Note 2. Significant Accounting Policies

Principles of Consolidation

The unaudited consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Aspen Group, Inc. and its wholly-owned subsidiaries. All intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of the unaudited consolidated financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts in the unaudited consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Significant estimates in the accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements include the allowance for doubtful accounts and other receivables, the valuation of collateral on certain receivables, amortization periods and valuation of courseware, intangibles and software development costs, valuation of beneficial conversion features in convertible debt, valuation of goodwill, valuation of loss contingencies, valuation of stock-based compensation and the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets.

Cash and Cash Equivalents

For the purposes of the unaudited consolidated statements of cash flows, the Company considers all highly liquid investments with an original maturity of three months or less when purchased to be cash equivalents. There were no cash equivalents at January 31, 2018 and April 30, 2017. The Company maintains its cash in bank and financial institution deposits that at times may exceed federally insured limits of $250,000 per financial institution. The Company has not experienced any losses in such accounts from inception through January 31, 2018. As of January 31, 2018 and April 30, 2017, there were deposits totaling $3,594,104 and $2,687,461 respectively, held in two separate institutions greater than the federally insured limits.

Goodwill and Intangibles

Goodwill represents the excess of purchase price over the fair market value of assets acquired and liabilities assumed from Educacion Significativa, LLC. Goodwill has an indefinite life and is not amortized. Goodwill is tested annually for impairment.

Intangibles represent both indefinite lived and definite lived assets. Accreditation and regulatory approvals and Trade name and trademarks are deemed to have indefinite useful lives and accordingly are not amortized but are tested annually for impairment.  Student relationships and curriculums are deemed to have definite lives and are amortized accordingly.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair value is the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. The Company classifies assets and liabilities recorded at fair value under the fair value hierarchy based upon the observability of inputs used in valuation techniques. Observable inputs (highest level) reflect market data obtained from independent sources, while unobservable inputs (lowest level) reflect internally developed market assumptions. The fair value measurements are classified under the following hierarchy:

Level 1—Observable inputs that reflect quoted market prices (unadjusted) for identical assets and liabilities in active markets;

Level 2—Observable inputs, other than quoted market prices, that are either directly or indirectly observable in the marketplace for identical or similar assets and liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets and liabilities; and

Level 3—Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity that are significant to the fair value of assets or liabilities.

The estimated fair value of certain financial instruments, including cash and cash equivalents, accounts receivable, accounts payable and accrued expenses are carried at historical cost basis, which approximates their fair values because of the short-term nature of these instruments.

Refunds Due Students

The Company receives Title IV funds from the Department of Education to cover tuition and living expenses. After deducting tuition and fees, the Company sends checks for the remaining balances to the students.

Revenue Recognition and Deferred Revenue

Revenues consist primarily of tuition and fees derived from courses taught by the Company online as well as from related educational resources that the Company provides to its students, such as access to our online materials and learning management system. Tuition revenue is recognized pro-rata over the applicable period of instruction. The Company maintains an institutional tuition refund policy, which provides for all or a portion of tuition to be refunded if a student withdraws during stated refund periods. Certain states in which students reside impose separate, mandatory refund policies, which override the Company’s policy to the extent in conflict. If a student withdraws at a time when a portion or none of the tuition is refundable, then in accordance with its revenue recognition policy, the Company recognizes as revenue the tuition that was not refunded. Since the Company recognizes revenue pro-rata over the term of the course and because, under its institutional refund policy, the amount subject to refund is never greater than the amount of the revenue that has been deferred, under the Company’s accounting policies revenue is not recognized with respect to amounts that could potentially be refunded. The Company’s educational programs have starting and ending dates that differ from its fiscal quarters. Therefore, at the end of each fiscal quarter, a portion of revenue from these programs is not yet earned and is therefore deferred. The Company also charges students annual fees for library, technology and other services, which are recognized over the related service period. Deferred revenue represents the amount of tuition, fees, and other student payments received in excess of the portion recognized as revenue and it is included in current liabilities in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets. Other revenues may be recognized as sales occur or services are performed.

