Aspen Group Reports Record Revenue of $19.4 million or 28% Growth in First Quarter Fiscal 2022
Aspen Group, Inc. (ASPU) reported a 28% increase in revenue for Q1 FY 2022, reaching $19.4 million compared to $15.2 million in the previous year. Despite this growth, the company posted a net loss of ($0.9 million), remaining unchanged year-over-year. EBITDA improved to $0.1 million, signaling a shift towards profitability. Key contributors to revenue included Aspen's BSN Pre-Licensure and US University programs, which had a combined share of 55%. The ongoing Aspen 2.0 strategy aims to enhance profitability by focusing on higher LTV programs.
- 28% year-over-year revenue growth to $19.4 million.
- EBITDA improved to $0.1 million from breakeven last year.
- Highest LTV programs accounted for 55% of total revenue.
- New student enrollments at USU grew by 15% sequentially.
- Net loss of ($0.9 million) remains unchanged year-over-year.
- GAAP gross margin decreased from 59% to 54% due to higher costs.
- Decrease in year-over-year enrollments for Aspen's Online Nursing unit by 7%.
- Revenue increased to
$19.4 million compared to$15.2 million last year - Business units with highest Lifetime Value (LTV) programs accounted for
55% of revenue - Net loss of (
$0.9) million , unchanged year-over-year - EBITDA improves to
$0.1 million from breakeven in prior year period
NEW YORK, Sept. 14, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Aspen Group, Inc. (Nasdaq: ASPU) (“AGI”), an education technology holding company, today announced financial results for its first quarter fiscal year 2022 ended July 31, 2021.
First Quarter Fiscal Year 2022 Summary Results
Three Months Ended July 31, | |||||||
$ in millions, except per share data (rounding differences may occur) | 2021 | 2020 | |||||
Revenue | $ | 19.4 | $ | 15.2 | |||
Gross Profit1 | $ | 10.4 | $ | 9.0 | |||
Gross Margin (%)1 | 54 | % | 59 | % | |||
Operating Income (Loss) | $ | (1.2 | ) | $ | (0.4 | ) | |
Net Income (Loss) | $ | (0.9 | ) | $ | (0.9 | ) | |
Net Income (Loss) Margin | (4 | )% | (6 | )% | |||
Earnings (Loss) per Share | $ | (0.03 | ) | $ | (0.04 | ) | |
EBITDA2 | $ | 0.1 | $ | 0.0 | |||
Adjusted EBITDA2 | $ | 0.5 | $ | 1.3 |
_______________________
1 GAAP gross profit calculation includes marketing and promotional costs, instructional costs and services, and amortization expense of
2 Non-GAAP financial measure. See reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures under "Non-GAAP–Financial Measures" starting on page 4.
“Aspen Group continued to experience solid momentum delivering
“The first quarter delivered positive sequential improvement in our operating and profitability metrics,” continued Mr. Mathews. “A portion of this performance is attributable to our recently instated Aspen 2.0 strategy, whereby we invest only in our highest LTV programs while continuing to control expenses. We expect profitability gains from Aspen 2.0 to have the greatest impact in the second half of Fiscal 2022 as we continue to realize the benefits of growth in our highest efficiency businesses.”
Fiscal Q1 2022 Financial and Operational Results (compared to Fiscal Q1 2021)
Revenue increased
GAAP gross profit increased
AU instructional costs and services represented
Net loss and net loss per share were (
EBITDA was
For Fiscal Q1 2022, AU generated EBITDA of
Adjusted EBITDA was
For Fiscal Q1 2022, AU generated Adjusted EBITDA of
Operating Metrics
New student enrollments at USU grew by
BSN Pre-Licensure enrollments grew by
On a Company-wide basis, new student enrollments increased sequentially from 2,182 to 2,276 or
New student enrollments for the past five quarters are shown below:
New Student Quarterly Enrollments | |||||||||||||||
Q1'21 | Q2'21 | Q3'21 | Q4'21 | Q1'22 | |||||||||||
Aspen University | 1,779 | 2,010 | 1,593 | 1,593 | 1,601 | ||||||||||
USU | 572 | 649 | 536 | 589 | 675 | ||||||||||
Total | 2,351 | 2,659 | 2,129 | 2,182 | 2,276 |
On a year-over-year basis, Fiscal Q1 2022 Bookings decreased
First Quarter Bookings1 and Average Revenue Per Enrollment (ARPU)1 | ||||||||||||||||
Q1'21 Enrollments | Q1'21 Bookings 1 | Q1'22 Enrollments | Q1'22 Bookings 1 | Percent Change Total Bookings & ARPU 1 | ||||||||||||
Aspen University | 1,779 | $ | 25,880,400 | 1,601 | $ | 23,150,850 | ||||||||||
USU | 572 | $ | 10,193,040 | 675 | $ | 12,028,500 | ||||||||||
Total | 2,351 | $ | 36,073,440 | 2,276 | $ | 35,179,350 | (2 | )% | ||||||||
ARPU | $ | 15,344 | $ | 15,457 | 1 | % |
___________________
1 “Bookings” are defined by multiplying Lifetime Value (LTV) by new student enrollments for each operating unit. “Average Revenue Per Enrollment” (ARPU) is defined by dividing total Bookings by total new student enrollments for each operating unit.
