UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 or 15(d) OF
THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934
For the fiscal year ended May 31, 2011
Commission File No. 001-34751
National American University Holdings, Inc.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
| Delaware | 83-0479936 | |
| (State or other jurisdiction | (I.R.S. Employer | |
| of incorporation or organization) | Identification No.) | |
| 5301 S. Highway 16, Suite 200 | 57701 | |
| Rapid City, SD | (Zip Code) | |
| (Address of principal executive offices) |
(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
| Common Stock, $.0001 par Value | The NASDAQ Stock Market | |
| Title of each class | Name of each exchange on which registered |
None
(Title of class)
Yes o No ☑
Yes o No ☑
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☑ No o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate website, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files). Yes o No o
Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K (§ 229.405 of this chapter) is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant's knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K. o
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company. See the definition of "large accelerated filer," "accelerated filer" and "smaller reporting company" in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
| Large accelerated filer o | Accelerated filer ☑ | Non-accelerated filer o (Do not check if a smaller reporting company) | Smaller reporting company ☑ |
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes o No ☑
As of July 29, 2011, there were 26,546,499 shares of Common Stock, $0.0001 par value per share outstanding.
The aggregate market value of the registrant's common stock held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold as of November 30, 2010, the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter, was approximately $84.4 million.
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Certain portions of the Registrant's Definitive Proxy Statement for its 2011 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (which is expected to be filed with the Commission within 120 days after the end of the Registrant's 2011 fiscal year) are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Report.
NATIONAL AMERICAN UNIVERSITY HOLDINGS, INC AND SUBSIDIARIES
FORM 10-K
INDEX
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| PART I | ||||||||
Item 1. Business | 4 | |||||||
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Item 1A. Risk Factors | 43 | |||||||
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Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments | 65 | |||||||
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Item 2. Properties | 65 | |||||||
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Item 3. Legal Proceedings | 65 | |||||||
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Item 4. Reserved | 65 | |||||||
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PART II | ||||||||
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Item 5. Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities | 65 | |||||||
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Item 6. Selected Financial Data | 68 | |||||||
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Item 7. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations | 70 | |||||||
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Item 7a. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk | 83 | |||||||
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data | 83 | |||||||
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Item 9. Changes in and Disagreements With Accountants on Accounting and Financial Disclosure | 113 | |||||||
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Item 9A Controls and Procedures | 113 | |||||||
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Item 9B. Other information | 114 | |||||||
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| PART III | ||||||||
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Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers, and Corporate Governance | 114 | |||||||
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Item 11. Executive Compensation | 114 | |||||||
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Item 12. Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters | 115 | |||||||
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Item 13. Certain Relationships and Related Transactions | 115 | |||||||
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Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services | 115 | |||||||
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| PART IV | ||||||||
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Item 15. Exhibits and Financial Statement Schedules | 115 | |||||||
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| EX-3.2 | ||||||||
| EX-21.1 | ||||||||
| EX-23.1 | ||||||||
| EX-31.1 | ||||||||
| EX-31.2 | ||||||||
| EX-32.1 | ||||||||
| EX-32.2 | ||||||||
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PART I
SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This document and the documents incorporated by reference herein contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. We may, in some cases, use words such as "project," "believe," "anticipate," "plan," "expect," "estimate," "intend," "should," "would," "could," "potentially," "will" or "may," or other words that convey uncertainty of future events, future financial performance, expectations, regulation or outcomes to identify these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding proposed new programs, statements concerning projections, predictions, expectations, estimates or forecasts as to our business, financial and operational results and future economic performance, and statements of management's goals and objectives and other similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts.
Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results and will not necessarily be accurate indications that such performance or results will be achieved. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in or suggested by the forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause such differences include:
| • | our ability to comply with the extensive and changing regulatory framework applicable to our industry, including Title IV, state laws and regulatory requirements and accrediting agency requirements; |
| • | the ability of our students to obtain Title IV funds, state financial aid, and private financing; |
| • | the pace of growth of our enrollment; |
| • | our conversion of prospective students to enrolled students and our retention of active students; |
| • | our ability to update and expand the content of existing programs and the development of new programs in a cost-effective manner or on a timely basis; |
| • | the competitive environment in which we operate; |
| • | our cash needs and expectations regarding cash flow from operations; |
| • | our ability to manage and grow our business and execution of our business and growth strategies; |
| • | our ability to maintain and expand existing commercial relationships with various corporations and U.S. Armed Forces and develop new commercial relationships; |
| • | our ability to adjust to the changing economic conditions; |
| • | our ability to use advances in technology that could enhance the online experience for our students; |
| • | our ability to sell the condominium units we own, and the general condition of the real estate market, in Rapid City, South Dakota; |
| • | our estimated future financial results or performance; |
| • | our actual financial performance generally; and | ||
| • | other factors discussed in this annual report under the captions "Risk Factors," "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations," "Business," and "Regulatory Matters." |
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Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date the statements are made. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements after the date of this annual report to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, except to the extent required by applicable laws. If we do update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that we will make additional updates with respect to those or other forward-looking statements.
Unless the context otherwise requires, the terms "we", "us", "our" and the "Company" used throughout this document refer to National American University Holdings, Inc. and its wholly owned subsidiary, Dlorah, Inc., which owns and operates National American University, sometimes referred to as "NAU" or the "university".
| Item 1. | Business. |
Overview
We are a provider of post-secondary education primarily focused on the needs of working adults and other non-traditional students. We own and operate National American University, a regionally accredited, proprietary, multi-campus institution of higher learning founded in 1941. Since 1998, we have been offering academic and degree programs online. Using both campus-based and online instruction, we provide Associate, Bachelor's and Master's degree and diploma programs in business-related disciplines, such as accounting, applied management, business administration, information technology and healthcare-related disciplines, such as nursing and healthcare management. Our mission is to prepare students of diverse interests, cultures and abilities for careers in our core fields in a caring and supportive environment.
We currently have 32 educational sites (five of which are pending regulatory approvals - Weldon Springs, Missouri; Bellevue, Nebraska; Tigard, Oregon; Mesquite, Texas; and Richardson, Texas) in the states of Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Dakota and Texas. Several of our educational sites are hybrid learning centers, which utilize small physical facilities in strategic geographic areas, allowing our students to meet face-to-face with staff for assistance with their educational choices and related services while completing the majority of their coursework online. Working adults and other non-traditional students are attracted to the flexibility of our online programs and the convenience of our hybrid learning centers.
In addition to our university operations, we operate a real estate business known as Fairway Hills Developments, or Fairway Hills. Our real estate business rents apartment units and develops and sells condominium units in the Fairway Hills Planned Residential Development area of Rapid City, South Dakota.
NAU continues to experience significant growth in student enrollment, revenue and profits. Our enrollment increased from approximately 6,500 students as of May 31, 2009 to 8,800 students as of May 31, 2010, and then to approximately 10,000 students as of May 31, 2011, representing annual growth rates of approximately 35% from 2009 to 2010 and 14% from 2010 to 2011. During the same periods, our revenue grew from $62.6 million for the fiscal year ended 2009, to $89.8 million for fiscal year ended 2010, and then to $106.8 million for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, representing annual increases of 43.5% and 18.9%. Income before income taxes for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2009 was $4.9 million, compared to $16.5 million for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2010 and $16.7 million for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2011. Revenue for the NAU segment grew from $60.9 million in 2009 to $87.9 million in 2010 and then to $105.4 million in 2011 representing an increase of 44.4% between 2009 and 2010 and 19.8% from 2010 to 2011. Income before income taxes for the NAU segment grew from $5.4 million in 2009 to $17.3 million in 2010 to
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$17.3 million in 2011. Total assets for the NAU segment grew from $20.6 million in 2009 to $33.1 million in 2010 and $60.2 million in 2011. Revenue for the other segment, consisting of our real estate business, grew from $1.7 million in 2009 to $1.9 million in 2010 and then decreased to $1.4 million in 2011 representing an increase of 10.5% between 2009 and 2010 and a decrease of 22.2% from 2010 to 2011. Loss before taxes for the other segment grew from $0.5 million in 2009 to $0.7 million in 2010 and then was reduced to $0.6 million in 2011. Total assets for the other segment grew from $8.2 million in 2009 to $14.2 million in 2010 and $17.7 million in 2011. We believe our recent growth in student enrollment, revenue and profit is the result of our marketing programs and attractive educational programs with flexible scheduling alternatives as well as a general increase in the demand for post-secondary education. In addition, we believe we have an opportunity to continue increasing revenue while controlling costs by further leveraging our online offerings and hybrid learning centers.
University History
Originally founded in 1941, NAU, then operating under the name National School of Business, offered specialized business training to college students. During the late 1960s and early 1970s, the university progressed from a two-year business school to a four-year college of business and embarked on a recruitment of qualified graduates of one- and two-year programs from accredited business schools in the eastern United States. Such programs allowed students to continue their education and receive appropriate transfer credit for their previous academic achievements. In 1974, the university, then known as National College, added its first branch educational site in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, followed later that year by educational sites in Denver and Colorado Springs, Colorado, and Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota. The university offered conveniently scheduled courses that would lead to a degree appealing to working adults and other non-traditional students.
Since 1974, we have continued to expand educational sites, to add online education and to develop graduate degree programs. We have also developed professional programs in nursing and allied health that allow students to pursue degrees in these areas in a flexible learning environment. In addition, we have leveraged our online expertise into affiliations with other educational institutions that lack such online capabilities. Through these affiliations, which have resulted in increased revenue with little additional cost, we provide other institutions our curricula, faculty, consulting and technology services to enable them to deliver academic programs online. We have also created our "Best of Both Worlds - Instructional Delivery Platform™" program that, often in affiliation with foreign educational institutions, distributes our courses over the Internet to students overseas.
Corporate Information
National American University Holdings, Inc., formerly known as Camden Learning Corporation, was organized under the laws of the State of Delaware on April 10, 2007, as a blank check company to acquire one or more domestic or international assets of an operating business in the education industry. On November 23, 2009, as a result of the merger transaction with Dlorah, Inc., a South Dakota corporation, which owns and operates NAU, Dlorah became our wholly owned subsidiary. For accounting purposes, Dlorah was the acquirer and accounted for the transaction as a recapitalization. Accordingly, the financial statements included in this annual report on Form 10-K reflect the results of Dlorah. We conduct substantially all of our business and generate substantially all of our revenue through Dlorah. Our primary business is the operations of National American University, which generated 98.7% of our revenue in fiscal year 2011. We also have multi-family residential real estate operations in Rapid City, South Dakota, which generated 1.3% of our revenue in fiscal year 2011. We maintain a website at www.national.edu . The information on our website is not incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. We make available on our website our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act as soon as reasonably practicable after we electronically file such material with, or furnish it to, the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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Our Core Values
Since our inception, we have been guided by the following core values, which we believe have contributed to our success in obtaining and retaining students and faculty:
| • | provide a caring and supportive learning environment; |
| • | offer high quality instructional programs and services; and |
| • | offer technical and professional career programs. |
These core values have remained our foundation as we expanded from a single education site offering specialized business training to a multi-state diversified educational institution. We promote understanding and support of our mission and core values through participation of students, faculty, staff administrators and the board of governors in the governance and administrative structures of the university. We have adopted and implemented policies and procedures within these structures to ensure that we adhere to our core values and operate with integrity as we fulfill our mission.
Our commitment to these core values is evidenced in the daily interactions among our students, faculty, staff and administrators. The last two biennial comprehensive institutional student surveys conducted in 2007 and 2009 found that the four characteristics receiving the highest student satisfaction rating cumulatively across the university were:
| • | the caring and supportive attitude by faculty toward students; |
| • | the caring and supportive attitude by staff toward students; |
| • | the quality of instruction in the major coursework; and |
| • | the caring and supportive attitude by administration toward students. |
Approach to Academic Quality
We have identified a number of key elements to promote a high level of academic quality, and they include:
Performance based, career-oriented curricula. We create performance-based curricula designed to enable all students to gain the foundational knowledge, professional competencies and demonstrable skills, including technical and technological skills, required to be successful in their chosen fields. We design our curricula to address specific career-oriented objectives we believe working adult and other non-traditional students are seeking. We have invested significant human and financial resources in the implementation of this curricula development to support faculty and students in achieving prescribed student learning outcomes. Our performance-based curricula is designed and delivered by our faculty members who are committed to delivering a high quality, rigorous education to prepare our students for their careers.
Qualified faculty. We seek to hire and retain qualified faculty members with relevant practical experience and the necessary skills to provide a high-quality education for our students. A significant percentage of our current faculty members hold graduate degrees. We often seek faculty members who are able to integrate relevant, practical experiences from their professional careers into the courses they teach. We also invest in the professional development of our faculty members by providing training in campus and online teaching techniques, hosting events and discussion forums that foster sharing of best practices and continually assessing teaching effectiveness through administrative reviews and student evaluations.
Standardized course design. We employ a standardized curriculum development process to promote consistent active learning experiences in our courses. We continue to review our programs in an effort to ensure they remain consistent, up-to-date and effective in producing the desired student learning outcomes. We also regularly review student survey data to identify opportunities for course modifications and enhancements.
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Effective student services. We establish teams of academic and administrative personnel who act as the primary support for our students, beginning at the application stage and continuing through graduation. In recent years, we have also concentrated on improving the technology used to support student learning, including enhancing our online learning platform and student services. As a result, many of our support services, including academic, administrative, library and career services are accessible online, generally allowing users to access these services at a time and in a manner convenient to them.
Continual academic oversight. The academic oversight and assessment functions for all of our programs are conducted through the provost's office and other academic offices, which periodically evaluate the content, delivery method, faculty performance and desired student learning outcomes for our academic programs. We continually assess outcomes data to determine whether our students graduate with the knowledge, competencies and skills necessary to succeed in the workplace. Our provost also initiates and manages periodic examinations of our curricula to evaluate and verify academic program quality and workplace applicability. Based on these processes and student feedback, we determine whether to modify or discontinue programs that do not meet our standards or market needs, or to create new programs.
Board of Governors. We maintain a separate board of governors to oversee the academic mission of the university. Among other things, the board of governors is responsible for determining the mission and purposes of the university, approving educational programs and ensuring the well-being of students, faculty and staff. A majority of the members of the board of governors are independent, and most of the current members have been members of our board of governors for a number of years. The oversight and guidance of our board of governors has been critical to our growth and the maintenance of our academic standards.
Industry and Outlook
In a March 2009 report by the U.S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics, the number of students enrolled in post-secondary institutions was 18.2 million in 2007 and is projected to grow to 20.1 million by 2017. We believe a significant element causing the growth of the post-secondary education market is the growth of online education. The advent of the Internet and the ability to provide quality instruction to students via the Internet has made education available to persons who otherwise might not have time to obtain such education. This is especially true for working adults who often have limited time and resources to devote to education. According to Eduventures Inc., a leading information services company for the education market, online enrollment is projected to grow to 4.0 million students by 2014.
While the post-secondary education market is poised to grow, the post-secondary education industry is also highly competitive and highly fragmented. As of June 2009, there were more than 4,000 colleges and universities in the United States. Of these, there were several hundred non-profit and for-profit educational institutions that operate in the post-secondary education markets in which we operate.
We compete with both for-profit and non-profit career-oriented schools, two-year junior colleges and community colleges. Competition is generally based on location, program offerings, modality, the quality of instruction, placement rates, selectivity of admissions, recruiting and tuition rates. We seek to compete against community colleges by offering more frequent start dates, more flexible hours, better instructional resources, more hands on training, shorter program length and greater assistance with job placement. We also seek to compete against other career schools by focusing on offering high demand, career-oriented programs, providing individual attention to students, and focusing on flexible degrees for working adults and other non-traditional students. We believe we are able to compete effectively in our respective local markets because of the diversity of our program offerings, quality of instruction, the strength of our brand, our reputation and our success in placing students with employers.
We also compete with other institutions that are eligible to receive Title IV program funding. These include four-year, non-profit colleges and universities, community colleges and for-profit institutions, whether they offer programs that are four years, two years or less. Our competition differs in each market depending on the curriculum offered. Also, because schools can often add new programs in a relatively short period of time, typically within six to 12 months, new competitors within an academic program area can emerge quickly.
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Certain institutions have competitive advantages over us. Non-profit and public institutions receive substantial government subsidies, government and foundation grants and tax-deductible contributions and have other financial resources generally not available to for-profit schools. In addition, some of our for-profit competitors have a more extended or dense network of schools and campuses, which may enable them to recruit students more efficiently from a wider geographic area. Furthermore, some of our competitors, including both traditional colleges and universities and other for-profit schools, have substantially greater financial and other resources and name recognition than we have, which may enable them to compete more effectively for potential students. We also expect to face increased competition as a result of new entrants to the online education market, including established colleges and universities that have not previously offered online education programs.
Competitive Strengths
We believe the following strengths enable us to compete effectively in the post-secondary education market:
Our hybrid learning centers allow for greater leverage of assets. Our hybrid learning centers provide students with the convenience of face-to-face interaction with local staff for assistance with their education planning. In addition, these centers provide an opportunity for students to take certain courses at our educational sites while taking the majority of their classes online. This provides students with a more flexible class experience and us with an opportunity to further leverage our fixed assets.
Our nursing and allied health programs. We have developed well-recognized nursing and allied health programs that provide students with an opportunity to obtain a professional degree. We continue to expand these programs and have applied for approval of new baccalaureate nursing programs in New Mexico and Texas. Our current nursing programs include an Associate of Science mobility program, Associate of Science Nursing, generic Bachelor of Science in Nursing, practical nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing, online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science Nursing program and Master of Science Nursing.
Our academic and regulatory excellence. We are regionally accredited through the Higher Learning Commission and are a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools. In addition, many of our programs maintain specialized or programmatic accreditation, including accreditation from the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission, the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education and the American Bar Association.
Our educational affiliations. We began offering online academic programs in 1998, and since then we have developed significant expertise in curricula and technology related to online education. We have leveraged this knowledge by establishing a number of affiliations with other educational institutions. Through these relationships, we provide the curricula, faculty consulting and technology services to these other institutions. We believe these affiliations offer significant opportunities for revenue diversification, asset leverage and revenue growth.
Our commitment to high demand, career-oriented programs. We are committed to offering quality, performance-based educational programs to meet the needs of employers. Our programs are designed to help our students achieve their career objectives in a competitive job market. Our programs are taught by qualified faculty members, who often have practical experience in their respective fields, offering students their "real-world experience" perspectives. We periodically review and assess our programs and faculty to ensure that our programs are current and meet the changing demands of employers.
Our focus on individual attention to students. We believe in providing individual attention to our students to ensure an excellent educational experience. We provide a number of student support services, including administrative, financial aid, library, career and technology support, to help maximize the success of our students. We also provide personal guidance to our students from the admissions and financing stages to the career placement and advising stages.
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Our focus on flexible coursework, degrees and diplomas. We have designed our program offerings and our online delivery platform with flexible scheduling to meet the needs of working adults and other non-traditional students. We offer on-site day, evening and weekend classes, as well as online degree and diploma programs. For even greater scheduling flexibility, our hybrid learning centers offer a blended model of learning that incorporates on-site classes with online classes. We believe working adults and other non-traditional students are attracted to the convenience and flexibility of our programs because they can study and interact with faculty and classmates during times and at places that suit their needs.
Our experienced executive management team with strong operating history. Our executive management team possesses extensive experience in the management and operation of post-secondary education institutions. Our president, Dr. Jerry Gallentine, has worked in the education industry for over 45 years. Throughout his career, Dr. Gallentine has taught various courses as a professor and also served as a president of various higher learning institutions before guiding our growth and development since 1993. Dr. Ronald Shape, our chief executive officer and chief financial officer, began his career in higher education with us in 1991. He began teaching courses in accounting, auditing and finance in 1995. Dr. Shape became our chief fiscal officer in 2002 and our chief executive officer in April 2009. Dr. Samuel Kerr is our provost, secretary and general counsel. Dr. Kerr began his career in the education industry in 1983 as a high school English/Journalism instructor. He also taught education courses for a local college. After graduating from law school, he started his legal practice in 1992, serving in the capacities of special assistant attorney general for South Dakota State University, special assistant attorney general for South Dakota Department of Transportation, and our outside legal counsel. Dr. Kerr is also a faculty member in our graduate school. Venessa D. Green is the chief financial officer of NAU and began her career with NAU in December 2004. Ms. Green has also served as an adjunct faculty member of NAU since December 2006 teaching in both the undergraduate and graduate disciplines. Ms. Green is a licensed certified public accountant in the State of South Dakota and has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and the South Dakota Certified Public Accountant Society since 2007. Michaelle J. Holland is our regional president of NAU - East and Southeast regions. Ms. Holland began her career at NAU in 1991, left NAU to work for Lincoln School of Commerce as its campus president from 1999 to 2002, and then returned back to NAU in June 2002. Lisa L. Knigge is our regional president of NAU - West and Southwest regions. Ms. Knigge has worked for the university since 1991. Dr. Robert A. Paxton was appointed to the president of NAU - Distance Learning in January 2009. From January 1995 to August 2008, Dr. Paxton served as president of Iowa Central Community College. Dr. Paxton served as vice president of instruction of Cowley County Community College and Area Vocational-Technical School, Arkansas City, Kansas, from June 1990 to December 1994 and as dean of student services from July 1988 to June 1990. Scott E. Toothman was appointed as vice president of institutional support and military services for NAU in February 2010. From February 2004 to February 2010, Mr. Toothman was the campus director for NAU's Ellsworth Air Force Base campus. From September 2002 to February 2004, he served as an instructor for NAU. Michael Buckingham was appointed president of our real estate operations in November, 2009. Mr. Buckingham oversees the maintenance of all the campuses in the NAU system, as well as properties being developed by our real estate operations. Mr. Buckingham served as corporate vice president of Dlorah from 1992, and the president of Dlorah's real estate operations from 1988, until the closing of the Dlorah merger.
Business Development and Expansion
Our expansion of academic program offerings has contributed to our growth. In response to workforce and student demand, we have expanded our undergraduate healthcare-related programming and our graduate programs in business and management. We continue to focus on offering a variety of in-demand degree programs in multiple locations and delivery formats. On all levels, we consider changes in student demographics, demand for degree programs and employment outlook in our business development decision-making processes. Our planning process includes long-range planning, feasibility studies, market research and a variety of other research projects involving changing job markets. In that regard, we continue to focus on addressing current societal and economic trends and engaging in appropriate analysis and planning for the programs and markets we seek to develop.
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Since opening our first branch campus in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, in 1974, a central part of our growth strategy has been developing and opening educational sites in vibrant and growing communities with expanding workforces. In 2009, we opened our first hybrid learning center in Minnetonka, Minnesota, that offers blended online and on-campus degree programs. Since then, we have opened several new hybrid learning centers. Although smaller than our traditional educational sites, these hybrid learning centers, in collaboration with our online operations, offer complete programs and services to our students. We believe our significant experience and success in expanding and supporting new educational sites and hybrid learning centers positions us well for continued growth and expansion.
We began offering academic degree and diploma programs online in 1998, through what we refer to as our distance learning campus. We were one of the first regionally accredited universities to be approved by the Higher Learning Commission to offer full degree programs under an Internet-based delivery methodology. We have invested heavily in the creation and evolution of a sophisticated and reliable online delivery system. We have successfully served online students in each of the 50 states and the District of Columbia, as well as internationally. The distance learning campus has grown as an organizational structure, providing a scope of service consistent with the university's other campuses. Careful consideration was afforded to preserving the student-centered philosophy of the university while capitalizing on the technological advancements in online delivery. The organization of the distance learning campus continues to evolve in response to increasing enrollment and the expanding sphere of quality services available to our students.
Recognizing the current and future impact of globalization on higher education, we have worked actively to enroll international students. During the late 1990s, we started developing international affiliations with foreign colleges and universities. Such affiliations provide students from other countries the opportunity to study at universities in the United States to complete their studies. Many academically capable and motivated students from foreign countries desire to take coursework at American colleges or universities but are not able to do so for various reasons, including inadequate financial resources, family and work obligations in their home countries and immigration restrictions. To meet the needs of these students, we have developed relationships with foreign colleges and universities to offer their students an option to combine the curricula of their home country institution with our curricula offered through our online distance learning program so that those students can remain in their home country and attend a local college or university while taking courses offered by an accredited American university, without having to travel to the United States. Our Best of Both Worlds - Instructional Delivery Platform™ strategic initiative was the result of this collaborative work. Over 1,400 international students have graduated from the Best of Both Worlds - Instructional Delivery Platform™ programs over the past seven years. We currently have affiliations with educational institutions in Chile, Bolivia, United Arab Emirates and Greece. Additional international affiliations are being pursued in the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Brazil and China.
Growth Strategies
Expand academic program offerings. We will continue developing and offering new physical and online programs that have attractive characteristics. We launched three new online programs in academic year 2008, including a criminal justice program, and two new online programs in academic year 2009, including a healthcare coding program. Our new program offerings typically build on existing programs and incorporate additional specialized courses, which offer students the opportunity to pursue programs that address their specific educational objectives while allowing us to expand our program offerings with modest incremental investment.
Increase our online academic program offering. We will continue leveraging our physical assets by offering additional academic programs online and encouraging existing and new students to use online services.
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Expand hybrid learning centers . We will continue expanding the number of hybrid learning centers to better meet the needs of existing students as well as to reach new student populations in strategic geographic locations.
Increase enrollment in existing academic programs. We will continue focusing on increasing enrollment in our core academic programs by continuing to refine our marketing and recruiting efforts to identify, enroll and retain students seeking careers in the academic programs we offer. We also will continue focusing on retaining students and helping them to complete the coursework necessary to accomplish their educational goals. We believe that the depth and quality of our existing core programs will provide ample opportunity for additional growth.
Continue to expand our physical presence. We will to continue expanding the number of educational sites and increasing the overall size of our educational sites, as needed, to support growing academic programs, such as nursing.
Further enhance brand recognition. We will seek to increase our name and brand recognition by continuing to use online and other marketing campaigns, establishing strategic brand relationships with recognized industry leaders and developing complementary resources in our core programs. In our marketing efforts, we plan to emphasize the performance-based curricula philosophy and career orientation of our academic programs. We will seek to promote our brand by establishing relationships with industry leaders who have recognizable identities with potential students and further validate the quality and relevance of our program offerings.
Expand relationships with private sector and government employers. We will seek additional relationships with healthcare systems, businesses and other employers, including governmental and military employers, through which we can market our program offerings to their respective employees. In that effort, we have established a national account with CuNet, a company consisting of professionals with significant sales and marketing experience, that seeks to develop strategic relationships on a regional, national and international basis. These relationships provide enrollment opportunities for the university's programs, build recognition among employers in our core disciplines and enable us to identify new degree and diploma programs that are in demand by students and employers.
Leverage infrastructure. We intend to continue making significant investments in our people, processes and technology infrastructure. We believe these investments have prepared us to deliver our academic programs to a larger student population with only modest incremental investment. Our current infrastructure is capable of supporting a larger number of admissions representatives, and we intend to expand this group to further support our continued enrollment growth. Further, we are continuing to expand our learning management system to better serve the demands of our growing student population and have also expanded our student and technology support capabilities to support a larger student base. We have also invested in administrative and management personnel and systems to prepare for our anticipated growth. We intend to leverage these investments as we seek to grow enrollment, which we believe will allow us to increase our operating margins over time.
Continue to expand our educational affiliations. We will continue expanding the number of affiliations we have with other educational institutions in which we provide online program services. These programs meet a substantial need of our affiliates while providing us with additional sources of revenue.
Pursue strategic acquisitions. We will consider acquisitions of educational institutions with the potential for program replication, new areas of study, new markets with attractive growth opportunities, further expansion of our online delivery capability and advanced degree programs.
Accreditation and Program Approvals
We believe the quality of our academic programs is evidenced by the university and program-specific accreditations and approvals we have obtained. We obtained our initial accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission in 1985 for our then-existing Bachelor's degrees. Since then, we have continued to grow and expand by obtaining accrediting commission approval for new geographic sites and graduate degree programs, and by expanding program delivery in international locations in cooperation with in-country institutions of higher learning.
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In addition to institution-wide accreditation, there are numerous specialized accrediting commissions that accredit specific programs or schools within their jurisdiction, particularly in healthcare and professional fields. Accreditation of specific programs by one of these specialized accrediting commissions signifies that those programs have met the additional standards of those agencies. In addition to being accredited by the Higher Learning Commission, we also have a number of specialized accreditations, including the National League of Nursing Accrediting Commission and the International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education. Also, our paralegal program is approved by the American Bar Association. For a list of our institutional and specialized or programmatic accreditation we have obtained and the name of the respective accrediting bodies, see "Regulatory Matters - Accreditation."
We are approved for veteran's training and for administering various educational programs sponsored by federal and state agencies, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Social Security Administration and various state rehabilitation services. We believe our regional accreditation with the Higher Learning Commission and our specialized accreditations and approvals of core programs reflect the quality of and standards we set for our programs.