The Company has revenues from students outside the United States representing 2.1% of the revenues for the quarter ended January 31, 2018.

Accounting for Derivatives

The Company evaluates its convertible instruments, options, warrants or other contracts to determine if those contracts or embedded components of those contracts qualify as derivatives to be separately accounted for under ASC Topic 815, “Derivatives and Hedging”. The result of this accounting treatment is that the fair value of the derivative is marked-to-market each balance sheet date and recorded as a liability. In the event that the fair value is recorded as a liability, the change in fair value is recorded in the statement of operations as other income (expense). Upon conversion, exercise, or other extinguishment (transaction) of a derivative instrument, the instrument is marked to fair value at the transaction date and then that fair value is recognized as an extinguishment gain or loss. Equity instruments that are initially classified as equity that become subject to reclassification under ASC Topic 815 are reclassified to liability at the fair value of the instrument on the reclassification date.

Business Combinations

We include the results of operations of businesses we acquire from the date of the respective acquisition. We allocate the purchase price of acquisitions to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed at fair value. The excess of the purchase price of an acquired business over the amount assigned to the assets acquired and liabilities assumed is recorded as goodwill. We expense transaction costs associated with business combinations as incurred.

Net Income (Loss) Per Share

Net income (loss) per common share is based on the weighted average number of common shares outstanding during each period. Options to purchase 2,872,546 and 1,963,481 common shares, warrants to purchase 743,773 and 934,555 common shares, and $50,000 and $350,000 of convertible debt (convertible into 4,167 and 75,596 common shares) were outstanding at January 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively, but were not included in the computation of diluted loss per share because the effects would have been anti-dilutive. The options, warrants and convertible debt are considered to be common stock equivalents and are only included in the calculation of diluted earnings per common share when their effect is dilutive, as noted in the chart below.

As required to be disclosed for quarters with net income, basic and diluted income per share for the three months ended January 31, 2017, were calculated as follows:

Recent Accounting Pronouncements

ASU 2017-01 - In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-01: "Business Combinations (Topic 805)-  to clarify the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses. This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2017.  The Company will implement this guidance effective February 1, 2018.

ASU 2017-04 - In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2017-04: "Intangibles - Goodwill and Other (Topic 350)” - to simplify how an entity is required to test goodwill for impairment by eliminating Step 2 from the goodwill impairment test. Step 2 measures a goodwill impairment loss by comparing the implied fair value of a reporting unit’s goodwill with the carrying amount of that goodwill.  This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2019.  The Company is evaluating the effects of this standard on its consolidated financial statements.  

ASU 2016-02 - In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Accounting Standards Update No. 2016-02: “Leases (Topic 842)” whereby lessees will need to recognize almost all leases on their balance sheet as a right of use asset and a lease liability.  This guidance is effective for interim and annual reporting periods beginning after December 15, 2018.  The Company expects this ASU will increase its assets and liabilities, but have no net material impact on its consolidated financial statements.

ASU 2014-09 - In May 2014, the Financial Accounting Standards Board issued Update No. 2014-09: “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)” which requires that an entity recognize revenue to depict the transfer of promised goods and services to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration to which the Company expects to be entitled in exchange for those goods or services.  Since the issuance of the original standard, the FASB has issued several updates to the standard which i) clarify the application of the principal versus agent guidance; ii) clarify the guidance relating to performance obligations and licensing;  iii) clarify assessment of the collectability criterion, presentation of sales taxes, measurement date for non-cash consideration and completed contracts at transaction; and iv) clarify narrow aspects of ASC 606 or corrects unintended application of the guidance. The new revenue recognition standard, amended by the updates, becomes effective in the first quarter of fiscal 2019 and is to be applied retrospectively using one of two prescribed methods.  Early adoption is permitted.  The Company currently plans to adopt the new standard effective May 1, 2018 and does not believe the adoption of this standard will have a material impact on the amount or timing of its revenues.