Revenue Recognition

12 Months Ended

Dec. 31, 2021

Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]

Revenue Recognition

Revenue RecognitionThe Company’s revenues primarily consist of tuition revenue arising from educational services provided in the form of classroom instruction and online courses. Tuition revenue is deferred and recognized ratably over the period of instruction, which varies depending on the course format and chosen program of study. Strayer University’s educational programs and Capella University’s GuidedPath classes typically are offered on a quarterly basis, and such periods coincide with the Company’s quarterly financial reporting periods, while Capella University’s FlexPath courses are delivered over a twelve-week subscription period. Torrens University offers the majority of its education programs on a trimester system having three primary academic terms, which all occur within the calendar year.

The following table presents the Company’s revenues from contracts with customers disaggregated by material revenue category for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2020, and 2021 (in thousands):

	2019		2020		2021
U.S. Higher Education Segment
Tuition, net of discounts, grants and scholarships	$	923,534	$	928,476	$	795,266
Other(1)	39,518		38,103		34,004
Total U.S. Higher Education Segment	963,052		966,579		829,270
Australia/New Zealand Segment
Tuition, net of discounts, grants and scholarships	—		22,431		245,791
Other(1)	—		950		4,333
Total Australia/New Zealand Segment	—		23,381		250,124
Education Technology Services Segment(2)	34,085		37,693		52,292
Consolidated revenue	$	997,137	$	1,027,653	$	1,131,686

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(1) Other revenue is primarily comprised of academic fees, sales of course materials, placement fees and other non-tuition revenue streams.

(2)Education Technology Services revenue is primarily derived from tuition revenue.

Revenues are recognized when control of the promised goods or services is transferred to customers in an amount that reflects the consideration the Company expects to be entitled to receive in exchange for those goods and services. The Company applies the five-step revenue model under ASC 606 to determine when revenue is earned and recognized.

Arrangements with students may have multiple performance obligations. For such arrangements, the Company allocates net tuition revenue to each performance obligation based on its relative standalone selling price. The Company generally determines standalone selling prices based on the prices charged to customers and observable market prices. The standalone selling price of material rights to receive free classes or scholarships in the future is estimated based on class tuition prices or amounts of scholarships, and likelihood of redemption based on historical student attendance and completion behavior.

At the start of each academic term or program, a contract liability is recorded for academic services to be provided, and a tuition receivable is recorded for the portion of the tuition not paid in advance. Any cash received prior to the start of an academic term or program is recorded as a contract liability. Some students may be eligible for scholarship awards, the estimated value of which will be realized in the future and is deducted from revenue when earned, based on historical student attendance and completion behavior. Contract liabilities are recorded as a current or long-term liability in the consolidated balance sheets based on when the performance obligations are expected to be satisfied and the related benefits are expected to be realized. Substantially all of the contract liability balance classified as short term at the beginning of the year was recognized into revenue during the year ended December 31, 2021.

Course materials are available to enable students to access electronically all required materials for courses in which they enroll during the quarter. Revenue derived from course materials is recognized ratably over the duration of the course as the Company provides the student with continuous access to these materials during the term. For sales of certain other course materials, the Company is considered the agent in the transaction, and as such, the Company recognizes revenue net of amounts owed to the vendor at the time of sale. Revenues also include certain academic fees recognized within the quarter of instruction, and certificate revenue and licensing revenue, which are recognized as the services are provided.

Contract Liabilities - Graduation Fund

Strayer University offers the Graduation Fund, which allows undergraduate and graduate students to earn tuition credits that are redeemable in the final year of a student’s course of study if he or she successfully remains in the program. Students registering in credit-bearing courses in any undergraduate or graduate degree program receive one free course for every three courses that the student successfully completes. To be eligible, students must meet all of Strayer University’s admission requirements, and must be enrolled in a bachelor’s or master's degree program. The Company’s employees and their dependents are not eligible for the program. Students who have more than one consecutive term of non-attendance lose any Graduation Fund credits earned to date, but may earn and accumulate new credits if the student is reinstated or readmitted by Strayer University in the future. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, Strayer University temporarily allowed students to miss three consecutive terms without losing their Graduation Fund credits.

Revenue from students participating in the Graduation Fund is recorded in accordance with ASC 606. The Company defers the value of the related performance obligation associated with the credits estimated to be redeemed in the future based on the

underlying revenue transactions that result in progress by the student toward earning the benefit. The Company’s estimate of the benefits that will be redeemed in the future is based on its historical experience of student persistence toward completion of a course of study within this program and similar programs. Each quarter, the Company assesses its assumptions underlying these estimates, and to date, any adjustments to the estimates have not been material. The amount estimated to be redeemed in the next 12 months is $19.5 million and is included as a current contract liability in the consolidated balance sheets. The remainder is expected to be redeemed within two to four years.

The table below presents activity in the Graduation Fund for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2021 (in thousands):

	December 31, 2020		December 31, 2021
Balance at beginning of period	$	49,641	$	53,314
Revenue deferred	26,462		21,067
Benefit redeemed	(22,789)		(22,357)
Balance at end of period	$	53,314	$	52,024

The portion of the Graduation Fund balance related to students enrolled in undergraduate degree programs was $52.6 million and $48.6 million as of December 31, 2020 and 2021, respectively.

Unbilled Receivables – Student Tuition

Academic materials may be shipped to certain new undergraduate students in advance of the term of enrollment. Under ASC 606, the materials represent a performance obligation to which the Company allocates revenue based on the fair value of the materials relative to the total fair value of all the performance obligations in the arrangement with the student. When control of the materials passes to the student in advance of the term of enrollment, an unbilled receivable and related revenue are recorded.

Costs to Obtain a Contract

Certain commissions earned by third party international agents are considered incremental and recoverable costs of obtaining a contract with customers of ANZ. These costs are deferred and then amortized over the period of benefit which ranges from one to two years.