Programs and Areas of Study
We offer Master of Business Administration, Master of Management, Master of Science in Nursing, Bachelor of Science, Associate of Applied Science and Associate of Science degrees, with a variety of program options leading to each of these degrees. Many of the degree programs offer the opportunity to focus on one or more emphasis areas. We also offer diploma programs consisting of a series of courses focused on a particular area of study for students seeking to enhance their skills and knowledge in the areas of healthcare coding, practical nursing, therapeutic massage and veterinary assisting.
Under the overall leadership of our senior academic affairs personnel and academic deans, as of May 31, 2011, we offered the following academic degree and diploma programs:
| Graduate Degrees | Associate Degrees | |
Master of Business Administration | Accounting | |
Master of Management | Applied Information Technology | |
Master of Science in Nursing | Applied Management | |
| Business Administration | |
Bachelor's Degrees | Criminal Justice | |
Accounting | General Education Studies | |
Applied Management | Health Information Technology | |
Athletic Training | Health and Beauty Management | |
Business Administration with: | Information Technology | |
• Emphasis in Accounting | Medical Administrative Assistant | |
• Emphasis in Financial Management | Medical Assisting | |
• Emphasis in Human Resource Management | Medical Staff Services Management | |
• Emphasis in Information Systems | Network & Server Administration | |
• Emphasis in International Business | Network Administration | |
• Emphasis in Management | Server Administration | |
• Emphasis in Marketing | Nursing | |
• Emphasis in Pre-Law | Associate of Science Nursing Mobility | |
• Emphasis in Tourism and Hospitality Management | Program | |
Criminal Justice | Paralegal Studies | |
Health Care Management | Pharmacy Technician | |
Information Technology with: | Therapeutic Massage | |
• Emphasis in Internet Systems Development | Veterinary Technology | |
• Emphasis in Management Information Systems | ||
• Emphasis in Network Administration/Microsoft | Diplomas | |
• Emphasis in Network Management/Microsoft | Healthcare Coding | |
Applied Information Technology | Practical Nursing | |
Bachelor of Science in Nursing | Therapeutic Massage | |
Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing | Veterinary Assisting | |
Organizational Leadership | ||
Paralegal Studies |
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As an extension of our mission and historical foundation of offering business and business related programming, we began offering our first site-based Master of Business Administration, or MBA, program at the Rapid City educational site in 2000. We expanded the MBA program through online delivery upon Higher Learning Commission approval in 2001. In 2004, we received Higher Learning Commission approval to offer the MBA program through our Best of Both Worlds-Instructional Delivery Platform™ program format in Bolivia, United Arab Emirates, and Chile. In 2006, NAU received Higher Learning Commission approval to offer the Master of Management degree. In 2009, we received Higher Learning Commission approval to offer a Master of Science in Nursing degree program. This growth is expected to continue through measured expansion of graduate programming. Our objective is to seek Higher Learning Commission approval to broaden our Master's degree programs and to begin a Doctor of Management degree program.
We are seeking to expand our programming in healthcare-related fields. Our undergraduate healthcare management program and Master of Management degree with emphasis in healthcare administration were developed to meet the healthcare industry's need for healthcare professionals with strong business and management skills. We developed an Associate of Science in Nursing degree at our Zona Rosa, Kansas; Denver, Colorado; and Overland Park, Kansas, educational sites and Bachelor of Science in Nursing at our Wichita and Overland Park, Kansas; and Sioux Falls and Rapid City, South Dakota, educational sites to respond to the growing nationwide shortage of qualified nurses. We plan to offer additional Bachelor of Science in Nursing degrees at the Bloomington, Minnesota; Austin, Texas; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, educational sites over the next several years. An online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing program is offered through the distance learning campus. We have also developed an Associate of Applied Science in Clinical Laboratory Technician at our Zona Rosa, Missouri site to meet the growing demand of clinical laboratory technicians performing tests to aid physicians in diagnosing and treating patients. Additional allied health programs at the Associate degree level are offered throughout the university based on local demand and workforce needs. With the expansion of undergraduate enrollment in healthcare-related programs and the emerging demand observed from our alumni and other constituencies, we plan to expand our healthcare-related graduate programs. The burgeoning national need for Master's qualified nursing administrators and nursing faculty, along with our experience in developing and delivering nursing programs at the Associate and Bachelor's degree levels, led us to develop a Master of Science in Nursing degree, which was approved by the Higher Learning Commission in 2009.
Affiliate Services
Collaborative Relationships
We work with local businesses and corporations in the geographic areas where our educational sites are located to offer a variety of courses and schedule formats to assist busy professionals. For certain programs, we offer customized courses and schedules and on-site classes. For example, for the nursing programs, we offer clinical experiences on-site at hospitals and other healthcare centers with which we have relationships to allow students to complete their clinical work on-site.
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We also collaborate with a number of local and national entities to provide educational programs that they desire. Examples of these collaborations include military memoranda of understanding and governmental and educational alliances. We currently have separate memoranda of understanding with Ellsworth Air Force Base, South Dakota, and Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, pursuant to which we teach classes at these military facilities that are open to military members, civilian and contract employees and military family members. These arrangements also include our affiliation with the Serviceman's Opportunity College, which was developed in response to the special needs of adult continuing education for people in the armed forces. We have also collaborated with a number of governmental organizations, including several Colorado regional law enforcement organizations.
Affiliations
We have utilized our significant expertise in curricula and online education technology to develop affiliations with a number of higher education institutions in the United States to develop and deliver online courses and programming for their students. We provide courseware development, technical support and online class hosting services to various colleges, technical schools and training institutions in the United States and Canada who do not have the capacity to develop and operate their own in-house online curriculum for their students. We do not share revenues with these institutions, but rather charge a fee for our services, enabling us to generate additional revenue by leveraging our current online program infrastructure. In addition, we have used our online education experience to create Our Best of Both Worlds - Instructional Delivery Platform™ that provides students from certain foreign educational institutions an option to combine the curricula of their home country institution with our curricula. Under this blended instructional option, the host university facilitators work closely with our online faculty and staff providing students with additional resources. Currently, we have affiliations with institutions in Chile, Bolivia, United Arab Emirates and Greece, and we are seeking to develop additional affiliations in the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Brazil and China. Through these affiliations, students are able to remain in their home country and attend a local college or university while studying to earn a degree from an accredited American university.
Associate to Bachelor's Degree Completion Program
Our Associate to Bachelor's degree completion program, also called the 2 + 2 degree completion program in our applied programs, is based on strategic affiliations with various higher education institutions in the United States. This program allows students with an Associate degree to transfer into an applied Bachelor's degree program and into the next phase of their educational goals. With our online delivery format, students are able to set their class schedule so daily activities will be uninterrupted while students complete their Bachelor's degree program.
Educational Sites
Our main educational site and central administration building are located in Rapid City, South Dakota, at 321 Kansas City Street and 5301 S. Hwy 16, Suite 200, respectively. We own our main educational site and lease the central administration building and the remainder of our education sites from third parties.
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The locations of our leased educational sites as of May 31, 2011, were as follows:
| State | Address | Approximate Size | ||||||||||||
| Colorado: | 8242 S. University Blvd., Suite 100 | 4,600 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Centennial, CO 80122-3178 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
1079 Space Center Dr. | 5,500 sq. ft | |||||||||||||
Colorado Springs, CO 80915-3612 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
1915 Jamboree Dr., Suite 185 | 9,300 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Colorado Springs, CO 80920 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
1325 S. Colorado Blvd., Suite 100 | 17,900 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Denver, CO 80222-3308 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Kansas: | 10310 Mastin St. | 25,500 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Overland Park, KS 66212-5451 | ||||||||||||||
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7309 E. 21st St., Suite G-40 | 10,100 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Wichita, KS 67206-1179 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
8428 W. 13 th St. N., Suite 120 | 6,600 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Wichita, KS 67212-2980 | ||||||||||||||
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| Minnesota: | 7801 Metro Parkway, Suite 200 | 20,400 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Bloomington, MN 55425-1536 | ||||||||||||||
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6200 Shingle Creek Parkway, Suite 130 | 14,300 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Brooklyn Center, MN 55430-2131 | ||||||||||||||
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1550 Highway 36 W | 14,800 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Roseville, MN 55113-4035 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
10901 Red Circle Dr., Suite 150 | 5,200 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Minnetonka, MN 55343-4545 | ||||||||||||||
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513 W. Travelers Trail | 6,000 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Burnsville, MN 55337 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Missouri: | 3620 Arrowhead Ave. | 18,300 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Independence, MO 64057-1791 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
7490 NW 87th St. | 16,700 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Kansas City, MO 64153-1934 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
401 N. Murray Rd. | 7,000 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Lee's Summit, MO 64081-1425 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
1030 Wolfrum Rd. | 8,000 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Weldon Springs, MO 63304-7795 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Nebraska: | 3604 Summit Plaza Dr. | 9,500 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Bellevue, NE 68123-1065 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| New Mexico: | 4775 Indian School Rd., NE, Suite 200 | 24,400 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Albuquerque, NM 87110-3976 | ||||||||||||||
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1601 Rio Rancho Blvd., SE, Suite 200 | 3,800 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Rio Rancho, NM 87124-1093 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
| Oklahoma: | 8040 S. Sheridan Rd. | 8,600 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Tulsa, OK 74133-8945 | ||||||||||||||
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| State | Address | Approximate Size | ||||||||||||
| South Dakota: | 1000 Ellsworth St., Suite 2400 | 6,700 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Ellsworth AFB, SD 57706-4943 | ||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||
5801 S. Corporate Place | 22,400 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Sioux Falls, SD 57108-5027 | ||||||||||||||
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925 29th St. SE | 2,500 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Watertown, SD 57201-9123 | ||||||||||||||
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| Texas: | 13801 Burnet Rd., Suite 300 | 20,400 sq. ft. | ||||||||||||
Austin, TX 78727-1281 | ||||||||||||||
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1101 Central Expressway S., Suite 100 | 4,400 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Allen, TX 75013-8062 | ||||||||||||||
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475 State Highway 121 By-pass, Suite 150 | 5,500 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Lewisville, TX 75067-8193 | ||||||||||||||
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18600 LBJ Freeway | 16,816 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Mesquite, TX 75150-5628 | ||||||||||||||
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6800 Westgate Blvd., Suite 101 | 6,300 sq. ft. | |||||||||||||
Austin, TX 78745 | ||||||||||||||
We believe our on-site programs not only offer students, faculty and staff an opportunity to participate in a more traditional college experience, but also provide online students, faculty and staff with a sense of connection to the university. Additionally, on-site faculty play an important role in integrating online faculty into the academic programs and ensuring the overall consistency and quality of the student learning experience. We believe the mix of a growing online program, anchored by on-site programs with a nearly 70-year history and heritage, differentiates the university from most other for-profit post-secondary education institutions.
Faculty and Other Employees
Our faculty includes full-time faculty members, some of whom teach under a nine-month teaching contract, as well as adjunct campus-based and online faculty members who teach on a course-by-course basis for a specified fee. As of May 31, 2011, the university employed approximately 19 full-time and 459 part-time faculty members. Approximately 69.9% of our current faculty members hold a Master's degree in their respective field and approximately 21.3% of our faculty members hold a Doctoral degree.
We follow a specific process for faculty hiring which we have developed over the years. Campus academic deans initiate the recruitment process for full-time faculty. The faculty position description, which includes education, experience requirements and faculty duties, details the knowledge and skills required in successful candidates. Our published standards for faculty members are based on state regulations and regional and specialized accrediting standards, such as those published by state boards of nursing, the Higher Learning Commission, the International Assembly of Collegiate Business Education and the American Bar Association.
We recruit qualified faculty through postings on the university's web site, as well as placement of advertisements in local media and publications. We review official transcripts to validate academic qualifications and faculty vitae to verify academic preparation consistent with the university's qualification guidelines, as well as engagement in relevant professional activities.
As we are a multi-campus institution, we recognize that most efforts to train, evaluate and recognize faculty members must originate at the individual campus level. The campus academic deans are responsible for local orientation and in-service programs for faculty, schedules for faculty appraisal, promotions and merit increase recommendations, as well as formal and informal efforts to retain faculty members. The system academics office and the campus academic deans establish and uphold the university's policies and practices for faculty appraisal. We provide ongoing and meaningful feedback on individual performance to our faculty members for their professional growth and for the continued advancement of the university.
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Retention of quality associate faculty is a priority for us. To promote continuity within this vital teaching core, we have undertaken a number of initiatives to retain associate faculty. First, we have made strides in improving associate faculty compensation over the last four years, and we recognize that additional improvements may be required to attract and retain a qualified faculty. Second, a pilot program is currently underway within distance learning to address the university's goal of establishing a competitive associate faculty compensation plan that is also tied to performance metrics. This associate faculty evaluation model was developed specifically for the unique demands, expectations and requirements of online faculty members and was designed to integrate multiple aspects of appraisal to create a comprehensive analysis of faculty and staff performance.
Faculty and staff are encouraged to actively participate in a variety of academic and non-academic organizations. Faculty members participate in a wide variety of professional associations and activities at the local, state and regional level. We encourage our faculty to stay current on changes and trends within higher education, as well as their respective industries. Participation in professional organizations by faculty and staff bring current information relevant to the university's mission and programming to students and the workplace.
In addition to our faculty, as of May 31, 2011, we employed 722 staff and administrative personnel in university services, academic advising and support, enrollment services, university administration, financial aid, information technology, human resources, corporate accounting, finance and other administrative functions. None of our employees is a party to any collective bargaining or similar agreement with the university.
Marketing, Recruitment and Retention
Marketing. We engage in a range of activities designed to generate awareness among prospective students. Such activities include building strong brand recognition, differentiating us from other educational institutions and stimulating student and alumni referrals. Our online marketing targets working adults focused on program quality, convenience and career advancement goals. Our on-campus marketing targets traditional college students, working adults seeking a high quality education in a traditional college setting and working adults seeking to take classes on-site at their employer's facility. In marketing our programs to prospective students, we emphasize the value of the educational experience and the academic rigor and career orientation of our programs.
Recruitment. Once a prospective student has indicated an interest in enrolling in one of our programs, the university's lead management system identifies and directs an admissions representative to initiate prompt communication. The admissions representative serves as the primary, direct contact for the prospective student, and the representative's goal is to help the student gain sufficient knowledge and understanding of the university's programs so the prospective student can assess whether the university's offerings satisfy his or her goals.
Retention. We utilize a learner services team to support students in advancing from matriculation through attainment of educational goals. The team members monitor various risk factors, such as the failure to buy books for a registered course, lack of attendance or failure to participate in online orientation exercises. Upon identifying an at-risk student, the university can interact with the student to assist him or her in continuing his or her program of study.
Student Support Services
Encouraging students to complete their degree programs is critical to our success. We invest great effort in developing and providing resources that simplify the student enrollment process, acclimate students to our programs and online environment and support the student educational experience. Many of our support services, including academic, administrative and library services, are accessible online, allowing users to access these services at a time and in a manner convenient for them.
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The student support services we provide include:
Academic services. We provide students with a variety of services designed to support their academic studies. We offer students entrance orientation, academic advising, technical support, research services, writing services and tutoring.
Administrative services. We provide students access to a variety of administrative services in person as well as telephonically and via the Internet. For example, students can review class schedules, apply for financial aid, pay tuition and access their unofficial transcripts online. The university's financial service representatives provide personalized online and telephonic support to the students.
Library services. We provide a mix of online and on-campus library resources, services and instruction to support the educational and research endeavors of our students, faculty and staff, including physical and online libraries and online library resources available 24/7.
Career services. For those students seeking to change careers or explore new career opportunities, we offer career services support, including resume review and evaluation, career planning workshops and access to career services information for advice and support.
Technology support services. We provide online technical support to help students remedy technology-related issues. We also provide online tutorials and "Frequently Asked Questions" for students who are new to online coursework.
Admissions
Prospective students are required to complete an application to enroll in our programs. Upon the prospective student's submission of an application, the admissions representative and student services personnel assist the applicant through the admissions process, arranging financial aid by financial services representatives, if needed, and registering for courses and preparing for matriculation. Prospective students also are required to complete placement tests, which enable the university to best serve the student by enrolling him/her in classes to build any missing skills, thereby increasing his/her chances of success.
Applicants to the university's graduate programs must generally have an undergraduate degree from an accredited institution of higher learning in the United States or from an international institution of higher learning recognized by the ministry of education or other appropriate government agency, and
| • | a minimum grade point average of 2.75 achieved for all undergraduate work; |
| • | a minimum grade point average of 2.9 achieved for the last one-half of the credits earned toward a Bachelor's degree; or |
| • | a minimum grade point average of 3.0 in two or more graduate level courses taken at a regionally accredited institution of higher learning or recognized foreign equivalent. |
Undergraduate applicants generally must have graduated from a recognized high school (or the Department of Education accepted equivalent) or submit an official transcript from an accredited higher education institution in the United States indicating completion of a post-secondary education program of at least two years that is acceptable for full credit toward a Bachelor's degree, with a minimum cumulative grade point average of 2.0.
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Enrollment
We have increased our enrollment from approximately 8,800 students as of May 31, 2010, to approximately 10,000 students as of May 31, 2011, representing an annual growth rate of approximately 14%. As of May 31, 2011, we had 4,624 students enrolled in our online programs, 3,751 students enrolled on-campus, and 1,640 students enrolled through our hybrid learning centers. The average age of our students is approximately 34 years.
The following is a summary of our student enrollment at May 31, 2011, and May 31, 2010, by degree type and by instructional delivery method:
| May 31, 2011 | May 31, 2010 | |||||||||||||||
| No. of | % of | No. of | % of | |||||||||||||
| Students | Total | Students | Total | |||||||||||||
Graduate | 385 | 3.8 | % | 335 | 3.8 | % | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
Undergraduate and Diploma | 9,630 | 96.2 | % | 8,423 | 96.2 | % | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
Total | 10,015 | 100.0 | % | 8,758 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| May 31, 2011 | May 31, 2010 | |||||||||||||||
| No. of | % of | No. of | % of | |||||||||||||
| Students | Total | Students | Total | |||||||||||||
Online | 4,624 | 46.2 | % | 3,565 | 40.7 | % | ||||||||||
On-Campus | 3,751 | 37.4 | % | 3,742 | 42.7 | % | ||||||||||
Hybrid | 1,640 | 16.4 | % | 1,451 | 16.6 | % | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
Total | 10,015 | 100.0 | % | 8,758 | 100.0 | % | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
Tuition and Fees
Our tuition rates vary by educational site. Total tuition varies based upon several factors, including the number of credit hours for each program, the degree level of the program, and geographic location.
Our students finance their education through a variety of sources, including government sponsored financial aid, private and NAU provided scholarships, employer provided tuition assistance, veteran's benefits, private loans and cash payments. A substantial portion of our students rely on funds received under various government sponsored student financial aid programs, predominately Title IV programs. In the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, approximately 79%, 76%, and 72%, respectively, of our revenues (calculated on a cash basis) were attributable to funds derived from Title IV programs.
We have a refund policy for tuition and fees based upon semester start dates. If a student drops or withdraws from a course during the first week of classes, 100% of the charges for tuition and fees are refunded, while beyond the first week but during the first 60% of scheduled classes the percentage of tuition charges refunded is based on a daily proration based on a percent of the term completed. If the last day of attendance is beyond 60% of the scheduled classes, tuition and fees are not refunded. Fees charged include an application fee of $25 and specialty and program fees ranging from $45 to $100, depending on the program. A $75 administrative fee is assessed against each prorated refund. A refund minus a $75 administrative fee is made within 45 days of the day the student's withdrawal is determined. If the student was a financial aid recipient, federal regulations establish a methodology for determining the amount of Title IV funds that must be returned to the financial aid programs for students not completing 60% of the enrollment period.
Technology Systems
We remain focused on leveraging the use of technology to increase efficiencies in our academic programs and our general administrative operations. This commitment requires not only institutional budget expenditures, but also orientation and training in the use of this technology.
To service our online teaching we utilize Desire 2 Learn TM , or D2L, an Internet-based learning management system. The features of this product include content display and organization, synchronous and asynchronous chat, private messaging, quizzing, student surveys and assignment submission and student tracking and grading. The system is used to present online courses to both domestic and international students. During fiscal year 2011, we transitioned to the D2L system from a Blackboard Learning System CE TM .
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We have also developed and deployed an Internet-based application called TEAMS to meet the growing needs of our online course delivery. TEAMS closely integrates with the D2L learning management system to allows for automated loading of students into D2L courses and provides a single point to determine student and staff participation in the online courses. This application is designed to utilize the storage capability of a relational database to provide historical and real time information.
Recognizing the need to manage content used in the D2L learning management system, we implemented the Desire2Learn Learning Object Repository™ application to input, organize, manage and display course materials. This application provides an Internet-based, content entry and editing interface that allows content experts to create and edit course content. Additionally, it organizes text, images, documents and multimedia resources in a relational database, allowing the university to more easily identify and re-task existing content for new projects and courses through the use of Meta data. Finally, the application is integrated with the learning management system and is used to display and deliver content seamlessly through D2L to students.
Intellectual Property
We rely on a combination of copyrights, trademarks, service marks, trade secrets, domain names and agreements with third parties to protect our proprietary rights. Through our extensive development of electronic instructional materials, on-campus and online courseware and related processes, we continue to accumulate copyrighted material and know how that has provided the basis for improving quality of instruction, programs and services to our students. Our strategic plan calls for continued and extensive investment in maintaining and expanding these assets.
We rely on trademark and service mark protections in the United States and other countries for our name and distinctive logos, along with various other trademarks and service marks related to specific offerings. We own federal registrations for our principal trademarks, National American University ® and NAU ® in the United States. These marks are important symbols for us and are used on our educational services and educational materials and a range of other items, including clothing and other memorabilia. These brands appear in our advertising and are seen by members of the general public as well as our direct constituents. We also own domain name rights to "national.edu" and other derivatives of that name, as well as a number of "nau" related domain names.
We publish intellectual property policies in our faculty handbook and our employee handbook that outline the ownership of creative works and inventions produced by employees within the scope of their employment, compliance with copyright law and the use of our copyrighted materials. When we hire content experts to develop curriculum, they receive a copy of our Copyright Fundamentals for Online Course Developers for review prior to project initiation. We also require them to execute our standard agreement to confirm that all materials created under the scope of the work become our exclusive intellectual property. These agreements also require the curriculum developer to comply with all laws or regulations related to copyright and the use of copyrighted materials.
Real Estate Operations
Our real estate business conducts business through various projects and associations, including Fairway Hills I and II, Park West, Vista Park, Fairway Hills Park and Recreational Association, the Vista Park Homeowners' Association and the Park West Homeowners' Association. Fairway Hills I and Fairway Hills II are apartment buildings consisting of a total of 52 rental apartments of which approximately 92% were leased as of May 31, 2011. Park West consists of 48 apartment units and is owned by a partnership that is 50% owned by us and 50% owned by members of the Buckingham family (including Robert Buckingham, chairman of our board of directors, and his siblings and the spouses and estates of his siblings). Park West apartment units are being converted to, and sold as, condominiums. While the conversion of the Park West building is not yet complete, as of May 31, 2011, five of the 48 available units in Park West have been sold. Currently, prices for Park West condominium units start at $139,000.
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In addition, in 2008, we began construction of a condominium development called Vista Park. Fairway Hills completed construction of a 24-unit condominium complex known as Vista Park Phase I by May 31, 2010, and has sold nine of the available units. Prices for Vista Park condominium units start at $149,000. We currently have plans to build three additional condominium complexes (Phases II, III and IV) in Vista Park, but construction of these additional phases is not expected to begin until after the sale of a substantial number of the currently available condominiums in Vista Park Phase I. In total, and upon completion of all four phases of development, the Vista Park condominium complexes would consist of 96 condominium units.
In connection with the development of Vista Park and the conversion of Park West apartments, Fairway Hills has created two new homeowners' associations, the Vista Park Homeowner's Association and the Park West Homeowner's Association, each of which is a non-profit corporation, to manage and sell the condominiums. In addition, the Fairway Hills Park and Recreational Association, which is also a non-profit corporation, was created to operate as a homeowner's association covering substantially all of the Fairway Hills development.
Environmental
Our facilities and operations are subject to a variety of environmental laws and regulations governing, among other things, the use, storage and disposal of solid and hazardous substances and waste, and the clean-up of contamination at our facilities or off-site locations to which we send or have sent waste for disposal. We are also required to obtain permits for air emissions, and to meet operational and maintenance requirements. If we do not maintain compliance with any of these laws and regulations, or are responsible for a spill or release of hazardous materials, we could incur significant costs for clean-up, damages, and fines or penalties.
Compliance with Applicable Laws
We seek to comply with applicable local, state and federal laws and regulations under the oversight of our general counsel and the efforts of administrative staff members who implement compliance policies and procedures.
In that regard, we maintain a comprehensive institutional compliance program that integrates and coordinates all significant requirements with which the university must comply by law, regulation or other binding rule or agreement. Under the program, we have:
| • | Designated a university compliance officer; |
| • | Created a university compliance committee made up of representatives of major internal departments and headed by the university compliance officer; |
| • | Implemented a program to monitor compliance and, when gaps or violations occur, to develop responses to correct deficiencies in a timely manner; |
| • | Established and communicated institutional principles designed to deter wrongdoing and to promote honest and ethical conduct; |
| • | Developed communication policies and procedures; and | ||
| • | Ensured the appropriate university department/governing body has identified appropriate disciplinary sanctions and has applied those sanctions when infractions occur. |
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Further, audits are periodically conducted to ensure compliance with applicable laws, including the following:
| • | Federal Title IV student financial assistance program compliance attestation examinations are conducted annually to determine compliance and to identify any deficiencies requiring correction; |
| • | An audit of 401(k) retirement plans is conducted annually for compliance with applicable laws and fiduciary duties; and |
| • | Annual financial statements and our internal controls over financial reporting are audited by an independent auditor. |
REGULATORY MATTERS
We are subject to extensive regulation by state education agencies, accrediting commissions and the United States federal government through the Department of Education under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, or the Higher Education Act. The regulations, standards and policies of these agencies cover substantially all of our operations, including the educational programs, facilities, instructional and administrative staff, administrative procedures, marketing, recruiting, finances, results of operations and financial condition.
As an institution of higher education that grants degrees and diplomas, we are required to be authorized by appropriate state education authorities. In addition, to participate in the federal programs of student financial assistance for our students, we are required to be accredited by an accrediting commission recognized by the Department of Education. Accreditation is a non-governmental process through which an institution submits to qualitative review by an organization of peer institutions, based on the standards of the accrediting commission and the stated aims and purposes of the institution. The Higher Education Act requires accrediting commissions recognized by the Department of Education to review and monitor many aspects of an institution's operations and to take appropriate action if the institution fails to meet the accrediting commission's standards.
Our operations are also subject to regulation by the Department of Education due to our participation in Title IV programs. Prior to July 1, 2010, Title IV programs included educational loans provided directly by the federal government, grant programs for students with demonstrated financial need, and educational loans issued by private banks with below-market interest rates that are guaranteed by the federal government in the event of a student's default on repaying the loan. As of July 1, 2010, all educational loans under Title IV are provided directly by the federal government. To participate in Title IV programs, a school must receive and maintain authorization by the appropriate state education agency or agencies, be accredited by an accrediting commission recognized by the Department of Education and be certified as an eligible institution by the Department of Education.
We plan and implement our business activities to comply with the standards of these regulatory agencies. Our chief executive officer, chief financial officer, and general counsel also provide oversight designed to ensure that we meet the requirements of this regulatory environment.
State Education Licensure and Regulation
We are subject to extensive regulations by the states in which we are authorized or licensed to operate. State laws and regulations typically establish standards in areas such as instruction, qualifications of faculty, administrative procedures, marketing, recruiting, financial operations and other operational matters, which can be different than and conflict with the requirements of the Department of Education and other applicable regulatory bodies. State laws and regulations may limit our ability to offer educational programs and offer certain degrees. Some states may also prescribe financial regulations that are different from those of the Department of Education and many require the posting of surety bonds. If we fail to comply with state licensing requirements, we may lose our state licensure or authorizations. If we lose state licensure in a state in which we have a physical location, or in a state where we are required to maintain authorization for distance education activities, we would also lose Title IV eligibility in that state.
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In addition, several states have sought to assert jurisdiction over educational institutions offering online degree programs that have no physical location or other presence in the state but that have some activity in the state, such as enrolling or offering educational services to students who reside in the state, employing faculty who reside in the state or advertising to or recruiting prospective students in the state. State regulatory requirements for online education vary among the states, are not well developed in many states, are imprecise or unclear in some states and can change frequently. Because we enroll students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we expect that other state regulatory authorities may request that we seek licensure or authorization in their states in the future. If we are found not to be in compliance with state requirements for online learning, and a state seeks to restrict one or more of our business activities within its boundaries, we may not be able to recruit students from that state and may have to cease providing educational programs to students in that state. New Laws, regulations or interpretations related to doing business over the Internet could increase our cost of doing business and affect our ability to recruit students in particular states, which could, in turn, adversely affect enrollments and revenues and have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are also required by the Higher Education Act to be authorized by applicable state educational agencies in South Dakota and other states where we are located to participate in Title IV programs. Historically, the Department of Education has determined that an institution is authorized for the purpose of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs if the institution's state does not require the institution to obtain licensure or authorization to operate in the state. In June 2010, the Department of Education proposed new regulations, referred to as the June NPRM, pertaining to state authorization, among other things. The proposed regulations reflected the Department of Education's view that a state is expected to take an active role in approving an institution, and that a state should not defer all, or nearly all, of its oversight responsibilities to accrediting agencies for approval of institutions. On October 29, 2010, the Department of Education published final regulations, referred to as the Final Rules, which became effective on July 1, 2011. See "Regulatory Matters -Regulation of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs - State Authorization."
