Covista Inc.: Form 10-K for the period ended Jun 30, 2024
Filed with the SEC on Aug 6, 2024 and accepted by EDGAR at Aug 6, 2024, 16:20 ET.
Business
As filed, 64,923 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Overview
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, Adtalem Global Education Inc., together with its subsidiaries, is collectively referred to as “Adtalem,” “we,” “our,” “us,” or similar references. Adtalem was incorporated under the laws of the State of Delaware in August 1987. Our executive offices are located at 500 West Monroe Street, Chicago, Illinois, 60661, and the telephone number is (312) 651-1400.
Adtalem is the leading healthcare educator in the U.S and a systemically important solution for preparing a diverse talent workforce that meets the needs of the healthcare industry. The purpose of Adtalem is to empower students to achieve their goals, find success, and make inspiring contributions to our global community.
The Adtalem family of institutions offers programs with a focus in healthcare, including nursing, medicine, veterinary medicine, social and behavioral sciences, and more. Adtalem operates through five institutions: Chamberlain University (“Chamberlain”), Walden University (“Walden”), American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine (“AUC”), Ross University School of Medicine (“RUSM”), and Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine (“RUSVM”), which comprises more than 80,000 students learning at multiple campuses and online. Adtalem’s institutions have an alumni community of over 300,000.
Adtalem is a mission driven organization, committed to advancing health equity, addressing social determinates of health and delivering highly qualified healthcare clinicians to urban and rural communities as a scaled provider of workers to the U.S. healthcare system.
Adtalem remains focused on expanding access to aspiring students through a seamless student experience, leveraging innovative learning technologies, diversifying into new program areas, and integrating our five institutions, providing the infrastructure necessary to meet the needs of where, when, and how students learn best.
Adtalem aims to create value for society and its stakeholders by offering responsive educational programs that are supported by exceptional services to its students and delivered with integrity and accountability. Towards this vision, Adtalem is proud to play a vital role in expanding access to higher education.
On August 12, 2021, Adtalem completed its $1.5 billion acquisition of all the issued and outstanding equity interest in Walden e-Learning, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company (“e-Learning”), and its subsidiary, Walden University, LLC, a Florida limited liability company, from Laureate Education, Inc. (“Laureate” or “Seller”).
On March 10, 2022, Adtalem completed the sale of Association of Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialists (“ACAMS”), Becker Professional Education (“Becker,”) and OnCourse Learning (“OCL”) for $962.7 million, net of cash of $21.5 million, subject to post-closing adjustments. On June 17, 2022, Adtalem completed the sale of EduPristine for de minimis consideration.
Segments Overview
We present three reportable segments as follows:
Chamberlain – Offers degree and certificate programs in the nursing and health professions postsecondary education industry.
Walden – Offers degree and certificate programs, including those in nursing, education, counseling, business, psychology, public health, social work and human services, public administration and public policy, and criminal justice.
Medical and Veterinary – Offers degree and certificate programs in the medical and veterinary postsecondary education industry. This segment includes the operations of AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM, which are collectively referred to as the “medical and veterinary schools.”
Chamberlain
Chamberlain was founded in 1889 as Deaconess College of Nursing and acquired by Adtalem in 2005. In May 2017, Chamberlain College of Nursing broadened its reach in healthcare education through the establishment of Chamberlain University and now offers its programs through its College of Nursing and College of Health Professions.
Chamberlain’s nursing degree offerings include a three-year onsite and online pre-licensure Bachelor of Science in Nursing (“BSN”) degree, an online post-licensure BSN degree completion option for Registered Nurses (“RN-BSN”), an online Master of Science in Nursing (“MSN”) degree, including Nurse Practitioner tracks and other specialties, and the online Doctor of Nursing Practice (“DNP”) degree.
Through its College of Health Professions, Chamberlain offers an online Master of Public Health (“MPH”) degree program, an online Master of Social Work (“MSW”) degree program, and an onsite Master of Physician Assistant Studies (“MPAS”) degree program at the Chicago, Illinois campus.
Chamberlain provides an educational experience distinguished by a high level of care for students, academic excellence, and integrity delivered through its 23 campuses and online. Chamberlain is committed to graduating health professionals who are empowered to transform healthcare worldwide. Chamberlain had 36,750 students enrolled in the May 2024 session, an increase of 10.4% compared to the same session last year.
Chamberlain’s pre-licensure BSN program enables students to complete their degree in three years of full-time study as opposed to the typical four-year BSN program with summer breaks. Beginning in September 2019, Chamberlain began offering an evening/weekend BSN option at select campuses. In September 2020, Chamberlain launched its online BSN option that offers a blend of flexibility, interactivity, and experiential learning.
Students who already have passed their National Council Licensure Examination (“NCLEX”) exam and achieved RN designation through a diploma or associate degree can complete their BSN degree online through Chamberlain’s RN-BSN completion option in three semesters of full-time study, although most students enroll part-time while they continue working as nurses.
The online MSN degree program offers five non-direct-care specialty tracks: Nurse Educator, Nurse Executive, Nursing Informatics, Population Health, and Healthcare Policy. The accelerated MSN program offers a Clinical Nurse Leadership concentration. The accelerated RN-MSN program offers associate or diploma-prepared RNs an opportunity to earn an MSN versus a BSN with the option of completing the Advanced Generalist concentration in one year of full-time study and the Clinical Nurse Leadership concentration in one and a half years of full-time study.
Chamberlain also offers four direct-care nurse practitioner tracks: Family Nurse Practitioner (“FNP”), Adult-Gerontology Acute Care Nurse Practitioner (“AGACNP”), Adult-Gerontology Primary Care Nurse Practitioner
(“AGPCNP”), and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nurse Practitioner (“PMHNP”). The FNP, AGPCNP, AGACNP, and PMHNP, programs are designed to be completed in two and a half years of part-time study.
The online DNP degree program is based on the eight essentials of doctoral education outlined by the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (“AACN”). The program can be completed in five to six semesters of study.
Chamberlain’s College of Health Professions MPH degree program focuses on preparing students through interdisciplinary coursework to become public health practitioners serving communities and populations to promote healthy communities and to work to address health problems and health-related issues such as disease, poverty, health access disparities, and violence. The MSW degree program aims to develop and empower students to be agents of social change in their communities and throughout the world. The MSW degree program prepares students for generalist or specialized practice and offers three tracks, including Crisis and Response Interventions, Trauma, and Medical Social Work. The program offers both a traditional and advanced standing option. The advanced standing option is for students who have completed a baccalaureate degree in social work. The MPAS degree program prepares students for the practice of general medicine as Physician Assistants in collaboration with a licensed physician and healthcare team and is designed to be completed in two years.
Student Admissions and Admissions Standards
Pre-Licensure BSN Program
The Chamberlain undergraduate pre-licensure admission process comprises two phases: Academic Eligibility and Clinical Clearance. Applicants must complete both to be eligible for admission. Determining Academic Eligibility is the role of the Chamberlain BSN Unified Admission Committee. The committee reviews applicants using a weighted evaluation system that considers several factors which may include previous coursework, grade point average, ACT/SAT scores and Health Education Systems, Inc. (“HESI”) Admission Assessment (A2) scores. All applicants deemed academically eligible by the committee must initiate drug, background, and fingerprint screenings, and clear all screenings within 120 days of the session start date. Applicants who enroll in the original session applied for may be granted full acceptance by signing a self-attestation and disclosure indicating their ability to clear all screenings within 120 days of the session start date. Chamberlain enrolls students in its pre-licensure program at least three times per year, during the January, May, and September sessions and select campuses may offer additional opportunities to start.
RN-BSN Option
Admission to the RN-BSN option requires a nursing diploma or Associate Degree in Nursing from an accredited institution, a minimum grade point average of 2.0, and a current, active, unrestricted RN license in the U.S. or other jurisdiction that is an associate member of the National Council of State Boards of Nursing (“NCSBN”). Chamberlain enrolls students in its RN-BSN program six times per year, during the January, March, May, July, September, and November sessions.
Graduate Programs
To enroll in graduate programs, students must have the requisite undergraduate academic degree from an accredited institution and a specified minimum grade point average. Applicants to some programs are also required to provide additional materials and information such as recommendation letters or background checks and/or interview with and be approved by faculty.
Chamberlain enrolls students in its graduate nursing, MPH, and MSW programs six times per year, during the January, March, May, July, September, and November sessions. Chamberlain enrolls students in its graduate MPAS program once a year in the September session.
Walden
For more than 50 years, Walden has provided an engaging learning experience for working professionals. Walden’s mission is to provide a diverse community of career professionals with the opportunity to transform themselves as scholar-practitioners so that they can effect positive social change. Walden seeks to empower students to use their new knowledge to think creatively about problem-solving for social good. This mission of education as applied to promoting social good has allowed Walden to attract an extraordinary community of students and faculty members who share a commitment to using knowledge to create real and lasting positive social change.
Founded in 1970 and first accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (“HLC”) in 1990, Walden has a strong legacy of providing innovative and alternative degree programs for adult students. Walden has grown to support more than 100 degree and certificate programs—including programs at the bachelor’s, master’s, education specialist, and doctoral levels—with over 350 specializations and concentrations. As of June 30, 2024, total student enrollment at Walden was 41,845, an increase of 11.3% compared to June 30, 2023. A primarily graduate institution, Walden has ranked #1 among 380 accredited institutions for awarding research doctorates to African American students and #1 in awarding graduate degrees in multiple disciplines to African American students. Walden has ranked #3 for awarding research doctoral degrees in psychology, public health, and social service professions to Hispanic students.
In addition, Walden has rich experience in delivering innovative accelerated programs through distance delivery. Walden also has experience in delivering accelerated course-based programs where students can customize modalities to speed their time to completion and degree completion programs (for example, the RN-BSN). Walden currently offers more than 25 programs/specializations and 1 certificate in a direct assessment competency-based education format through its Tempo® Learning modality. Through a culture of assessment and continuous improvement, Walden has developed the organization and resources required to deliver a quality academic learning experience to working adults via distance delivery. All Walden academic programs are delivered in an online format.
Walden’s colleges and programs are structured within two main divisions – the Division of Health Care Access and Quality and the Division of Social Support for Healthy Communities.
Walden believes this organizational structure supports its mission via a focused effort promoting healthy communities and healthy people, as identified through the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion’s national effort in this area known as Healthy People 2030, supported by the Social Determinants of Health Framework.
Student Admissions and Admissions Standards
Walden has a long-standing commitment to providing educational opportunities to a diverse group of learners across all degree levels. Walden’s programs are enriched by the cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds of its students and instructors. In the admissions process, Walden selects individuals who can benefit from a distributed educational or online learning approach and who will use their Walden education to contribute to their academic or professional communities.
For admissions review to take place, applicants must submit an online application for their intended program of study and an official transcript with a qualifying admitting degree from a U.S. school accredited by a regional, professional/specialized, or national accrediting organization recognized by the Council for Higher Education Accreditation or the ED, or from an appropriately accredited non-U.S. institution. Additional materials or requirements to submit may vary depending on the academic program.
All applicants to the bachelor’s program are required to have earned, at a minimum, a recognized high school diploma, high school equivalency certificate, or other state-recognized credential of high school completion. Applicants with degrees and coursework from a non-U.S. institution have their academic record evaluated for comparability to a U.S. degree or coursework by our Global Transcript Evaluation (“GTE”) service offered by Walden or any credential evaluation service that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services (“NACES”) or member of Association of International Credential Evaluators (“AICE”).
Applicants may be offered conditional admission to Walden with a stipulation for academic performance at the level of a grade point average of 3.0 or higher for master’s and doctoral students or a grade point average of 2.0 or higher for undergraduate students, the successful completion of academic progress requirements during the initial term(s) of enrollment, the completion of prerequisites, and/or other stipulations (including receipt of official records).
Medical and Veterinary
Together, AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM, along with the Medical Education Readiness Program (“MERP”) and the Veterinary Preparation Program, had 4,726 students enrolled in the May 2024 semester, a decrease of 2.9% compared to the same semester last year.
AUC and RUSM
AUC, founded in 1978 and acquired by Adtalem in 2011, provides medical education and confers the Doctor of Medicine degree. AUC is located in St. Maarten and is one of the most established international medical schools in the Caribbean, having produced over 7,500 graduates from over 78 countries since its founding. The mission of AUC is to train tomorrow’s physicians, whose service to their communities and their patients is enhanced by international learning experiences, a diverse learning community, and an emphasis on social accountability and engagement.
RUSM, founded in 1978 and acquired by Adtalem in 2003, provides medical education and confers the Doctor of Medicine degree. RUSM is located in Barbados and has graduated more than 15,000 physicians since inception. The mission of RUSM is to deliver an innovative and experiential medical education program in an inclusive environment of scholars that fosters professional growth and leadership for a diverse pool of students to become ethical, compassionate, patient-centric, culturally competent physicians who advance healthcare in local and global communities.
AUC’s and RUSM’s programs consist of three academic semesters per year, which begin in January, May, and September, allowing students to begin their basic science instruction at the most convenient time for them.
Initially, AUC and RUSM students complete a program of concentrated study of medical sciences after which eligible students sit for U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (“USMLE”), Step 1, which assesses whether students understand and can apply scientific concepts that are basic to the practice of medicine. Under AUC and RUSM direction, students then complete the remainder of their program by participating in clinical rotations conducted at over 40 affiliated teaching hospitals or medical centers connected with accredited graduate medical education programs in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Towards the end of the clinical training and prior to graduation, AUC and RUSM students take USMLE, Step 2 CK (Clinical Knowledge), which assesses ability to apply medical knowledge, skills, and understanding of clinical science essential for the provision of patient care under supervision and includes emphasis on health promotion and disease prevention. Successfully passing USMLE, Step 2 Clinical Skills previously was a requirement for graduation and for certification by the Educational Commission for Foreign Medical Graduates (“ECFMG”) to enter the U.S. residency match. USMLE Step 2 Clinical Skills has been discontinued indefinitely. ECFMG has developed alternative pathways to replace this requirement, for which AUC’s and RUSM’s graduates are generally eligible.
Upon successful completion of their medical degree requirements, students apply for a residency position in their area of specialty through the National Residency Matching Program (“NRMP”). This process is also known as “The Match”® and utilizes an algorithm to “match” applicants to programs using the certified rank order lists of the applicants and program directors.
Of first-time eligible AUC graduates, 97% and 98% attained residency positions in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
Of first-time eligible RUSM graduates, 98% and 98% attained residency positions in 2023 and 2024, respectively.
In September 2019, AUC opened its medical education program in the U.K. in partnership with University of Central Lancashire (“UCLAN”). The program offers students a Post Graduate Diploma in International Medical Sciences from UCLAN, followed by their Doctor of Medicine degree from AUC. Students are eligible to do clinical rotations at AUC’s clinical sites, which include hospitals in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. This program is aimed at preparing students for USMLEs.
MERP is a 15-week medical school preparatory program focused on enhancing the academic foundation of prospective AUC and RUSM students and providing them with the skills they need to be successful in medical school and to achieve their goals of becoming physicians. Upon successful completion of the MERP program, students are guaranteed admission to AUC or RUSM.
RUSVM
RUSVM, founded in 1982 and acquired by Adtalem in 2003, provides veterinary education and confers the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, as well as Masters of Science and Ph.D. degrees. RUSVM is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association (“AVMA”). RUSVM is located in St. Kitts and has graduated nearly 6,000 veterinarians since inception. The mission of RUSVM is to provide the best learning environment to prepare students to become members and leaders of the worldwide public and professional healthcare team, advancing human and animal health–One Health–through research and knowledge exchange.
The RUSVM program is structured to provide a veterinary education that is comparable to educational programs at U.S. veterinary schools. RUSVM students complete a seven-semester, pre-clinical curriculum at the campus in St. Kitts. After completing their pre-clinical curriculum, RUSVM students enter a clinical clerkship under RUSVM direction lasting approximately 45 weeks at clinical affiliates located in the U.S., Canada, Australia, Ireland, New Zealand, and the U.K.
RUSVM offers a one-semester Veterinary Preparatory Program (“Vet Prep”) designed to enhance the pre-clinical science knowledge and study skills that are critical to success in veterinary school.
Student Admissions and Admissions Standards
AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM employ regional admissions representatives in locations throughout the U.S. and Canada who provide information to students interested in their respective programs. A successful applicant must have completed the required prerequisite courses and, for AUC and RUSM U.S. students, taken the Medical College Admission Test (“MCAT”), while RUSVM applicants are strongly encouraged but not required to have completed the Graduate Record Exam (“GRE”). Candidates for admission must interview with an admissions representative and all admission decisions are made by the admissions committees of the medical and veterinary schools. AUC allows several entrance examinations for its international students.
Market Trends and Competition
Chamberlain
Chamberlain competes in the U.S. nursing education market, which has more than 2,000 programs leading to RN licensure. These include four-year educational institutions, two-year community colleges, and less-than-2-year schools. The market consists of two distinct segments: pre-licensure nursing programs that prepare students to take the NCLEX-RN licensure exam and post-licensure nursing programs that allow existing RNs to advance their education.
In the pre-licensure nursing market, capacity limitations and restricted new student enrollment are common among traditional four-year educational institutions and community colleges. Chamberlain has 23 campuses located in 15 states and an online BSN program offered in 33 states. In Fall 2023, according to data obtained from the American Association of Colleges of Nursing (“AACN”), Chamberlain had the largest pre-licensure program in the U.S. based on total enrollments.
In post-licensure nursing education, there are more than 700 institutions offering RN-BSN programs and more than 600 institutions offering MSN programs. Chamberlain’s RN-BSN degree completion option has received three certifications from Quality Matters, an independent global organization leading quality assurance in online teaching and learning environments. Chamberlain has earned the Online Learning Support, Online Teaching Support, and Online Learner Success certifications.
In Fall 2023, according to AACN data, Chamberlain had the largest DNP, MSN, and FNP programs in the U.S based on total enrollments.
Walden
The market for fully online higher education, in which Walden competes, remains a competitive and growing space. As a comprehensive university offering degrees at the bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral level, in addition to certificates and a school of lifelong learning, the competition varies depending on the degree level and the discipline. While Walden’s target market of working professionals 25 years and older was once underserved, it now has a variety of options to meet the growing need for higher education.
Walden has degree programs in nursing, education, counseling, business, psychology, public health, social work and human services, public administration and public policy, and criminal justice. Walden competes both with other comprehensive universities and also more narrowly focused schools, which may only offer a few degree programs. Given the growing and ever-changing market, Walden competes with a wide variety of higher education institutions as well as other education providers.
Walden competes with traditional public and private non-profit institutions and for-profit schools. As more campus-based institutions offer online programs, the competition for online higher education has been growing. Typically, public universities charge lower tuitions compared with Walden due to state subsidies, government grants, and access to other financial resources. On the other hand, tuition at private non-profit institutions is higher than the average tuition rates at Walden. Walden competes with other educational institutions principally based on price, quality of education, reputation, learning modality, educational programs, and student services.