AGI's active degree-seeking student body, including AU and USU, grew
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/8a1fdd32-0dcb-438d-8e05-29003aefead9
Liquidity
At July 31, 2021, the Company had cash and cash equivalents of
On August 31, 2021, the Company drew down
Conference Call
Aspen Group, Inc. will host a conference call to discuss its first quarter fiscal 2022 results and business outlook on Tuesday, September 14, 2021, at 4:30 p.m. ET. Aspen Group, Inc. will issue a press release reporting results after the market closes on that day. The conference call can be accessed by dialing toll-free (844) 452-6823 (U.S.) or (731) 256-5216 (International), passcode 8155096.
Subsequent to the call, a transcript of the audio cast will be available from the Company’s website at www.aspu.com. There will also be a seven-day dial-in replay which can be accessed by dialing toll-free (855) 859-2056 (U.S.) or (404) 537-3406 (International), passcode 8155096.
For additional information on the financial statements and performance, please refer to the Aspen Group, Inc. Form 10-Q for the first quarter of fiscal year 2022 and Q1 2022 Financial Results Presentation published on the Company’s website at www.aspu.com, on the Presentations page under Company Info.
Non-GAAP – Financial Measures
This press release includes both financial measures in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles, or GAAP, as well as non-GAAP financial measures. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of a company’s performance, financial position or cash flows that either excludes or includes amounts that are not normally included or excluded in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP. Non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed as supplemental to, and should not be considered as alternatives to net income (loss), operating income (loss), and cash flow from operating activities, liquidity or any other financial measures. They may not be indicative of the historical operating results of AGI nor are they intended to be predictive of potential future results. Investors should not consider non-GAAP financial measures in isolation or as substitutes for performance measures calculated in accordance with GAAP.
Our management uses and relies on EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA Margin, which are non-GAAP financial measures. We believe that management, analysts, and shareholders benefit from referring to the following non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate and assess our core operating results from period-to-period after removing the impact of items that affect comparability. Our management recognizes that the non-GAAP financial measures have inherent limitations because of the excluded items described below.
We have included a reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. We believe that providing the non-GAAP financial measures, together with the reconciliation to GAAP, helps investors make comparisons between AGI and other companies. In making any comparisons to other companies, investors need to be aware that companies use different non-GAAP measures to evaluate their financial performance. Investors should pay close attention to the specific definition being used and to the reconciliation between such measure and the corresponding GAAP measure provided by each company under applicable SEC rules.
AGI defines Adjusted EBITDA as EBITDA excluding: (1) bad debt expense; (2) stock-based compensation; and (3) non-recurring charges.