We do not believe that any of the states in which we are currently licensed or authorized, other than South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, are individually material to our operations. Although we believe that we will be able to comply with additional state licensing or authorization requirements that may arise or be asserted in the future, if we fail to comply with state licensing or authorization requirements for a state, or fail to obtain licenses or authorizations when required, we could lose our state licensure or authorization by that state, which could prohibit us from recruiting prospective students or offering services to current students in that state. We could also be subject to other sanctions, including restrictions on activities in that state, fines and penalties. The loss of licensure or authorization in certain states could prohibit us from recruiting prospective students or offering services to current students in that state, which could significantly reduce our enrollments.
State Professional Licensure
Many states have specific licensure requirements that an individual must satisfy to be licensed as a professional in specified fields, including fields such as education and healthcare. These requirements vary by state and by field. A student's success in obtaining licensure following graduation typically depends on several factors, including the background and qualifications of the individual graduate, as well as the following factors, among others:
| • | whether the institution and the program were approved by the state in which the graduate seeks licensure, or by a professional association; |
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| • | whether the program from which the student graduated meets all requirements for professional licensure in that state; |
| • | whether the institution and the program are accredited and, if so, by what accrediting commissions; and |
| • | whether the institution's degrees are recognized by other states in which a student may seek to work. |
Many states also require that graduates pass a state test or examination as a prerequisite to becoming certified in certain fields, such as teaching and nursing. Many states also may require a criminal background clearance before granting certain professional licensures or certifications. Our catalog informs students that it is incumbent upon the student to verify whether a specific criminal background clearance is required in their field of study prior to beginning course work.
Accreditation
We have been institutionally accredited since 1985 by the Higher Learning Commission, a regional accrediting commission recognized by the Department of Education. Our accreditation was reaffirmed in 2008 for the maximum term of 10 years as part of a regularly scheduled reaffirmation process. In May 2010, a three-person team from the HLC visited the university's central administration offices in Rapid City, South Dakota, in response to the university's change request in connection with the November 2009 merger with Camden. The change of control request was approved with a visit scheduled in 2014-15. Accreditation is a private, non-governmental process for evaluating the quality of educational institutions and their programs in areas, including student performance, governance, integrity, educational quality, faculty, physical resources, administrative capability and resources and financial stability. To be recognized by the Department of Education, accrediting commissions must comply with Department of Education regulations, which require, among other things, that accrediting agencies adopt specific standards for their review of educational institutions, conduct peer review evaluations of institutions and publicly designate those institutions that meet their criteria. An accredited school is subject to periodic review by its accrediting commissions to determine whether it continues to meet the performance, integrity and quality required for accreditation.
There are six regional accrediting commissions recognized by the Department of Education, each with a specified geographic scope of coverage, which together cover the entire United States. Most traditional, public and private non-profit, degree-granting colleges and universities are accredited by one of these six regional accrediting commissions. The Higher Learning Commission, which accredits us, is the same regional accrediting commission that accredits other degree-granting public and private colleges and universities in the states of Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, West Virginia, Wisconsin and Wyoming.
Accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission is important to us for several reasons, one being that it enables our students to receive Title IV financial aid. Other colleges and universities depend, in part, on an institution's accreditation in evaluating transfers of credit and applications to graduate schools. Employers rely on the accredited status of institutions when evaluating candidates' credentials, and students and corporate and government sponsors under tuition reimbursement programs consider accreditation as assurance that an institution maintains quality educational standards. If we fail to satisfy the standards of the Higher Learning Commission, we could lose our accreditation by that agency, which would cause us to lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
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The reauthorization of the Higher Education Act in 2008, and final regulations issued by the Department of Education, in October of 2009, which became effective July 1, 2010, require accrediting commissions to monitor the growth of institutions that they accredit. The Higher Learning Commission requires all affiliated institutions, including us, to complete an annual data report. If the non-financial data, particularly enrollment information, and any other information submitted by the institution indicate problems, rapid change or significant growth, the Higher Learning Commission staff may require that the institution address any concerns arising from the data report in the next self-study and visit process or may recommend additional monitoring. In addition, the Department of Education issued regulations, which took effect on July 1, 2010, that require the Higher Learning Commission to notify the Department of Education if an institution accredited by the Higher Learning Commission that offers distance learning programs, such as us, experiences an increase in its headcount enrollment of 50% or more in any fiscal year. The Department of Education may consider that information in connection with its own regulatory oversight activities.
In December 2009, the Department of Education Office of Inspector General, or Office of Inspector General, issued an "Alert Memorandum," calling into question the Higher Learning Commission's compliance with the applicable Department of Education regulations related to the Higher Learning Commission's status as recognized by the Department of Education. Specifically, in matters unrelated to us, the Office of Inspector General asserted that the Higher Learning Commission did not make appropriate assessments as to credit hours with respect to the distance education programs of one of the Higher Learning Commission's accredited institutions and, as such, the Office of Inspector General recommended that the Department of Education take action to determine whether the Higher Learning Commission is in compliance with federal regulations related to the recognition of accrediting agencies and, if not, to take action to limit, suspend, or terminate the Higher Learning Commission's recognition by the Department of Education. Additionally, in May 2010, the Office of Inspector General issued a management report to the Higher Learning commission in which the Office of Inspector General found that the Higher Learning Commission does not have an established definition of credit hour or minimum requirements for program length and the assignment of credit hours, which the Office of Inspector General asserted could result in inflated credit hours, the improper designation of full-time student status, and the over-awarding of Title IV program funds. At this point, we do not know if this matter will be resolved and we are unable to speculate as to the impact on us or other institutions accredited by the Higher Learning Commission if the Higher Learning Commission's recognition as an accrediting commission were to be limited, suspended, or terminated by the Department of Education.
In addition to institution-wide accreditation, there are numerous specialized accrediting commissions that accredit specific programs or schools within their jurisdiction, many of which are in healthcare and professional fields. Accreditation of specific programs by one of these specialized accrediting commissions signifies that those programs have met the additional standards of those agencies. In addition to being accredited by the Higher Learning Commission at the institutional level, we also had the following specialized accreditations as of May 31, 2011:
| Specialized or Programmatic Accreditation | Accrediting Body | |
Athletic Training (Rapid City, South Dakota campus) | Commission on Accreditation of Athletic Training Education - on probation (1) | |
| ||
Business Degree Programs (Associate of Applied Science, Bachelor of Science, Master of Management, Master of Business Administration degrees) | International Assembly for Collegiate Business Education | |
| ||
Medical Assisting (Albuquerque, New Mexico; Bloomington, Minnesota; Colorado Springs, Colorado; Denver, Colorado; Independence, Missouri; Overland Park; Kansas; Roseville, Minnesota; Sioux Falls; South Dakota campuses) | Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs | |
| ||
Pharmacy Tech (Roseville, Minnesota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota campuses) | American Society of Health-System Pharmacists | |
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Veterinary Technology (Rapid City, South Dakota campus) | Committee on Veterinary Technician Education and Activities | |
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Practical Nursing Diploma (Overland Park, Kansas campus) | Kansas State Board of Nursing Approval | |
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Associate of Science in Nursing Mobility (Overland Park, Kansas campus) | Kansas State Board of Nursing Approval |
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| Specialized or Programmatic Accreditation | Accrediting Body | |
Associate of Science Nursing Program (Zona Rosa, Missouri campus) | Missouri Board of Nursing Approval | |
| ||
Associate of Science Nursing Program (Denver, Colorado campus) | Colorado Board of Nursing Approval | |
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Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (Bloomington, Minnesota campus) | Minnesota Board of Nursing | |
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Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (Rapid City, South Dakota; Sioux Falls, South Dakota campuses) | South Dakota Board of Nursing Interim Approval | |
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Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (Overland Park, Kansas campus) | Kansas State Board of Nursing Initial Approval | |
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Online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (Distance Learning) | South Dakota Board of Nursing Approval | |
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Associate of Science in Nursing Program (Zona Rosa, Missouri campus) | National League for Nursing Accreditation Commission Initial Approval | |
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Online Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing Program (Distance Learning) | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Initial Accreditation | |
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Master of Science in Nursing (Distance Learning) | Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education Initial Accreditation |
| (1) | The university has requested a voluntary withdrawal of accreditation with CAATE effective August 31, 2012, for its athletic training program as this program will be discontinued. In that regard, the program remains on probation with additional evidence of compliance with certain standards to be submitted to CAATE by December 2011. |
The Standing Committee on Paralegals of the American Bar Association approves our paralegal studies program offered in Rapid City, South Dakota.
If we fail to satisfy the standards of any of these specialized accrediting commissions, we could lose the specialized accreditation for the affected programs, which could result in materially reduced student enrollments in those programs.
Regulation of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs
To be eligible to participate in Title IV programs, an institution must comply with specific requirements contained in the Higher Education Act and the regulations issued thereunder by the Department of Education. An institution must, among other things, be licensed or authorized to offer its educational programs by the state or states in which it is physically located (in our case, South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas) and maintain institutional accreditation by an accrediting commission recognized by the Department of Education.
The substantial amount of federal funds disbursed to schools through Title IV programs, the large number of students and institutions participating in these programs and allegations of fraud and abuse by certain for-profit educational institutions have caused Congress to require the Department of Education to exercise considerable regulatory oversight over for-profit educational institutions. As a result, for-profit educational institutions, including ours, are subject to extensive oversight and review. Because the Department of Education periodically revises its regulations and changes its interpretations of existing laws and regulations, we cannot predict with certainty how the Title IV program requirements will be applied in all circumstances.
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Significant factors relating to Title IV programs that could adversely affect us include the following:
Congressional action and changes in Department of Education regulations. Congress must reauthorize the Higher Education Act on a periodic basis, usually every five to six years, and the most recent reauthorization occurred in August 2008. The reauthorized Higher Education Act reauthorized all of Title IV programs in which we participate, but made numerous revisions to the requirements governing Title IV programs, including provisions relating to the relationships between institutions and lenders that make student loans, student loan default rates and the formula for revenue that institutions are permitted to derive from Title IV programs. On March 30, 2010, the President signed the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010, which, among other things, eliminated the Federal Family Educational Loan, or FFEL, program (in which private lenders originated Title IV loans) in favor of the Federal Direct Loan program (in which the Department of Education originates Title IV loans), such that no FFEL loans will be originated after June 30, 2010. We are approved to participate in the Federal Direct Loan program and fully transitioned from the FFEL program to the Federal Direct Loan program as of July 1, 2010. Any disruption in our ability to process student loans through the Federal Direct Loan program, the elimination of certain Title IV programs, material changes in the requirements for participation in such programs or the substitution of materially different programs could increase our costs of compliance and could reduce the ability of some of our students to finance their education.
In addition, Congress must determine the funding levels for Title IV programs on an annual basis through the budget and appropriations process. A reduction in federal funding levels for Title IV programs could reduce the ability of some students to finance their education. The loss of or a significant reduction in Title IV program funds available to our students could reduce our enrollments and revenue and have a material adverse effect on our business.
Recently, Congress has placed increased focus on the role that for-profit educational institutions play in higher education. For example, on June 17, 2010, the Education and Labor Committee of the House of Representatives held a hearing to examine the manner in which accrediting agencies review higher education institutions' policies on credit hours and program length. On June 24, 2010, the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee of the Senate, or the Senate Committee, released a report entitled "Emerging Risk?: An Overview of Growth, Spending, Student Debt and Unanswered Questions in For-Profit Higher Education" and held the first in a series of hearings to examine the proprietary education sector. On August 4, 2010, the Senate Committee held an additional hearing in its series, focusing on student recruiting at for-profit schools. Earlier, on June 21, the Chairmen of each of these education committees, together with other members of Congress, requested the Government Accountability Office, or the GAO, to conduct a review and prepare a report with recommendations regarding various aspects of the proprietary sector, including recruitment practices, educational quality, student outcomes, the sufficiency of integrity safeguards against waste, fraud and abuse in federal student aid programs and the degree to which proprietary institutions' revenue is composed of Title IV and other federal funding sources. On August 4, 2010, the GAO released a report entitled "For-Profit Colleges: Undercover Testing Finds Colleges Encouraged Fraud and Engaged in Deceptive Marketing Practices." These hearings and the GAO review are not formally related to the Department of Education's program integrity rulemaking process regarding program integrity issues, which are described above, but could lead to new or additional regulatory focus on the requirements affecting for-profit educational institutions.
On August 5, 2010, we received a request for information from the Senate Committee relating to its ongoing hearings relating to for-profit colleges receiving Title IV student financial aid. It is our understanding, based on communication from Senator Harkin, chairman of the Senate Committee, that this request was extended to 30 proprietary educational institutions. The request sought information to more accurately understand how we use Federal resources, including how we recruit and enroll students, set program price or tuition, determine financial aid including private or institutional loans, track attendance, handle withdrawal of students and return of Title IV dollars and manage compliance with the requirement that no more than 90% of revenues come from Title IV dollars. The request also sought an understanding of the number of students who complete or graduate from programs offered by us, how many of those students find new work in their educational area, the debt levels of students enrolling and completing programs and how we track and manage the number of students who risk default within the cohort default rate window. In furtherance of this, the Senate Committee requested that we provide information about a broad spectrum of our business, including detailed information relating to financial results, management, operations, personnel, recruiting, enrollment, graduation, student withdrawals, receipt of Title IV funds, institutional accreditation, regulatory compliance and other matters. We cooperated with the Senate Committee's
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request and endeavored to provide the requested information in a manner that does not compromise our sensitive proprietary operating and other information. Based on the information provided by proprietary educational institutions in response to the Senate Committee's request, the Senate Committee released a report entitled "The Return on the Federal Investment in For-Profit Education: Debt Without a Diploma." On December 8, 2010, Senator Harkin's staff released a memorandum entitled "Benefitting Whom? For-Profit Education Companies and the Growth of Military Educational Benefits." On May 19, 2011, Senator Harkin spoke on the Senate floor regarding marketing practices employed by for-profit colleges with respect to veterans. On June 7, 2011, the Senate Committee held another hearing on financial outcomes of students at for-profit colleges. Additional hearings in the future by these committees may continue to increase Congressional focus on for-profit educational institutions.
We cannot predict whether, or the extent to which, these hearings and review will result in legislation or further rulemaking affecting our participation in Title IV programs. To the extent that any laws or regulations are adopted that limit our participation in Title IV programs or the amount of student financial aid for which the students at our institutions are eligible, our enrollments, revenues and results of operation could be materially and adversely affected.
On June 18, 2010, the Department of Education published the June NPRM related to a number of Title IV program integrity issues. The June NPRM addressed each of the 14 topics discussed at the negotiated rulemaking sessions held in November 2009, December 2009 and January 2010, including, among others, the definition of a high school diploma for the purposes of establishing institutional eligibility to participate in Title IV programs and student eligibility to receive Title IV aid, standards regarding the payment of incentive compensation, establishing requirements for institutions to submit information on program completers for programs that prepare students for gainful employment in recognized occupations, revising the definition of what constitutes a "substantial misrepresentation" made by an institution, standards regarding the sufficiency of a state's authorization of an institution for the purpose of establishing an institution's eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, and the definition of a credit hour for purposes of determining program eligibility for Title IV student financial aid. On July 26, 2010, the Department of Education published in the Federal Register another Notice of Proposed Rulemaking, referred to as the July NPRM, related to a definition of "gainful employment" for purposes of determining whether certain educational programs comply with the Title IV requirement of preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. On October 29 2010, the Department of Education published the Final Rules pertaining to the Title IV program integrity issues, addressing all 14 topics addressed in the June NPRM and the July NPRM, other than sections of the proposed definition of "gainful employment," as discussed below. The Final Rules became effective July 1, 2011, except for rules pertaining to verification and updating of student aid application information. On June 13, 2011, the Department of Education published final regulations defining the meaning of "gainful employment", referred to as the Gainful Employment Rule, which is effective July 1, 2012. Compliance with these and other new and changing regulations could reduce our enrollments, increase our cost of doing business, and have a material adverse effect on our business. Although we are still in the process of reviewing these final regulations to determine what, if any, impact they may have on our business and institutions, we believe the following regulations are likely to have the most impact on our business:
Incentive compensation. An educational institution that participates in Title IV programs may not make any commission, bonus or other incentive payments to any persons or entities involved in recruitment or admissions activities or in the awarding of financial aid. Historically, the Department of Education has recognized 12 "safe harbor" provisions that specify certain activities and arrangements that were deemed to be permissible incentive compensation. In the Final Rules published by the Department of Education on October 29, 2010, effective July 1, 2011, these 12 safe harbors are eliminated. The Department of Education effectively has taken the position that any commission, bonus or other incentive compensation based in any part, directly or indirectly, or securing enrollment or awarding financial aid is inconsistent with the prohibition against incentive compensation payment in the Higher Education Act. The Department of Education contends that institutions do not need to rely on these safe harbors and can instead determine if compensation is permissible under the Higher Education Act by considering (1) whether it is a commission, bonus or
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other incentive payment (meaning an award of money or something of value, other than a fixed salary or wages), paid or given for services rendered and (2) if so, whether that commission, bonus or other incentive payment is given to a person based in any part, directly or indirectly, upon securing enrollments or awarding financial aid. The prohibition against incentive compensation applies to any person engaged in student recruitment or admissions activities or in making financial aid award decisions, and any higher level employees with responsibility for such activities.
In the Final Rules, the Department of Education has maintained that institutions may make merit-based adjustments to employee compensation, provided that those adjustments are not based, in any part, directly or indirectly, upon securing enrollments or awarding financial aid. Among other examples, the Department of Education provides guidance that an institution may maintain a hierarchy of enrollment personnel with varying levels of responsibility and salary scales that reflect added amounts of responsibility, that an institution may promote personnel based on merit, and that an institution may make compensation decisions based on seniority or length of employment, provided that such decisions are consistent with the prohibition on incentive compensation. In a "Dear Colleague" letter issued on March 17, 2011, the Department of Education provided additional guidance regarding the scope of the prohibition on incentive compensation and to what employees and types of activities the prohibition applies. We have modified some of our compensation practices as a result of the elimination of the safe harbors. These changes in our compensation practices could (1) reduce the effectiveness of our employees, and make it more difficult for us to attract and retain staff with the desired talent and motivation to succeed and (2) impair our ability to sustain and grow our business. This could also increase marketing costs and reduce revenues if we are unable to maintain or increase student enrollments.
In addition, in recent years, other postsecondary educational institutions have been named as defendants to whistleblower lawsuits, known as "qui tam" cases, brought by current or former employees pursuant to the Federal False Claims Act, alleging that their institution's compensation practices did not comply with the incentive compensation rule. A qui tam case is a civil lawsuit brought by one or more individuals, referred to as a relator, on behalf of the federal government for an alleged submission to the government of a false claim for payment. The relator, often a current or former employee, is entitled to a share of the government's recovery in the case, including the possibility of treble damages. A qui tam action is always filed under seal and remains under seal until the government decides whether to intervene in the case. If the government intervenes, it takes over primary control of the litigation. If the government declines to intervene in the case, the relator may nonetheless elect to continue to pursue the litigation at his or her own expense on behalf of the government. Any such litigation could be costly and could divert management's time and attention away from the business, regardless of whether a claim has merit.
State Authorization. To be eligible to participate in Title IV programs, an institution must be licensed or authorized to offer its educational programs by the states in which it is physically located, in accordance with the Department of Education's regulations. In South Dakota, where our operations are headquartered and we maintain several physical facilities, the state currently does not specifically regulate or authorize the degrees or other educational programs of private, regionally accredited institutions of higher education. In addition to South Dakota, we operate physical facilities offering educational programs in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In each of these states, we either maintain authorization or have received written confirmation that no express authorization is required from pertinent state educational agencies to offer our educational programs. Notwithstanding the nature of our past or current authorizations by the states in which we are located, the Department of Education's Final Rules clarify what is required for an institution to be considered "legally authorized" in a state for purpose of participation in Title IV programs. Specifically, the Final Rules provide that, effective July 1, 2011, the Department of Education would consider an institution to be legally authorized by a state if the state has a process, applicable to all institutions except tribal and federal institutions, to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution and to enforce applicable state laws, and the institution further satisfies one of the following requirements:
| • | The state establishes the institution by name as an educational institution by charter, statute, constitutional provision or other action issued by an appropriate state agency or state entity, and the institution is authorized to operate educational programs beyond secondary education, including programs leading to a certificate or degree; |
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| • | The institution complies with applicable state approval or licensure requirements, except that a state may exempt an institution from any such requirement based on (1) the institution's accreditation by one or more accrediting agencies recognized by the Department of Education or (2) the institution being in operation for at least 20 years; and |
| • | The state has a process, applicable to all institutions except federal and tribal institutions, to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution and applicable state laws. |
Under the Final Rules, institutions unable to obtain state authorization in a state under the above requirements may request a one-year extension of the effective date of the regulation to July 1, 2012, and if necessary, an additional one-year extension of the effective date to July 1, 2013. To receive an extension of the effective date, an institution must obtain from the state an explanation of how a one-year extension will permit the state to modify its procedures to comply with the regulations. In South Dakota, where our operations are headquartered, the state currently does not specifically regulate or authorize the degrees or other educational programs of private, regionally accredited institutions of higher education. We therefore believe the Department of Education may not consider NAU, or other private, regionally accredited institutions in South Dakota, to be legally authorized in the state for the purposes of participation in the Title IV programs, and that South Dakota likely will need to revise its state laws and regulations to permit NAU to be in compliance with the Final Rules. Based on communications with the South Dakota Secretary of State, we have requested the Department of Education provide a one-year extension of the application of its revised state authorization regulations to NAU, pursuant to guidance provided by the Department in the Federal Register preamble to the Final Rules. If the Department of Education were to determine that NAU is not sufficiently authorized by South Dakota and not provide such an extension, we could lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. If South Dakota were to enact legislation or regulations to regulate private, regionally accredited institutions of higher education, including us, the failure by us to obtain and maintain any required authorization to operate and offer educational programs in South Dakota would similarly cause us to lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. Additionally, if South Dakota were to fail to enact such legislation or regulations, or failed to enact legislation or regulations that, when considered by the Department of Education, did not permit NAU to be in compliance with the new federal regulation on state authorization, we would not be considered by the Department of Education to be legally authorized in South Dakota, which would cause us to lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
In addition to South Dakota, we operate physical facilities offering educational programs in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, and Texas. In each of these states, we either maintain authorization or historically have received written confirmation that no express authorization is required from pertinent state educational agencies to offer our educational programs. Where required under applicable law, these authorizations from state educational agencies are very important to us. To maintain requisite state authorizations, we are required to continuously meet standards relating to, among other things, educational programs, facilities, instructional and administrative staff, marketing and recruitment, financial operations, addition of new locations and educational programs and various operational and administrative procedures. Failure to comply with applicable requirements of the state educational agencies in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas could result in us losing our authorization to offer educational programs in the applicable states. If that were to occur, the applicable state educational agency could force us to cease operations in their state. Even if the applicable state educational agency does not require the university to cease operations on an immediate basis, the loss of authorization by the state educational agency in such state would then cause our campuses in such state to lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, and such loss of Title IV program eligibility could force us to cease operations in such state. Alternatively, the state educational licensing agencies could restrict our ability to offer certain degree programs. Additionally, if the Department of Education were to determine that our authorizations in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas did not satisfy the state authorization requirements of the Final Rules, the campuses in the relevant states could lose their eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, and such loss of Title IV program eligibility could force us to cease operations in such state.
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Our activities in certain other states constitute a presence requiring licensure or authorization under the requirements of the state education agency in those states, even though we do not have a physical facility in such states. Therefore, in addition to South Dakota, Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma and Texas, where we maintain physical facilities, we have obtained such approvals as we have determined to be necessary in connection with our activities in such other states. We review the licensure requirements of other states when appropriate to determine whether our activities in those states constitute a presence or otherwise require licensure or authorization by the respective state education agencies.
In addition, several states have sought to assert jurisdiction over educational institutions offering online degree programs that have no physical location or other presence in the state but that have some activity in the state, such as enrolling or offering educational services to students who reside in the state, employing faculty who reside in the state or advertising to or recruiting prospective students in the state. The Final Rules provide that if an institution is offering postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a state in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to state jurisdiction as determined by the state, the institution must meet any state requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education to students in that state. Additionally, upon request by the Department of Education, an institution must be able to document that it has the applicable state approval. State regulatory requirements for online education vary among the states, are not well developed in many states, are imprecise or unclear in some states and can change frequently. Because we enroll students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we expect that other state regulatory authorities may request that we seek licensure or authorization in their states in the future. We are in the process of contacting certain states to gain additional information and clarification on the regulatory requirements for online learning in those states. On July 12, 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated those provisions of the Final Rules that require an institution, for Title IV program purposes, to meet any state requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education to students in that state. The court determined that the Department of Education failed to provide prior notice of this aspect of the Final Rules during the rulemaking process, and thus violated the Administrative Procedures Act. The court therefore did not rule on the substantive merits of the requirement. The Department of Education may appeal the court's decision, proceed to promulgate requirement through a supplemental rulemaking process, or both. We therefore cannot predict with any certainty the future effectiveness of this aspect of the Final Rules. In any event, if we are found not to be in compliance with state requirements for online learning, and a state seeks to restrict one or more of our business activities within its boundaries, we may not be able to recruit students from that state and may have to cease providing educational programs to students in that state. New laws, regulations or interpretations related to doing business over the Internet could increase our cost of doing business and affect our ability to recruit students in particular states, which could, in turn, adversely affect enrollments and revenues and have a material adverse effect on our business.
Misrepresentation. The Department of Education's Final Rules make significant changes to the definition of misrepresentation for purposes of Title IV program compliance. That term now includes any false, erroneous or misleading statement that has the likelihood or tendency to deceive or confuse without regard to materiality or intent. The areas of particular sensitivity to the Department of Education include potential misrepresentation of the nature of an educational program, the nature of any financial charges, the employability of graduates, and the manner in which the institution's relationship with the Department of Education is depicted. The revised regulations also establish institutional liability for any statements made by any third party agent of NAU and for statements made to any member of the public, an accrediting agency or any state agency, as well as to students and prospective students. The revised regulations also broaden the administrative remedies available to the Department of Education in the event of a
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substantial misrepresentation by an eligible institution to include revocation of the institution's program participation agreement, imposition of limitations on the institution's participation in the Title IV programs, denial of participation applications filed on behalf of the institution and initiation of a termination, fine or other proceeding against the institution. Further, although the Department of Education claims not to have created any private right of action, the regulation creates potential new exposure in qui tam actions under the False Claims Act.
Gainful Employment. On September 24, 2010, the Department of Education announced that it would delay issuing final rules regarding the specific metrics defining "gainful employment" for purposes of determining whether certain educational programs comply with the Title IV requirement of preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. On June 13, 2011, the Department of Education published the final Gainful Employment Rule defining "gainful employment" using two metrics, one based on debt-to-income ratios and the other based on repayment rates. Accordingly, an educational program is considered to lead to gainful employment in a recognized occupation if it meets one of the following metrics: (1) loan repayment rate - at least 35% of former students are repaying their loans; or (2) debt to earnings ratio - either (a) the estimated annual loan repayment of a typical graduate does not exceed 30% of his or her discretionary annual income, or (b) the estimated annual loan payment of a typical graduate does not exceed 12% of his or her annual earnings.
For the purpose of the loan repayment rate, a loan is considered a successful "payments-made loan" if the loan has never been in default and: (1) the loan balance is reduced by at least $1 over the course of the year or paid off; (2) the loan is on track to be forgiven as a result of public service employment; (3) the borrower is making payments under an income-contingent or income-based repayment plan; or (4) for graduate programs where a borrower has consolidated federal educational debt, the borrower has paid at least all interest accrued on the consolidation loan over the course of the year (e.g., the total outstanding balance of principal and interest does not increase). The repayment rate generally is measured using a student's third and fourth year of repayment, with certain exceptions, including: (A) if there are 30 or fewer borrowers in a two year period, the repayment rate will be expanded to include borrowers in third, fourth, fifth and sixth years (and if there are still 30 or fewer borrowers, the program is considered to have passed the metric); and (B) for medical and dental programs, only borrowers in their sixth and seventh years are considered.