Walden has over 50 years of experience offering high quality distance education. Walden remains a leader in many areas and is one of the leading doctoral degree conferrers in nursing, public health, public policy, business/management, education, and psychology and one of the leading conferrers of master’s degrees in nursing, psychology, social work, human services, education, and counseling.
Medical and Veterinary
AUC and RUSM compete with U.S. schools of medicine, U.S. colleges of osteopathic medicine, and Caribbean medical schools as well as with international medical schools recruiting U.S. students who may be eligible to receive funding from ED Title IV programs. RUSVM competes with U.S.-based and international AVMA accredited schools.
There has been some recent expansion in the U.S. medical education and veterinary education enrollment capacities because of the growing supply/demand imbalance for medical doctors and veterinarians. Despite this expansion, management believes the imbalance will continue to spur demand for medical and veterinary education.
Accreditation and Other Regulatory Approvals
Educational institutions and their individual programs are awarded accreditation by achieving a level of quality that entitles them to the confidence of the educational community and the public they serve. Accredited institutions are subject to periodic review by accrediting bodies to ensure continued high performance and institutional and program improvement and integrity, and to confirm that accreditation requirements continue to be satisfied.
Chamberlain
Chamberlain is institutionally accredited by the HLC, an institutional accreditation agency recognized by ED. In addition to institutional accreditation, Chamberlain has also obtained programmatic accreditation for specific programs. BSN, MSN, DNP, and post-graduate Advanced Practice Registered Nurses (“APRN”) certificate programs are accredited by the Commission on Collegiate Nursing Education (“CCNE”). Chamberlain’s MPH program is accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. Chamberlain’s MSW program is accredited by the CSWE’s Commission on Accreditation. The Accreditation Review Commission on Education for the Physician Assistant (“ARC-PA”) has granted Accreditation-Provisional status to the Master of Physician Assistant Studies program. Accreditation-Provisional is an accreditation status granted when the plans and resource allocation, if fully implemented as planned, of a proposed program that has not yet enrolled students appear to demonstrate the program’s ability to meet the ARC-PA Standards or when a program holding Accreditation-Provisional status appears to demonstrate continued progress in complying with the Standards as it prepares for the graduation of the first class (cohort) of students. Accreditation-Provisional does not ensure any subsequent accreditation status. It is limited to no more than five years from matriculation of the first class. Additionally, Chamberlain is an accredited provider of nursing continuing professional development credits by the American Nursing Credentialing Center.
Walden
Walden is also institutionally accredited by the HLC. In addition to its institutional accreditation, a number of Walden’s programs have obtained programmatic accreditation. The BS in Information Technology program is accredited by the Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology. A number of business programs (BS in Business Administration, Master of Business Administration, MS in Finance, Doctor of Business Administration, and Ph.D. in Management) are accredited by the Accreditation Council for Business Schools and Programs (“ACBSP”). The BS and MS in Accounting programs are accredited by ACBSP’s Separate Accounting Accreditation. The BSN, MSN, Post-Master’s APRN certificates, and DNP programs are accredited by CCNE. The MS in Addiction Counseling, MS in School Counseling, MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, MS in Marriage, Couple, and Family Counseling, and Ph.D. in Counselor Education and Supervision programs are accredited by the Council for Accreditation of Counseling and Related Education Programs. Walden’s initial teacher preparation programs, BS in Elementary Education and Master of Arts in Teaching with a specialization in Special Education, and advanced educator preparation programs, education specialist in Educational Leadership and Administration and MS in Education with a specialization in Educational Leadership and Administration, in the Richard W. Riley College of Education and Human Sciences are accredited by the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. The MPH and Doctor of Public Health programs are accredited by the Council on Education for Public Health. The Bachelor of Social Work and MSW programs are accredited by the CSWE. Additionally, Walden is an accredited provider of continuing education credits by the American Nursing Credentialling Center.
Medical and Veterinary
The Government of St. Maarten authorizes AUC to confer the Doctor of Medicine degree. AUC is accredited by the Accreditation Commission on Colleges of Medicine (“ACCM”). The ACCM is an international medical school accrediting organization for countries that do not have a national medical school accreditation body. The U.S. Department of Education National Committee on Foreign Medical Education and Accreditation (“NCFMEA”) has affirmed that the ACCM has established and enforces standards of educational accreditation that are comparable to those promulgated by the U.S. Liaison Committee on Medical Education (“LCME”). In addition, AUC is authorized to place students in clinical rotations in the majority of U.S. states, including California, Florida, and New York, where robust processes are in place to evaluate and approve an international medical school’s programs. AUC students can join residency training programs in all 50 states. AUC has also been deemed acceptable by the Graduate Medical Council (“GMC”), the accrediting body in the U.K., which allows AUC graduates to apply for residency programs in the U.K.
RUSM’s primary accreditor is Caribbean Accreditation Authority for Education in Medicine and other Health Professions (“CAAM-HP”). CAAM-HP is authorized to accredit medical programs by the government of Barbados. On July 26, 2018, Barbados authorized RUSM to confer the Doctor of Medicine degree. The NCFMEA has affirmed that CAAM-HP has established and enforces standards of educational accreditation that are comparable to those promulgated by the LCME. In addition, RUSM is authorized to place students in clinical rotations in the majority of U.S. states, including California, Florida, New Jersey, and New York, where robust processes are in place to evaluate and accredit an international medical school’s programs. RUSM students can join residency training programs in all 50 states.
RUSVM has been recognized by the government of the Federation of St. Christopher and Nevis (“St. Kitts”) and is chartered to confer the Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree. The Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree is accredited by the American Veterinary Medical Association Council on Education (“AVMA COE”). RUSVM has affiliations with many AVMA-accredited U.S. and international colleges of veterinary medicine so that RUSVM students can complete their final three clinical semesters of study in the U.S. or abroad. RUSVM has received accreditation for its Postgraduate Studies program from the St. Christopher & Nevis Accreditation Board. The Postgraduate Studies program offers Master of Science and Ph.D. degrees in all research areas supported by RUSVM. Areas of emphasis are guided by RUSVM's themed research centers.
Financial Aid
Like other higher education companies, Adtalem is dependent upon the timely receipt of federal financial aid funds. All public financial aid programs are subject to political and governmental budgetary considerations. Adtalem’s institutions and their students participate in a wide range of financial aid programs, including U.S. federal financial aid, state financial aid, Canadian financial aid, private loan programs, tax-favored programs, Adtalem-provided financial assistance, and employer-provided financial assistance. In the U.S., the Higher Education Act (as reauthorized, the “HEA”) guides the federal government’s support of postsecondary education. If there are changes to financial aid programs that restrict student eligibility or reduce funding levels, Adtalem’s financial condition and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected. See Item 1A. “Risk Factors” for a discussion of student financial aid related risks.
Legislative and Regulatory Requirements
Government-funded financial assistance programs are governed by extensive and complex regulations in the U.S. Like any other educational institution, Adtalem’s institutions’ administration of these programs is periodically reviewed by regulatory agencies and is subject to audit or investigation by other authorities. Any violation could be the basis for penalties or other disciplinary action, including initiation of a suspension, limitation, or termination proceeding.
Our domestic postsecondary institutions are subject to extensive federal and state regulations. The HEA and the related ED regulations govern all higher education institutions participating in Title IV programs and provide for a regulatory triad by mandating specific regulatory responsibilities for each of the following: (1) the federal government through ED, (2) the accrediting agencies recognized by ED, and (3) state higher education regulatory bodies. Therefore, to be eligible to participate in Title IV programs, a postsecondary institution must be accredited by an agency recognized by ED, must comply with the HEA and all applicable regulations thereunder, and must be authorized to operate by the appropriate higher education authority in each state in which the institution operates, as applicable.
In addition to governance by the regulatory triad, there has been increased focus by members of the U.S. Congress and federal agencies, including ED, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (“CFPB”), and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”), on the role that proprietary educational institutions play in higher education. We expect that this regulatory environment will continue for the foreseeable future.
Changes in or new interpretations of applicable laws, rules, or regulations could have a material adverse effect on our eligibility or cost to participate in Title IV programs, to meet accreditation standards or comply with state authorization requirements. The failure to maintain or renew any required regulatory approvals, accreditation, or state authorizations could have a material adverse effect on us. ED regulations regarding financial responsibility provide that, if any one of our Title IV participating institutions (“Title IV institutions”) is unable to pay its obligations under its program participation agreement (“PPA”) as a result of operational issues and/or an enforcement action, our other Title IV institutions, regardless of their compliance with applicable laws and regulations, would not be able to maintain their Title IV eligibility without assisting in the repayment of the non-compliant institution’s Title IV obligations. As a result, even though Adtalem’s Title IV institutions are operated through independent entities, an enforcement action against one of our institutions could also have a material adverse effect on the businesses, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of Adtalem’s other Title IV institutions and Adtalem as a whole and could result in the imposition of significant restrictions on the ability of Adtalem’s other Title IV institutions and Adtalem as a whole to operate. For further information, see “A bankruptcy filing by us or by any of our Title IV institutions, or a closure of one of our Title IV institutions, would lead to an immediate loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs” under subsection “Risks Related to Adtalem’s Regulated Industry” in Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”
Financial Responsibility
Institutions must pass a financial responsibility test defined by the U.S. Department of Education (“ED”), also known as a “composite score,” to maintain eligibility to participate in Title IV aid programs. For Adtalem’s institutions, this test is calculated at the consolidated Adtalem level. Applying various financial elements from the fiscal year audited financial statements, the score is a composite of three ratios: an equity ratio that measures the institution’s capital resources; a primary reserve ratio that measures an institution’s ability to fund its operations from current resources; and a net income ratio that measures an institution’s ability to operate profitably. A score greater than or equal to 1.5 indicates the institution is considered financially responsible. Scores of less than 1.5 but greater than or equal to 1.0 are considered financially responsible but require additional oversight. For example, institutions with scores in this range are subject to heightened cash monitoring and other participation requirements. An institution with a score of less than 1.0 is not considered financially responsible but may continue to participate in the Title IV programs under provisional certification. In addition, this lower score typically requires that the institution be subject to heightened cash monitoring requirements and post a letter of credit (equal to a minimum of 10% of the Title IV aid it received in the institution's most recent fiscal year).
For the past several years, Adtalem’s composite score was greater than 1.5. However, on September 25, 2023, ED notified Adtalem that its fiscal year 2022 composite score had declined to 0.2. As previously disclosed, this was expected due to the acquisition of Walden and other transactions. ED advised that Adtalem’s five institutions will be permitted to continue to participate in Title IV under provisional certifications with heightened cash monitoring and continued reporting. A letter of credit in the amount of $157.9 million, representing 10% of the consolidated Title IV funds Adtalem’s institutions received during fiscal year 2022, was delivered to ED on November 1, 2023. Management does not believe these conditions will have a material adverse effect on Adtalem’s operations.
The financial responsibility rules include other mandatory or discretionary triggers that could require an institution to post a letter of credit. ED recently amended the financial responsibility regulation and the changes took effect July 1, 2024. The changes include additional triggers which could require additional letters of credit.
Program Participation Agreement (“PPA”)
All institutions must apply periodically 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. ED 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 institution’s PPA. In addition, ED 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 institution, or make any other significant change. Students attending provisionally certified institutions remain eligible to receive Title IV program funds. If ED determines that a provisionally certified institution is unable to meet its responsibilities under its PPA, 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.
Chamberlain was most recently recertified and issued an unrestricted PPA in September 2020, with a reapplication date of June 30, 2024. The lengthy PPA recertification process is such that ED allows unhampered continued access to Title IV funding after PPA expiration, so long as materially complete applications are submitted at least 90 days in advance of expiration. A complete application for Chamberlain’s PPA recertification has been timely submitted to ED.
During the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024, ED provisionally recertified AUC and RUSM’s Title IV PPAs through March 31, 2025. RUSVM has been notified that its application to renew its participation in Title IV programs has been completed and approved by ED.
During the first quarter of fiscal year 2025, ED approved Walden’s change in ownership application and issued Walden a provisional PPA through June 30, 2025.
The provisional nature of the PPAs stemmed from Adtalem’s composite score declining and failing to meet ED’s standards of financial responsibility as defined above. See “Financial Responsibility” in Item 1. “Business” for additional information.
Walden, AUC, and RUSM’s provisional PPAs included financial requirements, such as letter of credit, heightened cash monitoring, and additional reporting. We do not believe these requirements will have a material effect on Adtalem’s financial position or results of operations. Walden also is subject to common restrictions following an acquisition limiting changes to its educational programs, including a prohibition on the addition of new programs or locations that had not been approved by ED prior to the change in ownership for a period established by ED. With the approval of its change in ownership, Walden has the ability to request ED approval for new programs.
ED has recently allowed reductions in our letters of credit totaling $90.8 million. On January 31, 2024, ED allowed a $76.2 million letter of credit in favor of ED to expire without any requirement for Adtalem to renew it. On April 26, 2024, ED indicated that it would permit Adtalem to reduce its $84.0 million surety-backed letter of credit in favor of ED on behalf of Walden, which allows Walden to participate in Title IV programs, to $69.4 million, which took effect on June 24, 2024, and was extended through December 31, 2024. In addition, Adtalem had a letter of credit outstanding under its Revolver in the amount of $157.9 million as of June 30, 2024, in favor of ED, which allows Adtalem institutions to participate in Title IV programs. As of June 30, 2024, Adtalem had $227.3 million of letters of credit outstanding in favor of ED. See Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on the Notes and our Credit Agreement.
Gainful Employment
The HEA requires certificate programs at all Title IV institutions and degree programs at proprietary Title IV institutions to prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. In October 2023, ED released new Financial Value Transparency (“FVT”) and Gainful Employment (“GE”) rules effective July 1, 2024. GE programs must meet a debt-to-earnings test in which graduates’ annual debt payments must not exceed 8% of their annual earnings or 20% of their discretionary earnings. GE programs must also meet an earnings premium test in which graduates’ earnings must exceed those of a typical high school graduate. Under the regulation, programs that fail either metric must provide warnings to students and prospective students that the program is at risk of losing Title IV eligibility, and programs that fail the same measure in two out of three consecutive years lose Title IV eligibility. The GE regulation also includes a transparency framework in which debt-to-earnings, earnings premium, and a wide range of other program outcomes for all Title IV programs are disclosed on a website hosted by ED. Because there are many factors and unknowns, including the future earnings of program graduates, Adtalem is reviewing the regulation to determine what impact, if any, the regulation will have on its programs. In addition, multiple parties are seeking to block enforcement of the FVT/GE rule under the Administrative Procedure Act and other legal theories.
The “90/10 Rule”
An ED regulation known as the “90/10 Rule” affects only proprietary institutions participating in Title IV programs, including each of Adtalem’s institutions. An institution that does not meet the 90% threshold for two consecutive fiscal years loses its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. Previously, an institution could not derive more than 90% of its revenue on a cash basis from Title IV financial aid funds. In March 2021, the American Rescue Plan Act amended the 90/10 calculation to require no more than 90% of revenue at proprietary institutions be derived from any federal education assistance funds, including but not limited to previously excluded U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs benefits and Department of Defense tuition assistance funds. This change was subject to negotiated rulemaking with the final rule published by ED in October 2022. The amended rule applies to an institution’s fiscal years beginning on or after January 1, 2023. For Adtalem’s institutions, the updated 90/10 rule is therefore effective with the calculation for fiscal year 2024.
The following table shows the 90/10 rates for each Adtalem institution for fiscal years 2023 and 2022 based on the old 90/10 rules still in effect for those periods. Final rates for fiscal year 2024 are not yet available. We are including Walden’s amounts for the full fiscal year 2022 even though Walden was under Adtalem’s ownership for only a portion of that fiscal year. We are also providing a consolidated rate for Adtalem even though it is not subject to 90/10 requirements.
| | | Fiscal Year 2023 | 2022 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain University | 65% | 65% | |
| Walden University | | 78% | 73% |
| American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine | 81% | 81% | |
| Ross University School of Medicine | 87% | 85% | |
| Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine | 79% | 81% | |
| Consolidated | 75% | 72% |
Certification Procedures
The HEA specifies the manner in which ED reviews institutions for eligibility and certification to participate in Title IV programs. Every educational institution participating in the Title IV programs must be certified to participate through a PPA and certification must be periodically renewed. Institutions that violate certain ED Title IV regulations or the terms of the PPA may lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs or may only continue participation under provisional certification. Provisional certification status also carries fewer due process protections than full certification. As a result, ED may revoke an institution’s certification more easily than if it is fully certified. Provisional certification does not otherwise limit access to Title IV program funds by students attending the institution, but ED has discretion to limit institutional growth.
Borrower Defense to Repayment
Under the HEA, ED is authorized to specify acts or omissions of an institution that a borrower may assert as a Defense to Repayment of their Title IV loans made under the Federal Direct Loan Program. New Borrower Defense to Repayment regulations were scheduled to go into effect on July 1, 2023 that include a lower threshold for establishing misrepresentation, no statute of limitation for claims submission, expanded reasons to file a claim including aggressive or deceptive recruitment tactics and omission of fact, weakened due processes afforded to institutions, and reinstated provisions for group discharges. ED also included a six-year statute of limitations for recovery of funds from institutions. These changes would increase financial liability and reputational risk for Adtalem. However, the updated rules have not yet been implemented due to pending litigation from another party based on the Administrative Procedure Act and other legal theories.
Incentive Compensation
An educational institution participating in Title IV programs may not pay any commission, bonus, or other incentive payments to any person involved in student recruitment or awarding of Title IV program funds, if such payments are based directly or indirectly in any part on success in enrolling students or obtaining student financial aid. The law and regulations governing this requirement have not established clear criteria for compliance in all circumstances, which increased the uncertainty about what constitutes incentive compensation and which employees are covered by the regulation.
Administrative Capability
The HEA directs ED to assess the administrative capability of each institution to participate in Title IV programs. The failure of an institution to satisfy any of the criteria may cause ED to determine that the institution lacks administrative capability and, therefore, subject the institution to additional scrutiny, provisional certification, or revocation of eligibility for Title IV programs. ED recently amended the administrative capability regulations and the changes took effect July 1, 2024. The changes include additional tests of administrative capability that Adtalem’s institutions must meet. Management does not expect that Adtalem’s institutions will fail to meet these requirements.
State Authorization
Institutions that participate in Title IV programs must be authorized to operate by the appropriate postsecondary regulatory authority in each state where the institution has a physical presence.
In the U.S., each Chamberlain location is approved to grant degrees by the respective state in which it is located. Chamberlain has obtained licensure in each state which requires such licensure and where students are enrolled. Chamberlain also meets state licensure requirements as a participant in the National Council for State Authorization Reciprocity Agreements (“NC-SARA”). Walden is registered in its home state of Minnesota with the Minnesota Office of Higher Education. Walden does not participate in NC-SARA but maintains licenses or exemptions in each state which requires such licensure and where students are enrolled. AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM clinical programs are accredited as part of their programs of education by their respective accrediting bodies, approved by the appropriate boards in those states that have a formal process to do so, and are reported to ED as required.
