Long-term Debt, Net |
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| Debt Disclosure [Abstract] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Long-term Debt, Net | Debt
2022 Convertible Notes
On March 14, 2022, the Company issued $10million in principal convertible notes (the "2022 Convertible Notes") to two unaffiliated lenders (individually a "Lender" and collectively, the "Lenders") in exchange for $5million notes to each of the two unaffiliated Lenders. The proceeds are used for general corporate purposes, including funding the Company’s previous expansion of its BSN Pre-Licensure nursing degree program. The key terms of the Convertible Notes are as follows:
•At any time after issuance date, the Lenders had the right to convert the principal into shares of the Company’s common stock at a conversion price of $1.00 per share;
•The Convertible Notes automatically convert at $1.00 per share into shares of the Company’s common stock if the average closing price of our common stock is at least $2.00 over a 30 consecutive trading day period. This mandatory conversion is subject to each Lender’s 9.9% beneficial ownership limitation;
•The Convertible Notes are due March 14, 2027 or approximately five years from the closing;
•The interest rate of the Convertible Notes was 12% per annum (payable monthly in arrears), which increased to 14% per annum on May 12, 2023. See Note 11. Subsequent Events; and
•The Convertible Notes are secured by a first priority lien (which was subsequently subordinated, as disclosed in Note 11. Subsequent Events) in all current and future accounts receivable of the Company’s subsidiaries, certain of the deposit accounts of the Company and its subsidiaries and a pledge of the common stock of the Company held by its Chief Executive Officer (the “2022 Collateral”).
At closing of the 2022 Convertible Notes, the Company agreed to pay each Lender's legal fees arising from this transaction of $135,562 and another $60,833 incurred during August 2022, which has been recorded as a deferred financing cost debt discount and is being amortized over a one-year period in "Interest expense" in the accompanying consolidated financial statements.
2022 Revolving Credit Facility
On March 14, 2022, the Company entered into Revolving Promissory Note and Security Agreements (the "2022 Revolver Agreements") with the same two unaffiliated Lenders of the 2022 Convertible Notes for a one-year, $20million secured revolving line of credit that requires monthly interest payments on sums borrowed at the rate of 12% per annum (the "2022 Revolving Credit Facility"). At January31, 2023, there were no outstanding borrowings under the 2022 Revolving Credit Facility. The Company paid a 1% commitment fee of $200,000 at closing, which was recorded as a deferred financing cost, non-current asset, and is being amortized over the term of the loan of one-year, and another 1% commitment fee of $200,000 six months from the closing date, or September 14, 2022, since the revolving credit facility has not been replaced. On March 14, 2023, the 2022 Revolving Credit Facility expired.
Pursuant to the 2022 Convertible Notes (the "Notes"), all future indebtedness incurred by the Company, other than indebtedness expressly permitted by such Notes, will be subordinated to the Notes and the Prior Credit Facility, as defined below, with an exception for acquisitions of software and equipment under purchase money agreements and capital leases.
On March 14, 2022, in connection with the issuance of the Notes, the Company also entered into an intercreditor agreement (the “Intercreditor Agreement”) among the Company, the Lenders and the lender under a prior credit facility dated November 5, 2018 (as amended, the “2018 Credit Facility”). The Intercreditor Agreement provides among other things that the Company's obligations under, and the security interests in the Collateral granted pursuant to the Notes and the 2018 Credit Facility shall rank pari passu to one another.
In connection with the issuance of the Notes, the Company also entered into an Investors/Registration Rights Agreement with the Lenders (the “Registration Rights Agreement”) whereby, upon request of either Lender on or after August 15, 2022 the Company must file and obtain and maintain the effectiveness of a registration statement registering the shares of common stock issued or issuable upon conversion of the Convertible Notes. No lender requests have been made as of the date of this filing.
On March 14, 2022, the Company entered into an amendment with the lender pursuant to the 2018 Credit Facility to extend the maturity date of the 2018 Credit Facility by one year to November 4, 2023. See the "2018 Credit Facility" discussion below.
On March 14, 2022, the Company entered into a letter agreement with the Lenders (the “Letter Agreement”). Pursuant to the Letter Agreement, the Company and its subsidiaries made certain representations and warranties to the Lenders. The Letter Agreement also contained certain conditions precedent to the closing of the transactions.