For the purpose of the debt to earnings ratio, debt is calculated upon a program's median debt, which includes private loans. Annual payments will be calculated based on a 10 year standard repayment plan for certificate and associates degree programs, 15 years for bachelors and masters programs, and 20 years for graduate and professional programs. Only debt for tuition and fees is factored into this ratio. Debt incurred for living expenses will not be counted. The Department of Education attributes all loan debt incurred by a student in multiple programs at one institution to the highest credentialed program completed by the student. The Department of Education also maintains discretion to aggregate loan debt incurred by students attending institutions that are under common ownership and control. Earnings information is obtained by the Department of Education from the Social Security Administration, or the SSA, although during a three year transition period from 2012 through 2014, institutions are permitted to submit analyses based upon Bureau of Labor Statistics data in lieu of SSA data. Additionally, institutions have the option to submit alternative earnings data from state longitudinal data systems or institutional surveys conducted in accordance with the standards of the National Center for Educational Statistics. The debt to earnings ratio generally is measured by students in their third and fourth years after graduation, with similar exceptions as described above for the repayment rate.
If an educational program fails both the loan repayment or debt to earnings metrics, after one failure, the institution must provide an oral or written warning to students disclosing the amount by which the program missed minimal acceptable performance and the program's plans for improvement. The institution must also establish a three day waiting period before a student can enroll after receiving this disclosure. After two failures in three years, the institution must provide a written warning to prospective and enrolled students in the failing program, stating the plans the institution intends to take in response, the risks associated with enrolling or continuing in the program, that students "should expect to have difficulty repaying" their loans and, if the institution chooses to discontinue the program at this stage, notice to students with a timeline for discontinuation. After three failures in four years, the program loses eligibility for Title IV Program funds. Once a program has lost eligibility, an institution cannot reestablish the program's Title IV eligibility for at least three years.
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If a particular educational program ceased to become eligible for Title IV Program funds, either because it fails to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation or due to other factors, we may be required to cease offering that program. The Gainful Employment Rule also includes new requirements for the Department of Education's approval of new educational programs subject to the Gainful Employment Rule, which include any educational programs sought to be offered by us. These requirements impose various new requirements on, and could adversely affect, our ability to add new educational programs. In addition, the Department of Education has published no definite standards by which institutions can determine the likelihood that a new educational program will be approved. As such, these requirements add uncertainty regarding new program approvals, which could adversely affect our ability to respond to emerging employment trends and add programs that are responsive to those trends, which in turn could decrease our attractiveness to certain students.
We are currently evaluating the impact of these rules on our business and will continue to monitor developments in this area. It is unclear at this time the level of administrative burden, increased costs, or effect on growth and enrollments that may result from these new reporting and disclosure requirements. There remain many open questions and interpretive issues with respect to these aspects of the final regulations. It is possible that the Gainful Employment Rule could render a significant number of our programs, and many programs offered by other proprietary educational institutions, ineligible for Title IV funding. In addition, the continuing eligibility of our educational programs for Title IV funding would be at risk due to factors beyond our control, such as changes in the income levels of our former students, increases in interest rates, changes in student mix to persons requiring higher amounts of student loans to complete their programs, changes in student loan delinquency rates and other factors. If a particular program ceased to be eligible for Title IV funding, in most cases it would not be practical to continue offering that program under our current business model. We may have to substantially increase our efforts to promote student loan repayment to ensure continued eligibility for certain programs to remain eligible for Title IV funding. We could also be required to increase disclosures to our students and prospective students, and our program growth could be restricted or compromised. Any of these events could materially increase our costs of doing business, cause decreased enrollments, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Department of Education Review of New Programs. The Department of Education's Final Rules effective July 1, 2011 require that, if an educational institution seeks to provide a new program that prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation (which by definition includes any program offered by NAU), regardless of degree or diploma level, it must submit a notice to the Department of Education at least 90 days before the expected first day of class. Unless otherwise required by the Department of Education to obtain approval for a new program (or the institution is provisionally certified and must therefore receive prior approval from the Department of Education), an institution may proceed with its plans to offer Title IV program funds to students in the program. If the Department of Education staff identifies a concern or need for information about the program, however, the Department of Education may alert the institution that approval is required. Any requirement to obtain Department of Education approval could delay the introduction of the program, which could negatively impact growth.
Additional Final Regulations. In addition to the issues specifically addressed above, the Final Rules include provisions regarding the definition of a credit hour; written agreements between institutions, particularly institutions under common ownership or control; the administration of ability-to-benefit examinations; requirements regarding an institution's return of Title IV program funds; and certain other issues pertaining to a student's eligibility to receive Title IV program funds. The Department of Education also routinely issues "Dear Colleague Letters" to provide guidance on certain areas of final regulations. This guidance is intended to assist institutions with understanding the regulations in these areas and does not change any of the regulations. The Department of Education has issued numerous Dear Colleague Letters to provide guidance on the Final Rules and the Gainful Employment Rule. We are in the process of analyzing all of the Final Rules, the Gainful Employment Rule, and the related Dear Colleague Letters. We cannot predict how the recently released or any other resulting regulations will be interpreted, and therefore whether we will be able to comply with these requirements by the effective date. Compliance with the Final Rules, which in most cases became effective on July 1, 2011, and with the Gainful Employment Rule, which becomes effective on July 1, 2012, and insufficient time or lack of sufficient guidance for compliance by the Department of Education, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Uncertainty surrounding application of the final rules, interpretive regulations or guidance by the Department of Education may continue for some period of time and could reduce our enrollment, increase our cost of doing business, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Additional Rulemaking. On May 5, 2011, the Department of Education announced its intention to establish additional negotiated rulemaking committees to consider additional regulations under the Higher Education Act. The Department of Education held three public hearings in May 2011 at which interested parties presented issues for consideration by the rulemaking committees. The Department of Education also conducted roundtable discussions on teacher preparation, college completion, and the proposed "First in the World" competition.
Eligibility and certification procedures. Each institution must apply periodically to the Department of Education for continued certification to participate in Title IV programs. Such recertification generally is required every six years, but may be required earlier, including when an institution undergoes a change in control. An institution may also come under the Department of Education's review when it expands its activities in certain ways, such as opening an additional location, adding a new educational program or modifying the academic credentials it offers. The Department of Education may place an institution on provisional certification status if it finds that the institution does not fully satisfy all of the eligibility and certification standards and in certain other circumstances, such as when an institution is certified for the first time or undergoes a change in control. During the period of provisional certification, the institution must comply with any additional conditions included in the school's program participation agreement with the Department of Education. In addition, the Department of Education may more closely review an institution that is provisionally certified if it applies for recertification or approval to open a new location, add an educational program, acquire another school or make any other significant change. If the Department of Education determines that a provisionally certified institution is unable to meet its responsibilities under its program participation agreement, it may seek to revoke the institution's certification to participate in Title IV programs without advance notice or opportunity for the institution to challenge the action. Students attending provisionally certified institutions remain eligible to receive Title IV program funds.
Our current certification to participate in the Title IV programs was effective in January 2010, following our transaction with Dlorah in 2009, and extends through December 31, 2012. Our certification is on a provisional basis due to the change in ownership of NAU that resulted from the Dlorah transaction.
Based on our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2009, the Department of Education informed us by a letter dated January 14, 2010 that we were no longer required to maintain a letter of credit, receive Title IV program funds under the heightened cash monitoring payment method or be subject to certain other reporting requirements. We remain provisionally certified, however, as a result of our transaction with Dlorah in 2009.
Administrative capability. Department of Education regulations specify extensive criteria by which an institution must establish that it has the requisite "administrative capability" to participate in Title IV programs. To meet the administrative capability standards, an institution must, among other things:
| • | comply with all applicable Title IV program requirements; |
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| • | have an adequate number of qualified personnel to administer Title IV programs; |
| • | have acceptable standards for measuring the satisfactory academic progress of its students; |
| • | not have student loan cohort default rates above specified levels; |
| • | have various procedures in place for awarding, disbursing and safeguarding Title IV program funds and for maintaining required records; |
| • | administer Title IV programs with adequate checks and balances in its system of internal controls; |
| • | not be, and not have any principal or affiliate who is, debarred or suspended from federal contracting or engaging in activity that is cause for debarment or suspension; |
| • | provide financial aid counseling to its students; |
| • | refer to the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General any credible information indicating that any student, parent, employee, third-party servicer or other agent of the institution has engaged in any fraud or other illegal conduct involving Title IV programs; |
| • | submit all required reports and financial statements in a timely manner; and |
| • | not otherwise appear to lack administrative capability. |
If an institution fails to satisfy any of these criteria, the Department of Education may:
| • | require the institution to repay Title IV funds its students previously received; |
| • | transfer the institution from the advance method of payment of Title IV funds to heightened cash monitoring status or the reimbursement method of payment; |
| • | place the institution on provisional certification status; or |
| • | commence a proceeding to impose a fine or to limit, suspend or terminate the institution's participation in Title IV programs. |
If the Department of Education determines that we failed to satisfy its administrative capability requirements, then our students could lose, or be limited in their access to, Title IV program funding.
Financial responsibility. The Higher Education Act and Department of Education regulations establish extensive standards of financial responsibility that institutions such as us must satisfy to participate in Title IV programs. The Department of Education evaluates institutions for compliance with these standards on an annual basis based on the institution's annual audited financial statements as well as when the institution applies to the Department of Education to have its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs recertified. The most significant financial responsibility standard is the institution's composite score, which is derived from a formula established by the Department of Education based on three financial ratios:
| • | equity ratio, which measures the institution's capital resources, financial viability and ability to borrow; | ||
| • | primary reserve ratio, which measures the institution's ability to support current operations from expendable resources; and |
| • | net income ratio, which measures the institution's ability to operate at a profit or within its means. |
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The Department of Education assigns a strength factor to the results of each of these ratios on a scale from negative 1.0 to positive 3.0, with negative 1.0 reflecting financial weakness and positive 3.0 reflecting financial strength. The Department of Education then assigns a weighting percentage to each ratio and adds the weighted scores for the three ratios together to produce a composite score for the institution. The composite score must be at least 1.5 for the institution to be deemed financially responsible without the need for further Department of Education oversight. In addition to having an acceptable composite score, an institution must, among other things, provide the administrative resources necessary to comply with Title IV program requirements, meet all of its financial obligations including required refunds to students and any Title IV liabilities and debts, be current in its debt payments and not receive an adverse, qualified or disclaimed opinion by its accountants in its audited financial statements.
If the Department of Education determines that an institution does not meet the financial responsibility standards due to a failure to meet the composite score or other factors, the institution should be able to establish financial responsibility on an alternative basis permitted by the Department of Education. This alternative basis could include, in the Department of Education's discretion, posting a letter of credit, accepting provisional certification, complying with additional Department of Education monitoring requirements, agreeing to receive Title IV program funds under an arrangement other than the Department of Education's standard advance funding arrangement, such as the reimbursement method of payment or heightened cash monitoring, or complying with or accepting other limitations on the institution's ability to increase the number of programs it offers or the number of students it enrolls.
Based on our composite score for fiscal year ended May 31, 2007 and continuing for our fiscal year ended May 31, 2008, the Department of Education determined that we failed to meet the standards of financial responsibility. The Department of Education therefore required us to participate in Title IV programs under an alternative basis of financial responsibility requiring provisional certification, the posting of a letter of credit representing 10% of the Title IV program funds received by us during our most recently completed fiscal year, the receipt of Title IV program funds under the heightened cash monitoring payment method and compliance with certain other reporting requirements. Based on our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2009, which indicated our composite score for such fiscal year was 1.6, the Department of Education informed us by a letter dated January 14, 2010 that we were no longer required to maintain a letter of credit, receive Title IV program funds under the heightened cash monitoring payment method or be subject to certain other reporting requirements Our audited financial statements for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2010 and May 31, 2011 indicated our composite scores for such fiscal years were 2.4 and 3.0, respectively. We remain provisionally certified, however, as a result of the transaction described in "Corporate Information".
The requirement to post or maintain a letter of credit or other sanctions imposed by the Department of Education increased our cost of regulatory compliance and affected our cash flows. If we are unable to meet the minimum composite score or comply with the other standards of financial responsibility, and could not post a required letter of credit or comply with the alternative bases for establishing financial responsibility, then our students could lose their access to Title IV program funding.
Return of Title IV funds for students who withdraw. When a student who has received Title IV funds withdraws from school, the institution must determine the amount of Title IV program funds the student has "earned." If the student withdraws during the first 60% of any period of enrollment or payment period, the amount of Title IV program funds that the student has earned is equal to a pro rata portion of the funds the student received or for which the student would otherwise be eligible. If the student withdraws after the 60% threshold, then the student is deemed to have earned 100% of the Title IV program funds he or she received. The institution must then return the unearned Title IV program funds to the appropriate lender or the Department of Education in a timely manner, which is generally no later than 45 days after the date the institution determined that the student withdrew. If such payments are not timely
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made, the institution will be required to submit a letter of credit to the Department of Education equal to 25% of the Title IV funds that the institution should have returned for withdrawn students in its most recently completed fiscal year. Under Department of Education regulations, late returns of Title IV program funds for 5% or more of the withdrawn students in the audit sample in the institution's annual Title IV compliance audit for either of the institution's two most recent fiscal years or in a Department of Education program review triggers this letter of credit requirement. We did not exceed this 5% threshold in our annual Title IV compliance audit for either of our two most recent fiscal years.
The "90/10" Rule. A requirement of the Higher Education Act commonly referred to as the "90/10" Rule provides that an institution loses its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, if, under a complex regulatory formula that requires cash basis accounting and other adjustments to the calculation of revenue, the institution derives more than 90% of its revenues for any fiscal year from Title IV program funds. This rule applies only to for-profit post-secondary educational institutions, including us. Prior to the August 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, an institution that violated the rule became ineligible to participate in Title IV programs as of the first day of the fiscal year following the fiscal year in which it exceeded the 90% threshold, and it was unable to apply to regain its eligibility until the next fiscal year. If an institution exceeded the 90% threshold for a fiscal year and it and its students had received Title IV funds for the next fiscal year, it was required to return those funds to the applicable lender or the Department of Education. The August 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act included significant revisions to the "90/10 Rule," effective upon the date of the law's enactment. Under the revised law, an institution is subject to loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs only if it exceeds the 90% threshold for two consecutive fiscal years, and an institution whose rate exceeds 90% for any single fiscal year will be placed on provisional certification.
Using the Department of Education's formula under the "90/10 Rule," as promulgated prior to regulatory revisions implementing the August 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, for our 2008, 2009 and 2010 fiscal years, we derived approximately 68%, 72% and 76%, respectively, of our revenues (calculated on a cash basis) from Title IV program funds. For our 2011 fiscal year, we derived approximately 79% of our revenues (calculated on a cash basis) from Title IV program funds. Recent changes in federal law that increased Title IV grant and loan limits, and any additional increases in the future, may result in an increase in the revenues NAU receives from Title IV programs, which could make it more difficult for us to satisfy the "90/10 Rule." In addition, economic downturns that adversely affect students' employment circumstances could also increase their reliance on Title IV programs. However, such effects may be mitigated by other provisions of the recent Higher Education Act reauthorization that allow institutions, when calculating their compliance with this revenue test, to include more non-Title IV revenues, such as revenues from institutional loans under certain circumstances.
Student loan defaults. Under the Higher Education Act, an educational institution may lose its eligibility to participate in some or all of Title IV programs if defaults by its students on the repayment of loans received through either the FFEL or the Federal Direct Loan programs exceed certain levels. For each federal fiscal year, the Department of Education calculates a rate of student defaults on such loans for each institution, known as a "cohort default rate." An institution's cohort default rate for a federal fiscal year is calculated by determining the rate at which borrowers who became subject to their repayment obligation in that federal fiscal year defaulted by the end of the following federal fiscal year. Before July 1, 2010, we participated in both the FFEL and Federal Direct Loan programs. As of July 1, 2010, following the elimination of the FFEL program, we participate only in the Federal Direct Loan program. Defaults by students on the repayment of loans received through the FFEL program still will be counted; however, in the calculation to determine our eligibility to participate in the Federal Direct Loan program.
If the Department of Education notifies an institution that its cohort default rates for each of the three most recent federal fiscal years are 25% or greater, the institution's participation in the Federal Direct Loan and Pell Grant programs ends 30 days after that notification, unless the institution appeals that determination in a timely manner on specified grounds and according to specified procedures. In addition, an institution's participation in the Federal Direct Loan programs ends 30 days after notification by the Department of Education that the institution's most recent cohort default rate is greater than 40%, unless the institution timely appeals that determination on specified grounds and according to specified procedures. An institution whose participation ends under either of these provisions may not participate in the Federal Direct Loan and Pell Grant programs, as applicable, for the remainder of the fiscal year in which the institution receives the notification and for the next two federal fiscal years.
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If an institution's cohort default rate equals or exceeds 25% in any single federal fiscal year, the institution may be placed on provisional certification status. Provisional certification does not limit an institution's access to Title IV program funds, but it does subject an institution to closer review by the Department of Education if the institution applies for recertification or approval to open a new location, add an educational program, acquire another school or make any other significant change. Additionally, the Department of Education may revoke the certification of a provisionally-certified institution without advance notice if the Department of Education determines that the institution is not fulfilling material Title IV program requirements. We were approved to participate in the FFEL program before its expiration on July 1, 2010, and we currently are approved to participate in the Federal Direct Loan program. The potential sanctions discussed in this section are based on the combined cohort default rate for loans issued to students under both the FFEL program and the Federal Direct Loan program. Our official cohort default rates for the 2007, 2006 and 2005 federal fiscal years (the most recent federal fiscal years for which official cohort default rates have been issued by the Department of Education) were 8.2%, 7.3% and 7.5%, respectively.
The August 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act included significant revisions to the requirements concerning FFEL and Federal Direct Loan cohort default rates. Under the revised law, the period for which students' defaults on their loans are included in the calculation of an institution's cohort default rate has been extended by one additional year, which is expected to increase the cohort default rates for most institutions. That change will be effective with the calculation of institutions' cohort default rates for federal fiscal year 2009, which are expected to be calculated and issued by the Department of Education in 2012. The revised law also increased the threshold for ending an institution's participation in the relevant Title IV programs from 25% to 30%, effective in 2012.
Compliance reviews. We are subject to announced and unannounced compliance reviews and audits by various external agencies, including the Department of Education, its Office of Inspector General, state licensing agencies, agencies that have guaranteed FFEL loans, various state approving agencies for financial assistance to veterans and accrediting commissions. As part of the Department of Education's ongoing monitoring of institutions' administration of Title IV programs, the Higher Education Act also requires institutions to annually submit to the Department of Education a Title IV compliance audit conducted by an independent certified public accountant in accordance with applicable federal and Department of Education audit standards. In addition, to enable the Department of Education to make a determination of an institution's financial responsibility, each institution must annually submit audited financial statements prepared in accordance with Department of Education regulations.
Pending Department of Education Program Review. From time to time institutions that participate in the Title IV programs are subject to program reviews by the Department of Education. In March 2011, the Department of Education announced a program review site visit for NAU, for which the on-site visit occurred in April 2011. Site visits are the first step in the program review process. We have received a preliminary program review report with respect to the site visit and are in the process of conducting file reviews and other factual investigations to be able to respond to the findings in the report. The Department of Education will review our response to the preliminary report and ultimately will issue a final determination letter regarding the program review setting forth its final findings as well as the action it intends to take based on those findings. If the Department of Education were to make significant findings of non-compliance in its final determination letter, it could result in the imposition of significant fines, penalties or other liabilities on NAU, including, without limitation, an action against NAU on the limitation, suspension or termination of its participation in Title IV programs, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations or financial condition. We are unable to predict when the Department of Education will complete its review, as program reviews may often take several months or years to reach final resolution.
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Privacy of student records. The Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974, or FERPA, and the Department of Education's FERPA regulations require educational institutions to protect the privacy of students' educational records by limiting an institution's disclosure of a student's personally identifiable information without the student's prior written consent. FERPA also requires institutions to allow students to review and request changes to their educational records maintained by the institution, to notify students at least annually of this inspection right and to maintain records in each student's file listing requests for access to and disclosures of personally identifiable information and the interest of such party in that information. If an institution fails to comply with FERPA, the Department of Education may require corrective actions by the institution or may terminate an institution's receipt of further federal funds. In addition, educational institutions are obligated to safeguard student information pursuant to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, or GLBA, a federal law designed to protect consumers' personal financial information held by financial institutions and other entities that provide financial services to consumers. GLBA and the applicable GLBA regulations require an institution to, among other things, develop and maintain a comprehensive, written information security program designed to protect against the unauthorized disclosure of personally identifiable financial information of students, parents or other individuals with whom such institution has a customer relationship. If an institution fails to comply with the applicable GLBA requirements, it may be required to take corrective actions, be subject to monitoring and oversight by the Federal Trade Commission, or FTC, and be subject to fines or penalties imposed by the FTC. For-profit educational institutions are also subject to the general deceptive practices jurisdiction of the FTC with respect to their collection, use and disclosure of student information. The institution must also comply with the FTC Red Flags Rule, a section of the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, that requires the establishment of guidelines and policies regarding identity theft related to student credit accounts.
Potential effect of regulatory violations. If we fail to comply with the regulatory standards governing Title IV programs, the Department of Education could impose one or more sanctions, including transferring NAU to the reimbursement or cash monitoring method of payment, requiring us to repay Title IV program funds, requiring us to post a letter of credit in favor of the Department of Education as a condition for continued Title IV certification, taking emergency action against us, initiating proceedings to impose a fine or to limit, suspend or terminate our participation in Title IV programs or referring the matter for civil or criminal prosecution. Because we are provisionally certified to participate in Title IV programs, the Department of Education may revoke our certification without advance notice or advance opportunity for us to challenge that action. If such sanctions or proceedings were imposed against us and resulted in a substantial curtailment or termination of our participation in Title IV programs, our enrollments, revenues and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
In addition to the actions that may be brought against us as a result of our participation in Title IV programs, we are also subject to complaints and lawsuits relating to regulatory compliance brought not only by regulatory agencies, but also by other government agencies and third parties, such as current or former students or employees and other members of the public.
Regulatory Standards that May Restrict Institutional Expansion or Other Changes
Many actions that we may wish to take in connection with expanding our operations or other changes are subject to review or approval by the applicable regulatory agencies.
Adding teaching locations, implementing new educational programs and increasing enrollment. The requirements and standards of state education agencies, accrediting commissions and the Department of Education limit our ability in certain instances to establish additional teaching locations, implement new educational programs or increase enrollment in certain programs. Many states require review and approval before institutions can add new locations or programs. The state educational agencies, the Higher Learning Commission and the specialized accrediting commissions that authorize or accredit us and our programs generally require institutions to notify them in advance of adding new locations or implementing new programs, and upon notification may undertake a review of the quality of the facility or the program and the financial, academic and other qualifications of the institution.
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With respect to the Department of Education, if an institution participating in Title IV programs plans to add a new location or educational program, the institution must generally apply to the Department of Education to have the additional location or educational program designated as within the scope of the institution's Title IV eligibility. Under current regulations, a degree-granting institution generally is not required to obtain the Department of Education's approval of additional programs that lead to an Associate, Bachelor's, professional or graduate degree at the same degree level as programs previously approved by the Department of Education. Similarly, under historic regulations, an institution was not required to obtain advance approval for new programs that prepare students for gainful employment in the same or a related recognized occupation as an educational program that has previously been designated by the Department of Education as an eligible program at that institution if it meets certain minimum-length requirements. However, the Final Rules published by the Department of Education in October 2010 that took effect July 1, 2011 require that if an institution seeks to provide a new program that prepares students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation, it must submit a notice to the Department of Education at least 90 days before the first day of class. Unless otherwise required by the Department of Education to obtain approval for a new program, an institution may proceed with its plans to offer Title IV program funds to students in that program. If the Department of Education staff identifies a concern or need for information about the program, however, the Department of Education may alert the institution that approval is required. In addition, as a condition for an institution to participate in Title IV programs on a provisional basis, as in our case, the Department of Education can require prior approval of such programs or otherwise restrict the number of programs an institution may add or the extent to which an institution can modify existing educational programs. If an institution that is required to obtain the Department of Education's advance approval for the addition of a new program or new location fails to do so, the institution may be liable for repayment of the Title IV program funds received by the institution or students in connection with that program or enrolled at that location.
Provisional certification. Each institution must apply to the Department of Education for continued certification to participate in Title IV programs at least every six years and when it undergoes a change in control. An institution may also come under the Department of Education's review when it expands its activities in certain ways, such as opening an additional location, adding an educational program or modifying the academic credentials that it offers.
The Department of Education may place an institution on provisional certification status if it finds that the institution does not fully satisfy all of the eligibility and certification standards. In addition, if a company acquires a school from another entity, the acquired school will automatically be placed on provisional certification when the Department of Education approves the transaction. During the period of provisional certification, the institution must comply with any additional conditions or restrictions included in its program participation agreement with the Department of Education. Students attending provisionally certified institutions remain eligible to receive Title IV program funds, but if the Department of Education finds that a provisionally certified institution is unable to meet its responsibilities under its program participation agreement, it may seek to revoke the institution's certification to participate in Title IV programs without advance notice or advance opportunity for the institution to challenge that action. In addition, the Department of Education may more closely review an institution that is provisionally certified if it applies for recertification or approval to open a new location, add an educational program, acquire another school or make any other significant change.
We are currently provisionally certified to participate in Title IV programs through December 31, 2012. Our status beyond that point depends on whether the Department of Education determines at that time that we are not fully satisfying all of the Department of Education eligibility and certification standards.
Acquiring other schools. While we have not acquired any other schools in the past, we may seek to do so in the future. The Department of Education and virtually all state education agencies and accrediting commissions require a company to obtain their approval if it wishes to acquire another school. The level of review varies by individual state and accrediting commission, with some requiring approval of such an acquisition before it occurs while others only consider approval after the acquisition has occurred. The approval of the applicable state education agencies and accrediting commissions is a necessary prerequisite to the Department of Education certifying the acquired school to participate in Title IV programs. The restrictions imposed by any of the applicable regulatory agencies could delay or prevent our acquisition of other schools in some circumstances.
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Change in ownership resulting in a change in control. Many states and accrediting commissions require institutions of higher education to report or obtain approval of certain changes in control and changes in other aspects of institutional organization or control. The types of and thresholds for such reporting and approval vary among the states and accrediting commissions. The Higher Learning Commission provides that an institution must obtain its approval in advance of a change in control, structure or organization for the institution to retain its accredited status. In addition, in the event of a change in control, structure or organization, the Higher Learning Commission requires a post-transaction focused visit or other evaluation to review the appropriateness of its approval of the change and whether the institution has met the commitment it made to the Higher Learning Commission prior to the approval. Other specialized accrediting commissions also require an institution to obtain similar approval before or after the event that constitutes a change in control under their standards.
Many states include the transfer of a controlling interest of common stock in the definition of a change in control requiring approval, but their thresholds for determining a change in control vary widely. A change in control under the definition of one state educational agency that regulates us might require us to obtain approval of the change in control to maintain authorization to operate in that state, and in some cases such states could require us to obtain advance approval of the change in control.
Under Department of Education regulations, an institution that undergoes a change in control loses its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs and must apply to the Department of Education to reestablish such eligibility. If an institution files the required application and follows other procedures, the Department of Education may temporarily certify the institution on a provisional basis following the change in control, so that the institution's students retain access to Title IV program funds until the Department of Education completes its full review. In addition, the Department of Education will extend such temporary provisional certification if the institution timely files other required materials, including the approval of the change in control by its state authorizing agency and accrediting commission and an audited balance sheet showing the financial condition of the institution or its parent corporation as of the date of the change in control. If the institution fails to meet any of these applications and other deadlines, its certification will expire and its students will not be eligible to receive Title IV program funds until the Department of Education completes its full review, which commonly takes several months and may take longer. If the Department of Education approves the application after a change in control, it will certify the institution on a provisional basis for a period of up to approximately three years.
Our November 2009 transaction with Dlorah was deemed to be a change of control for NAU by both the Department of Education and the Higher Learning Commission. The Department of Education recertified NAU to participate in Title IV programs following the transaction, with such certification extending through December 31, 2012. The Higher Learning Commission approved the change of ownership or control, with several conditions consistent with its change of ownership procedures and requirements. These conditions include: (a) that we file a progress report by week six of each semester providing our enrollment information by degree program and by location; (b) that we file a contingency report if there is any decision to offer a follow-up or secondary stock offering at least 90 days prior to such an offering so that the Higher Learning Commission may assess whether there may be a subsequent change of control under the Higher Learning Commission's policies; (c) that we undergo an evaluation within six months of the closing of the transaction focused on ascertaining the appropriateness of the approval of the change of control and of the institution's compliance with any commitments made in the change of control application as well as with the applicable accreditation criteria and eligibility requirements; and (d) that a stipulation be added to our affiliation status limiting the programs at the Master's level to existing programs and requiring us to seek the Higher Learning Commission's approval for the addition of any new Master's degrees. With respect to the progress report condition, the Higher Learning Commission approval provided that, if the pattern of enrollment growth calls into question the capacity of the institution to provide quality teaching and learning, the Higher Learning
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Commission may schedule a focused evaluation regarding this issue. With respect to the conduct of the focused evaluation related to our transaction with Dlorah, the Higher Learning Commission directed the team conducting that evaluation to review the pattern of governance exercised by us and succession planning to prepare the institution for the divestiture of the Buckingham family shares. In addition, the Higher Learning Commission approval indicated that it was reasonable to assume that the evaluation team conducting the focused evaluation might recommend a shortened time frame before the next comprehensive evaluation visit but not to exceed five years from the date of that focused visit. The approval confirmed that the Higher Learning Commission will not consider requests for approval of any additional educational programs at the Master's level until after the successful completion of the focused evaluation conducted subsequent to the close of the transaction. Any failure by us to comply with the requirements of the Department of Education, the Higher Learning Commission or the state educational agencies from which we have a license or authorization, or a failure to obtain their approval of the change in control, could result in loss of authorization, accreditation or eligibility to participate in Title IV programs and cause a significant decline in our student enrollments.
