Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ

Annual report pursuant to Section 13 and 15(d)

Nature of Operations and Liquidity

v2.4.0.8
Nature of Operations and Liquidity
12 Months Ended
Apr. 30, 2014
Nature of Operations and Liquidity [Abstract]  
Nature of Operations and Liquidity

Note 1. Nature of Operations and Liquidity


Overview 

 

Ë¿¹ÏÊÓƵ. (together with its subsidiaries, the "Company" or "Aspen") was founded in Colorado in 1987 as the International School of Information Management. On September 30, 2004, it was acquired by Higher Education Management Group, Inc. ("HEMG") and changed its name to Aspen University Inc. On March 13, 2012, the Company was recapitalized in a reverse merger (See Note 12). All references to the Company or Aspen before March 13, 2012 are to Aspen University, Inc. ("Aspen University").


On April 5, 2013, the Company gave 120-day notice to CLS 123, LLC of its intent to terminate the agreement between the Company and CLS 123, LLC dated November 9, 2011. Moreover, at the end of the 120-day period, the Company shall no longer be offering the "Certificate in Information Technology with a specialization in Smart Home Integration" program. Accordingly, the activities related to CLS (or the "Smart Home Integration Certificate" program) are treated as discontinued operations. As this component of the business was not sold, there was no gain or loss on the disposition of this component (see below "Discontinued Operations").


On April 25, 2013, our Board of Directors approved a change in our fiscal year-end from December 31 to April 30, with the change to the calendar year reporting cycle beginning May 1, 2013. Consequently, we filed a Transition Report on Form 10-KT for the four-month transition period ended April 30, 2013. References in this report to fiscal 2012 indicate the calendar year ended December 31, 2012. Financial information in these notes with respect to the four months ended April 30, 2012 is unaudited.


Aspen University's mission is to offer any motivated college-worthy student the opportunity to receive a high quality, responsibly priced distance-learning education for the purpose of achieving sustainable economic and social benefits for themselves and their families. One of the key differences between Aspen and other publicly-traded, exclusively online, for-profit universities is that approximately 87% of our full-time degree-seeking students (as of April 30, 2014) were enrolled in graduate degree programs (Master or Doctorate degree program). Since 1993, we have been nationally accredited by the Distance Education and Training Council ("DETC"), a national accrediting agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (the "DOE").


Discontinued Operations


As of March 31, 2013, the Company decided to discontinue business activities related to its "Certificate in Information Technology with a specialization in Smart Home Integration" program so that it may focus on growing its full-time, degree-seeking student programs, which have higher gross margins. On April 5, 2013, the Company gave 120-day notice to CLS 123, LLC of its intent to terminate the agreement between the Company and CLS 123, LLC dated November 9, 2011. Thus, as of August 3, 2013, the Company is no longer offering the "Certificate in Information Technology with a specialization in Smart Home Integration" program. The termination of the "Smart Home Integration Certificate" program qualifies as a discontinued operation and accordingly the Company has excluded results for this component from its continuing operations in the consolidated statements of operations for all periods presented. The following table shows the results of the "Smart Home Integration Certificate" program component included in the income (loss) from discontinued operations:


                                 

 

 

For the year

 

 

For the year

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ended

 

 

ended

 

 

For the

 

 

 

April 30,

 

 

December 31,

 

 

Four Months Ended April 30,

 

 

 

2014

 

 

2012

 

 

2013

 

 

2012

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(Unaudited)

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Revenues

 

$

549,125

 

 

$

2,332,283

 

 

$

140,732

 

 

$

1,077,875

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Costs and expenses:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructional costs and services

 

 

494,213

 

 

 

2,026,928

 

 

 

126,659

 

 

 

929,362

 

General and administrative

 

 

(29,751

)

 

 

169,045

 

 

 

126,000

 

 

 

-

 

Total costs and expenses

 

 

464,462

 

 

 

2,195,973

 

 

 

252,659

 

 

 

929,362

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income (loss) from discontinued operations, net of income taxes

 

$

84,663

 

 

$

136,310

 

 

$

(111,927

)

 

$

148,513

 


The major classes of assets and liabilities of discontinued operations on the balance sheet are as follows:


                 

 

 

April 30,

 

 

April 30,

 

 

 

2014

 

 

2013

 

Assets

 

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and cash equivalents

 

$

-

 

 

$

-

 

Accounts receivable, net of allowance of $481,531 and $295,045, respectively

 

 

5,250

 

 

 

113,822

 

Other current assets

 

 

-

 

 

 

-

 

Net assets from discontinued operations

 

$

5,250

 

 

$

113,822

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Liabilities

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Accounts payable

 

$

-

 

 

$

1,178

 

Accrued expenses

 

 

-

 

 

 

70,201

 

Deferred revenue

 

 

-

 

 

 

53,125

 

Net liabilities from discontinued operations

 

$

-

 

 

$

124,504

 


Liquidity


At April 30, 2014, the Company had a cash balance of approximately $1.1 million which includes $868,000 of restricted cash.  In July, 2014, the company completed a financing of $1,631,500 which is part of a total financing of $4,030,000.  With the additional cash raised in the financing, the growth in the company revenues and improving operating margins, the Company believes that it has sufficient cash to allow the Company to grow.  Management expects that the Company will attain positive cash flow in the quarter ending October 31, 2014.