Many states require private-sector postsecondary education institutions to post surety bonds for licensure. In the U.S., Adtalem has posted $44.3 million of surety bonds as of June 30, 2024 with regulatory authorities on behalf of Chamberlain, Walden, AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM.
Certain states have standards of financial responsibility that differ from those prescribed by federal regulation. When an Adtalem institution is unable to meet those state’s requirements, it may be required to cease operations in that state.
Cohort Default Rate (“CDR”)
All institutions that participate in Title IV programs must meet a CDR test for former students who entered repayment on Title IV loans received while enrolled at the institution. The rate represents the percent of students defaulting on one or more Title IV loans within three years of entering repayment during a federal fiscal year. Institutions may lose Title IV eligibility if the most recent CDR exceeds 40% or if each of the three most recent CDRs exceed 30%.
The three-year CDRs for Adtalem’s institutions are shown below for the three most recent cohort years. According to ED, the default rate for all Title IV institutions nationally was 0.0% for the fiscal year 2020 cohort, 2.3% for the fiscal year 2019 cohort, and 7.3% for the fiscal year 2018 cohort. The default rate has been declining over the past few years due to COVID relief measures which included a freeze on loan payments and suspension of default statuses.
| | | Cohort Default Rate 2020 | 2019 | 2018 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain University | | 0.0% | 0.5% | 2.6% |
| Walden University | | 0.0% | 1.1% | 4.7% |
| American University of the Caribbean School of Medicine | | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.7% |
| Ross University School of Medicine | | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.9% |
| Ross University School of Veterinary Medicine | | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.4% |
Satisfactory Academic Progress
In addition to the requirements that educational institutions must meet, student recipients of financial aid must maintain satisfactory academic progress toward completion of their program of study and an appropriate grade point average.
Change of Ownership or Control
Any material change of ownership or change of control of Adtalem, depending on the type of change, may have significant regulatory consequences for each of our Title IV institutions. Such a change of ownership or control could require recertification by ED, the reevaluation of accreditation by each institution’s accreditors, reauthorization by each institution’s state licensing agencies, and/or providing financial protections. If Adtalem experiences a material change of ownership or change of control, then our Title IV institutions may cease to be eligible to participate in Title IV programs until recertified by ED. There is no assurance that such recertification would be obtained. After a material change in ownership or change of control, most institutions will participate in Title IV programs on a provisional basis for a period of one to three years.
In addition, each Title IV institution is required to report any material change in stock ownership to its principal institutional accrediting body and would generally be required to obtain approval prior to undergoing any transaction that affects, or may affect, its corporate control or governance. In the event of any such change, each of our institution’s accreditors may undertake an evaluation of the effect of the change on the continuing operations of our institution for purposes of determining if continued accreditation is appropriate, and that evaluation may include a comprehensive review.
In addition, some states in which our Title IV institutions are licensed require approval (in some cases, prior approval) of changes of ownership or control in order to remain authorized to operate in those states, and participation in grant programs in some states may be interrupted or otherwise affected by a change of ownership or control.
Refer to the risk factor titled “If regulators do not approve, or delay their approval, of transactions involving a material change of ownership or change of control of Adtalem, the eligibility of our institutions to participate in Title IV programs, our institutions’ accreditation and our institutions’ state licenses may be impaired in a manner that materially and adversely affects our business” under subsection “Risks Related to Adtalem’s Regulated Industry” in Item 1A. “Risk Factors.”
Seasonality
The seasonal pattern of Adtalem’s enrollments and its educational programs’ starting dates affect the timing of cash flows with higher cash inflows at the beginning of academic sessions.
Human Capital
As of June 30, 2024, Adtalem had the following number of employees:
| | | Full-Time Staff | | Part-Time Staff | | Temporary Staff | | Visiting Professors | | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chamberlain | | 1,426 | | 14 | | 163 | | 2,680 | | 4,283 |
| Walden | | 1,174 | | 14 | | 1 | | 2,269 | | 3,458 |
| Medical and Veterinary | | 747 | | 17 | | 58 | | 86 | | 908 |
| Home Office | | 1,277 | | 7 | | 5 | | — | | 1,289 |
| Total | | 4,624 | | 52 | | 227 | | 5,035 | | 9,938 |
Our management believes that Adtalem has good relations with its employees.
We continue to regularly gather feedback from our employees. During fiscal year 2024, we conducted an engagement survey to gain insight into how our employees perceive their work environment. The engagement survey includes 18 dimensions comprised of 55 questions. Two of the key dimensions are engagement and enablement. Engagement is the “want to” of work, or more specifically, whether employees are committed to the organization and if they are willing to put in extra effort for the good of the organization. Enablement is the “can do” of work, meaning employee skills and abilities are fully utilized in their roles and whether the organization environment supports them in getting their work done. Regarding key dimensions in the survey (engagement, enablement, collaboration, and diversity, equity, and inclusion) Adtalem consistently aligns with or outpaces similar organizations in ratings. We partner with Korn Ferry for high performing organization and global industry norm benchmark data. Selected results from our 2024 engagement survey as compared to global industry norm benchmark data were as follows:
| Topic | | Favorability (top 2 ratings) | | Global Industry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Engagement Fall 2023 engagement survey favorability in the dimension of engagement | | 66% | | 71% |
| Enablement Fall 2023 engagement survey favorability in the dimension of enablement | | 70% | | 72% |
| Collaboration Fall 2023 engagement survey favorability in the dimension of collaboration | | 73% | | 67% |
| Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Fall 2023 engagement survey favorability in the dimension of diversity, equity, and inclusion | | 82% | | 79% |
In January 2024, we moved to a new vendor for lifecycle surveys. This vendor is our current payroll and HRIS vendor UKG. UKG partners with Mercer for survey questions and benchmark data. The lifecycle survey gathers feedback at 30 days and at six months for regular new hires. We also send out an exit survey to regular colleagues that voluntarily resign. Mercer does not have specific exit benchmark data for comparison. The overall experience results of these surveys were as follows:
| Survey | | Fiscal Year 2024 Favorability (top 2 ratings) | | Mercer Benchmark (top 2 ratings) | | Fiscal Year 2023 Favorability (top 2 ratings) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 30-Day check-in | | 93% | | 73% | | 92% |
| 6-Month check-in | | 85% | | 75% | | 86% |
| Exit survey | | 68% | | n/a | | 56% |
Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (“DEI”) continue to be core tenets of our culture at Adtalem. We continuously measure representation amongst our employee population. As shown in the table below, our total female representation and people of color representation stayed relatively the same from the prior year.
As of June 30, 2024 and 2023, our employee diversity was as follows:
| Level | | Female June 30, 2024 | | June 30, 2023 | | People of Color (U.S. Only) June 30, 2024 | | June 30, 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Levels | | 72% | | 71% | | 37% | | 37% |
| Management | | 70% | | 70% | | 34% | | 34% |
| Director | | 66% | | 67% | | 23% | | 24% |
| Executive | | 50% | | 47% | | 21% | | 23% |
| Segment | | | | | | | | |
| Chamberlain | | 87% | | 80% | | 36% | | 38% |
| Walden | | 74% | | 72% | | 32% | | 34% |
| Medical and Veterinary | | 60% | | 60% | | 59% | | 57% |
| Home Office | | 60% | | 61% | | 40% | | 39% |
Adtalem offers a comprehensive benefits package including wellness programs for eligible employees. The wellness strategy entitled Live Well takes a holistic approach to wellbeing through four pillars: physical, social, financial, and emotional. Our health benefits remain competitive with generous paid time off, retirement plan, domestic partner benefits, adoption assistance, paid parent leave for both mothers and fathers, among others. We recently launched enhancements to our Employee Assistance Program and our mental health and well-being application, entitled Headspace Care. Employee participation for certain programs is listed below:
| Wellness Pillar | | Segment: U.S. Regular Employees | | Participation |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Financial | | Retirement planning (auto enrollment feature for new hires) | | 98% |
| Emotional* | | Mental health wellbeing - Headspace Care utilization | | 20% |
| Physical | | Employees completing annual physicals | | 84% |
*EAP standard utilization is 3-5%
Finally, Adtalem provides additional opportunities for employees to pursue their educational goals through our Education Assistance program. This program offers both tuition discounts and tuition reimbursement at multiple nationally and regionally accredited higher education institutions. We will continue to offer resources to maintain an engaged, healthy, and motivated workforce focused on meeting business goals.
Intellectual Property
Adtalem owns and uses numerous trademarks and service marks, such as “Adtalem,” “American University of the Caribbean,” “Chamberlain College of Nursing,” “Ross University,” “Walden University” and others. All trademarks, service marks, certification marks, patents, and copyrights associated with its businesses are owned in the name of Adtalem Global Education Inc. or a subsidiary of Adtalem Global Education Inc. Adtalem vigorously defends against infringements of its trademarks, service marks, certification marks, patents, and copyrights.
Available Information
We use our website (www.adtalem.com (http://www.adtalem.com)) as a routine channel of distribution of company information, including press releases, presentations, and supplemental information, as one means of disclosing material non-public information and for complying with our disclosure obligations under Regulation FD. Accordingly, investors should monitor our website in addition to following press releases, SEC filings, and public conference calls, and webcasts. Investors and others can receive notifications of new information posted on our investor relations website in real time by signing up for email alerts. You may also access our annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, as well as other reports relating to us that are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), free of charge in the investor relations section of our website as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with or furnished to the SEC. The SEC also maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements, and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at www.sec.gov (http://www.sec.gov). The content of the websites mentioned above is not incorporated into and should not be considered a part of this report.
Risk factors
As filed, 67,971 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Adtalem’s business operations are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are not entirely within our control. Investors should carefully consider the risk factors described below and all other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K before making an investment decision with respect to Adtalem’s common stock. If any of the following risks are realized, Adtalem’s business, results of operations, financial condition, and cash flows could be materially and adversely affected, and as a result, the price of Adtalem’s common stock could be materially and adversely affected. Management cannot predict all the possible risks and uncertainties that may arise. Risks and uncertainties that may affect Adtalem’s business include the following:
Risks Related to Adtalem’s Regulated Industry
We are subject to regulatory audits, investigations, lawsuits, or other proceedings relating to compliance by the institutions in the Adtalem portfolio with numerous laws and regulations in the U.S. and foreign jurisdictions applicable to the postsecondary education industry.
Due to the regulated nature of proprietary postsecondary institutions, we are subject to audits, compliance reviews, inquiries, complaints, investigations, claims of non-compliance, and lawsuits by federal and state governmental agencies, regulatory agencies, accrediting agencies, present and former students and employees, shareholders, and other third parties, any of whom may allege violations of any of the legal and regulatory requirements applicable to us. If the results of any such claims or actions are unfavorable to us or one or more of our institutions, we may be required to pay monetary judgments, fines, or penalties, be required to repay funds received under Title IV programs or state financial aid programs, have restrictions placed on or terminate our schools’ or programs’ eligibility to participate in Title IV programs or state financial aid programs, have limitations placed on or terminate our schools’ operations or ability to grant degrees and certificates, have our schools’ accreditations restricted or revoked, or be subject to civil or criminal penalties. ED regulations regarding financial responsibility provide that, if any one of our Title IV institutions is unable to pay its obligations under its Program Participation Agreement (“PPA”) as a result of operational issues and/or an enforcement action, our other Title IV institutions, regardless of their compliance with applicable laws and regulations, would not be able to maintain their Title IV eligibility without assisting in the repayment of the non-compliant institution’s Title IV obligations. As a result, even though Adtalem’s Title IV institutions are operated through independent entities, an enforcement action against one of our institutions could also have a material adverse effect on the businesses, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of Adtalem’s other Title IV institutions.
The ongoing regulatory effort aimed at proprietary postsecondary institutions of higher education could be a catalyst for additional legislative or regulatory restrictions, investigations, enforcement actions, and claims.
The proprietary postsecondary education sector has at times experienced scrutiny from federal legislators, agencies, and state legislators and attorneys general. An adverse disposition of these existing inquiries, administrative actions, or claims, or the initiation of other inquiries, administrative actions, or claims, could, directly or indirectly, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, result of operations, and cash flows and result in significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
Adverse publicity arising from investigations, claims, or actions brought against us or other proprietary higher education institutions may negatively affect our reputation, business, or stock price, or attract additional investigations, lawsuits, or regulatory action.
Adverse publicity regarding any past, pending, or future investigations, claims, settlements, and/or actions against us or other proprietary postsecondary education institutions could negatively affect our reputation, student enrollment levels, revenue, profit, and/or the market price of our common stock. Unresolved investigations, claims, and actions, or adverse resolutions or settlements thereof, could also result in additional inquiries, administrative actions or lawsuits, increased scrutiny, the withholding of authorizations, and/or the imposition of other sanctions by state education and professional licensing authorities, taxing authorities, our accreditors and other regulatory agencies governing us, which, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
Government and regulatory agencies and third parties have initiated, and could initiate additional investigations, claims, or actions against us, which could require us to pay monetary damages, halt certain business practices, or receive other sanctions. The defense and resolution of these matters could require us to expend significant resources.
Due to the regulatory and enforcement efforts at times directed at proprietary postsecondary higher education institutions and adverse publicity arising from such efforts, we may face additional government and regulatory investigations and actions, lawsuits from private plaintiffs, and shareholder class actions and derivative claims. We may incur significant costs and other expenses in connection with our response to, and defense, resolution, or settlement of, investigations, claims, or actions, or group of related investigations, claims, or actions, which, individually or in the aggregate, could be outside the scope of, or in excess of, our existing insurance coverage and could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. As part of our resolution of any such matter, or group of related matters, we may be required to comply with certain forms of injunctive relief, including altering certain business practices, or pay substantial damages, settlement costs, fines, and/or penalties. In addition, findings or claims or settlements thereof could serve as a basis for additional lawsuits or governmental inquiries or enforcement actions, including actions under ED’s Defense to Repayment regulations. Such actions, individually or combined with other proceedings, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. Additionally, an adverse allegation, finding or outcome in any of these matters could also materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain, obtain, or renew licenses, approvals, or accreditation, and maintain eligibility to participate in Title IV, Department of Defense and Veterans Affairs programs or serve as a basis for ED to discharge certain Title IV student loans and seek recovery for some or all of its resulting losses from us under Defense to Repayment regulations, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
ED has issued regulations setting forth new standards and procedures related to borrower defenses to repayment of Title IV loan obligations, and ED’s right of recoveries against institutions following a successful borrower defense and institutional financial responsibility. It is possible that a finding or allegation arising from current or future legal proceedings or governmental administrative actions may create significant liability under the proposed regulations.
Under the Higher Education Act (“HEA”), ED is authorized to specify in regulations which acts or omissions of an institution of higher education a borrower may assert as a Defense to Repayment of a Direct Loan made under the Federal Direct Loan Program. See “Borrower Defense to Repayment” in Item 1. “Business” for additional information.
Although legal action has for the time being blocked implementation of new Defense to Repayment regulations, the outcome of any legal proceeding instituted by a private party or governmental authority, facts asserted in pending or future lawsuits, and/or the outcome of any future governmental inquiry, lawsuit, or enforcement action (including matters described in Note 21 “Commitments and Contingencies” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”) could serve as the basis for claims by students or ED under the Defense to Repayment regulations, the posting of substantial letters of credit, or the termination of eligibility of our institutions to participate in the Title IV program based on ED’s institutional capability assessment, any of which could, individually or in the aggregate, have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
While we intend to defend ourselves vigorously in all pending and future legal proceedings, we may settle certain matters. Moreover, regardless of the merits of our actions and defenses, if we are unable to resolve certain legal proceedings or regulatory actions, indirect consequences arising from unproven allegations or appealable regulatory findings may have adverse consequences to us.
We may settle certain matters due to uncertainty in potential outcome, for strategic reasons, as a part of a resolution of other matters, or in order to avoid potentially worse consequences in inherently uncertain judicial or administrative processes. The terms of any such settlement could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, operations, and cash flows, and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. Additionally, although inconsistent with its usual practices, ED has broad discretion to impose significant limitations on us and our business operations arising from acts it determines are in violation of their regulations. As a result, foreseeable and unforeseeable consequences of prior and prospective adjudicated or settled legal proceedings and regulatory matters could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
Within Title IV regulations, pending or future lawsuits, investigations, program reviews, and other events could each trigger, automatically or in some cases at ED’s discretion, the posting of letters of credit or other securities.
ED has recently allowed Adtalem to reduce its outstanding letters of credit by $90.8 million. Nevertheless, ED regulations could require Adtalem to post multiple and substantial letters of credit or other securities in connection with, among other things, certain pending and future claims, investigations, and program reviews, regardless of the merits of our actions or available defenses, or, potentially, the severity of any findings or facts stipulated. The aggregate amount of these letters of credit or other required security could materially and adversely limit our borrowing capacity under our credit agreement and our ability to make capital expenditures and other investments aimed at growing and diversifying our operations, sustain and fund our operations, and make dividend payments to shareholders. Adtalem’s credit agreement allows Adtalem to post up to $400.0 million in letters of credit. In the event Adtalem is required to post letters of credit in excess of the $400.0 million limit, Adtalem would be required to seek an amendment to its credit agreement or seek an alternative means of providing security required by ED. Adtalem may not be able to obtain the excess letters of credit or security or may only be able to obtain such excess letters of credit or security at significant cost.
We are subject to risks relating to regulatory matters. If we fail to comply with the extensive regulatory requirements for our operations, we could face fines and penalties, including loss of access to federal and state student financial aid for our students, loss of ability to enroll students in a state, and significant civil liability.
As a provider of higher education, we are subject to extensive regulation. These regulatory requirements cover virtually all phases and aspects of our U.S. postsecondary operations, including educational program offerings, facilities, civil rights, safety, public health, privacy, instructional and administrative staff, administrative procedures, marketing and recruiting, financial operations, payment of refunds to students who withdraw, acquisitions or openings of new schools or programs, addition of new educational programs, and changes in our corporate structure and ownership.
In particular, the HEA subjects schools that participate in the various federal student financial aid programs under Title IV, which includes all Adtalem Title IV institutions, to significant regulatory scrutiny. Adtalem’s Title IV institutions collectively receive 75% of their revenue from Title IV programs. As a result, the suspension, limitation, or termination of the eligibility of any of our institutions to participate in Title IV programs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
To participate in Title IV programs, an institution must receive and maintain authorization by the appropriate state education agencies, be accredited by an accrediting agency recognized by ED, and be certified by ED as an eligible institution, which ultimately is accomplished through the execution of a PPA.
Our institutions that participate in Title IV programs each do so pursuant to a PPA that, among other things, includes commitments to abide by all applicable laws and regulations, such as Incentive Compensation and Substantial Misrepresentation. Alleged violations of such laws or regulations may form the basis of civil actions for violation of state and/or federal false claims statutes predicated on violations of a PPA, including pursuant to lawsuits brought by private plaintiffs on behalf of governments (qui tam actions), that have the potential to generate very significant damages linked to our receipt of Title IV funding from the government over a period of several years.
Government budgetary pressures and changes to laws governing financial aid programs could reduce our student enrollment or delay our receipt of tuition payments.