A change in control also could occur as a result of future transactions in which we are involved. Some corporate reorganizations and some changes in the board of directors are examples of such transactions. In addition, Department of Education regulations provide that a change in control occurs for a publicly traded corporation if either: (a) there is an event that would obligate the corporation to file a Current Report on Form 8-K with the Securities and Exchange Commission disclosing a change in control, or (b) the corporation has a stockholder that owns at least 25% of the total outstanding voting stock of the corporation and is the largest stockholder of the corporation, and that stockholder ceases to own at least 25% of such stock or ceases to be the largest stockholder. These standards are subject to interpretation by the Department of Education. A significant purchase or disposition of our voting stock in the future, including a disposition of our voting stock by Robert Buckingham's partnership or living trust, could be determined by the Department of Education to be a change in control under this standard. The potential adverse effects of a change in control could influence future decisions by us and our stockholders regarding the sale, purchase, transfer, issuance or redemption of stock. In addition, the adverse regulatory effect of a change in control also could discourage bids for our common stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of our common stock.
Additional state regulation. Most state education agencies impose regulatory requirements on educational institutions operating within their boundaries. Some states have sought to assert jurisdiction over out-of-state educational institutions offering online degree programs that have no physical location or other presence in the state but that have some activity in the state, such as enrolling or offering educational services to students who reside in the state, employing faculty who reside in the state or advertising to or recruiting prospective students in the state. State regulatory requirements for online education vary among the states, are not well developed in many states, are imprecise or unclear in some states and can change frequently. We have determined that our activities in certain states constitute a presence requiring licensure or authorization under the requirements of the state education agency in those states, and in other states we have obtained approvals as we have determined necessary in connection with our marketing and recruiting activities. We review the licensure requirements of other states when appropriate to determine whether our activities in those states constitute a presence or otherwise require licensure or authorization by the respective state education agencies. The Final Rules provide that if an institution is offering postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a state in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to state jurisdiction as determined by the state, the institution must meet any state requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education to students in that state. Additionally, upon request by the Department of Education, an institution must be able to document that it has the applicable state approval. Because we enroll students from all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we expect to have to seek licensure or authorization in additional states in the future. We are in the process of contacting certain states to gain additional information and clarification on the regulatory requirements for online learning in those states. If we fail to comply with state licensing or authorization requirements for any state, we may be subject to the loss of state licensure or authorization by that state, or be subject to other sanctions, including restrictions on our activities in that state, fines and penalties. The loss of licensure or authorization in a state could prohibit us from recruiting prospective students or offering services to current students in that state, which could significantly reduce our enrollments.
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| Item 1A. | Risk Factors. |
The following risk factors and other information included in this Form 10-K should be carefully considered. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently believe are not material may also adversely affect our business, financial condition, operating results, cash flows and prospects.
Risks Related to the Extensive Regulation of our Business
If we fail to comply with the extensive regulatory requirements governing our university, we could incur significant monetary liabilities, fines and penalties, including loss of access to federal student loans and grants for our students, on which we are substantially dependent.
For our fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, we derived approximately 79% of our revenues (calculated on a cash basis) from federal student financial aid programs, known as Title IV programs, administered by the United States Department of Education, or the Department of Education. A significant percentage of our students rely on the availability of Title IV program funds to finance their cost of attending NAU. To participate in Title IV programs, a post-secondary institution must be authorized by the appropriate state education agency or agencies, be accredited by an accrediting commission recognized by the Department of Education, and be certified as an eligible institution by the Department of Education. In addition, NAU's operations and programs are regulated by other state education agencies and additional accrediting commissions. We are subject to extensive regulation by the education agencies of multiple states, the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools, or the Higher Learning Commission, which is our institutional accrediting commission, various specialized accrediting commissions, and the Department of Education. These regulatory requirements cover the vast majority of our operations, including our educational programs, instructional and administrative staff, administrative procedures, marketing, student recruiting and admissions, and financial operations. These regulatory requirements also affect our ability to open additional schools and locations, add new educational programs, change existing educational programs and change our ownership structure.
The agencies and commissions that regulate our operations periodically revise their requirements and modify their interpretations of existing requirements. Regulatory requirements are not always precise and clear, and regulatory agencies may sometimes disagree with the way we interpret or apply these requirements. Any misinterpretation by us of regulatory requirements could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. If we fail to comply with any of these regulatory requirements, we could suffer financial penalties, limitations on our operations, loss of accreditation, termination of or limitations on our ability to grant degrees and certificates, or limitations on or termination of our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, each of which could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, if we are charged with regulatory violations, our reputation could be damaged, which could have a negative impact on our enrollments and materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. We cannot predict with certainty how all of these regulatory requirements will be applied, or whether we will be able to comply with all of the applicable requirements in the future.
If we lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs for any reason, we would experience a dramatic and adverse decline in revenue, financial condition, results of operations and future growth prospects. Furthermore, we would be unable to continue our business as it currently is conducted, which would be expected to have a material adverse effect on our ability to continue as a going concern.
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Congress may revise the laws governing Title IV programs or reduce funding for those programs and the Department of Education may revise its regulations administering Title IV programs, any of which could reduce our enrollment and revenue and increase costs of operations.
Political and budgetary concerns significantly affect Title IV programs. The Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, which is a federal law that governs Title IV programs, must be periodically reauthorized by Congress and was most recently reauthorized in August 2008. In October 2009, the Department of Education published final regulations implementing statutory changes from the August 2008 reauthorization relating to, among other things, the "90/10" Rule, student eligibility, disclosure requirements, the relationships between schools and lenders of private and Title IV loans, and the approval and oversight of accrediting agencies. These regulations took effect on July 1, 2010. Congress must determine funding levels for Title IV programs on an annual basis and can change the laws governing Title IV programs at any time. We cannot predict with certainty the nature of any new regulatory requirements, other future revisions to the law or funding levels for Title IV programs. Because a significant percentage of our revenue is and is expected to be derived from Title IV programs, any action by Congress that significantly reduces Title IV program funding or the ability of us or our students to participate in Title IV programs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Congressional action also may require us to modify our practices in ways that could increase administrative costs and reduce profit margins, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If Congress significantly reduced the amount of available Title IV program funding, we would attempt to arrange for alternative sources of financial aid for our students, such as private sources. We cannot provide assurance that one or more private organizations would be willing or able to provide sufficient loans to students attending one of our schools or programs, or that the interest rate and other terms of such loans would be as favorable as Title IV program loans or acceptable to our students or that such private sources would be adequate to replace the full amount of the reduction in Title IV program funding. Therefore, even if some form of private financing sources become available, our enrollment could be materially adversely affected. In addition, private organizations could require us to guarantee all or part of this assistance resulting in additional costs to us. If we were to provide more direct financial assistance to our students, we would assume increased credit risks and incur additional costs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
On June 18, 2010, the Department of Education published the June NPRM related to a number of Title IV program integrity issues. The June NPRM addressed each of the 14 topics discussed at the negotiated rulemaking sessions held in November 2009, December 2009 and January 2010, including, among others, the definition of a high school diploma for the purposes of establishing institutional eligibility to participate in Title IV programs and student eligibility to receive Title IV aid, standards regarding the payment of incentive compensation, establishing requirements for institutions to submit information on program completers for programs that prepare students for gainful employment in recognized occupations, revising the definition of what constitutes a "substantial misrepresentation" made by an institution, standards regarding the sufficiency of a state's authorization of an institution for the purpose of establishing an institution's eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, and the definition of a credit hour for purposes of determining program eligibility for Title IV student financial aid. On July 26, 2010, the Department of Education published the July NPRM related to a definition of "gainful employment" for purposes of determining whether certain educational programs comply with the Title IV requirement of preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation.
On October 29, 2010, the Department of Education published the Final Rules pertaining to the Title IV program integrity issues, addressing all 14 topics addressed in the June NPRM and the July NPRM, other than sections of the proposed definition of "gainful employment" for purposes of determining whether certain educational programs comply with the Title IV requirement of preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. On June 13, 2011, the Department of Education published the Gainful Employment Rule defining the meaning of "gainful employment." Compliance with these and other new and changing regulations could reduce our enrollments, increase our cost of doing business, and have a material adverse effect on our business. The Final Rules became effective July 1, 2011, except for rules pertaining to verification and updating of student aid application information, which are effective July 1, 2012. The Gainful Employment Rule is effective July 1, 2012. We cannot predict with certainty the impact of the Final Rules and the Gainful Employment Rule on our operations, nor can we predict the timing and impact of other legislative or regulatory changes. Compliance with these and other new and changing regulations could reduce our enrollments, increase our cost of doing business, and have a material adverse effect on our business.
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On May 5, 2011, the Department of Education announced its intention to establish additional negotiated rulemaking committees to consider additional regulations under the Higher Education Act. The Department of Education held three public hearings in May 2011 at which interested parties presented issues for consideration by the rulemaking committees. The Department of Education also conducted roundtable discussions on teacher preparation, college completion, and the proposed "First in the World" competition. We are unable to predict the timing or the proposed or final form of any regulations that the Department of Education ultimately may adopt and the impact of such regulations on our business.
Congress has recently commenced an examination of the for-profit education sector that could result in legislation or further Department of Education rulemaking restricting Title IV program participation by proprietary schools in a manner that could materially and adversely affect our business.
Recently, Congress has placed increased focus on the role that for-profit educational institutions play in higher education. Congress has been holding various hearings on and requesting the GAO to conduct reviews of the proprietary education sector. As part of this investigation, on August 5, 2010, we received a request from the Senate Committee relating to its ongoing hearings relating to for-profit colleges receiving Title IV student financial aid. It is our understanding, based on communication from Senator Harkin, chairman of the Senate Committee, that this request was extended to 30 proprietary educational institutions. The request sought information to more accurately understand how we use Federal resources, including how we recruit and enroll students, set program price or tuition, determine financial aid including private or institutional loans, track attendance, handle withdrawal of students and return of Title IV dollars and manage compliance with the requirement that no more than 90% of revenues come from Title IV dollars. See "Regulatory Matters - Regulation of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs - Congressional action and changes in Department of Education regulations."
We cannot predict whether, or the extent to which, these hearings and review will result in legislation or further rulemaking affecting our participation in Title IV programs. To the extent that any laws or regulations are adopted that limit our participation in Title IV programs or the amount of student financial aid for which the students at our institutions are eligible, our enrollments, revenues and results of operation could be materially and adversely affected.
Recent statutory and regulatory changes substantially increased reporting and other requirements that could impair our reputation and adversely affect our enrollments. Our failure to comply with or accurately interpret pertinent disclosure requirements may subject us to penalties and other sanctions.
The most recent reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, in August 2008, contains numerous revisions to the requirements governing Title IV programs. Among other things, institutions participating in Title IV programs are subject to extensive additional reporting and disclosure requirements. The Final Rules published by the Department of Education in October 2010 that became effective July 1, 2011 require a number of specific disclosures to students and prospective students regarding our educational programs. Such disclosures include the occupations that NAU's educational programs prepare students to enter upon completing their program, total program costs and median student debt incurred for our programs, along with program completion and placement rates for our programs. Any failure by us to properly interpret these new requirements could subject us to limitation, suspension or termination of our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, the imposition of conditions on our participation in Title IV programs, monetary liabilities, fines and penalties or other sanctions imposed by the Department of Education, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. The prospect of such sanctions may cause us to conservatively interpret the new reporting requirements of Title IV programs by the Department of Education, which may limit our flexibility in operating our business.
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If any of the education regulatory agencies or commissions that regulate us do not approve or delay any required approvals of transactions involving a change of control, our ability to operate or participate in Title IV programs may be impaired.
If we experience a change in control under the standards of the Department of Education, the Higher Learning Commission, any applicable state educational licensing agency, or any specialized accrediting agency commission, we must notify or seek the approval of each such agency. These agencies do not have uniform criteria for what constitutes a change in control. Transactions or events that typically constitute a change in control include significant acquisitions or dispositions of the voting stock of an institution or its parent company, and significant changes in the composition of the board of directors of an institution or its parent company. Some of these transactions or events may be beyond our control. Our failure to obtain, or a delay in receiving, approval of any change in control from the Department of Education, the Higher Learning Commission or applicable state educational licensing agencies could impair our ability to operate or participate in Title IV programs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Failure to obtain, or a delay in receiving, approval of any change in control from any state in which we are currently licensed or authorized, or from any of our specialized accrediting commissions, could require us to suspend our activities in that state or suspend offering the applicable programs until we receive the required approval, or could otherwise impair our operations. The potential adverse effects of a change in control could influence future decisions by us and our stockholders regarding the sale, purchase, transfer, issuance or redemption of our stock, which could discourage bids for shares of our stock your shares of our stock and could have an adverse effect on the market price of our shares.
Our failure to satisfy the conditions imposed by the Higher Learning Commission with respect to its prior approval of the transaction with Dlorah could result in the loss of NAU's accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission.
The Higher Learning Commission's approval of the November 2009 transaction whereby Dlorah became our wholly owned subsidiary was subject to several conditions, consistent with the Higher Learning Commission's change of ownership procedures and requirements. These conditions include: (a) that NAU file a progress report by week six of each semester providing enrollment information by degree program and by location; (b) that NAU file a contingency report if there is any decision to offer a follow-up or secondary stock offering at least 90 days prior to such an offering so that the Higher Learning Commission may assess whether there may be a subsequent change of control under the Higher Learning Commission's policies; (c) that NAU undergo an evaluation within six months of the closing of our transaction with Dlorah focused on ascertaining the appropriateness of the approval of the change of control and of NAU's compliance with any commitments made in the change of control application as well as with the applicable accreditation criteria and eligibility requirements; and (d) that a stipulation be added to the affiliation status of NAU limiting the programs at the Master's degree level to existing programs and requiring NAU to seek the Higher Learning Commission's approval for the addition of any new Master's degrees. With respect to the progress report condition, the Higher Learning Commission approval provided that, if the pattern of enrollment growth calls into question NAU's capacity to provide quality teaching and learning, the Higher Learning Commission may schedule a focused evaluation regarding this issue. With respect to the conduct of the focused evaluation related to our transaction with Dlorah, the Higher Learning Commission directed its team conducting that evaluation to review the pattern of governance exercised at NAU and succession planning to prepare the institution for the divestiture of the Buckingham family's ownership of the Company. In addition, the Higher Learning Commission approval indicated that it was reasonable to assume that the evaluation team conducting the focused evaluation might recommend a shortened time frame before the next comprehensive evaluation visit but not to exceed five years from the date of that focused visit. The approval confirmed that the Higher Learning Commission will not consider requests for approval of any additional educational programs at the Master's level until after the successful completion of the focused evaluation. Any failure on our part to satisfy these conditions may result in the loss of our accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, which would prevent us from participating in Title IV programs.
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We cannot offer new programs, expand our operations into certain states or acquire additional schools if such actions are not approved by the applicable regulatory and accrediting agencies, and we may have to repay Title IV funds disbursed to students enrolled in any such programs, schools or states if we do not obtain prior approval.
Our expansion plans include offering new educational programs, expanding operations in additional states and potentially acquiring existing schools from other companies. If we are unable to obtain the necessary approvals for such new programs, operations or acquisitions from the Department of Education, the Higher Learning Commission or any applicable state educational licensing agency or accrediting commission, or if we are unable to obtain such approvals in a timely manner, our ability to consummate the planned actions and provide Title IV program funds to any affected students would be impaired, which could have a material adverse effect on our expansion plans and growth. If we were to determine erroneously that any such action did not need approval or that we had obtained all required approvals, including all required approvals for each of our current programs and locations, we could be liable for repayment of Title IV program funds provided to students in that program or at that location.
If the Department of Education does not recertify us to continue participating in Title IV programs, our students would lose their access to Title IV program funds, or we could be recertified but required to accept significant limitations as a condition of our continued participation in Title IV programs.
The Department of Education certification to participate in Title IV programs lasts a maximum of six years, and institutions are required to seek recertification from the Department of Education on a regular basis to continue their participation in Title IV programs. An institution must also apply for recertification by the Department of Education if it undergoes a change in control, as defined by Department of Education regulations, and may be subject to similar review if it expands its operations or educational programs in certain ways. Generally, the recertification process includes a review by the Department of Education of the institution's educational programs and locations, administrative capability, financial responsibility and other oversight categories. The Department of Education could limit, suspend or terminate an institution's participation in Title IV programs for violations of the Higher Education Act or Title IV regulations. Our current certification to participate in the Title IV programs, granted in connection with our transaction with Dlorah, was effective in January 2010 and expires December 31, 2012. There can be no assurance that the Department of Education will recertify us after our current period of certification or that it would not impose restrictions in connection with any such recertification. In addition, the Department of Education may take emergency action to suspend our certification without advance notice if it receives reliable information that we are violating Title IV requirements and it determines that immediate action is necessary to prevent misuse of Title IV funds. If the Department of Education does not renew or withdraws our certification to participate in Title IV programs at any time, our students would no longer be able to receive Title IV program funds. Similarly, the Department of Education could renew our certification, but restrict or delay our students' receipt of Title IV funds, limit the number of students to whom it could disburse such funds or impose other restrictions. Any of these outcomes could have a material adverse effect on NAU's enrollments and our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We would lose our ability to participate in Title IV programs if we fail to maintain our institutional accreditation, and our student enrollments could decline if we fail to maintain any of our accreditations or approvals.
An institution must be accredited by an accrediting commission recognized by the Department of Education to participate in Title IV programs. We have been granted institutional accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission, which is a regional accrediting commission recognized by the Department of Education. To remain accredited, we must continuously meet accreditation standards relating to, among other things, performance, governance, institutional integrity, educational quality, faculty, administrative capability, resources and financial stability. We were granted accreditation by the Higher Learning Commission in 2008 for the maximum term of ten years. If we fail to satisfy any of the Higher Learning Commission's standards, including a failure to satisfy the conditions under which the Higher Learning Commission approved the November 2009 transaction, we could lose our accreditation
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by the Higher Learning Commission, which would cause us to lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs and a significant decline in total student enrollments. In addition, many of our individual educational programs are also accredited by specialized accrediting commissions or approved by specialized state agencies. If we fail to satisfy the standards of any of those specialized accrediting commissions or state agencies, we could lose the specialized accreditation or approval for the affected programs, which could result in materially reduced student enrollments in those programs and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In December 2009, the Office of Inspector General issued an "Alert Memorandum," calling into question the Higher Learning Commission's compliance with the applicable Department of Education regulations related to the Higher Learning Commission's status as recognized by the Department of Education. Specifically, in matters unrelated to us, the Office of Inspector General asserted that the Higher Learning Commission did not make appropriate assessments as to credit hours with respect to the distance education programs of one of the Higher Learning Commission's accredited institutions and, as such, the Office of Inspector General recommended that the Department of Education take action to determine whether the Higher Learning Commission is in compliance with federal regulations related to the recognition of accrediting agencies and, if not, to take action to limit, suspend, or terminate the Higher Learning Commission's recognition by the Department of Education. Additionally, in May 2010, the Office of Inspector General issued a management report to the Higher Learning commission in which the Office of Inspector General found that the Higher Learning Commission does not have an established definition of credit hour or minimum requirements for program length and the assignment of credit hours, which the Office of Inspector General asserted could result in inflated credit hours, the improper designation of full-time student status, and the over-awarding of Title IV program funds. At this point, we do not know if this matter will be resolved and we are unable to speculate as to the impact on us or other institutions accredited by the Higher Learning Commission if the Higher Learning Commission's recognition as an accrediting commission were to be limited, suspended, or terminated by the Department of Education.
If we fail to maintain any of our state authorizations, we would lose our ability to operate in that state and for campuses in the state to participate in Title IV programs.
An institution must be authorized by each state in which it physically operates to participate in Title IV programs. The Department of Education historically has determined that an institution is authorized for the purpose of eligibility to participate in Title IV program eligibility if the institution's state does not require the institution to obtain licensure or authorization to operate in the state. In June 2010, the Department of Education published the June NPRM, pertaining to state authorization, among other things. The proposed regulations reflected the Department of Education's view that a state is expected to take an active role in approving an institution, and that a state should not defer all, or nearly all, of its oversight responsibilities to accrediting agencies for approval of institutions. On October 29, 2010, the Department of Education published the Final Rules. Under the Final Rules, the Department of Education considers an institution to be "legally authorized in a state" if, among other things:
| • | The state establishes the institution by name as an educational institution by charter, statute, constitutional provision or other action issued by an appropriate state agency or state entity, and the institution is authorized to operate educational programs beyond secondary education, including programs leading to a certificate or degree; |
| • | The institution complies with applicable state approval or licensure requirements, except that a state may exempt an institution from any such requirement based on (1) the institution's accreditation by one or more accrediting agencies recognized by the Department of Education or (2) the institution being in operation for at least 20 years; and | ||
| • | The state has a process, applicable to all institutions except federal and tribal institutions, to review and appropriately act on complaints concerning the institution and applicable state laws. |
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In South Dakota, where our operations are headquartered, the state currently does not specifically regulate or authorize the degrees or other educational programs of private, regionally accredited institutions of higher education. We therefore believe the Department of Education may not consider NAU, or other private, regionally accredited institutions in South Dakota, to be legally authorized in the state for the purposes of participation in the Title IV programs, and that South Dakota likely will need to revise its state laws and regulations to permit NAU to be in compliance with the Final Rules. Based on communications with the South Dakota Secretary of State, we have requested the Department of Education provide a one-year extension of the application of its revised state authorization regulations to NAU, pursuant to guidance provided by the Department in the Federal Register preamble to the Final Rules. If the Department of Education were to determine that NAU is not sufficiently authorized by South Dakota and not provide such an extension, we could lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. If South Dakota were to enact legislation or regulations to regulate private, regionally accredited institutions of higher education, including us, the failure by us to obtain and maintain any required authorization to operate and offer educational programs in South Dakota would similarly cause us to lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. Additionally, if South Dakota were to fail to enact such legislation or regulations, or failed to enact legislation or regulations that, when considered by the Department of Education, did not permit NAU to be in compliance with the new federal regulation on state authorization, we would not be considered by the Department of Education to be legally authorized in South Dakota, which would cause us to lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
We are authorized to operate and to grant degrees or diplomas by the applicable state educational licensing agency of each state where we maintain a physical campus. Such authorization is required for our students to be eligible to receive funding under Title IV programs. To maintain such state authorizations, we must continuously meet standards relating to, among other things, educational programs, facilities, instructional and administrative staff, marketing and recruitment, financial operations, addition of new locations and educational programs and various operational and administrative procedures. We may need to apply for additional authorization in these or other states in which we are authorized in order to comply with the state authorization requirements in Final Rules, and the authorization process could result in unexpected delays or other setbacks that could jeopardize our Title IV eligibility. If we fail to satisfy any of these standards, we could lose our authorization from the applicable state educational agency to offer educational programs and could be forced to cease operations in such state. Such a loss of authorization would also cause our physical campus in the state to lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. Some states may also prescribe financial regulations that are different from those of the Department of Education and many require the posting of surety bonds. If we fail to comply with state licensing requirements, we may lose our state licensure or authorizations. If we lose state licensure in a state in which we have a physical location, we would also lose Title IV eligibility in that state. Any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We also have been required to obtain authorization in certain other states where we do not maintain a physical campus because our activities in the state constitute a presence requiring licensure or authorization under the requirements of the applicable state education agency. If we fail to comply with state licensing or authorization requirements for a state, or fail to obtain licenses or authorizations when required, we could lose our state licensure or authorization by that state or be subject to other sanctions, including restrictions on our activities in that state, fines and penalties. The loss of licensure or authorization in a state where we have no physical campus could prohibit us from recruiting prospective students or offering educational services to current students in that state, which could significantly reduce enrollments and revenues and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. State laws and regulations are not always precise or clear, and state licensing agencies may sometimes disagree with the way we have interpreted or applied these requirements. The increasing popularity and use of the Internet and other online services for the delivery of education has led and may lead to the adoption of new laws and regulatory practices by many states and new interpretations of existing laws and regulations by state educational agencies.
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In addition, the Final Rules provide that if an institution is offering postsecondary education through distance or correspondence education to students in a state in which it is not physically located or in which it is otherwise subject to state jurisdiction as determined by the state, the institution must meet any state requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education to students in that state. Additionally, upon request by the Department of Education, an institution must be able to document that it has the applicable state approval. State regulatory requirements for online education vary among the states, are not well developed in many states, are imprecise or unclear in some states and can change frequently. Because we enroll students in all 50 states and the District of Columbia, we expect that other state regulatory authorities may request that we seek licensure or authorization in their states in the future. These new laws, regulations and interpretations may relate to issues such as the requirement that education institutions offering online programs be licensed in one or more jurisdictions where they have no physical location. We are in the process of contacting certain states to gain additional information and clarification on the regulatory requirements for online learning in those states. On July 12, 2011, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia vacated those provisions of the Final Rules that require an institution, for Title IV program purposes, to meet any state requirements for it to be legally offering postsecondary distance or correspondence education to students in that state. The court determined that the Department of Education failed to provide prior notice of this aspect of the Final Rules during the rulemaking process, and thus violated the Administrative Procedures Act. The court therefore did not rule on the substantive merits of the requirement. The Department of Education may appeal the court's decision, proceed to promulgate requirement through a supplemental rulemaking process, or both. We therefore cannot predict with any certainty the future effectiveness of this aspect of the Final Rules. New laws, regulations or interpretations related to providing educational programs and services over the Internet could increase our cost of doing business and affect our ability to recruit students in particular states, which could, in turn, negatively affect enrollments and revenues and otherwise have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, any misinterpretation by us of these regulatory requirements or adverse changes in regulations or interpretations of these regulations by state licensing agencies could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we do not comply with the Department of Education's "administrative capability" standards, we could suffer financial penalties, be required to accept other limitations to continue participating in Title IV programs or lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
Department of Education regulations specify extensive criteria an institution must satisfy to establish that it has the requisite "administrative capability" to participate in Title IV programs. These criteria require, among other things, that we:
| • | comply with all applicable Title IV program regulations; |
| • | have capable and sufficient personnel to administer the federal student financial aid programs; |
| • | not have student loan cohort default rates in excess of specified levels; |
| • | have acceptable methods of defining and measuring the satisfactory academic progress of our students; |
| • | have various procedures in place for safeguarding federal funds; |
| • | not be, and not have any principal or affiliate who is, debarred or suspended from federal contracting or engaging in activity that is cause for debarment or suspension; |
| • | provide financial aid counseling to our students; | ||
| • | refer to the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General any credible information indicating that any applicant, student, employee or agent of the institution has been engaged in any fraud or other illegal conduct involving Title IV programs; |
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| • | submit in a timely manner all reports and financial statements required by Title IV regulations; and |
| • | not otherwise appear to lack administrative capability. |
If an institution fails to satisfy any of these criteria or comply with any other Department of Education regulations, the Department of Education may:
| • | require the institution to repay Title IV program funds; |
| • | transfer the institution from the "advance" system of payment of Title IV program funds to cash monitoring status or to the "reimbursement" system of payment; |
| • | place the institution on provisional certification status; or |
| • | commence a proceeding to impose a fine or to limit, suspend or terminate the participation of the institution in Title IV programs. |
If we were found not to have satisfied the Department of Education's "administrative capability" requirements, we could be limited in our access to, or lose, Title IV program funding, which could significantly reduce our enrollments and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we do not meet specific financial responsibility standards established by the Department of Education, we may be required to post a letter of credit or accept other limitations to continue participating in Title IV programs, or we could lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
To participate in Title IV programs, an eligible institution must satisfy specific measures of financial responsibility prescribed by the Department of Education, or post a letter of credit in favor of the Department of Education and possibly accept other conditions on its participation in Title IV programs. These financial responsibility tests are applied to each institution on an annual basis based on the institution's audited financial statements, and may be applied at other times, such as if the institution undergoes a change in control. The Department of Education may also apply such measures of financial responsibility to the operating company and ownership entities of an eligible institution and, if such measures are not satisfied by the operating company or ownership entities, require the institution to post a letter of credit in favor of the Department of Education and possibly accept other conditions on its participation in Title IV programs. The operating restrictions that may be placed on an institution that does not meet the quantitative standards of financial responsibility include being transferred from the "advance payment" method of receiving Title IV program funds to either the "reimbursement" or the "heightened cash monitoring" system, which could result in a significant delay in the institution's receipt of those funds. Limitations on, or termination of, our participation in Title IV programs as a result of our failure to demonstrate financial responsibility would limit our students' access to Title IV program funds, which could significantly reduce enrollments and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As described in more detail under "Regulatory Matters - Regulation of Federal Student Aid Programs - Financial Responsibility," the Department of Education annually assesses our financial responsibility through a composite score determination. Based on our composite score for fiscal year ended May 31, 2007, and continuing for our fiscal year ended May 31, 2008, the Department of Education previously determined that we failed to meet the standards of financial responsibility. As a result of this determination, the Department of Education required us to post a letter of credit equal to 10 percent of Title IV program funds we received during our most recently completed fiscal year. Based on our audited financial statements for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2009, the Department of Education informed us that we were no longer required to maintain a letter of credit. Our audited financial statements for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2010 and May 31, 2011 indicated our composite scores for such fiscal years were 2.4 and 3.0, respectively. Any obligation to post a letter of credit in the future could increase our costs of regulatory compliance. If we are unable to secure any required letter of credit, we would lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, which can be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We may lose our eligibility to participate in the federal student financial aid programs if the percentage of our revenues derived from Title IV programs is too high.