The following table presents a reconciliation of net loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA and of net income (loss) margin to the Adjusted EBITDA margin:
Three Months Ended July 31, | |||||||
2021 | 2020 | ||||||
Net loss | $ | (870,888 | ) | $ | (943,196 | ) | |
Interest expense, net | 32,132 | 455,223 | |||||
Taxes | 151,010 | (1,900 | ) | ||||
Depreciation and amortization | 779,409 | 490,624 | |||||
EBITDA | 91,663 | 751 | |||||
Bad debt expense | 350,000 | 400,000 | |||||
Stock-based compensation | 542,712 | 487,110 | |||||
Non-recurring charges - Severance | 19,665 | 44,000 | |||||
Non-recurring (income) charges - Other | (498,120 | ) | 375,437 | ||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 505,920 | $ | 1,307,298 | |||
Net loss Margin | (4 | )% | (6 | )% | |||
Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 3 | % | 9 | % |
The following tables present a reconciliation of net loss to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA and of net income (loss) margin to the Adjusted EBITDA margin by business unit:
Three Months Ended July 31, 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Consolidated | AGI Corporate | Aspen BSN Pre-Licensure | AU Online | AU Total | USU | ||||||||||||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | (870,888 | ) | $ | (4,458,536 | ) | $ | 889,460 | $ | 1,444,997 | $ | 2,334,457 | $ | 1,253,191 | |||||||||
Interest expense, net | 32,132 | 33,272 | — | (1,000 | ) | (1,000 | ) | (140 | ) | ||||||||||||||
Taxes | 151,010 | 1,163 | — | 149,807 | 149,807 | 40 | |||||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 779,409 | 31,043 | 126,068 | 537,625 | 663,693 | 84,673 | |||||||||||||||||
EBITDA | 91,663 | (4,393,058 | ) | 1,015,528 | 2,131,429 | 3,146,957 | 1,337,764 | ||||||||||||||||
Bad debt expense | 350,000 | — | — | 250,000 | 250,000 | 100,000 | |||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 542,712 | 443,279 | — | 69,595 | 69,595 | 29,838 | |||||||||||||||||
Non-recurring charges - Severance | 19,665 | — | — | — | — | 19,665 | |||||||||||||||||
Non-recurring income - Other | (498,120 | ) | — | — | (498,120 | ) | (498,120 | ) | — | ||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 505,920 | $ | (3,949,779 | ) | $ | 1,015,528 | $ | 1,952,904 | $ | 2,968,432 | $ | 1,487,267 | ||||||||||
Net income (loss) Margin | (4 | )% | NM | 19 | % | 17 | % | 18 | % | 20 | % | ||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 3 | % | NM | 22 | % | 22 | % | 22 | % | 24 | % |
_____________________
NM – Not meaningful
In Fiscal Q1 2022, the non-recurring income of
Three Months Ended July 31, 2020 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
Consolidated | AGI Corporate | Aspen BSN Pre-Licensure | AU Online | AU Total | USU | ||||||||||||||||||
Net income (loss) | $ | (943,196 | ) | $ | (4,255,735 | ) | $ | 965,203 | $ | 1,344,560 | $ | 2,309,763 | $ | 1,002,776 | |||||||||
Interest expense, net | 455,223 | 455,223 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Taxes | (1,900 | ) | (1,900 | ) | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||
Depreciation and amortization | 490,624 | 13,092 | 25,000 | 425,054 | 450,054 | 27,478 | |||||||||||||||||
EBITDA | 751 | (3,789,320 | ) | 990,203 | 1,769,614 | 2,759,817 | 1,030,254 | ||||||||||||||||
Bad debt expense | 400,000 | — | — | 340,000 | 340,000 | 60,000 | |||||||||||||||||
Stock-based compensation | 487,110 | 392,043 | — | 61,317 | 61,317 | 33,750 | |||||||||||||||||
Non-recurring charges - Severance | 44,000 | 44,000 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Non-recurring charges - Other | 375,437 | 375,437 | — | — | — | — | |||||||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA | $ | 1,307,298 | $ | (2,977,840 | ) | $ | 990,203 | $ | 2,170,931 | $ | 3,161,134 | $ | 1,124,004 | ||||||||||
Net income (loss) Margin | (6 | )% | NM | 36 | % | 17 | % | 22 | % | 23 | % | ||||||||||||
Adjusted EBITDA Margin | 9 | % | NM | 37 | % | 27 | % | 29 | % | 25 | % |
Definitions
Lifetime Value ("LTV") – is calculated as the weighted average total amount of tuition and fees paid by every new student that enrolls in the Company’s universities, after giving effect to attrition.
Bookings – is defined by multiplying LTV by new student enrollments for each operating unit.
Average Revenue per Enrollment ("ARPU") – is defined by dividing total bookings by total enrollments.
Adjusted EBITDA Margin – is defined as Adjusted EBITDA divided by revenue. We believe Adjusted EBITDA margin is useful for management, analysts and investors as this measure allows for a more meaningful comparison between our performance and that of our competitors. Adjusted EBITDA margin has certain limitations in that it does not take into account the impact to our consolidated statement of operations of certain expenses.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 including the expected impact of the Aspen 2.0 business plan on profitability and the anticipated timing as well as the effect on liquidity, our estimates as to Lifetime Value, bookings and ARPU, the anticipated near-term changes in enrollments, the expected use of proceeds from the drawdown under the revolving credit facility. The words “believe,” “may,” “estimate,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “should,” “plan,” “could,” “target,” “potential,” “is likely,” “will,” “expect” and similar expressions, as they relate to us, are intended to identify forward-looking statements. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ from those in the forward-looking statements include the continued demand of nursing students for the new programs, student attrition, national and local economic factors including the substantial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, competition from nursing schools in local markets, the competitive impact from the trend of major non-profit universities using online education and consolidation among our competitors, and potential loss of employees as a result of the COVID-19 vaccine mandate. Other risks are included in our filings with the SEC including our Form 10-K for the year ended April 30, 2021, as amended by the Form 10-Q for the fiscal quarter ended July 31, 2021. Any forward-looking statement made by us herein speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause our actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for us to predict all of them. We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.