On April 22, 2022, the Company entered into an agreement with an insurance company (the "Insurance Company") which issued an approximately $18.3million surety bond which was required by the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education. In order to cause the Insurance Company to deliver the surety bond, the Company entered into a First Amendment to the Intercreditor Agreement with the two Lenders of the March 14, 2022, financing arrangements to amend the Intercreditor Agreement entered into by the same parties on March 14, 2022 (the “Amendment”). The Amendment provided that the Company and each of the Lenders, at all times prior to the delivery of the Termination Certificate (as defined below), excluding funding as directed by the surety bond as described more fully below, (i) the Company shall not be permitted to make any draw request or borrow any funds under the 2022 Revolver Agreements and (ii) the Lenders shall not be required to fund any loan or advance any funds under the 2022 Revolver Agreements. Upon that certain surety bond ceasing to be outstanding, the Company shall deliver to the lenders a certificate (such certificate, the “Termination Certificate”), certifying that the surety bond is no longer outstanding and that there are no further obligations in respect of the surety bond owing by the Company to the Insurance Company. Prior to issuance of the Termination Certificate and during the time the surety bond is in effect, the Insurance Company may cause the Company to draw on funds for the express purposes of resolving claims filed under the surety bond. In addition to the draw restriction on the 2022 Revolver Agreements, the Insurance Company required the Company to restrict $5million of cash. As consideration for the Lenders agreeing to enter into the Amendment, the Company agreed to issue each Lender 100,000 five-year warrants exercisable at $1.00 per share. The fair value of the warrants is $118,000 and is being amortized over the remaining term of the debt. The fair value of the warrants are treated as deferred financing costs, a non-current asset, in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at April 30, 2022. Total unamortized costs at January31, 2023 were $29,500. See Note 6. Stockholders’ Equity for additional information related to these warrants.
On October 31, 2022, Aspen University and the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education entered into a revised stipulated agreement that reduced AU's surety bond requirement from $18.3million to $5.5million and required Aspen University to pay a civil penalty of $12,000.
In December 2022, as a result of the revised stipulated agreement with the Arizona State Board for Private Postsecondary Education on October 31, 2022, $1.5million of the restricted cash associated with the surety bond became unrestricted, providing additional cash for operations.
On January 12, 2023, the Company entered into an agreement with an Insurance Company described above, the effect of which was to remove the Company’s prohibition from borrowing under the 2022 Revolving Credit Facility. As a result, the Company and certain lenders entered into a Second Amendment to the Intercreditor Agreement, which removed a provision which was added by the First Amendment restricting the Company’s ability to draw down from the 2022 Revolving Credit Facility while the Insurance Company’s surety bond remained outstanding. The 2022 Revolving Credit Facility subsequently expired.
2018 Credit Facility
On November 5, 2018, the Company entered into the 2018 Credit Facility Agreement with the Leon and Toby Cooperman Family Foundation (the “Foundation”). The Credit Facility Agreement provides for a $5,000,000 revolving credit facility (the "2018 Credit Facility") evidenced by a revolving promissory note (the “Revolving Note”). Borrowings under the 2018 Credit Facility Agreement bear interest at 12% per annum. Interest payments are due monthly through the term of the 2018 Credit Facility. The Revolving Note was paid on May 12, 2023, with the proceeds from the 15% Senior Secured Debentures. See Note 11. Subsequent Events.
On August 31, 2021, the Company extended the 2018 Credit Facility Agreement with the Foundation by one year from November 4, 2021, to November 4, 2022 (see below, which were extended by one year). In conjunction with the extension of the 2018 Credit Facility on August 31, 2021, the Company drew down funds of $5,000,000. At each January31, 2023 and April 30, 2022, there were $5,000,000 outstanding borrowings under the 2018 Credit Facility.
Additionally, on August 31, 2021, the Company issued to the Foundation warrants, as an extension fee, to purchase 50,000 shares of the Company’s common stock exercisable for five years from the date of issuance at the exercise price of $5.85 per share. The fair value of the warrants is $137,500 and is being amortized to interest expense through the maturity date of November 4, 2023, as extended on March 14, 2022. On March 14, 2022, the Company extended its existing $5million Credit Facility by one year to November 4, 2023, at an increased interest rate from 12% to 14% per annum. The fair value of the warrants were recorded as deferred financing costs, a non-current asset, in the accompanying consolidated balance sheets at April 30, 2022, to be amortized over the term of the 2018 Credit Facility. Total unamortized costs at January31, 2023 were $35,065. See Note 6. Stockholders’ Equity for additional information related to these warrants.
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