Nature of Operations |
3 Months Ended |
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Jul. 31, 2021 | |
| Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract] | |
| Nature of Operations | Nature of Operations Overview
Aspen Group, Inc. ("AGI") is an education technology holding company. AGI has two subsidiaries, Aspen University Inc. ("Aspen University"), organized in 1987, and United States University Inc. ("United States University" or "USU").
All references to the “Company”, “AGI”, “Aspen Group”, “we”, “our” and “us” refer to Aspen Group, Inc., unless the context otherwise indicates.
AGI leverages its education technology infrastructure and expertise to allow its two universities, Aspen University and United States University, to deliver on the vision of making college affordable again. 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 higher education. AGI’s primary focus relative to future growth is to target the high growth nursing profession.
Since 1993, Aspen University has been nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Accrediting Council (“DEAC”), a national accrediting agency recognized by the United States Department of Education (the “DOE”), through January 2024.
Since 2009, USU has been regionally accredited by WASC Senior College and University Commission. (“WSCUC”).
Both universities are qualified to participate under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) and the Federal student financial assistance programs (Title IV, HEA programs). USU has a provisional certification resulting from the ownership change of control in connection with the acquisition by AGI on December 1, 2017.
COVID-19 Update
Nursing students represented 87% or 12,058 of the Company’s total student body of 13,879 students at the end of the first quarter of fiscal 2022. Of the 12,058 nursing students, 2,364 are BSN Pre-Licensure students located across our four metro locations (Phoenix, Austin, Tampa and Nashville). The remaining 9,694 nursing students are licensed registered nurses (RNs) studying to earn an advanced degree (RN to BSN, MSN or DNP degree programs). These 9,694 post-licensure nursing students therefore represent 70% of the Company’s total student body and are the population of AGI students that have been primarily affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given that AGI has the highest student body concentration of RNs among publicly-traded higher education companies in the U.S., the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the need to track RN behaviors and attitudes carefully for the past 18 months. Below are the effects the Company has seen to date relative to class starts among our RN active student body.
The Company previously reported that RN course starts at both universities were approximately 4% lower than historically expected during the months of September, 2020 – January, 2021, which resulted in approximately $520,000 less revenue in the fiscal 2021 third quarter. However, beginning in late February 2021, RN course starts returned to historically normal levels throughout the remainder of the fourth fiscal quarter which resulted in revenue of $19.1 million for the quarter, approximately $500,000 higher than the midpoint of our forecast.
Starting in the second half of the month of June and continuing throughout the month of July 2021, the Company saw lower course starts than seasonally expected among our RN student body. For example, at Aspen University, course starts among RNs in June were flat year-over-year and July was slightly down year-over-year which was not surprising given the rise of the Delta variant and the spike in hospitalizations. Revenue for the first quarter was relatively unaffected given that the lower RN class starts occurred in the second half of the fiscal quarter. We cannot be certain what impact the Delta variant and other variants will have on the Company’s results as we progress through the second and future quarters in fiscal 2022.
Basis of Presentation
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 months ended July 31, 2021 and 2020, our cash flows for the three months ended July 31, 2021 and 2020, and our financial position as of July 31, 2021 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 Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended April 30, 2021 as filed with the SEC on July 13, 2021. The April 30, 2021 consolidated balance sheet is derived from those statements.
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