About Aspen Group, Inc.
Aspen Group, Inc. is an education technology holding company that leverages its infrastructure and expertise to allow its two universities, Aspen University and United States University, to deliver on the vision of making college affordable again.
Investor Relations Contact
Kim Rogers
Managing Director
Hayden IR
385-831-7337
Kim@HaydenIR.com
GAAP Financial Statements
ASPEN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
July 31, 2021 | April 30, 2021 | ||||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||
Assets | |||||||
Current assets: | |||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 6,554,423 | $ | 8,513,290 | |||
Restricted cash | 3,722,831 | 5,152,789 | |||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of | 17,190,238 | 16,724,744 | |||||
Prepaid expenses | 914,216 | 1,077,831 | |||||
Other current assets | 13,890 | 68,529 | |||||
Total current assets | 28,395,598 | 31,537,183 | |||||
Property and equipment: | |||||||
Computer equipment and hardware | 1,193,278 | 956,463 | |||||
Furniture and fixtures | 1,793,686 | 1,705,101 | |||||
Leasehold improvements | 6,182,239 | 5,729,324 | |||||
Instructional equipment | 491,597 | 421,039 | |||||
Software | 8,951,241 | 8,488,635 | |||||
Construction in progress | 88,367 | 247,767 | |||||
18,700,408 | 17,548,329 | ||||||
Less: accumulated depreciation and amortization | (5,962,034 | ) | (4,892,987 | ) | |||
Total property and equipment, net | 12,738,374 | 12,655,342 | |||||
Goodwill | 5,011,432 | 5,011,432 | |||||
Intangible assets, net | 7,907,932 | 7,908,360 | |||||
Courseware, net | 303,020 | 187,296 | |||||
Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $— and | — | 45,329 | |||||
Long term contractual accounts receivable | 11,313,657 | 10,249,833 | |||||
Debt issue cost, net | 9,722 | 18,056 | |||||
Operating lease right of use assets, net | 12,242,456 | 12,714,863 | |||||
Deposits and other assets | 468,361 | 479,212 | |||||
Total assets | $ | 78,390,552 | $ | 80,806,906 |
ASPEN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (CONTINUED)
July 31, 2021 | April 30, 2021 | ||||||
(Unaudited) | |||||||
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity | |||||||
Current liabilities: | |||||||
Accounts payable | $ | 1,627,731 | $ | 1,466,488 | |||
Accrued expenses | 2,361,271 | 2,040,896 | |||||
Deferred revenue | 4,691,087 | 6,825,014 | |||||
Due to students | 2,905,192 | 2,747,484 | |||||
Operating lease obligations, current portion | 2,086,076 | 2,029,821 | |||||
Other current liabilities | 57,847 | 307,921 | |||||
Total current liabilities | 13,729,204 | 15,417,624 | |||||
Operating lease obligations, less current portion | 15,865,044 | 16,298,808 | |||||
Total liabilities | 29,594,248 | 31,716,432 | |||||
Commitments and contingencies | |||||||
Stockholders’ equity: | |||||||
Preferred stock, | |||||||
0 issued and 0 outstanding at July 31, 2021 and April 30, 2021 | — | — | |||||
Common stock, | |||||||
25,087,051 issued and 24,931,565 outstanding at July 31, 2021 | |||||||
25,066,297 issued and 24,910,811 outstanding at April 30, 2021 | 25,088 | 25,067 | |||||
Additional paid-in capital | 109,617,521 | 109,040,824 | |||||
Treasury stock (155,486 at both July 31, 2021 and April 30, 2021) | (1,817,414 | ) | (1,817,414 | ) | |||
Accumulated deficit | (59,028,891 | ) | (58,158,003 | ) | |||
Total stockholders’ equity | 48,796,304 | 49,090,474 | |||||
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity | $ | 78,390,552 | $ | 80,806,906 |
ASPEN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended July 31, | |||||||
2021 | 2020 | ||||||
Revenue | $ | 19,430,995 | $ | 15,165,562 | |||
Operating expenses: | |||||||
Cost of revenue (exclusive of depreciation and amortization shown separately below) | 8,593,568 | 5,847,523 | |||||
General and administrative | 10,946,477 | 8,793,756 | |||||
Bad debt expense | 350,000 | 400,000 | |||||
Depreciation and amortization | 779,409 | 490,624 | |||||
Total operating expenses | 20,669,454 | 15,531,903 | |||||