Our Title IV institutions collectively receive 75% of their revenue from Title IV programs. As a result, any reductions in funds available to our students or any delays in payments to us under Title IV programs could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
Action by the U.S. Congress to revise the laws governing the federal student financial aid programs or reduce funding for those programs could reduce Adtalem’s student enrollment and/or increase its costs of operation. Political and budgetary concerns significantly affect Title IV programs. The U.S. Congress enacted the HEA to be reauthorized on a periodic basis, which most recently occurred in August 2008.
A comprehensive HEA reauthorization bill has not yet been introduced. However, standalone bills impacting Title IV federal financial aid programs have been introduced in both chambers of Congress. Some of these bills could be included in a larger legislative package, which could include the HEA. When the HEA is reauthorized, existing programs and participation requirements are subject to change. Additionally, funding for student financial assistance programs may be impacted during appropriations and budget actions.
The U.S. Congress can change the laws affecting Title IV programs in annual federal appropriations bills and other laws it enacts between the HEA reauthorizations. At this time, Adtalem cannot predict any or all of the changes that the U.S. Congress may ultimately make. Since a significant percentage of Adtalem’s revenue is tied to Title IV programs, any action by the U.S. Congress that significantly reduces Title IV program funding or the ability of Adtalem’s degree-granting institutions or students to participate in Title IV programs could have a material adverse effect on Adtalem’s business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. Certain provisions in proposed legislation, if enacted, or implementation of existing or future law by a current or future administration, could have a material adverse effect on our business, including but not limited to legislation that limits the enrollment of U.S. citizens in foreign medical schools and legislation that could require institutions to share in the risk of defaulted federal student loans.
Additionally, a shutdown of government agencies, such as ED, responsible for administering student financial aid programs under Title IV could lead to delays in student eligibility determinations and delays in origination and disbursement of government-funded student loans to our students.
Our ability to comply with some ED regulations is affected by economic forces affecting our students and graduates that are not entirely within our control.
Our ability to comply with several ED regulations is not entirely within our control. In particular, our ability to participate in federal Title IV programs is dependent on the ability of our past students to avoid default on student loans, obtain employment, and pay for a portion of their education with private funds. These factors are influenced by broader economic drivers, including the personal or family wealth of our students, the overall employment outlook for their area of study, and the availability of private financing sources. An economic downturn could impact these factors, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operation, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. Institutions may lose Title IV eligibility if the most recent cohort default rate on student loans exceeds 40% or if each of the three most recent cohort default rates exceed 30%. According to ED, the default rate for all Title IV institutions nationally was 0.0% for the fiscal year 2020 cohort and 2.3% for the fiscal year 2019 cohort. The cohort default rates for Adtalem’s institutions were 0.0% for 2020 and none were greater than 1.1% for the fiscal year 2019 cohort.
ED rules prohibiting “substantial misrepresentation” create exposure to litigation arising from student and prospective student complaints and enforcement actions by ED that could restrict or eliminate our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
ED regulations in effect for federal Stafford loans prohibit any “substantial misrepresentation” by our Title IV institutions, employees, and agents regarding the nature of the institution’s educational programs, its financial charges, or the employability of its graduates. These regulations may, among other things, subject us to claims of sanctions for statements containing errors made to non-students, including any member of the public, impose liability on us for the conduct of others and expose us to liability even when no actual harm occurs. A “substantial misrepresentation” is any misrepresentation on which the person to whom it was made could reasonably be expected to rely, or has reasonably relied, to that person’s detriment. It is possible that despite our efforts to prevent misrepresentations, our employees or service providers may make statements that could be construed as substantial misrepresentations. As a result, we may face complaints from students and prospective students over statements made by us and our agents in advertising and marketing, during the enrollment, admissions and financial aid process, and throughout attendance at any of our Title IV institutions, which would expose us to increased risk of enforcement action and applicable sanctions or other penalties, including potential Defense to Repayment liabilities, and increased risk of private qui tam actions under the Federal False Claims
Act. If ED determines that an institution has engaged in substantial misrepresentation, ED may (1) fine the institution; (2) discharge students’ debt and hold the institution liable for the discharged debt under the HEA and the Defense to Repayment regulations; and/or (3) suspend or terminate an institution’s participation in Title IV programs. Alternatively, ED may impose certain other limitations on the institution’s participation in Title IV programs, which could include the denial of applications for approval of new programs or locations, a requirement to post a substantial letter of credit, or the imposition of one of ED’s heightened cash monitoring processes. Any of the foregoing actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
A failure to demonstrate financial responsibility or administrative capability may result in the loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
All of our Title IV institutions are subject to meeting financial and administrative standards. These standards are assessed through annual compliance audits, periodic renewal of institutional PPAs, periodic program reviews, and ad hoc events which may lead ED to evaluate an institution’s financial responsibility or administrative capability. See “Financial Responsibility” and “Administrative Capability” in Item 1. “Business” for additional information.
If ED does not recertify any one of our institutions to continue participating in Title IV programs, students at that institution would lose their access to Title IV program funds. Alternatively, ED could recertify our institutions but require our institutions to accept significant limitations as a condition of their continued participation in Title IV programs.
ED certification to participate in Title IV programs lasts a maximum of six years, and institutions are thus required to seek recertification from ED on a regular basis in order to continue their participation in Title IV programs. An institution must also apply for recertification by ED if it undergoes a change in control, as defined by ED regulations.
Each of our Title IV institutions operates under a PPA. There can be no assurance that ED will recertify an institution after its PPA expires or that ED will not limit the period of recertification to participate in Title IV programs to less than six years, place the institution on provisional certification, or impose conditions or other restrictions on the institution as a condition of granting our application for recertification. If ED does not renew or withdraws the certification to participate in Title IV programs for one or more of our institutions at any time, students at such institution would no longer be able to receive Title IV program funds. Alternatively, ED could (1) renew the certifications for an institution, but restrict or delay receipt of Title IV funds, limit the number of students to whom an institution could disburse such funds, or place other restrictions on that institution, or (2) delay recertification after an institution’s PPA expires, in which case the institution’s certification would continue on a month-to-month basis, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the businesses, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of the institution or Adtalem as a whole and could result in the imposition of significant restrictions on the ability of the institution or Adtalem as a whole to operate. See “Program Participation Agreement” in Item 1. “Business” for additional information.
If we fail to maintain our institutional accreditation or if our institutional accrediting body loses recognition by ED, we would lose our ability to participate in Title IV programs.
The loss of institutional accreditation by any of our Title IV institutions would leave the affected institution ineligible to participate in Title IV programs and would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. In addition, an adverse action by any of our institutional accreditors other than loss of accreditation, such as issuance of a warning, could have a material adverse effect on our business. Increased scrutiny of accreditors by ED in connection with ED’s recognition process may result in increased scrutiny of institutions by accreditors or have other consequences.
If regulators do not approve, or delay their approval, of transactions involving a material change of ownership or change of control of Adtalem, the eligibility of our institutions to participate in Title IV programs, our institutions’ accreditations and our institutions’ state licenses may be impaired in a manner that materially and adversely affects our business.
Any material change of ownership or change of control of Adtalem, depending on the type of change, may have significant regulatory consequences for each of our Title IV institutions. Such a change of ownership or control could require recertification by ED, the reevaluation of accreditation by each institution’s accreditors, reauthorization by each institutions’ state licensing agencies, and/or providing financial protections. If Adtalem experiences a material change of ownership or change of control, then our Title IV institutions may cease to be eligible to participate in Title IV programs until recertified by ED. The continuing participation of each of our Title IV institutions in Title IV programs is critical to our business. Any disruption in an institution’s eligibility to participate in Title IV programs would materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow.
In addition, each Title IV institution is required to report any material change in stock ownership to its principal institutional accrediting body and would generally be required to obtain approval prior to undergoing any transaction that affects, or may affect, its corporate control or governance. In the event of any such change, each of our institution’s accreditors may undertake an evaluation of the effect of the change on the continuing operations of our institution for purposes of determining if continued accreditation is appropriate, which evaluation may include a comprehensive review. If our accreditors determine that the change is such that prior approval was required, but was not obtained, many of our accreditors’ policies require the accreditor to consider withdrawal of accreditation. If certain accreditation is suspended or withdrawn with respect to any of our Title IV institutions, they would not be eligible to participate in Title IV programs until the accreditation is reinstated or is obtained from another appropriate accrediting body. There is no assurance that reinstatement of accreditation could be obtained on a timely basis, if at all, and accreditation from a different qualified accrediting authority, if available, would require a significant amount of time. Any material disruption in accreditation would materially and adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flow.
In addition, some states in which our Title IV institutions are licensed require approval (in some cases, advance approval) of changes in ownership or control in order to remain authorized to operate in those states, and participation in grant programs in some states may be interrupted or otherwise affected by a change in ownership or control.
A bankruptcy filing by us or by any of our Title IV institutions, or a closure of one of our Title IV institutions, would lead to an immediate loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
In the event of a bankruptcy filing by Adtalem, all of our Title IV institutions would lose their eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, pursuant to statutory provisions of the HEA, notwithstanding the automatic stay provisions of federal bankruptcy law, which would make any reorganization difficult to implement. Similarly, in the event of a bankruptcy filing by any of Adtalem’s subsidiaries that own a Title IV institution, such institution would lose its eligibility to participate in Title IV programs. In the event of any bankruptcy affecting one or more of our Title IV institutions, ED could hold our other Title IV institutions jointly liable for any Title IV program liabilities, whether asserted or unasserted at the time of such bankruptcy, of the institution whose Title IV program eligibility was terminated.
Further, in the event that an institution closes and fails to pay liabilities or other amounts owed to ED, ED can attribute the liabilities of that institution to other institutions under common ownership. If any one of our Title IV institutions were to close or have unpaid ED liabilities, ED could seek to have those liabilities repaid by one of our other Title IV institutions.
Excessive student loan defaults could result in the loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
Our Title IV institutions may lose their eligibility to participate in Title IV programs if their student loan default rates are greater than standards set by ED. An educational institution may lose its eligibility to participate in some or all Title IV programs, if, for three consecutive federal fiscal years, 30% or more of its students who were required to begin repaying their student loans in the relevant federal fiscal year default on their payment by the end of the next two federal fiscal years. In addition, an institution may lose its eligibility to participate in some or all Title IV programs if its default rate for a federal fiscal year was greater than 40%. If any of our Title IV institutions lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs because of high student loan default rates, it would have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. See “Cohort Default Rate” in Item 1. “Business” for additional information. Nevertheless, Adtalem’s cohort default rates are far below such thresholds as discussed in “Cohort Default Rate” in Item 1. “Business.”
Our Title IV institutions could lose their eligibility to participate in federal student financial aid programs if the percentage of their revenue derived from those programs were too high.
Our Title IV institutions may lose eligibility to participate in Title IV programs if, on a cash basis, the percentage of the institution’s revenue derived from Title IV programs for two consecutive fiscal years is greater than 90% (the “90/10 Rule”). Further, if an institution exceeds the 90% threshold for any single fiscal year, ED could place that institution on provisional certification status for the institution’s following two fiscal years. See “The 90/10 Rule” in Item 1. “Business” for additional information.
If we fail to maintain any of our state authorizations, we would lose our ability to operate in that state and to participate in Title IV programs in that state.
Our Title IV institutions must be authorized to operate by the appropriate postsecondary regulatory authority in each state in which the institution is located. See “State Authorization” in Item 1. “Business” for a description of Adtalem’s current U.S. approvals.
The loss of state authorization would, among other things, render the affected institution ineligible to participate in Title IV programs, at least at those state campus locations, and otherwise limit that school’s ability to operate in that state. If these pressures and uncertainty continue in the future, or if one or more of our institutions are unable to offer programs in one or more states, it could have a material adverse impact on our enrollment, revenue, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
Our ability to place our medical schools’ students in hospitals in the U.S. may be limited by efforts of certain state government regulatory bodies, which may limit the growth potential of our medical schools, put our medical schools at a competitive disadvantage to other medical schools, or force our medical schools to substantially reduce their class sizes.
AUC and RUSM enter into affiliation agreements with hospitals across the U.S. to place their third and fourth year students in clinical programs at such hospitals. Certain states with regulatory programs that require state approval of clinical education programs may preclude, limit, or impose onerous requirements on Adtalem’s entry into affiliation agreements with hospitals in their states. If states limit access to affiliation arrangements, our medical schools may be at a competitive disadvantage to other medical schools, and our medical schools may be required to substantially restrict their enrollment due to limited clinical opportunities for enrolled students. The impact on enrollment, and the potential for enrollment growth, of such restrictions on our medical schools’ clinical placements could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
Budget constraints in states that provide state financial aid to our students could reduce the amount of such financial aid that is available to our students, which could reduce our enrollment and adversely affect our 90/10 Rule percentage.
Some states may reduce or eliminate various student financial assistance programs or establish minimum performance measures as a condition of participation. If our students who receive this type of assistance cannot secure alternate sources of funding, they may be forced to withdraw, reduce the rate at which they seek to complete their education, or replace the source with more expensive forms of funding, such as private loans. Other students who would otherwise have been eligible for state financial assistance may not be able to enroll without such aid. This reduced funding could decrease our enrollment and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
In addition, the reduction or elimination of these non-Title IV sources of student funding may adversely affect our 90/10 rate.
We could be subject to sanctions if we fail to calculate accurately and make timely payment of refunds of Title IV program funds for students who withdraw before completing their educational program.
The HEA and ED regulations require us to calculate refunds of unearned Title IV program funds disbursed to students who withdraw from their educational program. If refunds are not properly calculated or timely paid, we may be required to post a letter of credit with ED or be subject to sanctions or other adverse actions by ED, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
A failure of our vendors to comply with applicable regulations in the servicing of our students and institutions could subject us to fines or restrictions on or loss of our ability to participate in Title IV programs.
We contract with unaffiliated entities for student software systems and services related to the administration of portions of our Title IV and financing programs. Because each of our institutions may be jointly and severally liable for the actions of third-party servicers and vendors, failure of such servicers to comply with applicable regulations could have a material adverse effect on our institutions, including fines and the loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, which could have a material adverse effect on our enrollment, revenue, and results of operations and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. If any of our third-party servicers discontinues providing such services to us, we may not be able to replace such third-party servicer in a timely, cost-efficient, or effective manner, or at all, and we could lose our ability to comply with collection, lending, and Title IV requirements, which could have a material adverse effect on our enrollment, revenue, and results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
We provide financing programs to assist some of our students in affording our educational offerings. These programs are subject to various federal and state rules and regulations. Failure to comply with these regulations could subject us to fines, penalties, obligations to discharge loans, and other injunctive requirements.
If we, or one of the companies that service our credit programs, do not comply with laws applicable to the financing programs that assist our students in affording our educational offerings, including Truth in Lending and Fair Debt Collections Practices laws and the Unfair, Deceptive or Abusive Acts or Practices provisions of Title X of the Dodd-Frank Act, we could be subject to fines, penalties, obligations to discharge the debts, and other injunctive requirements, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate. Additionally, an adverse allegation, finding or outcome in any of these matters could also materially and adversely affect our ability to maintain, obtain or renew licenses, approvals or accreditation and maintain eligibility to participate in Title IV programs or serve as a basis for ED to discharge certain Title IV student loans and seek recovery for some or all of its resulting losses from us, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
Release of confidential information could subject us to civil penalties or cause us to lose our eligibility to participate in Title IV programs.
As an educational institution participating in federal and state student assistance programs and collecting financial receipts from enrollees or their sponsors, we collect and retain certain confidential information. Such information is subject to federal and state privacy and security rules, including the Family Education Right to Privacy Act, the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act, and the Fair and Accurate Credit Transactions Act. Release or failure to secure confidential information or other noncompliance with these rules could subject us to fines, loss of our capacity to conduct electronic commerce, and loss of eligibility to participate in Title IV programs, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
We could be subject to sanctions if we fail to accurately and timely report sponsored students’ tuition, fees, and enrollment to the sponsoring agency.
A significant portion of our enrollment is sponsored through various federal and state supported agencies and programs, including the U.S. Department of Defense, the U.S. Department of Labor, and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. As a recipient of funds, we are subject to periodic reviews and audits. Inaccurate or untimely reporting or administration of funds to students could result in suspension or termination of our eligibility to participate in these federal and state programs and have a material adverse impact on enrollment and revenue, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Our enrollment may be adversely affected by presentations of data that are not representative of actual educational costs for our prospective students.
ED and other public policy organizations are concerned with the affordability of higher education and have developed various tools and resources to help students find low-cost educational alternatives. These resources primarily rely on and present data for first-time, full-time residential students, which is not representative of most of our prospective students. These presentations may influence some prospective students to exclude our institutions from their consideration, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Risks Related to Adtalem’s Business
Student enrollment at our schools is affected by legislative, regulatory, and economic factors that may change in ways we cannot predict. These factors outside our control limit our ability to assess our future enrollment effectively.
Our future revenue and growth depend on a number of factors, including many of the regulatory risks discussed above and business risks discussed below. Despite ongoing efforts to provide more scholarships to prospective students, and to increase quality and build our reputation, negative perceptions of the value of a college degree, increased reluctance to take on debt, and the resulting lower student consumer confidence may continue to impact enrollment in the future. In addition, technological innovations in the delivery of low-cost education alternatives and increased competition could negatively affect enrollment.
We are subject to risks relating to enrollment of students. If we are not able to continue to successfully recruit and retain our students, our revenue may decline.
Our undergraduate and graduate educational programs are concentrated in selected areas of medical and healthcare. If applicant career interests or employer needs shift away from these fields, and we do not anticipate or adequately respond to that trend, future enrollment and revenue may decline and the rates at which our graduates obtain jobs involving their fields of study could decline.
If our graduates are unable to find appropriate employment opportunities or obtain professional licensure or certification, we may not be able to recruit new students.
If employment opportunities for our graduates in fields related to their educational programs decline or they are unable to obtain professional licenses or certifications in their chosen fields, future enrollment and revenue may decline as potential applicants choose to enroll at other educational institutions or providers.
We face heightened competition in the postsecondary education market from both public and private educational institutions.
Postsecondary education in our existing and new market areas is competitive. We compete with traditional public and private two-year and four-year colleges, other proprietary schools, and alternatives to higher education. Some of our competitors, both public and private, have greater financial and nonfinancial resources than us. Some of our competitors, both public and private, are able to offer programs similar to ours at a lower tuition level for a variety of reasons, including the availability of direct and indirect government subsidies, government and foundation grants, large endowments, tax-deductible contributions, and other financial resources not available to proprietary institutions, or by providing fewer student services or larger class sizes. An increasing number of traditional colleges and community colleges are offering distance learning and other online education programs, including programs that are geared towards the needs of working adults. This trend has been accelerated by private companies that provide and/or manage online learning platforms for traditional colleges and community colleges. As the proportion of traditional colleges providing alternative learning modalities increases, we will face increasing competition for students from traditional colleges, including colleges with well-established reputations for excellence. As the online and distance learning segment of the postsecondary education market matures, we believe that the intensity of the competition we face will continue to increase. This intense competition could make it more challenging for us to enroll students who are likely to succeed in our educational programs, which could adversely affect our new student enrollment levels and student persistence and put downward pressure on our tuition rates, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Outbreaks of communicable infections or diseases, or other public health pandemics in the locations in which we, our students, faculty, and employees live, work, and attend classes, could substantially harm our business.
