount of the ED Letter of Credit and 103% of the face amount of all other letters of credit. Based on the required amount of the ED Letter of Credit and other letters of credit outstanding as of the date of this filing, the amount of the cash collateral that we will have to provide is approximately $89,300. Such collateral may be provided from available funds. See Note 13 – Debt for additional information.

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We are subject to various claims and contingencies, including those related to litigation, government investigations, business transactions, guarantee arrangements and employee-related matters, among others. With regard to these matters, we cannot provide an estimate of the possible losses, or range of possible losses, in excess of the amounts, if any, accrued. See the subsections entitled “Litigation” and “Government Investigations” in Note 16 - Commitments and Contingencies, for a further discussion of certain litigation and government investigations to which we are subject.

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The significant guarantee obligations that we have under the PEAKS Guarantee and 2009 RSA. Based on various assumptions, including the historical and projected performance and collection of the PEAKS Trust Student Loans, we believe that we will make payments under the PEAKS Guarantee of approximately $163,966 in 2014 and approximately $9,165 in 2015. In addition, based upon various assumptions, including the historical and projected performance and collections of the private education loans under the 2009 Loan Program, we believe that we will make payments under the 2009 RSA of approximately $9,009 in 2014 and $14,251 in 2015. See Note 13 – Debt and Note 16 – Commitments and Contingencies for a further discussion of the RSAs, estimated payment amounts and contingent liabilities.

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As of December 31, 2013, the outstanding borrowings under the Amended Credit Agreement totaled $50,000 and were classified as a current liability, because we believe it is probable that we will not be in compliance with certain covenants under the Amended Credit Agreement during the 12 months following December 31, 2013. If we are not in compliance with one or more covenants and are unable to obtain a waiver of our noncompliance or an amendment to the Amended Credit Agreement that would allow us to be in compliance with those covenants or otherwise not be in default under the Amended Credit Agreement, the lenders would have various remedies, including:

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the lending commitments under the Amended Credit Agreement may be terminated;

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our ability to request the issuance of letters of credit and to obtain amendments, extensions or renewals of letters of credit already issued under the Amended Credit Agreement may be terminated; and

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all then outstanding borrowings and other amounts owed under the Amended Credit Agreement may be declared immediately due and payable.

In the event that we or our subsidiary guarantor do not pay in full, upon demand, all of our outstanding borrowings and other amounts owed under the Amended Credit Agreement or we, or our subsidiary guarantor, do not provide, upon demand, the cash collateral for our letter of credit obligations, the lenders would be entitled to recourse against the collateral security, including the Mortgaged Property, that we and our subsidiary guarantor have provided, in order to obtain payment of amounts we owe or are required to provide as cash collateral.

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We incurred a net loss in the year December 31, 2013 and we had negative working capital as of December 31, 2013, primarily due to the impact of the Consolidation and the loss that we recorded related to our guarantee obligations under the 2009 RSA.

Based on our current projections, we believe that cash generated from operations will be sufficient for us to satisfy our RSA payments, letters of credit cash collateralization, working capital, loan repayment and capital expenditure requirements over the 12-month period following the date that this Annual Report on Form 10-K was filed with the SEC. We also believe that any reduction in cash and cash equivalents that may result from their use to make payments under the RSAs, provide cash collateral for letters of credit, construct facilities or repay loans will not have a material adverse effect on our expansion plans, planned capital expenditures, ability to meet any applicable regulatory financial responsibility standards or ability to conduct normal operations over the 12-month period following the date that this Annual Report on Form 10-K was filed with the SEC. Accordingly, our consolidated financial statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K were prepared on the basis that we will continue to operate as a going concern. However, there can be no assurance that the ultimate outcome of these events individually or in the aggregate will not have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.