Operating loss | (1,238,459 | ) | (366,341 | ) | |||
Other income (expense): | |||||||
Interest expense | (33,539 | ) | (455,457 | ) | |||
Other income (expense), net | 552,120 | (123,298 | ) | ||||
Total other income (expense), net | 518,581 | (578,755 | ) | ||||
Loss before income taxes | (719,878 | ) | (945,096 | ) | |||
Income tax expense (benefit) | 151,010 | (1,900 | ) | ||||
Net loss | $ | (870,888 | ) | $ | (943,196 | ) | |
Net loss per share - basic and diluted | $ | (0.03 | ) | $ | (0.04 | ) | |
Weighted average number of common stock outstanding - basic and diluted | 25,070,072 | 22,094,409 |
ASPEN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended July 31, | |||||||
2021 | 2020 | ||||||
Cash flows from operating activities: | |||||||
Net loss | $ | (870,888 | ) | $ | (943,196 | ) | |
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities: | |||||||
Bad debt expense | 350,000 | 400,000 | |||||
Depreciation and amortization | 779,409 | 490,624 | |||||
Stock-based compensation | 542,712 | 487,110 | |||||
Amortization of warrant based cost | 11,458 | 9,125 | |||||
Amortization of debt discounts | — | 141,026 | |||||
Amortization of debt issue costs | 8,334 | 139,362 | |||||
Modification charge for warrants exercised | — | (25,966 | ) | ||||
Loss on asset disposition | 1,144 | — | |||||
Lease expense | 8,307 | — | |||||
Tenant improvement allowances received from landlords | 86,591 | — | |||||
Other adjustments, net | — | 10,587 | |||||
Changes in operating assets and liabilities: | |||||||
Accounts receivable | (1,879,318 | ) | (2,747,322 | ) | |||
Prepaid expenses | 163,615 | (51,870 | ) | ||||
Other receivables | — | 23,097 | |||||
Other current assets | 54,639 | 59,966 | |||||
Accounts receivable, other | 45,329 | — | |||||
Deposits and other assets | 10,852 | 205,425 | |||||
Accounts payable | 161,243 | 258,855 | |||||
Accrued expenses | 320,375 | 590,579 | |||||
Due to students | 157,708 | (480,342 | ) | ||||
Deferred revenue | (2,133,927 | ) | 1,053,859 | ||||
Other current liabilities | (250,074 | ) | (257,678 | ) | |||
Net cash used in operating activities | (2,432,491 | ) | (636,759 | ) | |||
Cash flows from investing activities: | |||||||
Purchases of courseware and accreditation | (131,669 | ) | (3,050 | ) | |||
Purchases of property and equipment | (847,213 | ) | (659,168 | ) | |||
Net cash used in investing activities | (978,882 | ) | (662,218 | ) | |||
Cash flows from financing activities: | |||||||
Proceeds from stock options exercised | 22,548 | 1,269,982 | |||||
Proceeds from warrants exercised | — | 1,081,792 | |||||
Net cash provided by financing activities | 22,548 | 2,351,774 |
ASPEN GROUP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (CONTINUED)
(Unaudited)
Three Months Ended July 31, | |||||||
2021 | 2020 | ||||||
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | (3,388,825 | ) | $ | 1,052,797 | ||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at beginning of period | 13,666,079 | 17,906,765 | |||||
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash at end of period | $ | 10,277,254 | $ | 18,959,562 | |||
Supplemental disclosure cash flow information | |||||||
Cash paid for interest | $ | 24,384 | $ | 199,178 | |||
Cash paid for income taxes | $ | 98,105 | $ | 1,600 |
The following table provides a reconciliation of cash and cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the accompanying consolidated balance sheet to the total amounts shown in the accompanying unaudited consolidated statements of cash flows:
July 31, 2021 | July 31, 2020 | ||||||
Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 6,554,423 | $ | 15,899,293 | |||
Restricted cash | 3,722,831 | 3,060,269 | |||||
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash | $ | 10,277,254 | $ | 18,959,562 |
FAQ
What were Aspen Group's Q1 FY 2022 revenue results?
What is Aspen Group's net loss for Q1 FY 2022?
How did Aspen Group's EBITDA perform in Q1 FY 2022?
What impact did the Aspen 2.0 strategy have?