Disease outbreaks and other public health conditions in the locations in which we, our students, faculty, and employees live, work, and attend classes could have a significant negative impact on our revenue, profitability, and business. We will continue to evaluate, and if appropriate, adopt other measures in the future required for the ongoing safety of our students and employees. If our business experiences prolonged occurrences of adverse public health conditions and the reinstatement of stay-at-home orders, we believe it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Natural disasters or other extraordinary events or political disruptions may cause us to close some of our schools or suffer casualty losses.
We may experience business interruptions or casualty losses resulting from natural disasters, inclement weather, transit disruptions, political disruptions, or other events in one or more of the geographic areas in which we operate, particularly in the West Coast and Gulf States of the U.S., and the Caribbean. These events could impair the value of our assets and/or cause us to close schools, temporarily or permanently, and could affect student recruiting opportunities in those locations, causing enrollment and revenue to decline, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
The personal information that we collect may be vulnerable to breach, theft, or loss that could 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. 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 and contractors in the ordinary course of our business. Some of this personal information is held and managed by certain of our vendors. Confidential information also may become available to third parties inadvertently when we integrate or convert computer networks into our network following an acquisition or in connection with system upgrades from time to time.
Due to the sensitive nature of the information contained on our networks, such as students’ financial information and grades, our networks may be targeted by hackers. Attacks could have a significant negative impact on our systems and operations. Anyone who circumvents security measures could misappropriate proprietary or confidential information or cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations. Although we use security and business controls to limit access and use of personal information, a third-party may be able to circumvent those security and business controls, which could result in a breach of privacy. In addition, errors in the storage, use, or transmission of personal information could result in a breach of privacy. Possession and use of personal information in our operations also subjects us to legislative and regulatory burdens that could require notification of data breaches and restrict our use of personal information. We cannot assure that a breach, loss, or theft of personal information will not occur. A breach, theft, or loss of personal information regarding our students and their families, employees, or contractors that is held by us or our vendors could have a material adverse effect on our reputation and results of operations and result in liability under state and federal privacy statutes and legal actions by federal or state authorities and private litigants, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business and result in the imposition of significant restrictions on us and our ability to operate.
System disruptions and vulnerability from security risks to our computer network or information systems could severely impact our ability to serve our existing students and attract new students.
The performance and reliability of our computer networks and system applications, especially online educational platforms and student operational and financial aid packaging applications, are critical to our reputation and ability to attract and retain students. System errors, disruptions or failures, including those arising from unauthorized access, computer hackers, computer viruses, denial of service attacks, and other security threats, could adversely impact our delivery of educational content to our students or result in delays and/or errors in processing student financial aid and related disbursements. Such events could have a material adverse effect on the reputation of our institutions, our financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows. We may be required to expend significant resources to protect against system errors, failures or disruptions, or the threat of security breaches, or to repair or otherwise mitigate problems caused by any actual errors, disruptions, failures, or breaches. We cannot ensure that these efforts will protect our computer networks, or fully mitigate the resulting impact of interruptions or malfunctions in our operations, despite our regular monitoring of our technology infrastructure security and business continuity plans.
A breach of our information technology systems could subject us to liability, reputational damage or interrupt the operation of our business.
We rely upon our information technology systems and infrastructure for operating our business. We could experience theft of sensitive data or confidential information or reputational damage from malware or other cyber-attacks, which may compromise our system infrastructure or lead to data leakage, either internally or at our third-party providers. Similarly, data privacy breaches by those who access our systems may pose a risk that sensitive data, including intellectual property, trade secrets or personal information belonging to us, our employees, students, or business partners, may be exposed to unauthorized persons or to the public. Cyber-attacks are increasing in their frequency, sophistication and intensity, and have become increasingly difficult to detect and respond to. There can be no assurance that our mitigation efforts to protect our data and information technology systems will prevent breaches in our systems (or that of our third-party providers) that could adversely affect our operations and business and result in financial and reputational harm to us, theft of trade secrets and other proprietary information, legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and regulatory penalties.
Government regulations relating to the internet could increase our cost of doing business and affect our ability to grow.
The use of the internet and other online services has led to and may lead to the adoption of laws and regulations in the U.S. or foreign countries and to changing interpretations of existing laws and regulations. These laws, regulations, and interpretations may relate to issues such as online privacy, copyrights, trademarks and service marks, sales taxes, value-added taxes, withholding taxes, cost of internet access, and services, allocation, and apportionment of income amongst various state, local, and foreign jurisdictions, 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 or other presence. New laws, regulations, or interpretations related to doing business over the internet could increase our costs and materially and adversely affect our enrollment, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Our ability to open new campuses, offer new programs, and add capacity is dependent on regulatory approvals and requires financial and human resources.
As part of our strategy, we intend to open new campuses, offer new educational programs, and add capacity to certain existing locations. Such actions require us to obtain appropriate federal, state, and accrediting agency approvals. In addition, adding new locations, programs, and capacity may require significant financial investments and human resource capabilities. The failure to obtain appropriate approvals or to properly allocate financial and human resources could adversely impact our future growth.
We may not be able to attract, retain, and develop key employees necessary for our operations and the successful execution of our strategic plans.
We may be unable to attract, retain, and develop key employees with appropriate educational qualifications and experience. In addition, we may be unable to effectively plan and prepare for changes in key employees. Such matters may cause us to incur higher wage expense and/or provide less student support and customer service, which could adversely affect enrollment, revenue, and expense. A significant amount of our compensation for key employees is tied to our financial performance. We may require new employees in order to execute some of our strategic plans. Uncertainty regarding our future financial performance may limit our ability to attract new employees with competitive compensation or increase our cost of recruiting and retaining such new employees.
We may not be able to successfully integrate acquisitions.
As part of our strategy, we are actively exploring acquisition opportunities primarily in the U.S. We have acquired and may in the future acquire additional education institutions or education related businesses aligned to our strategy. Any acquisition involves significant risks and uncertainties, including, but not limited to:
- Inability to successfully integrate the acquired operations and personnel into our business and maintain uniform standards, controls, policies, and procedures;
- Failure to secure applicable regulatory approvals;
- Assumption of known and unknown liabilities;
- Diversion of significant attention of our senior management from day-to-day operations;
- Issues not discovered in our due diligence process, including compliance issues, commitments, and/or contingencies; and
- Financial commitments, investments in foreign countries, and compliance with debt covenants and ED financial responsibility scores.
Expansion into new international markets will subject us to risks inherent in international operations.
To the extent that we expand internationally, we will face risks that are inherent in international operations including, but not limited to:
- Compliance with foreign laws and regulations;
- Management of internal operations;
- Foreign currency exchange rate fluctuations;
- Ability to protect intellectual property;
- Monetary policy risks, such as inflation, hyperinflation, and deflation;
- Price controls or restrictions on exchange of foreign currencies;
- Political and economic instability in the countries in which we operate;
- Potential unionization of employees under local labor laws;
- Multiple and possibly overlapping and conflicting tax laws;
- Inability to cost effectively repatriate cash balances; and
- Compliance with U.S. laws and regulations such as the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act.
Proposed changes in, or lapses of, U.S. tax laws regarding earnings from international operations could adversely affect our financial results.
Our effective tax rate could be subject to volatility or be adversely impacted by changes to federal tax laws governing the taxation of foreign earnings of U.S. based companies. For example, recent changes to U.S. tax laws significantly impacted how U.S. multinational corporations are taxed on foreign earnings. Numerous countries are evaluating their existing tax laws, due in part to recommendations made by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s (“OECD’s”) Base Erosion and Profit Shifting (“BEPS”) project. This project includes a two-pillar approach to global taxation focusing on global project allocation (Pillar One) and a global minimum tax rate of 15% (Pillar Two). Certain jurisdictions in which we operate enacted legislation consistent with one or more of the OECD Pillar Two model rules, which, in general, are expected to be applicable for our fiscal year 2025. We are continuing to evaluate emerging developments related to the Pillar Two model rules and related legislation in jurisdictions in which we operate. These changes increase tax uncertainty and may adversely impact our effective tax rate in future years. We will continue to monitor pending legislation and implementation by individual countries and evaluate the potential impact on our financial statements. A significant portion of the additional provisions for income taxes we have made due to the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (the “Tax Act”) is payable by us over a period of up to eight years. As a result, our cash flows from operating activities will be adversely impacted until the additional tax provisions are paid in full. In addition, Adtalem has benefitted from the ability to enter into international intercompany arrangements without incurring
U.S. taxation due to a law, which expires in fiscal year 2026, deferring U.S. taxation of “foreign personal holding company income” such as foreign income from dividends, interest, rents, and royalties. If this law is not extended, or a similar law adopted, our consolidated tax provision would be impacted beginning in our fiscal year 2027, and we may not be able to allocate international capital optimally without realizing U.S. income taxes, which would increase our effective income tax rate and adversely impact our earnings and cash flows.
Changes in effective tax rates or adverse outcomes resulting from examination of our income or other tax returns could adversely affect our results.
Our future effective tax rates could be subject to volatility or adversely affected by: earnings being lower than anticipated in countries where we have lower statutory rates and higher than anticipated earnings in countries where we have higher statutory rates; changes in the valuation of our deferred tax assets and liabilities; expiration of or lapses in various tax law provisions; tax treatment of stock-based compensation; costs related to intercompany or other restructurings; or other changes in tax rates, laws, regulations, accounting principles, or interpretations thereof. In addition, we are subject to examination of our income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other tax authorities. We regularly assess the likelihood of adverse outcomes resulting from these examinations to determine the adequacy of our provision for income taxes. Although we have accrued tax and related interest for potential adjustments to tax liabilities for prior years, there can be no assurance that the outcomes from these continuous examinations will not have a material effect, either positive or negative, on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our goodwill and intangible assets potentially could be impaired if our business results and financial condition were materially and adversely impacted by risks and uncertainties.
Adtalem’s market capitalization can be affected by, among other things, changes in industry or market conditions, changes in results of operations, and changes in forecasts or market expectations related to future results. If our market capitalization were to remain below its carrying value for a sustained period of time or if such a decline becomes indicative that the fair values of our reporting units have declined below their carrying values, an impairment test may result in a non-cash impairment charge. As of June 30, 2024, intangible assets from business combinations totaled $776.7 million and goodwill totaled $961.3 million. Together, these assets equaled 63% of total assets as of such date. If our business results and financial condition were materially and adversely impacted, then such intangible assets and goodwill could be impaired, requiring a possible write-off of up to $776.7 million of intangible assets and up to $961.3 million of goodwill.
We cannot guarantee that our share repurchase program will be utilized to the full value approved or that it will enhance long-term stockholder value. Repurchases we consummate could increase the volatility of the price of our common stock and could have a negative impact on our available cash balance.
Our Board authorized a share repurchase program pursuant to which we may repurchase up to $300.0 million of our common stock through January 16, 2027. As of June 30, 2024, $211.6 million of authorized share repurchases were remaining under this share repurchase program. The manner, timing and amount of any share repurchases may fluctuate and will be determined by us based on a variety of factors, including the market price of our common stock, our priorities for the use of cash to support our business operations and plans, general business and market conditions, tax laws, and alternative investment opportunities. The share repurchase program authorization does not obligate us to acquire any specific number or dollar value of shares. Further, our share repurchases could have an impact on our share trading prices, increase the volatility of the price of our common stock, or reduce our available cash balance. Our share repurchase program may be modified, suspended or terminated at any time, which may result in a decrease in the trading prices of our common stock. Even if our share repurchase program is fully implemented, it may not enhance long-term stockholder value.
We and our subsidiaries may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our indebtedness and may not be able to refinance our debt obligations.
Our ability to make scheduled payments on or to refinance our debt obligations depends on our and our subsidiaries’ financial condition and operating performance, which is subject to prevailing economic and competitive conditions and to certain financial, business, competitive, legislative, regulatory, and other factors beyond our control. As a result, we may not be able to maintain a level of cash flows from operating activities sufficient to permit us to pay the principal and interest on our indebtedness. In addition, because we conduct a significant portion of our operations through our subsidiaries, repayment of our indebtedness is also dependent on the generation of cash flow by our subsidiaries and their ability to make such cash available to us by dividend, debt repayment, or otherwise. Our subsidiaries are distinct legal entities and other than the guarantors on our indebtedness, they do not have any obligation to pay amounts due on the Notes or to make funds available for that purpose or for other obligations. Pursuant to applicable state limited liability company laws and other laws and regulations, our non-guarantor subsidiaries may not be able to, or may not be permitted to, make distributions to us in order to enable us to make payments in respect of the Notes (as defined in Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”) and our Term Loan B (as defined in Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”). In the event that we do not receive distributions from our non-guarantor subsidiaries, we may be unable to make required principal and interest payments on our indebtedness.
In addition, there can be no assurance that our business will generate sufficient cash flow from operations, or that future borrowings will be available to us under our Revolver (as defined in Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”) in an amount sufficient to enable us to pay our indebtedness or to fund our other liquidity needs. If our cash flows and capital resources are insufficient to fund our debt service obligations, we may be forced to reduce or delay investments and capital expenditures, or to sell assets, seek additional capital or restructure or refinance our indebtedness. These alternative measures may not be successful and may not permit us to meet our scheduled debt service obligations.
Our ability to restructure or refinance our debt will depend on the condition of the capital markets and our financial condition at such time. Any refinancing of our debt could be at higher interest rates and may require us to comply with more onerous covenants, which could further restrict our business operations.
If we cannot make scheduled payments on our indebtedness, we will be in default, and holders of the Notes could declare all outstanding principal and interest to be due and payable, the lenders under the credit facilities could terminate their commitments to loan money, our secured lenders (including the lenders under the credit facilities and the holders of the Notes) could foreclose against the assets securing their loans and the Notes and we could be forced into bankruptcy or liquidation.
Cybersecurity
As filed, 6,725 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Cyber Risk Management Strategy
Adtalem recognizes the importance of safeguarding sensitive information pertaining to our students, employees, institutions, and operations. Our Cyber Risk Management Framework is designed to fortify our defenses against potential cyber threats and to protect the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of critical data.
Program Highlights
Our program is anchored by our Enterprise Information Security Framework (“EISF”), which adheres to the guidelines set forth by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (“NIST”) 800-53 Framework. To enhance comprehensiveness, our policies also harmonize with other leading frameworks such as the ISO 27001 Standard, Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (“FERPA”), Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (“PCI DSS”), Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”), California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), General Data Protection Regulation (“GDPR”), and other pertinent local, state, national, and international regulations governing data privacy and information security.
Our Chief Information Security Officer (“CISO”) manages Adtalem’s enterprise-wide cybersecurity program and reports to Adtalem’s Chief Financial Officer. The CISO has been responsible for assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats at Adtalem since 2018. The CISO has over twenty years of information technology and cybersecurity experience, including executive leadership roles at Fortune 500 organizations within regulated sectors including financial services and healthcare. The CISO leads a team of experienced subject matter experts with focus on strategy formulation, architecture design, incident response, colleague training, risk management, and governance functions. This team includes diverse industry backgrounds spanning Financial Services, Healthcare, and Government.
The CISO team is supported by a Security Operations team reporting into the Information Technology (“IT”) function. This IT team provides engineering and technical expertise. The team is further supported by a 24x7 Security Operations Center (“SOC”). Adtalem has a Cyber Incident Response Plan (“Response Plan”) that delineates the requirements of notification, classification, analysis, and communication of cybersecurity incidents based on the identified severity level. The Response Plan includes initial steps to convene a response team, contain the incident, consider insurance notification requirements, determine the type of incident and escalation, consider the communications protocol and possible disclosure requirements, and consider involving law enforcement. The Response Plan also provides for a lessons learned review to identify improvements that could be made. Adtalem’s Legal and Compliance teams also provide incident response support to the CISO and manage cybersecurity-related legal and compliance issues. Processes are in place to escalate cybersecurity incidents promptly so that decisions regarding public disclosure and regulatory reporting can be made by management in a timely manner.
An integral component of Adtalem’s Response Plan is our Privacy Incident Response Plan (the “Privacy Response Plan”) which addresses privacy of our students’ records, including under the Family Education Rights and Privacy Act of 1974. The Privacy Response Plan requires annual training for our employees on how to recognize and report potential privacy incidents.
We regularly conduct Cyber Incident Response Plan (the “Incident Response Plan”) tabletop exercises, including simulations of malware and ransomware attacks. Our IT environment and cybersecurity-related controls are reviewed by our internal audit function and external third parties. We sponsor third-party assessments, including cyber risk reviews and penetration testing, to evaluate our cybersecurity program independently.
Adtalem subjects its systems to penetration testing to identify potential exposures, ensuring that our infrastructure maintains an acceptable level of cyber risk. In addition, Adtalem leverages third-party experts to enhance its cybersecurity program and Incident Response Plan. Our organization has not identified or discovered any cybersecurity threats over the past three fiscal years that have materially impacted or are reasonably likely to materially impact our business strategy, operations, or financial condition. Expenses related to cybersecurity incidents have been immaterial.
Our year-round cybersecurity awareness program mandates training for all system users, covering essential topics such as safeguarding sensitive information, identifying phishing attempts, securing mobile devices, and understanding the risks associated with artificial intelligence (“AI”) platforms. Recognizing the importance of third-party risk, our strategic sourcing protocols mandate detailed cybersecurity assessments for potential third-party suppliers. New engagements with third parties are contingent upon affirmative evaluations or adherence to risk mitigation/acceptance protocols. Contracts with third parties include provisions for breach notification, investigation, root cause analysis, and remediation.
We maintain a cybersecurity insurance policy covering costs that we may incur in connection with incidents. Our policy limits are commensurate with the size and the nature of our operations. However, Adtalem may incur expenses and losses related to a cyber incident that are not covered by insurance or are in excess of our insurance coverage.
Governance
Cybersecurity is acknowledged as an important enterprise risk at Adtalem. Our Audit and Finance Committee (“AFC”), comprised entirely of independent directors, is responsible for oversight of risks from cybersecurity threats. The Chair of our AFC has received a CERT certificate in Cybersecurity Oversight from Carnegie Mellon University in partnership with the National Association of Corporate Directors. Our CISO briefs the AFC on cybersecurity matters, including the evolving threat landscape and Adtalem’s threat mitigation efforts, four times a year. At each quarterly meeting, the Chair of our AFC also briefs the full Board on cybersecurity matters discussed at AFC meetings. Cybersecurity risks are also reviewed and discussed with the AFC and the full Board as part of our annual enterprise risk management (“ERM”) assessment. In February 2024, our full Board reviewed and discussed best practices for cybersecurity and cybersecurity disclosures with an external third party. The subsequent Board discussion included a focus on the cyber threat landscape, responses to cyberattacks, risks posed by third-party vendors, and best practices to address cyber risks.
