Quarterly report pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

Nature of Operations and Liquidity

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Nature of Operations and Liquidity
6 Months Ended
Oct. 31, 2017
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations and Liquidity

Note 1. Nature of Operations and Liquidity


Overview


Aspen Group, Inc. (together with its subsidiary, the “Company” or “Aspen”) is a holding company. Its subsidiary Aspen University Inc. was organized in 1987.  On March 13, 2012, the Company was recapitalized in a reverse merger. All references to the Company or Aspen before March 13, 2012 are to Aspen University.


Aspen’s mission is to offer any motivated college-worthy student the opportunity to receive a high quality, responsibly priced distance-learning education for the purpose of achieving sustainable economic and social benefits for themselves and their families. Aspen is dedicated to providing the highest quality education experiences taught by top-tier professors - 54% of our adjunct professors hold doctorate degrees.


Because we believe higher education should be a catalyst to our students’ long-term economic success, we exert financial prudence by offering affordable tuition that is one of the greatest values in online higher education. In March 2014, Aspen University unveiled a monthly payment plan aimed at reversing the college-debt sentence plaguing working-class Americans. The monthly payment plan offers bachelor students (except RN to BSN) the opportunity to pay $250/month for 72 months ($18,000), nursing bachelor students (RN to BSN) $250/month for 39 months ($9,750), master students $325/month for 36 months ($11,700) and doctoral students $375 per month for 72 months ($27,000), interest free, thereby giving students a monthly payment tuition payment option versus taking out a federal financial aid loan.


On November 10, 2014, Aspen University announced the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (“CCNE”) has granted accreditation to its Bachelor of Science in Nursing program (RN to BSN) until December 31, 2019.


Since 1993, we have been nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Accrediting Council (“DEAC”), a national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (the “DOE”). On February 25, 2015, the DEAC informed Aspen University that it had renewed its accreditation for five years to January, 2019.


On August 22, 2017, the DOE informed Aspen University of its determination that the institution has qualified to participate under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) and the Federal student financial assistance programs (Title IV, HEA programs), and set a subsequent program participation agreement reapplication date of March 31, 2021.


Basis of Presentation


A. Interim Financial Statements


The interim consolidated financial statements included herein have been prepared by the Company, without audit, pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). In the opinion of the Company’s management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring adjustments and reclassifications and non-recurring adjustments) necessary to present fairly our results of operations for the three and six months ended October 31, 2017 and 2016, our cash flows for the six months ended October 31, 2017 and 2016, and our financial position as of October 31, 2017 have been made. The results of operations for such interim periods are not necessarily indicative of the operating results to be expected for the full year.


Certain information and disclosures normally included in the notes to the annual consolidated financial statements have been condensed or omitted from these interim consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, these interim consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our Report on Form 10-K for the period ended April 30, 2017 as filed with the SEC on July 25, 2017. The April 30, 2017 balance sheet is derived from those statements.


B. Liquidity


At October 31, 2017, the Company had a cash balance of $5,379,694.


On July 25, 2017, the Company signed a $10 million senior secured term loan with Runway Growth Capital Fund (formerly known as GSV Growth Capital Fund). The Company drew $5 million under the facility at closing, with an additional $2.5 million drawn following the closing of the Company’s acquisition of substantially all the assets of the United States University, including receipt of all required regulatory approvals, among other conditions to funding. Terms of the 4-year senior loan include a 10% over 3-month LIBOR per annum interest rate. (See Notes 5 and 8).