Significant Accounting Policies

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

Significant Accounting Policies [Abstract]

2. Significant Accounting Policies

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries, the University and Education Loan Processing, Inc. The University is the only entity that is currently active. All intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.

All information as of December 31, 2010 and September 30, 2010 and 2011, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2010 and 2011 is unaudited but, in the opinion of management, contains all adjustments, consisting only of normal recurring adjustments, necessary to present fairly the condensed consolidated financial position, results of operations and cash flows of the Company. Certain information and footnote disclosures normally included in financial statements prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles have been condensed or omitted. These condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2010. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2011 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full fiscal year.

The Company's educational programs are offered on a quarterly basis. Approximately 98% of the Company's revenues during the nine months ended September 30, 2011 consisted of tuition revenue. Tuition revenue is recognized in the quarter of instruction. Tuition revenue is shown net of any refunds, withdrawals, corporate discounts, scholarships and employee tuition discounts. At the start of each academic term, a liability (unearned tuition) is recorded for academic services to be provided and a tuition receivable is recorded for the portion of the tuition not paid upfront in cash. Any cash received prior to the start of an academic term is recorded as unearned tuition. Revenues also include application fees, placement test fees, withdrawal fees, textbook-related income and other income, which are recognized when incurred

Financial statement presentation

Effective during the first quarter of 2011, the Company made changes in its presentation of operating expenses and reclassified prior periods to conform to the current presentation. The Company determined that these changes would provide more meaningful information and increased transparency of its operations. There were no changes to total operating expenses or operating income as a result of these reclassifications. Below is a description of the nature of the costs included in the Company's operating expense categories.

Instruction and educational support expenses generally contain items of expense directly attributable to educational activities of the University. This expense category includes salaries and benefits of faculty and academic administrators, as well as administrative personnel who support and serve student interests. Instruction and educational support expenses also include costs of educational supplies and facilities, including rent for campus facilities, certain costs of establishing and maintaining computer laboratories and all other physical plant and occupancy costs, with the exception of costs attributable to the corporate offices. Bad debt expense incurred on delinquent student account balances is also included in instruction and educational support expenses.

Marketing expenses include the costs of advertising and production of marketing materials and related personnel costs.

Admissions advisory expenses include salaries, benefits, and related costs of personnel engaged in admissions.

General and administration expenses include salaries and benefits of management and employees engaged in accounting, human resources, legal, regulatory compliance, and other corporate functions, along with the occupancy and other related costs attributable to such functions.

The following table presents the Company's operating expenses as previously reported and as reclassified on its unaudited condensed consolidated statements of income for each of the three months ended:


	March 31, 2010				June 30, 2010				September 30, 2010				December 30, 2010
	As Reported		As Reclassified		As Reported		As Reclassified		As Reported		As Reclassified		As Reported		As Reclassified
Instruction and educational support	$	48,977	$	63,384	$	50,101	$	66,261	$	49,023	$	65,759	$	57,111	$	74,153
Marketing ⁽¹⁾		24,745		13,851		24,882		14,461		34,735		23,621		29,802		18,337
Admissions advisory		—		6,049		—		6,061		—		6,583		—		6,584
General and administration		24,253		14,691		25,609		13,809		25,590		13,385		26,133		13,972

	$	97,975	$	97,975	$	100,592	$	100,592	$	109,348	$	109,348	$	113,046	$	113,046

(1)

This line item was labeled Marketing and admissions expense on an "as reported" basis in 2010. Marketing and admissions expenses related to student support services were reclassified to Instruction and educational support expense, those related to admissions to Admissions advisory, and those related to corporate overhead were reclassified to General and administration expense in 2010.

Change in accounting principle

Effective during the first quarter of 2011, the Company changed its presentation of tuition receivable and unearned tuition in its consolidated balance sheets. The Company believes that this change is preferable because it improves the comparability of results with others in the educational services industry and provides more transparency of its operations. Prior to the change, the Company recorded tuition receivable and unearned tuition upon a student's registration. Effective with this change, the Company records tuition receivable and unearned tuition for its students upon the start of the academic term. Therefore, at the end of the quarter (and academic term), tuition receivable represents amounts due from students for educational services already provided and unearned tuition represents advance payments from students for academic services to be provided in the future. This change has been reported retrospectively for all periods presented and had no impact on income from operations, net income, earnings per share, working capital, retained earnings, stockholders' equity or on net cash provided by operating activities. This change did not affect the Company's revenue recognition policies.

All prior period amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current period presentation.

Accounting for Derivatives Instruments and Hedging Activities

On the date that the Company enters into a derivative contract, it designates the derivative as a hedge of (a) a forecasted transaction or (b) the variability of cash flows that are to be received or paid in connection with a recognized asset or liability (a cash flow hedge). All derivatives are recognized in the balance sheet at their fair value.

Changes in the fair value of a derivative that is highly effective and that is designated and qualifies as a cash flow hedge, to the extent that the hedge is effective, are recorded, net of income tax, in other comprehensive income, until earnings are affected by the variability of cash flows of the hedged transaction (e.g., until periodic settlements of a variable-rate asset or liability are recorded in earnings). Any hedge ineffectiveness (which represents the amount by which the changes in the fair value of the derivative exceed the variability in the cash flows of the forecasted transaction) is recorded in current-period earnings.

The Company formally documents all relationships between hedging instruments and hedged items, as well as its risk-management objective and strategy for undertaking various hedge transactions. The Company also formally assesses (both at the hedge's inception and on an ongoing basis) whether the derivatives that are used in hedging transactions have been highly effective in offsetting changes in the fair value or cash flows of hedged items and whether those derivatives may be expected to remain highly effective in future periods. When it is determined that a derivative is not (or has ceased to be) highly effective as a hedge, the Company discontinues hedge accounting prospectively.