Properties
As filed, 3,242 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Adtalem’s leased facilities are occupied under leases whose remaining terms range from 1 to 15 years. Some of our leases contain provisions giving Adtalem the right to terminate early or renew its lease for additional periods at various rental rates, although generally at rates higher than are currently being paid. Adtalem’s owned facilities total 883,000 square feet worldwide. No facility that is owned by Adtalem is subject to a mortgage or other indebtedness.
Adtalem is subleasing space, in full or in part, at four facilities. Three of these facilities are subleased to DeVry University and/or Carrington College (a business formerly owned by Adtalem), which Adtalem remains as the primary lessee. These sublease agreements were entered into at comparable market rates and all sublease terms expire by December 2025.
Chamberlain
Chamberlain currently operates 23 campuses in 15 states, of which 3 are in Adtalem owned locations and 20 in leased facilities. Chamberlain’s total portfolio of academic and administrative operations comprise approximately 1.0 million square feet.
Walden
Walden operates online and does not have any campus space. Walden leases office space in Minneapolis, Minnesota with 10,000 square feet.
Medical and Veterinary
AUC
AUC’s nine-acre campus is located in St. Maarten. The campus is owned and includes 240,000 square feet of academic, student-life, and student residence facilities. In addition to classrooms and auditoriums, educational facilities include a gross anatomy lab, a multi-purpose learning lab, library and learning resource centers, offices, cafeteria, and recreational space facilities. The AUC campus is also supported by administrative staff located in office space in Miramar, Florida.
RUSM
RUSM’s campus is located in Barbados and is comprised of 494,000 square feet of leased facilities. Educational facilities include 120,000 square feet of classrooms, labs for anatomy and radiology imaging, simulation, physiology and pathology, exam rooms, private and group study, and faculty and administrative space. A residential village includes 7,000 square feet of administrative student services space surrounded by shopping and recreational facilities and over 400 multi-bedroom student units totaling 367,000 square feet. The RUSM campus is also supported by administrative staff located in office space in Miramar, Florida.
RUSVM
RUSVM’s 50-acre campus is located in St. Kitts. The campus is owned and includes 253,000 square feet. Educational facilities include an anatomy/clinical building, pathology building, research building with state-of-the-art necropsy lab, classroom buildings, administration building, bookstore, cafeteria, and a library/learning resource center. Animal care facilities include kennels, an aviary, and livestock barns. Student-life and student residence facilities are also located on the campus. The RUSVM campus is also supported by administrative staff located in office space in North Brunswick, New Jersey.
Home Office
Adtalem’s headquarters leased facility in Chicago, Illinois has 57,000 square feet. Adtalem also leases office space in Columbia, Maryland with 53,000 square feet and Washington, D.C. with 9,000 square feet.
Legal proceedings
As filed, 181 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
For a discussion of legal proceedings, see Note 21 “Commitments and Contingencies” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Management's discussion and analysis
As filed, 66,392 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
This management’s discussion and analysis of financial condition and results of operations (“MD&A”) should be read with and is qualified in its entirety by the Consolidated Financial Statements and the notes thereto. It should also be read in conjunction with the Cautionary Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements (see the Introduction section preceding Part I), the Risk Factors (see Item 1A. “Risk Factors”), and the Financial Aid and Legislative and Regulatory Requirements (see Item 1. “Business”) disclosures set forth in this report.
Throughout this MD&A, we sometimes use information derived from the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and the notes thereto but not presented in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Certain of these items are considered “non-GAAP financial measures” under the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) rules. See the “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations”
section for the reasons we use these non-GAAP financial measures and the reconciliations to their most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.
Certain items presented in tables may not sum due to rounding. Percentages presented are calculated from the underlying numbers in thousands. Discussions throughout this MD&A are based on continuing operations unless otherwise noted. The MD&A should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” and the notes thereto.
The following discussion is on the comparison between fiscal year 2024 and fiscal year 2023 results. For a discussion on the comparison between fiscal year 2023 and fiscal year 2022 results, see the MD&A included in Adtalem’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended June 30, 2023, as filed with the SEC.
Revision of Previously Issued Consolidated Financial Statements
This MD&A has been amended to give effect to the revision discussed in Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Segments
We present three reportable segments as follows:
Chamberlain – Offers degree and certificate programs in the nursing and health professions postsecondary education industry.
Walden – Offers degree and certificate programs, including those in nursing, education, counseling, business, psychology, public health, social work and human services, public administration and public policy, and criminal justice.
Medical and Veterinary – Offers degree and certificate programs in the medical and veterinary postsecondary education industry. This segment includes the operations of AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM, which are collectively referred to as the “medical and veterinary schools.”
“Home Office” includes activities not allocated to a reportable segment.
Fiscal Year 2024 Highlights
Financial and operational highlights for fiscal year 2024 include:
- Adtalem revenue increased 9.2%, or $133.8 million, to $1,584.7 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year driven by increased revenue across all of our segments.
- Net income increased 46.5%, or $43.4 million, to $136.8 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. This increase was primarily driven by an increase in revenue along with decreases in amortization of acquired intangible assets, restructuring expense, business acquisition and integration expense, and write-off of debt discount and issuance costs in fiscal year 2024, partially offset by increases in labor and other costs to support increased enrollment, investments to support growth initiatives, incentive compensation expense, provision for bad debts, and the provision for income taxes, and a decrease in gain on sale of assets.
- Diluted earnings per share increased 65.4%, or $1.34, to $3.39 in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year driven by the increase in net income and lower diluted shares due to share repurchases.
- Adjusted net income increased 5.0%, or $9.6 million, to $201.8 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. This increase was primarily driven by an increase in revenue, partially offset by increases in labor and other costs to support increased enrollment, investments to support growth initiatives, incentive compensation expense, provision for bad debts, and provision for income taxes.
- Diluted adjusted earnings per share increased 19.0%, or $0.80, to $5.01 in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year driven by the increase in adjusted net income and lower diluted shares due to share repurchases.
- For fiscal year 2024, average total student enrollment at Chamberlain increased 6.9% compared to the prior year. For the May 2024 session, total student enrollment at Chamberlain increased 10.4% compared to the same session last year.
- For fiscal year 2024, average total student enrollment at Walden increased 6.9% compared to the prior year. As of June 30, 2024, total student enrollment at Walden increased 11.3% compared to June 30, 2023.
- For fiscal year 2024, average total student enrollment at the medical and veterinary schools decreased 5.1% compared to the prior year. For the May 2024 semester, total student enrollment at the medical and veterinary schools decreased 2.9% compared to the same semester last year.
- On January 26, 2024, we made a prepayment of $50.0 million on our Term Loan B debt.
- Adtalem repurchased a total of 5,446,113 shares of its common stock under its share repurchase programs at an average cost of $47.96 per share during fiscal year 2024. On January 16, 2024, Adtalem completed its thirteenth share repurchase program. On January 19, 2024, we announced that the Board of Directors authorized Adtalem’s fourteenth share repurchase program, which allows repurchase of up to $300.0 million of its common stock through January 16, 2027. The timing and amount of any future repurchases will be determined based on an evaluation of market conditions and other factors.
Results of Operations
Revenue
The following table presents revenue by segment detailing the changes from the prior year (in thousands):
| | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 Chamberlain | Walden | Medical and Veterinary | Consolidated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year 2023 | | $571,034 | $533,725 | $346,067 | $1,450,826 |
| Growth | | 62,488 | 61,607 | 9,731 | 133,826 |
| Fiscal year 2024 | | $633,522 | $595,332 | $355,798 | $1,584,652 |
| % change from prior year | | 10.9% | 11.5% | 2.8% | 9.2% |
Chamberlain
Chamberlain Student Enrollment:
| Session | | Fiscal Year 2024 July 2023 Sept. 2023 Nov. 2023 Jan. 2024 Mar. 2024 May 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total students | | 32,175 34,889 35,592 37,196 37,985 36,750 |
| % change from prior year | | 2.6% 5.2% 6.6% 7.0% 9.0% 10.4% |
| | | |
| | | Fiscal Year 2023 |
| Session | | July 2022 Sept. 2022 Nov. 2022 Jan. 2023 Mar. 2023 May 2023 |
| Total students | | 31,371 33,153 33,390 34,760 34,847 33,284 |
| % change from prior year | | (4.1)% (4.0)% (0.8)% 1.8% 2.0% 1.2% |
Chamberlain revenue increased 10.9%, or $62.5 million, to $633.5 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year, driven by an increase in enrollment and higher tuition rates. Enrollment has improved in all graduate and doctoral programs and the undergraduate Bachelor of Science in Nursing (“BSN”) programs. In the March and May 2024 sessions, the Registered Nurse to Bachelor of Science in Nursing (“RN-BSN”) online degree program also saw increased total enrollment. Chamberlain is achieving growth through leveraging scale and national footprint and providing a full breadth of nursing programs and modalities.
Tuition Rates:
Tuition for the BSN onsite and online degree program ranges from $705 to $753 per credit hour. Tuition for the RN-BSN online degree program is $635 per credit hour. Tuition for the online Master of Science in Nursing (“MSN”) degree program is $695 per credit hour. Tuition for the online Family Nurse Practitioner (“FNP”) degree program is $710 per credit hour. Tuition for the online Doctor of Nursing Practice (“DNP”) degree program is $806 per credit hour. Tuition for the online Master of Public Health (“MPH”) degree program is $590 per credit hour. Tuition for the online Master of Social Work (“MSW”) degree program is $695 per credit hour. Tuition for the onsite Master of Physician Assistant Studies (“MPAS”) is $8,000 per session. In most cases, these tuition rates represent increases of approximately 0% to 8% with an average of approximately 4% from the prior year. These tuition rates do not include the cost of course fees, books, supplies, transportation, clinical fees, living expenses, or other fees as listed in the Chamberlain academic catalog.
Walden
Walden Student Enrollment:
| Period | | Fiscal Year 2024 September 30, December 31, March 31, June 30, 2023 2023 2024 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total students | | 40,975 40,971 42,751 41,845 |
| % change from prior year | | 0.5% 7.9% 8.4% 11.3% |
| | | |
| | | Fiscal Year 2023 |
| | | September 30, December 31, March 31, June 30, |
| Period | | 2022 2022 2023 2023 |
| Total students | | 40,772 37,956 39,427 37,582 |
| % change from prior year | | (9.2)% (7.8)% (7.9)% (4.8)% |
Walden total student enrollment represents those students attending instructional sessions as of the dates identified above. Walden revenue increased 11.5%, or $61.6 million, to $595.3 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year driven by an increase in enrollment, higher tuition rates, and an increase in average credit hours per student. Walden’s performance turnaround in enrollment in fiscal year 2024 has been accelerated by investments in student experience and brand along with providing flexibility to working adults through part-time and Tempo Learning® competency-based programs.
Tuition Rates:
On a per credit hour basis, tuition for Walden programs range from $130 per credit hour to $1,060 per credit hour, with the wide range due to the nature of the programs. General education courses are charged at $340 per credit hour. Other programs such as those with a subscription-based learning modality or those billed on a subscription period or term basis range from $1,550 to $7,325 per term. Students are charged a program fee that ranges from $50 to $230 per term as well as a clinical fee of $160 per course for specific programs. Some programs require students to attend residencies, skills labs, and pre-practicum labs, which are charged at a range of $1,000 to $2,550 per event. In most cases, these tuition rates, event charges, and fees represent increases of approximately 0% to 4% with an average of approximately 2% from the prior year. These tuition rates, event charges, and fees do not include the cost of books or personal technology, supplies, transportation, or living expenses.
Medical and Veterinary
Medical and Veterinary Student Enrollment:
| Semester | | Fiscal Year 2024 Sept. 2023 Jan. 2024 May 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Total students | | 5,209 5,073 4,726 |
| % change from prior year | | (7.5)% (4.5)% (2.9)% |
| | | |
| | | Fiscal Year 2023 |
| Semester | | Sept. 2022 Jan. 2023 May 2023 |
| Total students | | 5,634 5,312 4,869 |
| % change from prior year | | 3.4% 1.6% (8.2)% |
Medical and Veterinary revenue increased 2.8%, or $9.7 million, to $355.8 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year, driven by tuition rate increases at all three institutions in this segment, partially offset by decreased enrollment at all three institutions.
Management’s focus is on increasing enrollment and renewing operational effectiveness, specifically around academic support, the enrollment experience, and marketing.
Tuition Rates:
- Effective for semesters beginning in September 2023, for students first enrolled prior to May 2022, tuition rates for the beginning basic sciences and clinical rotation portions of AUC’s medical program are $26,680 and $31,328, respectively, per semester, which represents a 6.8% and 12.0% increase, respectively, from the prior academic year. Effective for semesters beginning in September 2023, for students first enrolled in May 2022 and after, tuition rates for the beginning basic sciences and clinical rotation portions of AUC’s medical program are $21,568 and $28,146, respectively, per semester, which represents a 6.8% and 12.0% increase, respectively, from the prior academic year. In addition, students first enrolled in May 2022 and after are charged administrative fees of $5,430 and $3,841 for the basic sciences and clinical rotation portions of the program, respectively, per semester, which represents a 6.8% and 12.0% increase, respectively, from the prior academic year.
- Effective for semesters beginning in September 2023, for students first enrolled prior to May 2022, tuition rates for the beginning basic sciences and clinical rotation portions of RUSM’s medical program are $27,547 and $30,397, respectively, per semester. These tuition rates represent a 6.0% increase from the prior academic year. Effective for semesters beginning in September 2023, for students first enrolled in May 2022 and after, tuition rates for the beginning basic sciences and clinical rotation portions of RUSM’s medical program are $23,284 and $27,447, respectively, per semester. In addition, students first enrolled in May 2022 and after are charged administrative fees ranging from $5,883 to $6,662 for the basic sciences portion of the program and $3,420 for the clinical rotation portion of the program, per semester. These tuition rates and fees represent a 6.0% increase from the prior academic year.
- Effective for semesters beginning in September 2023, for students who first enrolled prior to September 2018, tuition rates for the pre-clinical (semesters 1-7) and clinical curriculum (semesters 8-10) of RUSVM’s veterinary program are $22,334 and $28,034, respectively, per semester. Effective for semesters beginning in September 2023, for students first enrolled in September 2018 and after, tuition rates for the pre-clinical and clinical curriculum of RUSVM’s veterinary program are $24,044 per semester. All of these tuition rates represent a 6.0% increase from the prior academic year.
The respective tuition rates for AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM do not include the cost of transportation, living expenses, or health insurance.
Cost of Educational Services
The largest component of cost of educational services is the cost of faculty and staff who support educational operations. This expense category also includes the costs of facilities, adjunct faculty, supplies, housing, bookstore, other educational materials, student education-related support activities, and the provision for bad debts. We have not experienced significant inflationary pressures on wages or other costs of delivering our educational services; however, should inflation persist in the overall economy, cost increases could affect our results of operations in the future. The following table presents cost of educational services by segment detailing the changes from the prior year (in thousands):
| | Year Ended June 30, 2024 Chamberlain | Walden | Medical and Veterinary | Consolidated |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year 2023 | $248,727 | $199,625 | $200,134 | $648,486 |
| Cost increase | 28,488 | 21,485 | 89 | 50,062 |
| Fiscal year 2024 | $277,215 | $221,110 | $200,223 | $698,548 |
| % change from prior year | 11.5% | 10.8% | 0.0% | 7.7% |
Cost of educational services increased 7.7%, or $50.1 million, to $698.5 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. This cost increase was primarily driven by an increase in labor and other costs to support increased enrollment, and an increase in provision for bad debts at Chamberlain and Walden.
As a percentage of revenue, cost of educational services was 44.1% in fiscal year 2024 compared to 44.7% in the prior year. The decrease in the percentage was primarily the result of revenue growth accompanied with cost efficiencies.
Student Services and Administrative Expense
The student services and administrative expense category includes expenses related to student admissions, marketing and advertising, general and administrative, and amortization expense of acquired intangible assets. We have not experienced significant inflationary pressures on wages or other costs of providing services to our students and educational institutions; however, should inflation persist in the overall economy, cost increases could affect our results of operations in the future. The following table presents student services and administrative expense by segment detailing the changes from the prior year (in thousands):
| | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 Chamberlain | Walden | Medical and Veterinary | Home Office | | Consolidated |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fiscal year 2023 | | $186,805 | $294,974 | $78,598 | $25,632 | | $586,009 |
| Cost increase | | 31,702 | 19,940 | 5,470 | 5,444 | | 62,556 |
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets decrease | | — | (25,595) | — | — | | (25,595) |
| Litigation reserve increase | | — | 8,500 | — | — | | 8,500 |
| Loss on assets held for sale increase | | — | — | — | 647 | | 647 |
| Debt modification costs increase | | — | — | — | 848 | | 848 |
| Fiscal year 2024 | | $218,507 | $297,819 | $84,068 | $32,571 | | $632,965 |
| | | | | | | | |
| Fiscal year 2024 % change: | | | | | | | |
| Cost increase | | 17.0% | 6.8% | 7.0% | NM | | 10.7% |
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets decrease | | — | (8.7)% | — | NM | | (4.4)% |
| Litigation reserve increase | | — | 2.9% | — | NM | | 1.5% |
| Loss on assets held for sale increase | | — | — | — | NM | | 0.1% |
| Debt modification costs increase | | — | — | — | NM | | 0.1% |
| Fiscal year 2024 % change | | 17.0% | 1.0% | 7.0% | NM | | 8.0% |
Student services and administrative expense increased 8.0%, or $47.0 million, to $633.0 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. Excluding amortization of acquired intangible assets, litigation reserve, loss on assets held for sale, and debt modification costs, student services and administrative expense increased 10.7%, or $62.6 million, in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. This cost increase was primarily driven by an increase in incentive compensation expense, marketing expense, and investments to support growth initiatives.
As a percentage of revenue, student services and administrative expense was 39.9% in fiscal year 2024 compared to 40.4% in the prior year. The decrease in the percentage was primarily the result of efficiencies in marketing spend and a decrease in amortization of acquired intangible assets.
Restructuring Expense
Restructuring expense was $1.9 million and $18.8 million in fiscal year 2024 and 2023, respectively. This decrease was primarily driven by higher real estate consolidations in fiscal year 2023 at Walden, Medical and Veterinary, and Adtalem’s home office resulting in impairments on operating lease assets and property and equipment. We continue to incur restructuring charges or reversals related to exited leased space from previous restructuring activities.
Business Acquisition and Integration Expense
Business acquisition and integration expense was $34.2 million and $42.7 million in fiscal year 2024 and 2023, respectively. These are costs associated with integrating Walden into Adtalem. In addition, during fiscal year 2023, we initiated transformation initiatives to accelerate growth and organizational agility. Certain costs relating to this transformation are included in business acquisition and integration expense in the Consolidated Statements of Income. We may incur additional integration costs in fiscal year 2025, but at a decreasing rate.