A provision of the Higher Education Act commonly referred to as the "90/10" Rule, as amended in August 2008, provides that a for-profit educational institution loses its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs if, under a complex regulatory formula that requires cash basis accounting and other adjustments to the calculation of revenue, the institution derives more than 90% of its revenues from Title IV program funds for any two consecutive fiscal years. An institution that derives more than 90% of its revenue (on a cash basis) from Title IV programs for any single fiscal year will be placed on provisional certification for at least two fiscal years and may be subject to additional conditions or sanctions imposed by the Department of Education. During the period of provisional certification, the institution must comply with any additional conditions included in the institution's program participation agreement with the Department of Education. In addition, the Department of Education may more closely review an institution that is provisionally certified if it applies for recertification or approval to open a new location, add an educational program, acquire another school or make any other significant change. If the Department of Education determines that a provisionally certified institution is unable to meet its responsibilities under its program participation agreement, the Department of Education may seek to revoke the institution's certification to participate in Title IV programs without advance notice or opportunity for the institution to challenge the action. If we were to violate the 90/10 Rule, we would become ineligible to participate in Title IV programs as of the first day of the fiscal year following the second consecutive fiscal year in which we exceeded the 90% threshold and would be unable to regain eligibility for two fiscal years thereafter. Prior to the Higher Education Act amendment in August 2008, an institution was required to disclose in a footnote to its annual audited financial statements the percentage of its revenues derived from Title IV program funds that the institution received during the fiscal year covered by such financial statements. Under regulations that were published by the Department of Education in October 2009, a proprietary institution must continue to disclose in a footnote to its annual audited financial statements not only its 90/10 calculation, but also the amounts of the federal and non-federal revenues, by source, included in its 90/10 calculation. The certified public accountant that prepares the institution's audited financial statements will be required to review that information and test the institution's calculation. These regulations became effective on July 1, 2010, and also contain other modifications to the 90/10 Rule, including the means by which certain institutional loans may be considered in the calculation. These revised regulations may affect our ability to remain eligible to participate in Title IV programs or require us to incur additional costs in connection with our administration of Title IV programs. If we violate the 90/10 Rule and continue to disburse Title IV program funds to students after the effective date of our loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, we would be required to return those funds to the applicable lender or the Department of Education.
Using the Department of Education's formula under the "90/10 Rule," for our 2008 and 2009 fiscal years, as promulgated prior to regulatory revisions implementing the August 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act, we derived approximately 68% and 72%, respectively, of our revenues (calculated on a cash basis) from Title IV program funds. For our 2010 and 2011 fiscal years, we derived approximately 76% and 79%, respectively, of our revenues (calculated on a cash basis) from Title IV program funds.
In May 2008, Congress increased the annual loan limits on federal unsubsidized student loans by $2,000 for certain students and also increased the aggregate loan limits over the course of a student's education on total federal student loans for certain students. This increase in student loan limits also increased the amount of Title IV program funds used by students to satisfy tuition, fees and other costs, which will increase the proportion of our revenue from Title IV programs. However, the August 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act provides that such additional loan amounts, authorized in May 2008 and disbursed to students between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2011, may be considered, for the purposes of the 90/10 Rule, as revenue from sources other than Title IV programs, providing temporary relief from any adverse impact of additional Title IV loan funds on institutions' 90/10 percentages. Absent any
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extension of this temporary relief, our 90/10 percentages are expected to increase when the additional Title IV loan funds, authorized in May 2008 and disbursed to students between July 1, 2008, and July 1, 2011, must be considered in the 90/10 calculation in the same manner as other Title IV loan funds. In addition, recent changes in federal law also increased Title IV grant limits. Increases in Title IV grant and loan limits currently or in the future may result in an increase in the revenues we receive from Title IV programs. Further, a significant number of states in which we operate have faced budget constraints, which have caused or may cause them to reduce state appropriations in a number of areas, including with respect to the amount of financial assistance provided to post-secondary students, which could further increase our percentage of revenues derived from Title IV program funds. Also, the employment circumstances of our students or their parents could also increase reliance on Title IV program funds. We expect our ratio under the 90/10 Rule to continue to increase in the future. If we become ineligible to participate in Title IV programs as a result of noncompliance with the 90/10 Rule, it can be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs if our student loan default rates are too high.
An educational institution may lose its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs if, for three consecutive years, 25% or more of its students who were required to begin repayment on their student loans in the relevant fiscal year default on their payment by the end of the next federal fiscal year. In addition, an institution may lose its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs if the default rate of its students exceeds 40% for any single year. The August 2008 reauthorization of the Higher Education Act extends by one year the period for which students' defaults on their loans will be included in the calculation of an institution's default rate, a change that is expected to increase most institutions' default rates. The new law also increases the threshold for an institution to lose its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs from 25% to 30%. These changes to the law take effect for institutions' cohort default rates for federal fiscal year 2009, which are expected to be calculated and issued by the Department of Education in 2012. Our cohort default rates have historically been significantly below these levels, including 8.2% for federal fiscal year 2007, 7.3% for federal fiscal year 2006 and 7.5% for federal fiscal year 2005, the last three years for which the Department of Education has issued official cohort default rates. We cannot, however, provide any assurance that this will continue to be the case. Any increase in interest rates or reliance on "self-pay" students, as well as declines in income or job losses for our students, could contribute to higher default rates on student loans. Exceeding the student loan default rate thresholds and losing eligibility to participate in Title IV programs would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Any future changes in the formula for calculating student loan default rates, economic conditions or other factors that cause our default rates to increase, could place us in danger of losing its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We would be subject to sanctions if we were to pay impermissible commissions, bonuses or other incentive payments to individuals involved in certain recruiting, admission or financial aid activities.
The Higher Education Act prohibits an educational institution that participates in Title IV programs from making any commission, bonus or other incentive payments based directly or indirectly on securing enrollments or financial aid to any persons or entities involved in student recruiting or admissions activities, or in making decisions about the award of student financial assistance. Under Department of Education regulations in effect prior to July 1, 2011, there were twelve "safe harbor" provisions which specify certain activities and arrangements that an institution may carry out without violating the prohibition against incentive compensation reflected in the Higher Education Act, including the following:
| • | an institution could make up to two adjustments (upward or downward) to a covered employee's salary or fixed hourly wage rate within any 12-month period without the adjustment being considered an incentive payment, provided that no adjustment is based solely on the number of students recruited, admitted, enrolled or awarded financial aid; |
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| • | a covered employee could be compensated based upon students successfully completing their educational programs; and |
| • | the incentive payment prohibition in the Higher Education Act did not apply to managerial and supervisory employees who do not directly manage or supervise employees who are directly involved in recruiting or admissions activities, or the awarding of Title IV funds. |
While we believe that our compensation policies and practices have not been based on success in enrolling students in violation of applicable law, the Department of Education's regulations and interpretations of the incentive compensation law do not establish clear criteria for compliance in all circumstances and, in a limited number of instances, our actions may not have been within the scope of any historic safe harbor provided in the compensation regulations.
In the Final Rules published by the Department of Education on October 29, 2010 that became effective July 1, 2011, all of the previous safe harbor provisions were eliminated. The Department of Education effectively has taken the position that any commission, bonus or other incentive compensation based in any part, directly or indirectly, or securing enrollment or awarding financial aid is inconsistent with the prohibition against incentive compensation payment in the Higher Education Act. The Department of Education contends that institutions do not need to rely on these safe harbors and can instead determine if compensation is permissible under the Higher Education Act by considering (1) whether it is a commission, bonus or other incentive payment (meaning an award of money or something of value, other than a fixed salary or wages), paid or given for services rendered and (2) if so, whether that commission, bonus or other incentive payment is given to a person based in any part, directly or indirectly, upon securing enrollments or awarding financial aid. The prohibition against incentive compensation applies to any person engaged in student recruitment or admissions activities or in making financial aid award decisions, and any higher level employees with responsibility for such activities.
In the Final Rules, the Department of Education has maintained that institutions may make merit-based adjustments to employee compensation, provided that those adjustments are not based, in any part, directly or indirectly, upon securing enrollments or awarding financial aid. Among other examples, the Department of Education provides guidance that an institution may maintain a hierarchy of enrollment personnel with varying levels of responsibility and salary scales that reflect added amounts of responsibility, that an institution may promote personnel based on merit, and that an institution may make compensation decisions based on seniority or length of employment, provided that such decisions are consistent with the prohibition on incentive compensation. In a "Dear Colleague" letter issued on March 17, 2011, the Department of Education provided additional guidance regarding the scope of the prohibition on incentive compensation and to what employees and types of activities the prohibition applies. We have modified some of our compensation practices as a result of the elimination of the safe harbors. These changes in our compensation practices could (1) reduce the effectiveness of our employees, and make it more difficult for us to attract and retain staff with the desired talent and motivation to succeed and (2) impair our ability to sustain and grow our business. This could also increase marketing costs and reduce revenues if we are unable to maintain or increase student enrollments.
In addition, in recent years, other postsecondary educational institutions have been named as defendants to whistleblower lawsuits, known as "qui tam" cases, brought by current or former employees pursuant to the Federal False Claims Act, alleging that their institution's compensation practices did not comply with the incentive compensation rule. A qui tam case is a civil lawsuit brought by one or more individuals, referred to as a relator, on behalf of the federal government for an alleged submission to the government of a false claim for payment. The relator, often a current or former employee, is entitled to a share of the government's recovery in the case, including the possibility of treble damages. A qui tam action is always filed under seal and remains under seal until the government decides whether to intervene in the case. If the government intervenes, it takes over primary control of the litigation. If the government declines to intervene in the case, the relator may nonetheless elect to continue to pursue the litigation at his or her own expense on behalf of the government. Any such litigation could be costly and could divert management's time and attention away from the business, regardless of whether a claim has merit.
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We are subject to sanctions if we fail to correctly calculate and timely return Title IV program funds for students who withdraw before completing their educational program.
An institution participating in Title IV programs must calculate the amount of unearned Title IV program funds that it has disbursed to students who withdraw from their educational programs before completing such programs and must return those unearned funds to the appropriate lender or the Department of Education in a timely manner, generally within 45 days of the date the institution determines that the student has withdrawn. If the unearned funds are not properly calculated and timely returned for a sufficient percentage of students, we may have to post a letter of credit in favor of the Department of Education equal to 25% of Title IV program funds that should have been returned for such students in the prior fiscal year, and we could be fined or otherwise sanctioned by the Department of Education. If we do not correctly calculate and timely return unearned Title IV program funds, we may have to post letters of credit in favor of the Department of Education, may be liable for repayment of Title IV funds and related interest and may otherwise be subject to adverse actions by the Department of Education, including termination of our participation in Title IV programs, any of which could increase our cost of regulatory compliance and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We or certain of our educational programs may lose eligibility to participate in the Title IV programs if our educational programs are not shown to lead to "gainful employment" in a recognized occupation.
Under the Higher Education Act, proprietary schools are generally eligible to participate in Title IV programs only to the extent that their educational programs lead to "gainful employment" in a recognized occupation. In the July NPRM, the Department of Education proposed to assess whether a program leads to "gainful employment" by applying two tests, one based on debt-to-income ratios and the other based on repayment rates. On June 13, 2011, the Department of Education published the final Gainful Employment Rule defining "gainful employment" using two metrics, one based on debt-to-income ratios and the other based on repayment rates. See "Regulatory Matters - Regulation of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs - Gainful Employment." If an educational program fails both the loan repayment or debt to earnings metrics, after one failure, the institution must provide an oral or written warning to students disclosing the amount by which the program missed minimal acceptable performance and the program's plans for improvement. The institution must also establish a three day waiting period before a student can enroll after receiving this disclosure. After two failures in three years, the institution must provide a written warning to prospective and enrolled students in the failing program, stating the plans the institution intends to take in response, the risks associated with enrolling or continuing in the program, that students "should expect to have difficulty repaying" their loans and, if the institution chooses to discontinue the program at this stage, notice to students with a timeline for discontinuation. After three failures in four years, the program loses eligibility for Title IV Program funds. Once a program has lost eligibility, an institution cannot reestablish the program's Title IV eligibility for at least three years.
If a particular educational program ceased to become eligible for Title IV Program funds, either because it fails to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation or due to other factors, we may be required to cease offering that program. The Gainful Employment Rule also includes new requirements for the Department of Education's approval of new educational programs subject to the Gainful Employment Rule, which include any educational programs sought to be offered by us. These requirements impose various new requirements on, and could adversely affect, our ability to add new educational programs. In addition, the Department of Education has published no definite standards by which institutions can determine the likelihood that a new educational program will be approved. As such, these requirements add uncertainty regarding new program approvals, which could adversely affect our ability to respond to emerging employment trends and add programs that are responsive to those trends, which in turn could decrease our attractiveness to certain students.
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We are currently evaluating the impact of these rules on our business and will continue to monitor developments in this area. It is unclear at this time the level of administrative burden, increased costs, or effect on growth and enrollments that may result from these new reporting and disclosure requirements. There remain many open questions and interpretive issues with respect to these aspects of the final regulations. It is possible that the Gainful Employment Rule could render a significant number of our programs, and many programs offered by other proprietary educational institutions, ineligible for Title IV funding. In addition, the continuing eligibility of our educational programs for Title IV funding would be at risk due to factors beyond our control, such as changes in the income levels of our former students, increases in interest rates, changes in student mix to persons requiring higher amounts of student loans to complete their programs, changes in student loan delinquency rates and other factors. If a particular program ceased to be eligible for Title IV funding, in most cases it would not be practical to continue offering that program under our current business model. We may have to substantially increase our efforts to promote student loan repayment to ensure continued eligibility for certain programs to remain eligible for Title IV funding. We could also be required to increase disclosures to our students and prospective students, and our program growth could be restricted or compromised. Any of these events could materially increase our costs of doing business, cause decreased enrollments, and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If our students experience a loss or reduction of state financial aid, we could be materially adversely effected.
A significant number of states in which we operate have faced budget constraints, which have caused or may cause them to reduce or eliminate state appropriations, including with respect to the amount of financial assistance provided to post-secondary students, and additional states may reduce or eliminate such appropriations in the future. State financial aid programs generally are subject to annual appropriation by the state legislatures, which may eliminate or significantly decrease the amount of state financial aid available to students. We cannot predict whether future reductions in state financial aid programs will occur or how long such reductions will persist. For fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, we derived approximately 79% of our total revenue from state financial aid programs. In fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, students enrolled at our Minnesota locations received financial assistance through a state financial aid program. The loss or reduction of state financial aid could decrease our student enrollment and could have a material adverse effect on our business.
A substantial decrease in private student financing options or a significant increase in financing costs for our students could have a material adverse effect on us.
Some of our eligible students have used private (i.e., non-Title IV) loan programs to fund a portion of their education costs not covered by Title IV program funds or state financial aid sources. Recent adverse market conditions for consumer and federally guaranteed student loans (including lenders' increasing difficulties in reselling or syndicating student loan portfolios) have resulted, and could continue to result, in providers of private loans reducing the availability of or increasing the costs associated with providing private loans to post-secondary students. In particular, loans to students with low credit scores who would not otherwise be eligible for credit-based private loans have become increasingly difficult to obtain. Prospective students may find that these increased financing costs make borrowing prohibitively expensive and abandon or delay enrollment in post-secondary education programs. If our students' are unable to finance their education our student population could decrease, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Government and regulatory agencies and third parties may conduct compliance reviews, bring claims or initiate litigation against us.
Because we operate in a highly regulated industry, we may be subject to compliance reviews and claims of non-compliance and lawsuits by government agencies, regulatory agencies and third parties, including claims brought by third parties on behalf of the federal government. If the results of these reviews or proceedings are unfavorable to us, or if we are unable to defend successfully against lawsuits or claims, we may be required to pay money damages or be subject to fines, limitations, loss of eligibility for Title IV funding, injunctions or other penalties. Even if we adequately address issues raised by an agency review or successfully defend 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 defend against those lawsuits or claims. Additionally, we may experience adverse collateral consequences as a result of any negative publicity associated with such claims, including declines in student enrollments and lessened willingness of third parties to do business with us. Claims and lawsuits brought against us may damage our reputation or cost us to incur expenses, even if such claims and lawsuits are without merit.
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Risks Related to Our Business
We operate in a highly competitive industry, and competitors with greater resources could harm our business, decrease market share and put downward pressure on our tuition rates.
The post-secondary education market is highly fragmented and competitive. We compete for students with traditional public and private two-year and four-year colleges and universities, and other for-profit schools, including those that offer online learning programs, and alternatives to higher education, such as employment and military service. Many public and private schools, colleges and universities, including most major colleges and universities, offer online programs. We expect to experience additional competition in the future as more colleges, universities and for-profit schools offer an increasing number of online programs. Public institutions receive substantial government subsidies, and public and private non-profit institutions have access to government and foundation grants, tax-deductible contributions and other financial resources generally not available to for-profit schools. Accordingly, public and private nonprofit institutions may have instructional and support resources superior to those in the for-profit sector, and public institutions can offer substantially lower tuition prices. Some of our competitors in both the public and private sectors also have substantially greater financial and other resources than us. We may not be able to compete successfully against current or future competitors and may face competitive pressures that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our online and distance learning programs operate in a highly competitive market with rapid technological changes.
Online education is a highly fragmented and competitive market subject to rapid technological change. Competitors vary in size and organization from traditional colleges and universities, many of which offer some form of online education programs, to for-profit schools and software companies providing online education and training software. We expect the online education and training market to be subject to rapid changes in delivery, interaction and other future innovation and advancement. Our success will depend, in part, on our ability to adapt to changing technologies in online and distance learning and offer an attractive online/distance education option while maintaining competitive pricing. Furthermore, the expansion of our online programs and the development of new programs may not be accepted by the online education market. In addition, a general decline in Internet use for any reason, including due to security or privacy concerns, the cost of Internet service or changes in government regulation of Internet use, may result in less demand for online educational services, in which case we may not be able to recruit and retain students and grow our online programs as planned. Accordingly, if we are unable to keep pace with changes in technology or maintain technological relevance, or if the use of the Internet changes, our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected.
If our graduates are unable to obtain professional licenses or certifications in their chosen field of study, we may face declining enrollments and revenues or be subject to student litigation.
Certain of our students, particularly in the healthcare programs, require or desire professional licenses or certifications after graduation to obtain employment in their chosen fields. Their success in obtaining such licensure depends on several factors, including the individual merits of the student, whether the institution and the program were approved by the state or by a professional association, whether the program from which the student graduated meets all state requirements and whether the institution is accredited. If one or more states refuses to recognize our graduates for professional licensure in the future based on factors relating to us or our programs, the potential growth of our programs would be negatively impacted, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we could be exposed to litigation that would force us to incur legal and other expenses that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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If we are unable to continue our recent revenue growth, our stock price may decline and we may not have adequate financial resources to execute our business plan.
Our revenue increased from approximately $62.6 million in fiscal 2009 to approximately $89.8 million in fiscal 2010 and then to approximately $106.8 million in fiscal 2011. If we are unable to maintain adequate revenue growth, our stock price may decline and we may not have adequate financial resources to execute our business plan. In addition, you should not rely on the results of any prior periods as an indication of our future operating performance.
We have experienced losses and may not maintain profitability.
We have experienced losses in the past and it is possible we will experience losses in the future. In addition, we expect that our operating expenses and business development expenses will increase as we enroll more students, open new education locations and develop new programs. As a result, there can be no assurance that we will be able to generate sufficient revenues to maintain profitability.
Our financial performance depends on our ability to continue to develop awareness among, and attract and retain, new students.
Building awareness of NAU and the programs and services we offer is critical to our ability to attract prospective students. If we are unable to successfully market and advertise our educational programs, our ability to attract and enroll students could be adversely affected, and, consequently, our ability to increase revenue or maintain profitability could be impaired. It is also critical to our success that we convert prospective students to enrolled students in a cost-effective manner and that these enrolled students remain active in our programs. Some of the factors that could prevent us from successfully enrolling and retaining students include:
| • | the reduced availability of, or higher interest rates and other costs associated with, Title IV loan funds or other sources of financial aid; |
| • | the emergence of more successful competitors; |
| • | factors related to our marketing, including the costs and effectiveness of Internet advertising and broad-based branding campaigns and recruiting efforts; |
| • | performance problems with our online systems; |
| • | failure to maintain institutional and specialized accreditations; |
| • | failure to obtain and maintain required state authorizations; |
| • | the requirements of the education agencies that regulate us that restrict the initiation of new locations, new programs and modification of existing programs; | ||
| • | the requirements of the education agencies that regulate us that restrict the ways schools can compensate their recruitment personnel; |
| • | increased regulation of online education, including in states in which we do not have a physical presence; |
| • | restrictions that may be imposed on graduates of online programs that seek certification or licensure in certain states; |
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| • | student dissatisfaction with our services and programs; |
| • | adverse publicity regarding us, our competitors, or online or for-profit education generally; |
| • | price reductions by competitors that we are unwilling or unable to match; |
| • | a decline in the acceptance of online education; |
| • | an adverse economic or other development that affects job prospects in our core disciplines; |
| • | a decrease in the perceived or actual economic benefits that students derive from our programs; |
| • | litigation or regulatory investigations that may damage our reputation; and |
| • | changes in the general economy, including employment. |
If, for any reason or reasons, including those presented above, we are unable to maintain and increase our awareness among prospective students, recruit students and convert prospective students into enrolled students, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our growth may place a strain on our resources that could adversely affect our systems, controls and operating efficiency.
Our ability to sustain our current rate of growth or profitability depends on a number of factors, including our ability to obtain and maintain regulatory approvals, our ability to maintain operating margins, our ability to recruit and retain high quality academic faculty and administrative personnel and other competitive factors. Over the past three years, a majority of our growth has resulted from an increase in students enrolling in our Associate degree programs; however, we believe that future growth will be based upon an expansion of our current programs, the addition of new programs, an increase in our physical and online presence, affiliation agreements and increasing enrollments. The growth and expansion of our domestic and international operations may place a significant strain on our resources and increase demands on our management information and reporting systems, financial management controls and personnel. Any failure to effectively manage or maintain growth could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If we cannot maintain student enrollments, our results of operations may be adversely affected.
Our strategy for growth and profitability depends, in part, upon the retention of our students. While we provide certain services to our students (e.g., tutoring) in an effort to retain students and lower attrition rates, many of our students face financial, personal or family constraints that require them to withdraw within a term or at the end of a given term. Additionally, some students may decide to continue their education at a different institution. If for any reason, we are unable to predict and manage student attrition, our overall enrollment levels would likely decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
If the proportion of students who are enrolled in our Associate degree programs continues to increase, we may experience increased costs and reduced margins.
In recent years, the proportion of our enrollment composed of Associate degree students has increased. We have experienced certain effects from this shift, such as an increase in our student loan cohort default rate. If this shift towards Associate degree programs continues, we may experience additional consequences, such as higher costs per start, lower retention rates, higher student services costs, an increase in the percentage of our revenue derived from Title IV programs under the 90/10 Rule, more limited ability to implement tuition price increases and other effects that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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An increase in interest rates could adversely affect our ability to attract and retain students.
For the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, NAU derived cash receipts equal to approximately 79%, 76%, and 72%, respectively, of its net revenue from tuition financed under Title IV programs, which include student loans with interest rates subsidized by the federal government. Additionally, some students finance their education through private loans that are not subsidized. If our students' employment circumstances are adversely affected by regional or national economic downturns, they may be more heavily dependent on student loans. Interest rates have reached relatively low levels in recent years, creating a favorable borrowing environment for students. However, if interest rates increase or Congress decreases the amount available for Title IV funding, our students may 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 our existing and prospective students, which could result in a significant reduction in our student population and revenues. Higher interest rates could also contribute to higher default rates with respect to our students' repayment of their education loans. Higher default rates may in turn adversely impact our eligibility to participate in some or all of the Title IV programs, which could result in a material adverse effect on our enrollments and future growth prospects and our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our reputation and the value of our stock may be negatively affected by the actions of other post-secondary educational institutions.
In recent years, regulatory proceedings and litigation have been commenced against various post-secondary educational institutions relating to, among other things, deceptive trade practices, false claims against the government and non-compliance with Department of Education requirements, state education laws and state consumer protection laws. These proceedings have been brought by students, the Department of Education, the United States Department of Justice, the United States Securities and Exchange Commission and state governmental agencies, among others. These allegations have attracted adverse media coverage and have been the subject of legislative hearings and regulatory actions at both the federal and state levels, focusing not only on the individual schools but in some cases on the larger for-profit post-secondary education sector as a whole. Adverse media coverage regarding other for-profit education companies or other educational institutions could damage our reputation, result in lower enrollments, revenues and results of operations and have a negative impact on the value of our stock. Such coverage could also result in increased scrutiny and regulation by the Department of Education, Congress, accrediting commissions, state legislatures, state attorneys general, state education agencies or other governmental authorities of all educational institutions, including us.
Our expansion into new markets outside the United States will subject us to risks inherent in international operations, are subject to significant start up costs and place strain on our management.
As part of our growth strategy, we intend to continue to establish markets outside the United States, subject to approvals from the Higher Learning Commission and other appropriate accrediting or regulatory agencies. Currently, we have affiliations with institutions in Chile, Bolivia, United Arab Emirates and Greece, and we are in the process of developing additional affiliations in the Czech Republic, Saudi Arabia, Serbia, Brazil and China. Our operations in each of the foreign jurisdictions may subject us to additional educational and other regulations of foreign jurisdictions, which may differ materially from the regulations applicable to our domestic operations. Such international expansion is expected to require a significant amount of start-up costs. Additionally, our management does not have significant experience in operating a business at the international level. As a result, we may be unsuccessful in carrying out our plans for international expansion, obtaining the necessary licensing, permits or market saturation, or in successfully navigating other challenges posed by operating an international business.
If we do not maintain existing and develop additional relationships with employers, our future growth may be impaired.
Currently, we have relationships with certain employers to provide their employees with an opportunity to enroll in classes and obtain degrees through us while maintaining their employment. These relationships are an important part of our strategy because they provide us with a steady source of potential working adult students for particular programs and increase our reputation among employers. If we are unable to develop new relationships or maintain our existing relationships, this source of potential students may be impaired and enrollments and revenue may decrease, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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If students fail to pay their outstanding balances, our business may be harmed.
From time to time, students may carry balances on portions of their education expense not covered by financial aid programs. These balances are unsecured and not guaranteed. Furthermore, disruptive economic events could adversely affect the ability or willingness of our former students to repay student loans, which may increase our student loan cohort default rate and require the devotion of increased time, attention and resources to manage these defaults. As a result, losses related to unpaid student balances in excess of the amounts we have reserved for bad debts, or the failure of students to repay their debt obligations, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Government regulations relating to the Internet could increase our cost of doing business and affect our ability to grow.
The increasing popularity and 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 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. As the proportion of our students who take online courses increases, new laws, regulations or interpretations related to doing business over the Internet could increase our costs of compliance or doing business and materially and adversely affect our ability to offer online courses, which would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our financial performance depends, in part, on our ability to keep pace with changing market needs.
Increasingly, prospective employers of NAU students require their new employees to possess appropriate technological skills and interpersonal skills, such as communication, critical thinking and teamwork skills. These skills evolve rapidly in a changing economic and technological environment. Accordingly, it is important for our programs to evolve in response to those economic and technological changes. The expansion of existing programs and the development of new programs may not be accepted by current or prospective students or the employers of our graduates. Even if NAU is able to develop acceptable new programs, we may not be able to begin offering those new programs as quickly as required by prospective employers or as quickly as our competitors offer similar programs. In addition, we may be unable to obtain specialized accreditations or licensures that may make certain programs desirable to students. To offer a new academic program, NAU may be required to obtain appropriate federal, state and accrediting agency approvals that may be conditioned or delayed in a manner that could significantly affect our growth plans. In addition, to be eligible for Title IV programs, a new academic program may need to be approved by the Department of Education, the Higher Learning Commission and state educational agencies. 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, our ability to attract and retain students could be impaired, the rates at which our graduates obtain jobs involving their fields of study could suffer and our reputation among students, prospective students and employers may be impaired, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Establishing new academic programs or modifying existing programs requires us to invest in management and business development, incur marketing expenses and reallocate other resources. We may have limited experience with any courses in new academic areas and may need to modify our systems, strategy and delivery platform or enter into arrangements with other educational institutions to provide such programs effectively and profitably. If we are unable to offer new courses and programs in a cost-effective manner, or are otherwise unable to effectively manage the operations of newly established academic programs, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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Capacity constraints of our computer networks and changes to the acceptance and regulation of online programs could have a material adverse effect on student retention and growth.