Gain on Sale of Assets
On July 31, 2019, Adtalem sold its Chicago, Illinois, campus facility to DePaul College Prep Foundation (“DePaul College Prep”) for $52.0 million. Adtalem received $5.2 million of cash at the time of closing and held a mortgage, secured by the property, from DePaul College Prep for $46.8 million. The mortgage was due on July 31, 2024 as a balloon payment and bore interest at a rate of 4% per annum, payable monthly. DePaul College Prep had an option to make prepayments. Due to Adtalem’s involvement with financing the sale, the transaction did not qualify as a sale for accounting purposes at the time of closing. Adtalem continued to maintain the assets associated with the sale on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. We recorded a note receivable of $40.3 million and a financing payable of $45.5 million at the time of the sale, which were classified as other assets, net and other liabilities, respectively, on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. On February 23, 2023, DePaul College Prep paid the mortgage in full. Upon receiving full repayment of the mortgage, Adtalem no longer is involved in the financing of the sale and therefore derecognized the note receivable, the financing payable, and the assets associated with the campus facility, which resulted in recognizing a gain on sale of assets of $13.3 million in fiscal year 2023. This gain was recorded at Adtalem’s home office, which is classified as “Home Office” in Note 22 “Segment Information” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Operating Income
The following table presents a reconciliation of operating income (GAAP) to adjusted operating income (non-GAAP) by segment (in thousands):
| Chamberlain: | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 | 2023 | Increase/(Decrease) $% | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating income (GAAP) | | $137,800 | $134,685 | $3,115 | | 2.3% |
| Restructuring expense | | — | 818 | (818) | | |
| Adjusted operating income (non-GAAP) | | $137,800 | $135,503 | $2,297 | | 1.7% |
| Operating margin (GAAP) | | 21.8% | 23.6% | | | |
| Operating margin (non-GAAP) | | 21.8% | 23.7% | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Walden: | | | | | | |
| Operating income (GAAP) | | $77,179 | $35,880 | $41,299 | | 115.1% |
| Restructuring expense | | (776) | 3,245 | (4,021) | | |
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets | | 35,644 | 61,239 | (25,595) | | |
| Litigation reserve | | 18,500 | 10,000 | 8,500 | | |
| Adjusted operating income (non-GAAP) | | $130,547 | $110,364 | $20,183 | | 18.3% |
| Operating margin (GAAP) | | 13.0% | 6.7% | | | |
| Operating margin (non-GAAP) | | 21.9% | 20.7% | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Medical and Veterinary: | | | | | | |
| Operating income (GAAP) | | $71,065 | $59,649 | $11,416 | | 19.1% |
| Restructuring expense | | 442 | 7,687 | (7,245) | | |
| Adjusted operating income (non-GAAP) | | $71,507 | $67,336 | $4,171 | | 6.2% |
| Operating margin (GAAP) | | 20.0% | 17.2% | | | |
| Operating margin (non-GAAP) | | 20.1% | 19.5% | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Home Office: | | | | | | |
| Operating loss (GAAP) | | $(68,990) | $(62,044) | $(6,946) | | (11.2)% |
| Restructuring expense | | 2,204 | 7,067 | (4,863) | | |
| Business acquisition and integration expense | | 34,215 | 42,661 | (8,446) | | |
| Loss on assets held for sale | | 647 | — | 647 | | |
| Debt modification costs | | 848 | — | 848 | | |
| Gain on sale of assets | | — | (13,317) | 13,317 | | |
| Adjusted operating loss (non-GAAP) | | $(31,076) | $(25,633) | $(5,443) | | (21.2)% |
| | | | | | | |
| Adtalem Global Education: | | | | | | |
| Operating income (GAAP) | | $217,054 | $168,170 | $48,884 | | 29.1% |
| Restructuring expense | | 1,870 | 18,817 | (16,947) | | |
| Business acquisition and integration expense | | 34,215 | 42,661 | (8,446) | | |
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets | | 35,644 | 61,239 | (25,595) | | |
| Litigation reserve | | 18,500 | 10,000 | 8,500 | | |
| Loss on assets held for sale | | 647 | — | 647 | | |
| Debt modification costs | | 848 | — | 848 | | |
| Gain on sale of assets | | — | (13,317) | 13,317 | | |
| Adjusted operating income (non-GAAP) | | $308,778 | $287,570 | $21,208 | | 7.4% |
| Operating margin (GAAP) | | 13.7% | 11.6% | | | |
| Operating margin (non-GAAP) | | 19.5% | 19.8% | | | |
Consolidated operating income increased 29.1%, or $48.9 million, to $217.1 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. The operating income increase in fiscal year 2024 was primarily driven by an increase in revenue and decreases in restructuring expense, business acquisition and integration expense, and amortization of acquired intangible assets, partially offset by increases in litigation reserves, labor and other costs to support increased enrollment, incentive compensation expense, marketing expense, and provision for bad debts, and the gain on sale of assets in fiscal year 2023. The decrease in amortization of acquired intangible assets is driven by the decrease in amortization relating to the Walden student relationships intangible asset. This intangible asset is amortized based on the estimated retention of the students and considers the revenue and cash flow associated with these existing students, which are concentrated at the beginning of the asset’s useful life.
Consolidated adjusted operating income increased 7.4%, or $21.2 million, to $308.8 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. The adjusted operating income increase in fiscal year 2024 was primarily driven by an increase in revenue, partially offset by increases in labor and other costs to support increased enrollment, incentive compensation expense, marketing expense, and provision for bad debts.
Chamberlain
Chamberlain operating income increased 2.3%, or $3.1 million, to $137.8 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. Segment adjusted operating income increased 1.7%, or $2.3 million, to $137.8 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. The adjusted operating income increase in fiscal year 2024 was primarily driven by an increase in revenue, partially offset by increases in labor and other costs to support increased enrollment, incentive compensation expense, marketing expense, and provision for bad debts.
Walden
Walden operating income increased 115.1%, or $41.3 million, to $77.2 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. Segment adjusted operating income increased 18.3%, or $20.2 million, to $130.5 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. The adjusted operating income increase in fiscal year 2024 was primarily driven by the increase in revenue, partially offset by increases in labor and other costs to support increased enrollment, incentive compensation expense, and provision for bad debts.
Medical and Veterinary
Medical and Veterinary operating income increased 19.1%, or $11.4 million, to $71.1 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. Segment adjusted operating income increased 6.2%, or $4.2 million, to $71.5 million in fiscal year 2024 compared to the prior year. The adjusted operating income increase in fiscal year 2024 was primarily driven by an increase in revenue and a decrease in provision for bad debts.
Interest Expense
Interest expense was $63.7 million and $63.1 million in fiscal year 2024 and 2023, respectively. This increase was primarily driven by the increase in letter of credit fees (as discussed in Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”), partially offset by lower write-offs on debt discount and issuance costs on Term Loan B in the current year compared to the prior year.
Other Income, Net
Other income, net was income of $10.5 million and income of $7.0 million in fiscal year 2024 and 2023, respectively. The other income, net increase in fiscal year 2024 was primarily driven by $5.0 million of expense in fiscal year 2023 for an impairment of an equity investment.
(Provision for) Benefit from Income Taxes
Our effective income tax rate (“ETR”) from continuing operations can differ from the 21% U.S. federal statutory rate due to several factors, including tax on global intangible low-taxed income (“GILTI”), limitation of tax benefits on certain executive compensation, the rate of tax applied by state and local jurisdictions, the rate of tax applied to earnings outside the U.S., tax incentives, tax credits related to research and development expenditures, changes in valuation allowance, liabilities for uncertain tax positions, and tax benefits on stock-based compensation awards.
Our effective tax rate from continuing operations was 16.0% and 9.2% in fiscal year 2024 and 2023, respectively. In fiscal year 2024, our effective tax rate increase was primarily due to an increase in the percentage of earnings operations in higher taxed jurisdictions and a limitation of tax benefits on certain executive compensation. The rate increase was partially offset due to the lapsing of statues of limitations for unrecognized tax benefits in fiscal year 2024. In addition, in fiscal year 2023, we released a valuation allowance on certain deferred tax assets based on our reassessment of the amount of state net operating loss carryforwards that are more likely than not to be realized.
Discontinued Operations
Beginning in the second quarter of fiscal year 2022, ACAMS, Becker, OCL, and EduPristine operations were classified as discontinued operations. In addition, we continue to incur costs associated with ongoing litigation and settlements related to the DeVry University and Carrington College divestitures, which were completed during fiscal year 2019, and are classified as expense within discontinued operations.
Loss from discontinued operations in fiscal year 2024 was $0.9 million. This loss consisted of the following: (i) loss of $0.8 million driven by ongoing litigation costs and settlements related to the DeVry University and Carrington College divestitures, partially offset by income from the DeVry University earn-out; and (ii) provision for income taxes of $0.2 million associated with the items listed above.
Loss from discontinued operations in fiscal year 2023 was $8.4 million. This loss consisted of the following: (i) loss of $8.5 million driven by ongoing litigation costs and settlements related to the DeVry University divestiture, partially offset by income from the DeVry University earn-out; (ii) loss on the sale of ACAMS, Becker, and OCL of $3.6 million for working capital adjustments to the initial sales prices and a tax return to provision adjustment; and (iii) benefit from income taxes of $3.6 million associated with the items listed above.
Liquidity and Capital Resources
Adtalem’s primary source of liquidity is the cash received from payments for student tuition, fees, books, and other educational materials. These payments include funds originating as financial aid from various federal and state loan and grant programs, student and family educational loans, employer educational reimbursements, scholarships, and student and family financial resources. Adtalem continues to provide financing options for its students, including Adtalem’s credit extension programs.
The pattern of cash receipts during the year is seasonal. Adtalem’s cash collections on accounts receivable peak at the start of each institution’s term. Accounts receivable reach their lowest level at the end of each institution’s term.
Adtalem’s consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance of $219.3 million and $272.2 million as of June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, included cash and cash equivalents held at Adtalem’s international operations of $4.6 million and $7.2 million as of June 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively, which is available to Adtalem for general corporate purposes.
Cash Flow Summary
Operating Activities
The following table provides a summary of cash flows from operating activities (in thousands):
| | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 | | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Income from continuing operations | | $137,713 | | $101,752 |
| Non-cash items | | 203,567 | | 196,725 |
| Changes in assets and liabilities | | (52,913) | | (103,787) |
| Net cash provided by operating activities-continuing operations | | $288,367 | | $194,690 |
Net cash provided by operating activities from continuing operations in fiscal year 2024 was $288.4 million compared to $194.7 million in the prior year. The increase was driven by an increase in income from continuing operations, net of lower non-cash items, and changes in working capital. The increase of $6.8 million in non-cash items between fiscal year 2024 and 2023 was primarily driven by increases in provision for bad debts, deferred income taxes, and gain on sale of assets, which were partially offset by decreases in impairments to operating lease assets and amortization of intangible assets. The increase of $50.9 million in cash generated from changes in assets and liabilities between fiscal year 2024 and 2023 was primarily due to timing differences in accounts and financing receivables, prepaid assets, cloud computing implementation assets, accounts payable, accrued payroll and benefits, accrued liabilities, accrued interest, and deferred revenue.
Investing Activities
Capital expenditures were $48.9 million and $26.0 million in fiscal year 2024 and 2023, respectively. The capital expenditures in fiscal year 2024 primarily consisted of spending for information technology investments and Chamberlain’s campus development. For fiscal year 2025, we expect capital spending on information technology, new campus development at Chamberlain, and facility improvements at the medical and veterinary schools. Management anticipates fiscal year 2025 capital spending to be in the $55 to $75 million range. The source of funds for this capital spending will be from operations or the Credit Facility (as defined and discussed in Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data”).
During fiscal year 2024 and 2023, we received proceeds from the sale of marketable securities held in a Rabbi Trust of $1.7 million and $7.6 million, respectively, and made additional investments in marketable securities held by the Rabbi Trust of $0.7 million and $1.5 million, respectively.
On July 31, 2019, Adtalem sold its Chicago, Illinois, campus facility to DePaul College Prep for $52.0 million. Adtalem received $5.2 million of cash at the time of closing and held a mortgage loan, secured by the property, from DePaul College Prep for $46.8 million. The mortgage loan was due on July 31, 2024 as a balloon payment and bore interest at a rate of 4% per annum, payable monthly. The buyer had an option to make prepayments. On February 23, 2023, DePaul College Prep paid the mortgage loan in full. The $46.8 million received during fiscal year 2023 is classified as an investing activity in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows.
During fiscal year 2023, we paid $3.2 million for a working capital adjustment to the initial sales prices for ACAMS, Becker, and OCL.
Financing Activities
The following table provides a summary of cash flows from financing activities (in thousands):
| | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 | | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Repurchases of common stock for treasury | | $(261,966) | | $(123,133) |
| Payment on equity forward contract | | — | | (13,162) |
| Net repayments of long-term debt | | (50,000) | | (150,861) |
| Other | | 10,168 | | (1,359) |
| Net cash used in financing activities | | $(301,798) | | $(288,515) |
On March 1, 2022, we announced that the Board authorized Adtalem’s thirteenth share repurchase program, which allows Adtalem to repurchase up to $300.0 million of its common stock through February 25, 2025. On January 16, 2024, Adtalem completed its thirteenth share repurchase program. On January 19, 2024, we announced that the Board authorized Adtalem’s fourteenth share repurchase program, which allows Adtalem to repurchase up to $300.0 million of its common stock through January 16, 2027. As of June 30, 2024, $211.6 million of authorized share repurchases were remaining under the fourteenth share repurchase program. The timing and amount of any future repurchases will be determined based on an evaluation of market conditions and other factors. See Note 16 “Share Repurchases” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on our share repurchase programs.
On March 14, 2022, we entered into an ASR agreement to repurchase $150.0 million of common stock. We received an initial delivery of 4,709,576 shares of common stock representing approximately 80% of the total shares expected to be delivered at the time of executing the ASR based on the per share price on the day prior to the execution date. The final number of shares to be repurchased was based on the volume-weighted average price of Adtalem’s common stock during the term of the ASR agreement, less a discount and subject to adjustments pursuant to the terms of the ASR agreement. The ASR agreement ended on October 14, 2022. Based on the volume-weighted average price of Adtalem’s common stock during the term of the ASR agreement, Adtalem owed the counter party 332,212 shares of common stock. We elected to settle the contract in cash instead of delivering shares by making a cash payment of $13.2 million on November 2, 2022.
On March 1, 2021, we issued $800.0 million aggregate principal amount of 5.50% Senior Secured Notes due 2028 (the “Notes”), which mature on March 1, 2028. On August 12, 2021, Adtalem entered into its new credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”) that provides for (1) a $850.0 million senior secured term loan (“Term Loan B”) with a maturity date of August 12, 2028 and (2) a $400.0 million senior secured revolving loan facility (“Revolver”) with a maturity date of August 12, 2026. We refer to the Term Loan B and Revolver collectively as the “Credit Facility.” The Revolver will be used to finance ongoing working capital and for general corporate purposes. During fiscal year 2022, we made a prepayment of $396.7 million on the Term Loan B. With that prepayment, we are no longer required to make quarterly installment payments. On April 11, 2022, we repaid $373.3 million of Notes at a price equal to 100% of the principal amount of the Notes. During June 2022, we repurchased on the open market an additional $20.8 million of Notes at a price equal to approximately 90% of the principal amount of the Notes. During the first quarter of fiscal year 2023, we repurchased on the open market an additional $0.9 million of Notes at a price equal to approximately 92% of the principal amount of the Notes. On September 22, 2022, November 22, 2022, and January 26, 2024, we made additional prepayments of $100.0 million, $50.0 million, and $50.0 million, respectively, on the Term Loan B. As of June 30, 2024, the principal balance of the Notes and Term Loan B was $405.0 million and $253.3 million, respectively. See Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on the Notes and our Credit Agreement.
In the event of unexpected market conditions or negative economic changes that could negatively affect Adtalem’s earnings and/or operating cash flow, Adtalem maintains a $400.0 million revolving credit facility with availability of $242.1 million as of June 30, 2024.
Material Cash Requirements
Long-Term Debt – As of June 30, 2024, we have principal balances of $405.0 million of Notes and $253.3 million of Term Loan B, which requires interest payments. With the Term Loan B prepayments noted above, we are no longer required to make quarterly principal installment payments on the Term Loan B. In addition, we maintain a $400.0 million revolving credit facility with availability of $242.1 million as of June 30, 2024.
ED has recently allowed reductions in our letters of credit totaling $90.8 million. On January 31, 2024, ED allowed a $76.2 million letter of credit in favor of ED to expire without any requirement for Adtalem to renew it. On April 26, 2024, ED indicated that it would permit Adtalem to reduce its $84.0 million surety-backed letter of credit in favor of ED on behalf of Walden, which allows Walden to participate in Title IV programs, to $69.4 million, which took effect on June 24, 2024, and was extended through December 31, 2024. In addition, Adtalem had a letter of credit outstanding under its Revolver in the amount of $157.9 million as of June 30, 2024, in favor of ED, which allows Adtalem institutions to participate in Title IV programs. As of June 30, 2024, Adtalem had $227.3 million of letters of credit outstanding in favor of ED. See Note 14 “Debt” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on the Notes and our Credit Agreement.
Many states require private-sector postsecondary education institutions to post surety bonds for licensure. In the U.S., Adtalem has posted $44.3 million of surety bonds as of June 30, 2024 with regulatory authorities on behalf of Chamberlain, Walden, AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM.
Operating Lease Obligations – We have operating lease obligations for the minimum payments required under various lease agreements which are recorded on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. In addition, we sublease certain space to third parties, which partially offsets the lease obligations at these facilities. See Note 12 “Leases” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on our lease agreements.
Critical Accounting Estimates
We describe our significant accounting policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.” The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the financial statements, as well as the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Critical accounting estimates discussed below are those that we believe involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition or results of operations. Although management believes its assumptions and estimates are reasonable, actual results could differ from those estimates.
Credit Losses
The allowance for credit losses represents an estimate of the lifetime expected credit losses inherent in our accounts and financing receivable balances as of each balance sheet date. In evaluating the collectability of our accounts and financing receivable balances, we utilize historical events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts about the future. The estimate of our credit losses involves a significant level of uncertainty as it requires significant judgment to estimate the amount we will collect in the future on our accounts and financing receivable balances. See Note 10 “Accounts and Financing Receivables” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on our credit losses.
Impairment of Long-Lived Assets
Long-lived assets are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. Events that may trigger an impairment analysis could include a decision by management to exit a market or a line of business or to consolidate operating locations. Upon identifying such an event, if the carrying value of the long-lived asset is no longer recoverable based upon the undiscounted future cash flows of the asset or asset group, the amount of the impairment is the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset or asset group. Significant judgement is involved in determining whether a triggering event has occurred, and significant assumptions are used in the estimation of future cash flows and fair values of long-lived assets. Changes in our judgments and assumptions could result in impairments of long-lived assets in future periods.
Goodwill and Intangible Assets
Goodwill and indefinite-lived intangible assets are not amortized, but are tested for impairment annually and when an event occurs or circumstances change such that it is more likely than not that an impairment may exist. Our annual testing date is May 31.
We have the option to assess goodwill for impairment by first performing a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying value. If it is determined that the reporting unit fair value is more likely than not less than its carrying value, or if we do not elect the option to perform an initial qualitative assessment, we perform a quantitative assessment of the reporting unit’s fair value. If the carrying value of a reporting unit containing the goodwill exceeds the fair value of that reporting unit, an impairment loss is recognized equal to the difference between the carrying value of the reporting unit and its fair value, not to exceed the carrying value of goodwill. We also have the option to perform a qualitative assessment to test indefinite-lived intangible assets for impairment by determining whether it is more likely than not that the indefinite-lived intangible assets are impaired. If it is determined that the indefinite-lived intangible asset is more likely than not impaired, or if we do not elect the option to perform an initial qualitative assessment, we perform a quantitative assessment of the indefinite-lived intangible assets. If the carrying value of the indefinite-lived intangible assets exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss is recognized to the extent the carrying value exceeds fair value.
For intangible assets with finite lives, we evaluate for potential impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. If the carrying value is no longer recoverable based upon the undiscounted future cash flows of the asset or asset group, the amount of the impairment is the difference between the carrying amount and the fair value of the asset or asset group. Intangible assets with finite lives are amortized over their expected economic lives, ranging from three to five years.
All intangible assets and certain goodwill are being amortized for tax reporting purposes over statutory lives.
Determining the fair value of a reporting unit or an intangible asset involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. Significant assumptions used in the determination of reporting unit fair value measurements generally include forecasted cash flows, discount rates, terminal growth rates, and earnings multiples. The discounted cash flow models used to determine the fair value of our AUC reporting unit during fiscal year 2024 reflected our most recent cash flow projections, a discount rate of 12.5%, and a terminal growth rate of 3.0%. Each of these inputs can significantly affect the fair values of our reporting units. Based on this quantitative assessment, it was determined that the fair value of the AUC reporting unit exceeded its carrying value by approximately 20% and therefore no goodwill impairment was identified.
Significant judgments and assumptions were used in determining the fair value of intangible assets. The with and without method of the income approach and the relief from royalty model used in the determination of the fair values of our AUC Title IV eligibility and trade name intangible assets, respectively, during fiscal year 2024 reflected our most recent revenue projections, a discount rate of 12.5%, a royalty rate of 5.5%, and a terminal growth rate of 3.0%. Each of these factors and assumptions can significantly affect the value of the intangible asset. Based on these quantitative assessments, it was determined that the fair values of these indefinite-lived intangible assets in the AUC reporting unit exceeded their carrying values by at least 23% and therefore no impairment was identified.
Management bases its fair value estimates on assumptions it believes to be reasonable at the time, but such assumptions are subject to inherent uncertainty. Actual results may differ from those estimates. If economic conditions deteriorate, interest rates rise, or operating performance of our reporting units do not meet expectations such that we revise our long-term forecasts, we may recognize impairments of goodwill and other intangible assets in future periods. See Note 13 “Goodwill and Intangible Assets” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on our goodwill and intangible assets impairment analysis.
Income Taxes
Adtalem accounts for income taxes using the asset and liability method. Under this method, deferred tax assets and liabilities are recognized for the future tax consequences of temporary differences between the financial statement carrying amounts of existing assets and liabilities and their respective tax bases. Adtalem also recognizes future tax benefits associated with tax loss and credit carryforwards as deferred tax assets. Adtalem’s deferred tax assets are reduced by a valuation allowance, when in the opinion of management, it is more likely than not that some portion or all of the deferred tax assets will not be realized. To assess whether it is more likely than not that deferred tax assets will be realized and whether a valuation allowance needs to be recorded against them, we consider future reversals of existing taxable temporary differences, expected future earnings, prior earnings history, and tax planning strategies. Such assessments involve significant judgements and are subject to change in the future particularly if earnings are significantly different from expectations.
Adtalem is subject to audit by federal, state, and foreign tax authorities and Adtalem reduces its net tax assets for the estimated additional tax and interest that may result from those tax authorities disputing uncertain tax positions Adtalem has taken. Evaluating the exposure associated with uncertain tax positions involves significant judgment and we record reserves based on our past experience with similar situations and on the technical support for the positions. Our effective tax rate for a given period could be impacted by changes in the measurement of uncertain tax positions.
Contingencies
Adtalem is subject to contingencies, such as various claims and legal actions that arise in the normal conduct of its business. We record an accrual for those matters where management believes a loss is probable and can be reasonably estimated. For those matters for which we have not recorded an accrual, their possible impact on Adtalem’s business, financial condition, or results of operations, cannot be predicted at this time. A significant amount of judgment and the use of estimates are required to quantify our ultimate exposure in these matters. The valuation of liabilities for these contingencies is reviewed on a quarterly basis and any necessary adjustments to the accrual on the Consolidated Balance Sheets is recorded. While we believe that the amount accrued to-date is adequate, future changes in circumstances could impact these determinations. See Note 21 “Commitments and Contingencies” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” for additional information on our loss contingencies.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements
For a discussion of recent accounting pronouncements, see Note 2 “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”
Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Reconciliations
We believe that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with useful supplemental information regarding the underlying business trends and performance of Adtalem’s ongoing operations as seen through the eyes of management and are useful for period-over-period comparisons. We use these supplemental non-GAAP financial measures internally in our assessment of performance and budgeting process. However, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. The following are non-GAAP financial measures used in this Annual Report on Form 10-K:
Adjusted net income (most comparable GAAP measure: net income) – Measure of Adtalem’s net income adjusted for restructuring expense, business acquisition and integration expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, gain on sale of assets, write-off of debt discount and issuance costs, gain on extinguishment of debt, litigation reserve, investment impairment, loss on assets held for sale, debt modification costs, tax benefit due to change in valuation allowance, tax benefit due to change in unrecognized tax benefits, and loss from discontinued operations.
Adjusted earnings per share (most comparable GAAP measure: diluted earnings per share) – Measure of Adtalem’s diluted earnings per share adjusted for restructuring expense, business acquisition and integration expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, gain on sale of assets, write-off of debt discount and issuance costs, gain on extinguishment of debt, litigation reserve, investment impairment, loss on assets held for sale, debt modification costs, tax benefit due to change in valuation allowance, tax benefit due to change in unrecognized tax benefits, and loss from discontinued operations.
Adjusted operating income (most comparable GAAP measure: operating income) – Measure of Adtalem’s operating income adjusted for restructuring expense, business acquisition and integration expense, amortization of acquired intangible assets, litigation reserve, loss on assets held for sale, debt modification costs, and gain on sale of assets. This measure is applied on a consolidated and segment basis, depending on the context of the discussion.
Adjusted EBITDA (most comparable GAAP measure: net income) – Measure of Adtalem’s net income adjusted for loss from discontinued operations, interest expense, other income, net, provision for income taxes, depreciation, amortization of acquired intangible assets, amortization of cloud computing implementation assets, stock-based compensation, restructuring expense, business acquisition and integration expense, litigation reserve, loss on assets held for sale, debt modification costs, and gain on sale of assets. This measure is applied on a consolidated and segment basis, depending on the context of the discussion. Provision for income taxes, interest expense, and other income, net is not recorded at the reportable segments, and therefore, the segment adjusted EBITDA reconciliations begin with operating income.
A description of special items in our non-GAAP financial measures described above are as follows:
- Restructuring expense primarily related to real estate consolidations at Walden, Medical and Veterinary, and Adtalem’s home office. We do not include normal, recurring, cash operating expenses in our restructuring expense.
- Business acquisition and integration expense include expenses related to the Walden acquisition and certain costs related to growth transformation initiatives. We do not include normal, recurring, cash operating expenses in our business acquisition and integration expense.
- Amortization of acquired intangible assets.
- Amortization of cloud computing implementation assets.
- Gain on sale of Adtalem’s Chicago, Illinois, campus facility.
- Write-off of debt discount and issuance costs and gain on extinguishment of debt related to prepayments of debt, reserves related to significant litigation, impairment of an equity investment, loss on assets held for sale related to a fair value write-down on assets, and debt modification costs related to refinancing our Term Loan B loan.
- Tax benefit due to change in valuation allowance.
- Tax benefit due to change in unrecognized tax benefits.
- Loss from discontinued operations includes expense from ongoing litigation costs and settlements related to the DeVry University and Carrington College divestitures, a loss on sale of ACAMS, Becker, and OCL for working capital adjustments to the initial sales prices and a tax return to provision adjustment, and the earn-outs we received.
The following tables provide a reconciliation from the most directly comparable GAAP measure to these non-GAAP financial measures. The operating income reconciliation is included in the results of operations section within this MD&A.
Net income reconciliation to adjusted net income (in thousands):
| | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 | | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Net income (GAAP) | | $136,777 | | $93,358 |
| Restructuring expense | | 1,870 | | 18,817 |
| Business acquisition and integration expense | | 34,215 | | 42,661 |
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets | | 35,644 | | 61,239 |
| Gain on sale of assets | | — | | (13,317) |
| Write-off of debt discount and issuance costs, gain on extinguishment of debt, litigation reserve, investment impairment, loss on assets held for sale, and debt modification costs | | 21,108 | | 19,226 |
| Tax benefit due to change in valuation allowance | | — | | (6,184) |
| Tax benefit due to change in unrecognized tax benefits | | (5,657) | | — |
| Income tax impact on non-GAAP adjustments (1) | | (23,104) | | (31,997) |
| Loss from discontinued operations | | 936 | | 8,394 |
| Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) | | $201,789 | | $192,197 |
(1) Represents the income tax impact of non-GAAP continuing operations adjustments that is recognized in our GAAP financial statements.
Diluted earnings per share reconciliation to adjusted earnings per share (shares in thousands):
| | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 | | 2023 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) | | $3.39 | | $2.05 |
| Effect on diluted earnings per share: | | | | |
| Restructuring expense | | 0.05 | | 0.41 |
| Business acquisition and integration expense | | 0.85 | | 0.94 |
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets | | 0.88 | | 1.34 |
| Gain on sale of assets | | - | | (0.29) |
| Write-off of debt discount and issuance costs, gain on extinguishment of debt, litigation reserve, investment impairment, loss on assets held for sale, and debt modification costs | | 0.52 | | 0.42 |
| Tax benefit due to change in valuation allowance | | - | | (0.14) |
| Tax benefit due to change in unrecognized tax benefits | | (0.14) | | - |
| Income tax impact on non-GAAP adjustments (1) | | (0.57) | | (0.70) |
| Loss from discontinued operations | | 0.02 | | 0.18 |
| Adjusted earnings per share (non-GAAP) | | $5.01 | | $4.21 |
| Diluted shares used in non-GAAP EPS calculation | | 40,307 | | 45,600 |
(1) Represents the income tax impact of non-GAAP continuing operations adjustments that is recognized in our GAAP financial statements.
Reconciliation to adjusted EBITDA (in thousands):
| Chamberlain: | | Year Ended June 30, 2024 | 2023 | Increase/(Decrease) $% | | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating income (GAAP) | | $137,800 | $134,685 | $3,115 | | 2.3% |
| Restructuring expense | | — | 818 | (818) | | |
| Depreciation | | 18,752 | 17,175 | 1,577 | | |
| Amortization of cloud computing implementation assets | | 1,332 | 89 | 1,243 | | |
| Stock-based compensation | | 8,303 | 4,719 | 3,584 | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) | | $166,187 | $157,486 | $8,701 | | 5.5% |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) | | 26.2% | 27.6% | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Walden: | | | | | | |
| Operating income (GAAP) | | $77,179 | $35,880 | $41,299 | | 115.1% |
| Restructuring expense | | (776) | 3,245 | (4,021) | | |
| Amortization of acquired intangible assets | | 35,644 | 61,239 | (25,595) | | |
| Litigation reserve | | 18,500 | 10,000 | 8,500 | | |
| Depreciation | | 7,389 | 9,419 | (2,030) | | |
| Amortization of cloud computing implementation assets | | 1,331 | 73 | 1,258 | | |
| Stock-based compensation | | 7,525 | 3,861 | 3,664 | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) | | $146,792 | $123,717 | $23,075 | | 18.7% |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) | | 24.7% | 23.2% | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Medical and Veterinary: | | | | | | |
| Operating income (GAAP) | | $71,065 | $59,649 | $11,416 | | 19.1% |
| Restructuring expense | | 442 | 7,687 | (7,245) | | |
| Depreciation | | 11,983 | 12,438 | (455) | | |
| Amortization of cloud computing implementation assets | | 469 | 37 | 432 | | |
| Stock-based compensation | | 4,930 | 3,003 | 1,927 | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) | | $88,889 | $82,814 | $6,075 | | 7.3% |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) | | 25.0% | 23.9% | | | |
| | | | | | | |
| Home Office: | | | | | | |
| Operating loss (GAAP) | | $(68,990) | $(62,044) | $(6,946) | | (11.2)% |
| Restructuring expense | | 2,204 | 7,067 | (4,863) | | |
| Business acquisition and integration expense | | 34,215 | 42,661 | (8,446) | | |
| Loss on assets held for sale | | 647 | — | 647 | | |
| Debt modification costs | | 848 | — | 848 | | |
| Gain on sale of assets | | — | (13,317) | 13,317 | | |
| Depreciation | | 1,552 | 2,344 | (792) | | |
| Stock-based compensation | | 5,189 | 2,716 | 2,473 | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) | | $(24,335) | $(20,573) | $(3,762) | | (18.3)% |
| | | | | | | |
| Adtalem Global Education: | | | | | | |
| Net income (GAAP) | | $136,777 | $93,358 | $43,419 | | 46.5% |
| Loss from discontinued operations | | 936 | 8,394 | (7,458) | | |
| Interest expense | | 63,659 | 63,100 | 559 | | |
| Other income, net | | (10,542) | (6,965) | (3,577) | | |
| Provision for income taxes | | 26,224 | 10,283 | 15,941 | | |
| Operating income (GAAP) | | 217,054 | 168,170 | 48,884 | | |
| Depreciation and amortization | | 78,452 | 102,814 | (24,362) | | |
| Stock-based compensation | | 25,947 | 14,299 | 11,648 | | |
| Restructuring expense | | 1,870 | 18,817 | (16,947) | | |
| Business acquisition and integration expense | | 34,215 | 42,661 | (8,446) | | |
| Litigation reserve | | 18,500 | 10,000 | 8,500 | | |
| Loss on assets held for sale | | 647 | — | 647 | | |
| Debt modification costs | | 848 | — | 848 | | |
| Gain on sale of assets | | — | (13,317) | 13,317 | | |
| Adjusted EBITDA (non-GAAP) | | $377,533 | $343,444 | $34,089 | | 9.9% |
| Adjusted EBITDA margin (non-GAAP) | | 23.8% | 23.7% | | | |
Market risk
As filed, 811 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Adtalem is not dependent upon the price levels, nor affected by fluctuations in pricing, of any particular commodity or group of commodities.
The financial position and results of operations of AUC, RUSM, and RUSVM Caribbean operations are measured using the U.S. dollar as the functional currency. Substantially all of their financial transactions are denominated in the U.S. dollar.
The interest rate on Adtalem’s Term Loan B is based upon the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) for eurocurrency rate loans. As of June 30, 2024, Adtalem had $253.3 million in outstanding borrowings under the Term Loan B with an interest rate of 8.84%. Based upon borrowings of $253.3 million, a 100 basis point increase in short-term interest rates would result in $2.5 million of additional annual interest expense.
Controls and procedures
As filed, 2,780 characters, with its headings, lists and tables. Extracted from the main document; charts and exhibits are in the original on sec.gov.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
Based on an evaluation of our disclosure controls and procedures (as such term is defined in Exchange Act Rule 13a-15(e)) that was conducted under the supervision and with the participation of Adtalem’s management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that Adtalem’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective as of June 30, 2024.
Management’s Annual Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The management of Adtalem prepared and is responsible for the consolidated financial statements and all related financial information contained in this report. This responsibility includes establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting, as defined by Rules 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. Our internal control over financial reporting is designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate. Management regularly monitors our internal controls over financial reporting, and actions are taken to correct any deficiencies as they are identified.
As of June 30, 2024, Adtalem’s management has assessed the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting, using the criteria specified by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission’s 2013 report Internal Control — Integrated Framework. Based upon this assessment, Adtalem’s management concluded that as of June 30, 2024, Adtalem’s internal control over financial reporting was effective.
The effectiveness of Adtalem’s internal control over financial reporting as of June 30, 2024 has been audited by PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their attestation report included in Item 8. “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data” of this report.
Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
There were no changes during the fourth quarter of fiscal year 2024 in our internal control over financial reporting (as such term is defined in Rule 13a-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that have materially affected or are reasonably likely to materially affect our internal control over financial reporting.
Figures reported in this filing
Standardized line items from the XBRL in this filing, for the period ended 2024-06-30. Comparative periods it repeats are left out.
| Line item | Period | Value | XBRL concept |
|---|---|---|---|
| Revenue | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $1.58bn | us-gaap:Revenues |
| Cost of revenue | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $698.5m | us-gaap:CostOfGoodsAndServicesSold |
| Selling, general and administrative | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $633.0m | us-gaap:SellingGeneralAndAdministrativeExpense |
| Operating income | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $217.1m | us-gaap:OperatingIncomeLoss |
| Interest expense | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $63.7m | us-gaap:InterestExpense |
| Income tax | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $26.2m | us-gaap:IncomeTaxExpenseBenefit |
| Net income | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $136.8m | us-gaap:NetIncomeLoss |
| Diluted EPS | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $3.39 | us-gaap:EarningsPerShareDiluted |
| Basic EPS | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $3.47 | us-gaap:EarningsPerShareBasic |
| Diluted shares (weighted) | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | 40,307,000 shares | us-gaap:WeightedAverageNumberOfDilutedSharesOutstanding |
| Operating cash flow | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $295.8m | us-gaap:NetCashProvidedByUsedInOperatingActivities |
| Capital expenditure | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $48.9m | us-gaap:PaymentsToAcquirePropertyPlantAndEquipment |
| Share repurchases | 12 months2023-07-01 to 2024-06-30 | $262.0m | us-gaap:PaymentsForRepurchaseOfCommonStock |
| Cash and equivalents | At period end2024-06-30 | $219.3m | us-gaap:CashAndCashEquivalentsAtCarryingValue |
| Current assets | At period end2024-06-30 | $418.1m | us-gaap:AssetsCurrent |
| Total assets | At period end2024-06-30 | $2.74bn | us-gaap:Assets |
| Current liabilities | At period end2024-06-30 | $487.7m | us-gaap:LiabilitiesCurrent |
| Total liabilities | At period end2024-06-30 | $1.37bn | us-gaap:Liabilities |
| Long-term debt | At period end2024-06-30 | $648.7m | us-gaap:LongTermDebtNoncurrent |
| Shareholders' equity | At period end2024-06-30 | $1.37bn | us-gaap:StockholdersEquity |
Source: SEC EDGAR, the filing index for accession 0001558370-24-011099. Last ingested by Listed: Oct 29, 2026, 18:23 ET. Listed shows no prices and gives no investment advice.