If we are successful in increasing student enrollments, additional resources in the forms of human, intellectual and financial capital, as well as information technology resources, will be necessary. We have invested and continue to invest significant resources in information technology when such technology systems and tools have become impaired or obsolete. In an attempt to utilize recent technology, we could install new information technology systems without accurately assessing its costs or benefits or experience delayed or ineffective implementation of new information technology systems. Similarly, we could fail to respond in a timely or sufficiently competitive way to future technological developments in our industry. As a result, this growth may place a significant strain on our operational resources, including our computer networks and information technology infrastructure, thereby restricting our ability to enroll and retain students and grow our online programs.
System disruptions and security threats to our computer networks could have a material adverse effect on our ability to attract and retain students.
The performance and reliability of our computer network infrastructure is critical to our reputation and ability to attract and retain students. Any computer system error or failure, or a sudden and significant increase in traffic on our computer networks, including those that host our online programs, may cause network outages and disrupt our online and on-ground operations that may damage our reputation.
Additionally, we face a number of threats to our computer systems, including unauthorized access, computer hackers, computer viruses and other security problems and system disruptions. We have devoted and will continue to devote significant resources to the security of our computer systems, but they are still vulnerable to security threats. A user or hacker who circumvents security measures could misappropriate proprietary information or cause interruptions or malfunctions in operations. As a result, we expend significant resources to protect against the threat of these system disruptions and security breaches and may have to spend more to alleviate problems caused by these disruptions and breaches, which could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, ability to retain and store data and our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A failure of our information systems to store, process and report relevant data may reduce management's effectiveness, interfere with regulatory compliance and increase 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 plan, forecast and execute our business plan and comply with applicable laws and regulations, including the Higher Education Act, will be impaired. Any such impairment of our information systems could materially and adversely affect our reputation and our ability to provide student services or accurately budget or forecast operating activity, thereby adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations.
The personal information that we collect may be vulnerable to breach, theft or loss, and could subject us to liability or adversely affect our reputation and operations.
Possession and use of personal information in our operations subjects us to risks and costs that could harm our business and reputation. We collect, use and retain large amounts of personal information regarding our students and their families, including social security numbers, tax return information, personal and family financial data and credit card numbers. We also collect and maintain personal information of our employees in the ordinary course of business. Some of this personal information is held and managed by certain of our vendors. Although we use security and business controls to limit access and use of personal information, a third party
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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 student or employee privacy. Possession and use of personal information in our operations also subjects us to legislative and regulatory burdens that could require us to implement certain policies and procedures, such as the procedures we adopted to comply with the Red Flags Rule that was promulgated by the Federal Trade Commission under the federal Fair Credit Reporting Act, which requires the establishment of guidelines and policies regarding identity theft related to student credit accounts, and could require us to make certain notifications of data breaches and restrict our use of personal information. A violation of any laws or regulations relating to the collection or use of personal information could result in the imposition of fines against us. As a result, we may be required to expend significant resources to protect against the threat of these security breaches or to alleviate problems caused by these breaches. While we believe we have taken appropriate precautions and safety measures, there can be no assurances that a breach, loss or theft of any such personal information will not occur. Any breach, theft or loss of such personal information could have a material adverse effect on our reputation, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and could result in liability under state and federal privacy statutes and legal actions by state attorneys general and private litigants.
We may incur liability for the unauthorized duplication or distribution of class materials posted online for class discussions.
In some instances, our faculty members or students may distribute to students in class or post various articles or other third-party content on class discussion boards. We may incur liability for the unauthorized duplication or distribution of this material distributed in class or posted online for class discussions. As a for-profit organization, we may be subject to a greater risk of liability for the unauthorized duplication of materials under the Copyright Act than a non-profit institution of higher education. Third parties may raise claims against us for the unauthorized duplication of this material. Any such claims could subject us to costly litigation and impose a significant strain on financial resources and management personnel, regardless of whether the claims have merit. Our general liability insurance may not cover potential claims of this type adequately or at all, and we may be required to alter the content of our courses or pay monetary damages, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We rely on exclusive proprietary rights and intellectual property that may not be adequately protected under current laws.
Our success depends, in part, on our ability to protect our proprietary rights and intellectual property. We rely on a combination of copyrights, trademarks, trade secrets, domain names and contractual agreements to protect our proprietary rights. We rely on trademark protection in both the United States and certain foreign jurisdictions to protect our rights to various marks, as well as distinctive logos and other marks associated with them. We also rely on agreements under which we obtain intellectual property or license rights to own or use content developed by faculty members, content experts and other third-parties. We cannot assure that these measures are adequate, that we have secured, or will be able to secure, appropriate protections for all of our proprietary rights in the United States or any foreign jurisdictions, or that third parties will not terminate license rights or infringe upon or otherwise violate our proprietary rights. Despite our efforts to protect these rights, unauthorized third parties may attempt to infringe our trademarks, use, duplicate or copy the proprietary aspects of our student recruitment and educational delivery methods, curricula, online resource material and other content. Our management's attention may be diverted by these attempts and we have in the past, and may in the future, need to use funds in litigation to protect our proprietary rights against any infringement or violation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We may be involved in disputes from time to time relating to our intellectual property and the intellectual property of third parties.
We have in the past, and may in the future, become parties to disputes from time to time over rights and obligations concerning intellectual property, and we may not always prevail in these disputes. Third parties may allege that we have not obtained sufficient rights in the content of a course or other intellectual property. Third parties may also raise claims against us alleging infringement or violation of the intellectual property of that third party. 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 violating those intellectual property rights. Any such intellectual property claim could subject us to costly litigation and impose a significant strain on our financial resources and management personnel regardless of whether such claim has merit. Our general liability and cyber liability insurance, if any, may not cover potential claims of this type adequately or at all, and we may be required to alter the content of our courses or pay monetary damages or license fees to third parties, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to retain 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 have significant experience with our business and within the education industry. Due to the nature of the education industry, we face significant competition in attracting and retaining personnel who possess the skills necessary to sustain and grow our business. The loss of the services of any of our key personnel, or failure to attract and retain other qualified and experienced faculty members and staff members on acceptable terms, could impair our ability to sustain and grow our business.
Our business may be affected by changing economic conditions.
The United States economy and the economies of other key industrialized countries currently have recessionary characteristics, including reduced economic activity, increased unemployment and substantial uncertainty about the financial markets. In addition, homeowners in the United States have experienced an unprecedented reduction in wealth due to the decline in residential real estate values across much of the country. The reduction in wealth, unavailability of credit and unwillingness of employers to sponsor non-traditional educational opportunities for their employees could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war, natural disasters or breaches of security could have an adverse effect on our operations.
Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war, hurricanes, earthquakes, floods, tornados and other natural disasters or breaches of security at our educational sites could disrupt our operations. Terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war, natural disasters or breaches of security that directly impact our physical facilities, online offerings or ability to recruit and retain students and employees could adversely affect our ability to deliver our programs to our students and, thereby, adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, terrorist attacks and other acts of violence or war, natural disasters or breaches of security could adversely affect the economy and demographics of the affected region, which could cause significant declines in the number of our students in that region and could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The economic downturn may affect the Company's real estate business.
The downturn in the United States economy in general, and the real estate industry specifically, has negatively affected our real estate operation that develops, leases and sells residential properties in Rapid City, South Dakota. Currently, our real estate operation is marketing two condominium developments. To date only a small number of condominium units have been sold. Our real estate operation plans to build additional condominium buildings and units only upon the achievement of the sale of a substantial number of the currently available condominium units. Unless the United States economy and the real estate market improve, we may be forced to sell the condominium units at a loss or attempt to lease them, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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The facility opportunities for the central administration facility to support growth may affect the ability to service students.
The central administration staff will need to increase due to the growth in the student population to support the students. Currently, the central administration staff has outgrown the facility they reside in. The inability to obtain addition space would hamper the hiring managers ability to increase staff and thereby support the growth.
| Item 1B. | Unresolved Staff Comments. |
None.
| Item 2. | Properties. |
We lease our educational sites and administrative facilities except for our main educational site in Rapid City, South Dakota, which we own. Our educational sites are located in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota, and Texas and our corporate headquarters is located in Rapid City, South Dakota, as set forth under the heading "Educational Sites" under Item 1. As of June 30, 2011, we owned one and leased 31 educational sites (five of which are pending regulatory approvals) and administrative facilities.
We evaluate current utilization of our facilities and projected enrollment growth to determine facility needs. We believe our existing facilities are adequate for current requirements and that additional space can be obtained on commercially reasonable terms to meet future requirements.
| Item 3. | Legal Proceedings. |
From time to time, we are a party to various lawsuits, claims and other legal proceedings that arise in the ordinary course of our business. We are not at this time a party, as plaintiff or defendant, to any legal proceedings that, individually or in the aggregate, would be expected to have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operation.
| Item 4. | [Reserved]. |
PART II
| Item 5. | Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities. |
Market Information
Our common stock began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "NAUH" on May 27, 2010. Our common stock traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board under the symbol "NAUH" through May 26, 2010.
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The following table sets forth the high and low last bid price (as traded on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board) or the high and low sales price (as traded on Nasdaq Global Market), as applicable, and dividends paid per share of our common stock by quarter for our past two most recent fiscal years. The over-the-counter market quotations listed below reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission, and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.
| Fiscal 2010 | Fiscal 2011 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Cash | Cash | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Dividends | Dividends | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| Declared | High | Low | Declared | High | Low | |||||||||||||||||||
First Quarter | - | $ | 7.81 | $ | 7.55 | $ | 0.0275 | $ | 10.50 | $ | 4.88 | |||||||||||||
Second Quarter | - | $ | 7.90 | $ | 7.30 | $ | 0.03 | $ | 8.21 | $ | 4.57 | |||||||||||||
Third Quarter | $ | 0.0275 | $ | 11.00 | $ | 7.00 | $ | 0.03 | $ | 7.93 | $ | 6.27 | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Fourth Quarter | $ | 0.1875 | 3 | $ | 10.10 | 1 | $ | 8.00 | 2 | $ | 0.03 | $ | 7.92 | $ | 6.52 | |||||||||
| 1. | High bid price on the Over-the-Counter Bulletin Board for the fourth quarter, fiscal 2010. | |
| 2. | Low sales price as reported on Nasdaq Global Market for the fourth quarter, fiscal 2010. | |
| 3. | Includes a one-time special cash dividend of $0.16 per share paid to holders of common stock after the completion of our follow-on public offering on June 1, 2010. |
Stockholders
As of August 2, 2011, there were approximately 26 holders of record of our common stock.
Dividends
Prior to our transaction with Dlorah, we did not pay any cash dividends. Prior to the closing of our follow-on public offering, which closed on June 1, 2010, pursuant to our second amended and restated certificate of incorporation, the holders of our Class A common stock, par value $0.0001, were entitled to a quarterly accruing dividend equal to $0.11 (for a total of $0.44 per year) per share of common stock into which such Class A common stock is convertible for each of the Company's eight successive fiscal quarters following the first issuance of Class A common stock, paid when and if declared by our board of directors. If a dividend was paid on the Class A common stock, we must have also declared and paid a dividend on the common stock equal to one-fourth of the amount of the dividend paid to the Class A common stock. During our fiscal year 2010, we have paid two dividends on the Class A common stock and common stock, which were paid on January 4, 2010 and March 20, 2010. For each of those dividends, the record holders of Class A common stock received a dividend equal to $0.11 per share of common stock into which such Class A common stock was convertible, and the holders of common stock received a dividend of $0.0275 per share.
We also declared and paid a contingent special dividend that were payable promptly after the completion of our follow-on public offering on June 1, 2010, to our Class A common stockholders and common stockholders of record on May 20, 2010. The aggregate amount of the special dividend paid was approximately $11.1 million, or (a) approximately $0.64 per share of common stock into which a share of Class A common stock was convertible to holders of Class A common stock and (b) $0.16 per share of common stock payable to holders of common stock. Immediately prior to the completion of our follow-on public offering, all Class A common stock were converted into common stock. The payment of the special dividend represented the aggregate amount of the dividend that would be foregone by the Class A common stockholders by converting their Class A common stock into common stock in connection with the follow-on public offering and the corresponding required dividend to the common stockholders, using a present value discount to reflect that the dividend would be paid in advance of when it is otherwise payable.
Because no Class A common stock were outstanding following its conversion into common stock prior to the consummation of the follow-on public offering, we will have no further obligation to accrue or pay dividends on any of our outstanding capital stock. Nevertheless, during our fiscal year 2011, our board of directors have declared dividends on our common stock, and to the extent that funds are available, our board of directors currently intends to continue paying dividends on our common stock. The payment of any dividends in the future, however, will be at the discretion of our board of directors and will depend upon our financial condition, results of operations, earnings, capital requirements, contractual restrictions, outstanding indebtedness and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors.
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Use of Proceeds
In December 2007, we completed our initial public offering, or IPO, pursuant to a registration statement on Form S-1 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (File No. 333-143098) that was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission on November 26, 2007. Under the registration statement, we registered the offering and sale of 7,812,500 units, each unit consisting of one share of common stock, $0.0001 par value per share, and one warrant to purchase one share of common stock. A total of 6,626,300 units were sold in the offering at a price to the public of $8.00 per unit. After deducting underwriting discounts, commissions and offering expenses of approximately $4.2 million, we raised a total of $48.8 million.
In connection with the transaction with Dlorah on November 23, 2009, we used $3.3 million of our IPO proceeds to redeem all of the outstanding warrants that were publicly traded immediately before the consummation of the Dlorah transaction, and $3.7 million of our proceeds from the IPO to buyout an employment agreement and legal, accounting, filing, and insurance fees associated with being a public entity.
We have used and intend to use the remaining net proceeds from the IPO for general corporate purposes and growth initiatives, including expansion of educational sites.
Securities Authorized for Issuance Under Equity Compensation Plans
The following table sets forth information about our common stock that may be issued upon the exercise of options, warrants and rights under all of the our compensation plans (including individual compensation arrangements) under which our equity securities are authorized for issuance as of May 31, 2011, which includes our 2009 Stock Option and Compensation Plan.
| Number of | ||||||||||||
| securities | ||||||||||||
| remaining | ||||||||||||
| available for | ||||||||||||
| future issuance | ||||||||||||
| Number of | under | |||||||||||
| securities to be | equity | |||||||||||
| issued upon | compensation | |||||||||||
| exercise of | plans | |||||||||||
| outstanding | Weighted-average | (excluding | ||||||||||
| options, | exercise price of | securities | ||||||||||
| warrants | outstanding options, | reflected in | ||||||||||
| Plan category | and rights | warrants and rights | column (a)) | |||||||||
| (a) | (b) | (c) | ||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Equity compensation plans approved by security holders (1) | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
2009 Incentive Plan | 163,000 | $ | 6.31 | (2) | 1,137,000 | |||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| 163,000 | $ | 6.31 | (2) | 1,137,000 | |||||||
| ||||||||||||
| (1) | See "National American University Holdings, Inc. 2009 Stock Option and Compensation Plan" described in "Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements-Note 9-Stockholders' Equity" for further description of our equity compensation plan. | |
| (2) | Represents the weighted-average exercise price of outstanding securities and is calculated by taking into account the 53,000 shares of common stock subject to outstanding restricted stock units that become issuable as those units vest, for no consideration. The weighted-average exercise price of outstanding securities excluding those 53,000 shares of common stock that can be exercised for no consideration is $9.35. |
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| Item 6. | Selected Financial Data. |
The following table shows our selected consolidated financial and operating data for each of the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008. Dlorah was the accounting acquirer in our transaction as described in Note 15 to our consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, our historical financial information reflects the operations of Dlorah. The selected consolidated statements of financial data for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010, 2009 and 2008 are derived from Dlorah's audited consolidated financial statements prepared in accordance with accounting standards generally accepted in the United States. Our historical results are not necessarily indicative of our results for any future period.
This information should be read in conjunction with "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" and our consolidated financial statements and related notes.
| Year Ended May 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | ||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands, except per share data) | |||||||||||||||||
Income Statement | |||||||||||||||||
Total Revenues | $ | 106,808 | $ | 89,796 | $ | 62,584 | $ | 49,457 | |||||||||
Costs and Expenses: | |||||||||||||||||
Cost of educational services | 22,575 | 20,419 | 17,398 | 15,130 | |||||||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 64,474 | 49,886 | 37,626 | 32,642 | |||||||||||||
Auxiliary expense | 2,888 | 2,076 | 1,595 | 1,523 | |||||||||||||
Cost of condominium sales | 381 | 761 | 558 | 122 | |||||||||||||
Loss on disposition of property and equipment | 82 | 29 | 3 | 5 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Total Costs and Expenses | 90,400 | 73,171 | 57,180 | 49,422 | |||||||||||||
Income from Operations | 16,408 | 16,625 | 5,404 | 35 | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Other Income (Expense) | 271 | (101 | ) | (499 | ) | (649 | ) | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Income (Loss) before Income Taxes | 16,679 | 16,524 | 4,905 | (614 | ) | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Income Tax Expense | (6,375 | ) | (6,485 | ) | (1,797 | ) | 231 | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Net Income (Loss) | 10,304 | 10,039 | 3,108 | (383 | ) | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Net (Income) Loss attributable to non-controlling interest | (38 | ) | (4 | ) | 13 | (37 | ) | ||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Net Income (Loss) attributable to National American University Holdings, Inc. and subsidiaries | $ | 10,266 | $ | 10,035 | $ | 3,121 | $ | -420 | |||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
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| Year Ended May 31, | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||||||||||
Income from operations per Class A Share | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | $ | 0 | $ | 95.25 | $ | 31.21 | $ | -4.20 | ||||||||
Diluted | 0 | 95.25 | 31.21 | -4.20 | ||||||||||||
Income from operations per Common Share | ||||||||||||||||
Basic | 0.39 | -0.04 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Diluted | 0.38 | -0.04 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||||||
Balance Sheet | ||||||||||||||||
Total Assets | $ | 77,938 | $ | 47,286 | $ | 28,865 | $ | 28,162 | ||||||||
Long-Term Obligations | $ | 7,075 | $ | 3,531 | $ | 10,972 | $ | 13,041 | ||||||||
Cash Dividends declared per Class A Share | $ | 0 | $ | 0.86 | $ | 2.00 | $ | 2.00 | ||||||||
Cash Dividends declared per Common Share | $ | 0.12 | $ | 0.22 | n/a | n/a | ||||||||||
| Year Ended May 31, | |||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | ||||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands, except per share data) | |||||||||||||||||
Weighted Average Shares | |||||||||||||||||
Basic EPS | |||||||||||||||||
Class A | - | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | |||||||||||||
Common | 26,236,783 | 3,103,847 | n/a | n/a | |||||||||||||
Diluted EPS | |||||||||||||||||
Class A | - | 100,000 | 100,000 | 100,000 | |||||||||||||
Common | 26,836,039 | 3,103,959 | n/a | n/a | |||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||||||
Other Data (Unaudited) | |||||||||||||||||
Loss from Real Estate Operations Before Taxes | $ | (621 | ) | $ | (735 | ) | $ | (527 | ) | $ | (900 | ) | |||||
EBITDA 1 | $ | 19,392 | $ | 19,163 | $ | 7,662 | $ | 2,241 | |||||||||
Student Headcount (for Spring quarter of the fiscal year) 2 | 10,015 | 8,758 | 6,479 | 4,960 | |||||||||||||
| 1 | Consists of income attributable to the Company, less income from non-controlling interest, plus income (loss) from non-controlling interest, minus interest income, plus interest expense, plus income taxes, plus depreciation and amortization. We use EBITDA as a measure of operating performance. However, EBITDA is not a recognized measurement under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP, and when analyzing our operating performance, investors should use EBITDA in addition to, and not as an alternative for, income as determined in accordance with GAAP. Because not all companies use identical calculations, our presentation of EBITDA may not be comparable to similarly titled measures of other companies and is therefore limited as a comparative measure. Furthermore, as an analytical tool, EBITDA has additional limitations, including that (a) it is not intended to be a measure of free cash flow, as it does not consider certain cash requirements such as tax payments; (b) it does not reflect changes in, or cash requirements for, our working capital needs; and (c) although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized often will have to be replaced in the future, and EBITDA does not reflect any cash requirements for such replacements, or future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments. To compensate for these limitations, we evaluate our profitability by considering the economic effect of the excluded expense items independently as well as in connection with our analysis of cash flows from operations and through the use of other financial measures. |
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We believe EBITDA is useful to an investor in evaluating our operating performance because it is widely used to measure a company's operating performance without regard to certain non-cash expenses (such as depreciation and amortization) and expenses that are not reflective of our core operating results over time. We believe EBITDA presents a meaningful measure of corporate performance exclusive of our capital structure, the method by which assets were acquired and non-cash charges, and provides us with additional useful information to measure our performance on a consistent basis, particularly with respect to changes in performance from period to period.
The following table provides a reconciliation of net income attributable to the Company to EBITDA:
| Year Ended May 31, | ||||||||||||||||
| 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | |||||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||
Net Income (Loss) attributable to the Company | $ | 10,266 | $ | 10,035 | $ | 3,121 | $ | (420 | ) | |||||||
Income (Loss) attributable to non-controlling interest | 38 | 4 | (13 | ) | 37 | |||||||||||
Interest Income | (148 | ) | (206 | ) | (242 | ) | (282 | ) | ||||||||
Interest Expense | 0 | 525 | 834 | 1,023 | ||||||||||||
Income Taxes | 6,375 | 6,485 | 1,797 | (231 | ) | |||||||||||
Depreciation and Amortization | 2,861 | 2,320 | 2,165 | 2,114 | ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||
EBITDA | $ | 19,392 | $ | 19,163 | $ | 7,662 | $ | 2,241 | ||||||||
| 2 | Student headcount is based on the headcount as of the last day of the university's Spring term, which runs from March to May. |
| Item 7. | Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations. |
You should read the following discussion together with the financial statements and the related notes included elsewhere in this annual report. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that are based on management's current expectations, estimates and projections about our business and operations, and involves risks and uncertainties. Our actual results may differ materially from those currently anticipated and expressed in such forward-looking statements as a result of a number of factors, including those we discuss under "Risk Factors," "Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and elsewhere in this annual report.
Background
National American University, or NAU, is a regionally accredited, for-profit, multi-campus institution of higher learning offering Associate, Bachelor's and Master's degree programs in business-related disciplines, such as accounting, applied management, business administration and information technology, and in healthcare-related disciplines, such as nursing and healthcare management. Courses are offered through educational sites as well as online via the Internet. Operations include 32 educational sites (five of which are pending regulatory approvals) located in Colorado, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, South Dakota and Texas, and distance learning operations and central administration offices located in Rapid City, South Dakota.
As of May 31, 2011, NAU had enrolled 3,751 students at its physical locations, 4,624 students for its online programs, and 1,640 students at its hybrid learning centers who attended physical campus locations and also took classes online. NAU supports the instruction of 4,000 additional students at affiliated institutions for whom NAU provides online course hosting and technical assistance. NAU provides courseware development, technical support and online class hosting services to various colleges, technical schools and training institutions in the United States and Canada who do not have the capacity to develop and operate their own in-house online curriculum for their students. NAU does not share revenues with these institutions, but rather charge a fee for its services, enabling it to generate additional revenue by leveraging its current online program infrastructure.
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The real estate operations consist of apartment facilities, condominiums and other real estate holdings in Rapid City, South Dakota. The real estate operations generated approximately 1.3% of our revenues for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2011.
Key Financial Results Metrics
Revenue. Revenue is derived mostly from NAU's operations. For fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, approximately 92.9% of our revenue was generated from NAU's academic revenue, which consists of tuition and fees assessed at the start of each term. The remainder of our revenue comes from NAU's auxiliary revenue from sources such as NAU's food services, bookstore, dormitory and motel operations and the real estate operations rental income and condominium sales. Tuition revenue is reported net of adjustments for refunds and scholarships and is recognized on a daily basis over the length of the term. Upon withdrawal, students generally are refunded tuition based on the uncompleted portion of the term. Auxiliary revenue is recognized when earned.
Factors affecting net revenue include:
| • | the number of students who are enrolled and who remain enrolled in courses throughout the term; |
| • | the number of credit hours per student; |
| • | the student's degree and program mix; |
| • | changes in tuition rates; |
| • | the affiliates with which NAU is working as well as the number of students at the affiliates; and |
| • | the amount of scholarships for which students qualify. |
We record unearned tuition for academic services to be provided in future periods. Similarly, we record a tuition receivable for the portion of the tuition that has not been paid. Tuition receivable at the end of any calendar quarter largely represents student tuition due for the prior academic quarter. Based upon past experience and judgment, we establish an allowance for doubtful accounts to recognize those receivables we anticipate will not be paid. Any uncollected account more than six months past due on students who have left NAU is charged against the allowance. Bad debt expense as a percentage of revenues for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009 was 3.1%, 2.6%, and 2.6%, respectively.
We define enrollments for a particular reporting period as the number of students registered in a course on the last day of the reporting period. Enrollments are a function of the number of continuing students registered and the number of new enrollments registered during the specified period. Enrollment numbers are offset by inactive students, graduations and withdrawals occurring during the period. Inactive students for a particular period are students who are not registered in a class and, therefore, are not generating net revenue for that period.
We believe the principal factors affecting NAU's enrollments and net revenue are the number and breadth of the programs being offered; the effectiveness of our marketing, recruiting and retention efforts; the quality of our academic programs and student services; the convenience and flexibility of our online delivery platform; the availability and amount of federal and other funding sources for student financial assistance; and general economic conditions.
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The following chart is a summary of our student enrollment on May 31, 2011, and May 31, 2010, by degree type and by instructional delivery method.
| May 31, 2011 | May 31, 2010 | % Growth for | ||||||||||
| (Spring '11 Qtr) | (Spring '10 Qtr) | same quarter | ||||||||||
| Number of Students | Number of Students | over prior year | ||||||||||
Graduate | 385 | 335 | 14.9 | % | ||||||||
Undergraduate and Diploma | 9,630 | 8,423 | 14.3 | % | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Total | 10,015 | 8,758 | 14.4 | % | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
On-Campus | 4,624 | 3,565 | 29.7 | % | ||||||||
Online | 3,751 | 3,742 | 0.2 | % | ||||||||
Hybrid | 1,640 | 1,451 | 13.0 | % | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
| ||||||||||||
Total | 10,015 | 8,758 | 14.4 | % | ||||||||
| ||||||||||||
We experienced a 14% growth in enrollment in spring term 2011 over spring term 2010. This growth was a significant increase over our historic enrollment growth, which has averaged approximately 11.75% annually since 1998. We believe this recent growth is attributable to four main factors: investment in the expansion and development of physical locations; investment in the expansion of current academic programs and development of new academic programs; the development of a disciplined student recruitment process; and the current economic downturn, in which many working adults have decided to utilize education to obtain a job, advance in a job or retain their current job. We also believe we have realized a significant increase in enrollments since 2005 due to our investment of approximately $34 million to expand and develop physical locations and academic programming. In addition, we believe that our strategic plan was critical in obtaining the growth and results of operations that we have seen over the last year.
We plan to continue expanding and developing our academic programming, opening additional physical locations and, potentially, making acquisitions. This growth will be subject to applicable regulatory requirements and market conditions. With these efforts, we anticipate our positive enrollment trends will continue. To the extent the economic downturn has caused enrollment growth, our ability to maintain or increase that portion of our growth will depend on how economic factors are perceived by our target student market in relation to the advantages of pursuing higher education. If current market conditions continue, we believe that the extent to which these enrollment trends will continue will be correlated with the opening of additional physical locations, the number of programs that are developed, the number of programs that are expanded to other locations, and, potentially, the number of locations and programs added through acquisitions. If market conditions decline or if we are unable to open new physical locations, develop or expand academic programming or make acquisitions, whether as a result of regulatory limitations or other factors, our growth rate will likely return to more historic levels.
Expenses. Expenses consist of cost of educational services, selling, general and administrative, auxiliary expenses, the cost of condominium sales, and the loss on disposition of property and equipment. Cost of educational services expenses contain expenditures attributable to the educational activity of NAU. This expense category includes salaries and benefits of faculty and academic administrators, costs of educational supplies, faculty reference and support material and related academic costs, and facility costs. Selling, general and administrative expenses include the salaries of the learner services positions (and other expenses related to support of students), salaries and benefits of admissions staff, marketing expenditures, salaries of other support and leadership services (including finance, human resources, compliance and other corporate functions), as well as depreciation, bad debt expenses and other related costs associated with student support functions. Auxiliary expenses include expenses for the cost of goods sold, including costs associated with books, clothing, food and textbook shrinkage. The cost of condominium sales is the expense related to condominiums that are sold during the reporting period. The loss on disposition of property and equipment expense records the cost of disposed assets that are no longer used by us.
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Factors affecting comparability
Set forth below are selected factors we believe have had, or which we expect to have, a significant effect on the comparability of our recent or future results of operations:
Introduction of new programs and specializations. We plan to develop additional degree and diploma programs and specializations over the next several years. When introducing new programs and specializations, we invest in curriculum development, support infrastructure and marketing research. Revenues associated with these new programs are dependent upon enrollments, which are lower during the periods of introduction. During this period of introduction and development, the rate of growth in revenues and operating income has been, and may be, adversely affected, in part, due to these factors. Historically, as the new programs and specializations develop, increases in enrollment are realized, cost-effective delivery of instructional and support services are achieved, economies of scale are recognized and more efficient marketing and promotional processes are gained.
Public company expenses. As a public company, we have begun and will continue to incur significant additional costs and expenses such as increased legal and audit fees, professional fees, director and officer insurance costs, board of director fees and expenses related to compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act regulations and preparing and distributing periodic reports in compliance with obligations under the federal securities laws. In addition, we will likely have to hire additional personnel and expand our administrative functions to maintain compliance, with the regulatory obligations of being a public company. We estimate that the additional costs of being a public company will be between $1.0 million and $2.0 million annually, which we expect to fund through cash provided by operating activities.
Stock-based compensation. We expect to incur increased non-cash, stock based compensation expense in connection with existing and future issuances under our Stock Plan or other equity incentive plans as compared with prior years in an effort to create a consistent and comprehensive compensation package for management.
Seasonality. Our operations are generally subject to seasonal trends. While we enroll students throughout the year, summer and winter quarter new enrollments and revenue are generally lower than enrollments and revenue in other quarters due to the traditional custom of summer breaks and the holiday break in December and January. In addition, we generally experience an increase in enrollments in the fall of each year when most students seek to begin their post-secondary education.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The discussion of our financial condition and results of operations are based upon our financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues, costs and expenses and related disclosures. Management evaluates its estimates and judgments, including those discussed below, on an ongoing basis. These estimates are based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that management believes to be 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 the financial statements. We believe the following critical accounting policies involve more significant judgments and estimates than others used in the preparation of our financial statements:
Revenue recognition. Academic revenue represented approximately 92.9%, 91.8%, and 90.9% of revenue for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, respectively. We recognize revenue from tuition ratably over the length of the respective term. Academic revenue is tuition revenue, fees and charges assessed at the start of each term. If a student drops or withdraws from a course during the first week of classes, we refund 100% of the charges for tuition and fees, beyond the first week but during the first 60% of scheduled classes, the percentage of tuition charges refunded is based on a daily proration on a percent of the term completed. If the last day of attendance is beyond 60% of the scheduled classes, tuition and fees are not refunded. Deferred revenue and student deposits in any period represent the excess of tuition, fees and other student payments received as compared to amounts recognized as revenue on the statement of operations, and are reflected as current liabilities on the balance sheet.
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Allowance for doubtful accounts. We maintain an allowance for doubtful accounts for estimated losses resulting from the inability, failure or refusal of the students to make required payments. We determine the adequacy of the allowance for doubtful accounts based on an analysis of aging of the accounts receivable and with regard to historical bad debt experience. Accounts receivable balances are generally written off when deemed uncollectible at the time the account is returned by an outside collection agency. However, accounts that are 180 days old are fully reserved and management continues collection efforts until it is determined that the possibility of collection is unlikely. Bad debt expense is recorded as a selling, general and administrative expense. As of May 31, 2011, and 2010, the allowance for doubtful accounts was approximately $0.2 million, and $0.2 million respectively. During the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010, and 2009, bad debt expense was $3.4 million, $2.4 million, and $1.6 million, respectively. The bad debt expense was 3.1%, 2.6%, and 2.6% of total revenue for the fiscal years ended May 31, 2011, 2010 and 2009, respectively.
Accounting for Income Taxes. The objectives of accounting for income taxes are to recognize the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in an entity's financial statements or tax returns. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates in effect for the year in which those temporary differences are expected to be recovered or settled. The effect on deferred tax assets and liabilities of a change in tax rates is recognized in earnings in the period when the new rate is enacted.
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.
Share-Based Compensation. We measure and recognize compensation expense for all share-based awards issued to employees and directors based on estimated fair values of the share awards on the date of grant. We record compensation expense for all share-based awards over the vesting period.
Department of Education Rulemaking
On June 18, 2010, the Department of Education published the June NPRM related to a number of Title IV program integrity issues. The June NPRM addressed each of the 14 topics discussed at the negotiated rulemaking sessions held in November 2009, December 2009 and January 2010, including, among others, the definition of a high school diploma for the purposes of establishing institutional eligibility to participate in Title IV programs and student eligibility to receive Title IV aid, standards regarding the payment of incentive compensation, establishing requirements for institutions to submit information on program completers for programs that prepare students for gainful employment in recognized occupations, revising the definition of what constitutes a "substantial misrepresentation" made by an institution, standards regarding the sufficiency of a state's authorization of an institution for the purpose of establishing an institution's eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, and the definition of a credit hour for purposes of determining program eligibility for Title IV student financial aid. On July 26, 2010, the Department of Education published the July NPRM related to a definition of "gainful employment" for purposes of determining whether certain educational programs comply with the Title IV requirement of preparing students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. On October 29 2010, the Department of Education published the Final Rules pertaining to the Title IV program integrity issues, addressing all 14 topics addressed in the June NPRM and the July NPRM, other than sections of the proposed definition of "gainful employment." On June 13, 2011, the Department of Education published in the Gainful Employment Rule.
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The Final Rules became effective July 1, 2011, except for rules pertaining to verification and updating of student aid application information, which are effective July 1, 2012. The Gainful Employment Rule is effective July 1, 2012. On May 5, 2011, the Department of Education announced its intention to establish additional negotiated rulemaking committees to consider additional regulations under the Higher Education Act. The Department of Education held three public hearings in May 2011 at which interested parties presented issues for consideration by the rulemaking committees. The Department of Education also conducted roundtable discussions on teacher preparation, college completion, and the proposed "First in the World" competition. Compliance with these and other new and changing regulations could reduce our enrollments, increase our cost of doing business, and have a material adverse effect on our business. Although we are still in the process of analyzing these final regulations to determine what, if any, impact they may have on our business and institutions, we believe the new regulations discussed in "Regulatory Matters - Regulation of Federal Student Financial Aid Program - Incentive compensation; State Authorization; Misrepresentation; Gainful Employment; and Department of Education Review of New Programs are likely to have the most impact on our future operating results and financial conditions.
Federal Direct Loan Program.
On March 30, 2010, the President Health Care and Education Affordability Act of 2010, or HCEAA, which, among other things, eliminates the Federal Family Education Loan, or FFEL, program (in which private lenders originated Title IV loans) in favor of the Federal Direct Loan program (in which the Department of Education originates Title IV loans), such that no FFEL loans may be originated after June 30, 2010. We are approved to participate in the Federal Direct Loan program and have fully transitioned from the FFEL program to the Federal Direct Loan program as of July 1, 2010.
Results of Operations - For the Year Ended May 31, 2011 Compared to the Year Ended May 31, 2010
National American University Holdings, Inc.
The following table sets forth statements of operations data as a percentage of total revenue for each of the periods indicated:
| Year-Ended | Year-Ended | |||||||
| May 31, 2011 | May 31, 2010 | |||||||
| In percentages | In percentages | |||||||
Total revenues | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Cost of educational services | 21.1 | 22.7 | ||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 60.4 | 55.6 | ||||||
Auxiliary expense | 2.6 | 2.4 | ||||||
Cost of condominiums sales | 0.4 | 0.8 | ||||||
Loss on disposition of property | 0.1 | 0.0 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Total operating expenses | 84.6 | 81.5 | ||||||
| ||||||||
Operating income | 15.4 | 18.5 | ||||||
| ||||||||
Interest expense | (0.0 | ) | (0.6 | ) | ||||
Interest income | 0.1 | 0.2 | ||||||
Other income | 0.1 | 0.3 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Income before income taxes | 15.6 | 18.4 | ||||||
Income tax expense | (6.0 | ) | (7.2 | ) | ||||
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Net income attributable to the Company | 9.6 | 11.2 | ||||||
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For the year ended May 31, 2011, we generated $106.8 million in revenue, an increase of 18.9% compared to the same period in 2010. This increase was attributable to enrollment growth, an average tuition increase of 4.3% effective September 2010, fees billed to affiliated institutions for our courseware development, technical support and online class hosting services, continued geographic and programmatic expansion and revenue from condominium sales. Our revenue for the year ended May 31, 2011 consisted of $105.4 million from our NAU operations and $1.4 million from our other operations. Total operating expenses were $90.4 million or 84.6% of total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2011, an increase of 23.6% compared to the same period in 2010 due to the additional expansion and development. Income before income taxes was $16.7 million or 15.6% of total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2011, an increase of 0.9% compared to the same period in 2010. Net income attributable to the Company was $10.3 million or 9.6% of total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2011, an increase of 2.3% compared to the same period in 2010.
NAU
The following table sets forth statements of operations data as a percentage of total revenue for each of the periods indicated:
| Year-Ended | Year-Ended | |||||||
| May 31, 2011 | May 31, 2010 | |||||||
| In percentages | In percentages | |||||||
Total revenues | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Cost of educational services | 21.4 | 23.2 | ||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 59.5 | 54.8 | ||||||
Auxiliary expense | 2.7 | 2.5 | ||||||
Loss on disposition of property | 0.1 | 0.0 | ||||||
| ||||||||
Total operating expenses | 83.7 | 80.5 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Operating income | 16.3 | 19.5 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Interest expense | (0.0 | ) | (0.1 | ) | ||||
Interest income | 0.1 | 0.2 | ||||||
Income before non-controlling interest and taxes | 16.4 | 19.6 | ||||||
Total revenue. The total revenue for NAU for the year ended May 31, 2011 was $105.4 million, an increase of $17.4 million or 19.8%, as compared to total revenue of $87.9 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. The increase was primarily due to the enrollment increase of approximately 14%, which was consistent with our investment in new program development, program expansion, development of new educational sites and student retention initiatives, over the prior year. The enrollment increase can also be attributed, in part, to the current economic downturn, in which many working adults have decided to utilize education to obtain a job, advance in a job or retain their current job. In addition, the increase in total revenue is due to an average tuition increase of 4.3% that was approved by NAU's board of governors in April 2010 and became effective September 2010, and fees billed to affiliated institutions for our courseware development, technical support and online class hosting services. We believe that management's execution of NAU's well-defined strategic plan contributed to the increase in revenues.
The academic revenue for the year ended May 31, 2011 was $99.2 million, an increase of $16.8 million or 20.4%, as compared to academic revenue of $82.4 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. The increase was primarily due to the enrollment increase over the prior year. The auxiliary revenue was $6.2 million, an increase of $0.6 million or 11.3%, as compared to auxiliary revenue of $5.5 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. The increase in auxiliary revenue was primarily driven by increased enrollment growth in the sales of books and instructional materials.
Cost of educational services. The educational services expense as a percentage of total revenue decreased by 1.8% for the year ended May 31, 2011, to 21.4%, as compared to 23.2% for the year ended May 31, 2010. This decrease was a result of realizing continued economies of scale through enrollment growth and by counseling students to enroll in online courses, thereby increasing our student to instructor ratios. The educational services expenses for the year ended May 31, 2011, were $22.6 million, an increase of $2.2 million, or 10.6%, as compared to educational expenses of $20.4 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. This increase was primarily due to increases in instructional compensation and related expenses. These increases were attributable to the increased faculty and staff members needed to provide and maintain the quality of our educational services to our increased student enrollment.
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Selling, general and administrative expenses. The selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of total revenue increased by 4.7% for the year ended May 31, 2011, to 59.5%, as compared to 54.8% for the year ended May 31, 2010. This increase was primarily the result of the university's additional expenses relating to opening new locations. The selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended May 31, 2011 were $62.7 million, an increase of $14.4 million, or 29.9% (with a significant portion of this increased detailed below), as compared to selling, general and administrative expenses of $48.2 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. The increase was attributed to additional support staff necessary to support our continued growth, increased admissions staff to support our growth plan and larger marketing costs to sustain our growth initiative.
In addition, we track the expenditures associated with new educational sites, new program development and program expansion within the selling, general and administrative expense category. For the year ended May 31, 2011, the total business expansion and development expenditures were $14.3 million as compared to $6.5 million for the same period in fiscal year 2010. Included in this total was $3.1 million for the continued development of the Austin, Texas, campus compared to $2.2 million for the same period in fiscal year 2010, $9.3 million for the expansion and development of hybrid learning centers in Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas, Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado as compared to $2.0 million for the same period in fiscal year 2010, and $2.0 million for the continued expansion for the nursing programs in Denver, Colorado; Bloomington, Minnesota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Rapid City, South Dakota; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as compared to $1.1 million for the same period in fiscal year 2010.
Auxiliary. Auxiliary expenses for the year ended May 31, 2011 were $2.9 million, an increase of $0.8 million, or 39.1%, as compared to auxiliary expenses of $2.1 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. This increase was primarily the result of the increase in cost of books resulting from higher book sales.
Income before non-controlling interest and taxes. The income before non-controlling interest and taxes for the year ended May 31, 2011, was $17.3 million, which remained flat as compared to the year ended May 31, 2010. We are executing our strategic growth initiatives by expanding existing academic programs, developing new academic programs and developing educational sites, which resulted in revenue being up over $17.4 million during the year ended May 31, 2011 compared to the same time period last fiscal year. Expenses were 83.7% of total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2011 and were 80.5% for the same period in fiscal year 2010. This increase is consistent with our efforts to grow with additional locations.
Other
The following table sets forth statements of operations data as a percentage of total revenue for each of the periods indicated:
| Year-Ended | Year-Ended | |||||||
| May 31, 2011 | May 31, 2010 | |||||||
| In percentages | In percentages | |||||||
Total revenues | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 125.2 | 89.1 | ||||||
Cost of condominium sales | 26.5 | 41.1 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Total operating expenses | 151.7 | 130.2 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Operating income (loss) | (51.7 | ) | (30.2 | ) | ||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Interest expense | (0.0 | ) | (21.6 | ) | ||||
Interest income | 0.0 | 0.3 | ||||||
Other income | 8.5 | 11.8 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Income (loss) before non-controlling interest and taxes | (43.2 | ) | (39.7 | ) | ||||
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Our other operations total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2011 was $1.4 million, a decrease of $0.4 million or 22.2%, as compared to total revenue of $1.9 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. The decrease is due to fewer sales of condominiums in fiscal year 2011.
The rental income from apartments for the year ended May 31, 2011 was $1.0 million, an increase of $72,000 or 7.8%, as compared $0.9 million for the year ended May 31, 2010.
The condominium sales for the year ended May 31, 2011 were $0.4 million, a decrease of $0.5 million or 51.8%, as compared to $0.9 million for the year ended May 31, 2010.
The selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenue increased by 36.1% for the year ended May 31, 2011 to 125.2%, as compared to 89.1% for the year ended May 31, 2010. The selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended May 31, 2011 were $1.8 million, an increase of $0.2 million, or 9.3%, as compared to $1.6 million for the year ended May 31, 2010.
The cost of the condominium sales for the year ended May 31, 2011 was $0.4 million, a decrease of $0.4 million, or 49.9%, as compared to $0.8 million for the year ended May 31, 2010.
The loss before non-controlling interest and taxes for the year ended May 31, 2011 was $0.6 million, a decrease of $0.1 million, as compared to a loss of $0.7 million for the year ended May 31, 2010.
Results of Operations - For the Year Ended May 31, 2010 Compared to the Year Ended May 31, 2009
National American University Holdings, Inc.
The following table sets forth statements of operations data as a percentage of total revenue for each of the periods indicated:
| Year-Ended | Year-Ended | |||||||
| May 31, 2010 | May 31, 2009 | |||||||
| In percentages | In percentages | |||||||
Total revenues | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Cost of educational services | 22.7 | 27.8 | ||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 55.6 | 60.1 | ||||||
Auxiliary expense | 2.4 | 2.6 | ||||||
Cost of condominium sales | 0.8 | 0.9 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Total operating expenses | 81.5 | 91.4 | ||||||
| ||||||||
Operating income | 18.5 | 8.6 | ||||||
| ||||||||
Interest expense | (0.6 | ) | (1.3 | ) | ||||
Interest income | 0.2 | 0.4 | ||||||
Other income | 0.3 | 0.1 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Income before income taxes | 18.4 | 7.8 | ||||||
Income tax expense | (7.2 | ) | (2.8 | ) | ||||
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest | 0 | 0 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Net income attributable to the Company | 11.2 | 5.0 | ||||||
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For the year ended May 31, 2010, we generated $89.8 million in revenue, an increase of 43.5% compared to the same period in 2009. This increase was attributable to enrollment growth, an average tuition increase of 4.4% effective September 2009, additional students served through affiliated institutions, continued geographic and programmatic expansion and revenue from condominium sales. Our revenue for the year ended May 31, 2010 consisted of $87.9 million from our NAU operations and $1.9 million from our other operations. Total operating expenses were $73.2 million or 81.5% of total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2010, an increase of 28.0% compared to the same period in 2009. Although we had a number of expenses we anticipate to be infrequent (approximately $5 million detailed as follows) impact our financial statements this past year, we continued to see a positive trend in increase of revenues and overall profitability. The Company successfully completed a reverse merger and a secondary public offering in the year ended May 31, 2010. As a result of these two activities, we had a number of infrequent transactions which were made to better position the Company going forward. We bought out two existing employment agreements with a cost of $2.7 million, the payment of advisory fees of $0.2 million, and recorded an expense of $2.1 million for stock grants issued to management. Income before income taxes was $16.5 million or 18.4% of total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2010, an increase of 236.9% compared to the same period in 2009. Net income attributable to the Company was $10.0 million or 11.2% of total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2010, an increase of 221.5% compared to the same period in 2009.
NAU
The following table sets forth statements of operations data as a percentage of total revenue for each of the periods indicated:
| Year-Ended | Year-Ended | |||||||
| May 31, 2010 | May 31, 2009 | |||||||
| In percentages | In percentages | |||||||
Total revenues | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Cost of educational services | 23.2 | 28.6 | ||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 54.8 | 59.7 | ||||||
Auxiliary expense | 2.5 | 2.6 | ||||||
Total operating expenses | 80.5 | 90.9 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Operating income | 19.5 | 9.1 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Interest expense | (0.1 | ) | (0.6 | ) | ||||
Interest income | 0.2 | 0.4 | ||||||
Income before non-controlling interest and taxes | 19.6 | 8.9 | ||||||
Total revenue. The total revenue for NAU for the year ended May 31, 2010 was $87.9 million, an increase of $27.0 million or 44.4%, as compared to total revenue of $60.9 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. The increase was primarily due to the enrollment increase of approximately 35%, which was consistent with our investment in new program development, program expansion, development of new educational sites and student retention initiatives, over the prior year. The increase can also be attributed, in part, to the economic downturn, in which many working adults decided to utilize education to obtain a job, advance in a job or retain their current job. In addition, the increase is due to an average tuition increase of 4.4% that was approved by NAU's board of governors in April 2009 and became effective September 2009. We believe that management's execution of NAU's well-defined strategic plan contributed to the increase in revenues.
The academic revenue for the year ended May 31, 2010 was $82.4 million, an increase of $25.5 million or 44.9%, as compared to academic revenue of $56.9 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. The increase was primarily due to the enrollment increase over the prior year. The auxiliary revenue was $5.5 million, an increase of $1.5 million or 37.0%, as compared to auxiliary revenue of $4.0 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. The increase in auxiliary revenue was primarily due to additional students being served through our growth and the sales of books and instructional materials.
Cost of educational services. The educational services expense as a percentage of total revenue decreased by 5.4% for the year ended May 31, 2010, to 23.2%, as compared to 28.6% for the year ended May 31, 2009. This decrease was a result of realizing continued economies of scale through enrollment growth and by counseling students to enroll in online courses, thereby increasing our student to instructor ratios. The educational services expenses for the year ended May 31, 2010, were $20.4 million, an increase of $3.0 million, or 17.4%, as compared to educational expenses of $17.4 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. This increase was primarily attributable to the costs incurred for the additional faculty and staff members needed to provide and maintain the quality of our educational services to our increased student enrollment.
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Selling, general and administrative expenses. The selling, general and administrative expense as a percentage of total revenue decreased by 4.9% for the year ended May 31, 2010, to 54.8%, as compared to 59.7% for the year ended May 31, 2009. This decrease was primarily the result of the university's ability to further leverage fixed costs across an increasing revenue base. The selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended May 31, 2010 were $48.2 million, an increase of $11.9 million, or 32.7%, as compared to selling, general and administrative expenses of $36.3 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. The increase was attributed to additional support staff necessary to support our continued growth, increased admissions staff to support our growth plan and larger marketing costs to sustain our growth initiative.
In addition, we track the expenditures associated with new educational sites, new program development and program expansion within the selling, general and administrative expense category. For the year ended May 31, 2010, the total business expansion and development expenditures were $6.5 million as compared to $3.2 million for the same period in fiscal year 2009. Included in this total was $2.2 million for the continued development of the Austin, Texas, campus compared to $1.5 million for the same period in fiscal year 2009, $2.0 million for the expansion and development of hybrid learning centers in Missouri, Minnesota, Kansas and Colorado as compared to $60,000 for the same period in fiscal year 2009, and $2.0 million for the continued expansion for the nursing programs in Denver, Colorado; Bloomington, Minnesota; Albuquerque, New Mexico; Rapid City, South Dakota; and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as compared to $1.6 million for the same period in fiscal year 2009.
Auxiliary. Auxiliary expenses for the year ended May 31, 2010 were $2.1 million, an increase of $0.5 million, or 30.2%, as compared to auxiliary expenses of $1.6 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. This increase was primarily the result of the increase in cost of books resulting from higher book sales.
Income before non-controlling interest and taxes. The income before non-controlling interest and taxes for the year ended May 31, 2010, was $17.3 million, an increase of $11.8 million, as compared to $5.4 million for the year ended May 31, 2009
Other
The following table sets forth statements of operations data as a percentage of total revenue for each of the periods indicated:
| Year-Ended | Year-Ended | |||||||
| May 31, 2010 | May 31, 2009 | |||||||
| In percentages | In percentages | |||||||
Total revenues | 100.0 | % | 100.0 | % | ||||
Operating expenses: | ||||||||
Selling, general and administrative | 89.1 | 76.3 | ||||||
Cost of condominium sales | 41.1 | 33.3 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Total operating expenses | 130.2 | 109.6 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Operating income (loss) | (30.2 | ) | (9.6 | ) | ||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Interest expense | (21.6 | ) | (27.4 | ) | ||||
Interest income | 0.3 | 0.0 | ||||||
Other income | 11.8 | 5.5 | ||||||
| ||||||||
| ||||||||
Income (loss) before non-controlling interest and taxes | (39.7 | ) | (31.5 | ) | ||||
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Our other operations total revenue for the year ended May 31, 2010 was $1.9 million, an increase of $0.2 million or 10.5%, as compared to total revenue of $1.7 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. The increase is due to the sales of condominiums in fiscal year 2010.
The rental income from apartments for the year ended May 31, 2010 was $0.9 million, an increase of $28,000 or 3.1%, as compared $0.9 million for the year ended May 31, 2009.
The condominium sales for the year ended May 31, 2010 were $0.9 million, an increase of $148,000 or 18.9%, as compared to $0.8 million for the year ended May 31, 2009.
The selling, general and administrative expenses as a percentage of total revenue increased by 12.8% for the year ended May 31, 2010 to 89.1%, as compared to 76.3% for the year ended May 31, 2009. The selling, general and administrative expenses for the year ended May 31, 2010 were $1.6 million, an increase of $0.4 million, or 29.1%, as compared to $1.3 million for the year ended May 31, 2009. The cost of the condominium sales for the year ended May 31, 2010 was $0.8 million, an increase of $203,000, or 36.4%, as compared to $0.6 million for the year ended May 31, 2009.
Interest expense for the year ended May 31, 2010 was $0.4 million, a decrease of $59,000, or 12.9%, as compared to the year ended May 31, 2009.
The loss before non-controlling interest and taxes for the year ended May 31, 2010 was $0.7 million, an increase of $0.2 million, as compared to a loss of $0.5 million for the year ended May 31, 2009.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Liquidity. At May 31, 2011, and May 31, 2010, cash, cash equivalents and marketable securities were $44.8 million and $19.8 million, respectively. Consistent with our cash management plan and investment philosophy, a portion of the excess cash was invested in United States securities directly or through money market funds, as well as in bank deposits and certificate of deposits. Of the amounts listed above, the marketable securities for May 31, 2011 and May 31, 2010 were $19.1 million and $11.1 million, respectively.
We maintained two lines of credit to support ongoing operations. These lines of credit are available to support timing differences between inflows and outflows of cash. During both the fiscal year 2011 and 2010 the lines of credit were not utilized.
We retain a $3.0 million revolving line of credit with Wells Fargo Bank. Advances under the line bear interest at a variable rate based on prime and are secured by the Company's checking, savings and investment accounts held by the bank. There were no advances outstanding against this line at May 31, 2011 and May 31, 2010.
We also retained a $2.0 million revolving line of credit with Great Western Bank. Advances under the line bore interest at a variable rate based on prime and are secured by substantially all assets of Dlorah and the personal guarantee of Robert Buckingham, our chair of the board of directors. This line expired in September 2010. There were no advances outstanding made on this credit line at May 31, 2010.
During 2008, our real estate operations started the construction of a new condominium building in Rapid City, South Dakota. The project was funded by a construction line of credit from Great Western Bank totaling $3.8 million. The line of credit was paid in full and closed during the year ended May 31, 2010.
Based on our current operations and anticipated growth, the cash flows from operations and other sources of liquidity are anticipated to provide adequate funds for ongoing operations and planned capital expenditures for the near future. These expenditures include our plans for continued expansion and development of new programming, development of new hybrid learning centers and growth of our affiliate relationships. We spent over $14.3 million on capital expenditures for our fiscal year ended May 31, 2011, as compared to $6.5 million last fiscal year. Also, we believe that we are positioned to further supplement our liquidity with debt, if needed.
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Operating Activities. Net cash provided by operating activities was $15.8 million and $13.1 million for the years ended May 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The increase is related primarily to the increase in results of operations after adjustments for certain non-cash items which included a $2.0 million increase in deferred income taxes and a $1.0 million increase in provision for uncollectible tuition. The increase is partially offset by cash used for working capital.
Net cash provided by operating activities for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2010 was $13.1 million as compared to $9.2 million for the fiscal year ended May 31, 2009. This improvement is consistent with the improvement in revenue and the change in other working capital accounts.
Investing Activities. Net cash used in investing activities was $15.2 million for the year ended May 31, 2011, as compared to the net cash used in investing activities of $11.6 million for the year ended May 31, 2010. The increase in the cash used in investing activities was related to the purchase of investments offset by proceeds received from the sale of investments. Our investment committee is focused on capital preservation.
For the year ended May 31, 2010, the cash flows used in investing activities was $11.6 million as compared to $2.4 million for the previous fiscal year. This increase is primarily attributable to purchasing more investments in 2010 than in 2009.
Financing Activities. Net cash provided by financing activities was $16.4 million and $3.7 million for the years ended May 31, 2011 and 2010, respectively. The increase of $12.7 million is related to the additional issuance of common stock in 2011 for $32.1 million as well as $5.9 million received for warrant conversions. These inflows were offset by $7.5 million paid for the purchase of our treasury stock and $13.4 million for dividends.
Net cash provided by financing activities for May 31, 2010 was $3.7 million as compared to net cash used by financing in May 31, 2009 of $5.4 million. This $9 million change is due to repayments of the long term debt of $8.7 million in 2010, cash received in the reverse merger of $22.1 million, cash paid for the merger costs of $3.4 million, and dividends paid of $3.8 million in 2010.
The table below sets forth our contractual commitments associated with operating leases as of May 31, 2011:
| Payments Due By Period (in thousands) | ||||||||||||||||||||
| Total | Within 1 year | 1-3 Years | 3-5 Years | More than 5 years | ||||||||||||||||
Operating leases | $ | 41,312 | $ | 4,532 | $ | 8,665 | $ | 8,457 | $ | 19,658 | ||||||||||
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
Other than operating leases, we do not have any off-balance sheet arrangements that have or are reasonably likely to have a material current or future effect on our financial condition, changes in financial condition, revenues or expenses, results of operations, liquidity, capital expenditures or capital resources.
Impact of Inflation
We believe inflation has had a minimal impact on results of operations for both the year ended May 31, 2011, and the years ended May 31, 2010 and 2009. We also increase tuition (usually once a year) to assist offsetting inflationary impacts without creating a hardship for students. Consistent with our operating plan, a yearly salary increase in December (supported by evaluations and recommendations from supervisors) is considered to help alleviate the inflationary effects on staff. There can be no assurance that future inflation will not have an adverse impact on operating results and financial condition.
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