Universal Technical Institute (UTI) 10-Q 9 Aug 19 2019 Q3 Quarterly report Financial data

Document and Entity Information

Document and Entity Information - shares	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jul. 30, 2019
Document Documentand Entity Information [Abstract]
Entity Registrant Name	UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE INC.
Entity Central Index Key	0001261654
Current Fiscal Year End Date	--09-30
Entity Filer Category	Accelerated Filer
Document Type	10-Q
Document Period End Date	Jun. 30, 2019
Document Fiscal Year Focus	2019
Document Fiscal Period Focus	Q3
Amendment Flag	false
Entity Common Stock, Shares Outstanding		25,498,779
Entity Current Reporting Status	Yes
Entity Small Business	false
Entity Emerging Growth Company	false
Entity Shell Company	false

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Current assets:
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 42,689	$ 58,104
Restricted cash	13,534	14,055
Receivables, net	12,032	21,106
Notes receivable, current portion	5,150	5,183
Prepaid expenses	8,997	10,320
Other current assets	7,402	8,027
Total current assets	89,804	116,795
Property and equipment, net	106,490	114,848
Goodwill	8,222	8,222
Notes receivable, less current portion	29,597	31,194
Other assets	9,978	11,219
Total assets	244,091	282,278
Current liabilities:
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	37,350	46,617
Dividends payable	1,309	0
Deferred revenue	27,672	38,236
Accrued tool sets	2,920	2,397
Financing obligation, current portion	1,493	1,319
Other current liabilities	3,242	3,893
Total current liabilities	73,986	92,462
Deferred tax liabilities, net	329	329
Deferred rent liability	9,927	12,003
Financing obligation	39,567	40,715
Other liabilities	9,555	10,124
Total liabilities	133,364	155,633
Commitments and contingencies
Shareholders’ equity:
Common stock, $0.0001 par value, 100,000,000 shares authorized; 32,363,676 shares issued and 25,498,779 shares outstanding as of June 30, 2019 and 32,168,795 shares issued and 25,303,898 shares outstanding as of September 30, 2018	3	3
Preferred stock, $0.0001 par value, 10,000,000 shares authorized; 700,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock issued and outstanding as of June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, liquidation preference of $100 per share	0	0
Paid-in capital - common	188,086	186,732
Paid-in capital - preferred	68,853	68,853
Treasury stock, at cost, 6,864,897 shares as of June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018	(97,388)	(97,388)
Retained deficit	(48,827)	(31,555)
Total shareholders’ equity	110,727	126,645
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$ 244,091	$ 282,278

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANC_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) (Parenthetical) - $ / shares	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Treasury stock, shares, at cost	6,864,897	6,864,897
Common Stock
Common stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Common stock, shares authorized	100,000,000	100,000,000
Common stock, shares issued	32,363,676	32,168,795
Common stock, shares outstanding	25,498,779	25,303,898
Series A Preferred Stock
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares authorized	10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock, shares issued	700,000	700,000
Preferred stock, shares outstanding	700,000	700,000
Preferred stock, liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 100	$ 100

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMEN

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF LOSS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Revenue
Revenues	$ 79,042	$ 74,890	$ 243,838	$ 236,709
Operating expenses:
Educational services and facilities	42,836	44,737	134,393	134,635
Selling, general and administrative	36,661	41,953	122,685	126,298
Total operating expenses	79,497	86,690	257,078	260,933
Loss from operations	(455)	(11,800)	(13,240)	(24,224)
Other income (expense):
Interest expense, net	(444)	(474)	(1,271)	(1,405)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliate	100	96	298	289
Other income, net	465	307	1,121	635
Total other income (expense), net	121	(71)	148	(481)
Loss before income taxes	(334)	(11,871)	(13,092)	(24,705)
Income tax expense (benefit)	31	(158)	253	(3,024)
Net loss	(365)	(11,713)	(13,345)	(21,681)
Preferred stock dividends	1,309	1,309	3,927	3,927
Loss available for distribution	$ (1,674)	$ (13,022)	$ (17,272)	$ (25,608)
Loss per share:
Net loss per share - basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.52)	$ (0.68)	$ (1.02)
Net loss per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.52)	$ (0.68)	$ (1.02)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding:
Basic (in shares)	25,498	25,186	25,410	25,084
Diluted (in shares)	25,498	25,186	25,410	25,084

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_2

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF LOSS AND COMPREHENSIVE LOSS (UNAUDITED) (Parenthetical) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Income Statement [Abstract]
Comprehensive loss	$ (365)	$ (11,713)	$ (13,345)	$ (21,681)

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_3

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENT OF SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY (UNAUDITED) - USD ($) shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	Total	Treasury Stock	Retained Earnings (Deficit)	Common Stock	Common StockPaid-in Capital	Series A Preferred Stock	Series A Preferred StockPaid-in Capital
Beginning Balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2017		6,865		31,872		700
Beginning Balance at Sep. 30, 2017	$ 125,776	$ (97,388)	$ (30,832)	$ 3	$ 185,140	$ 0	$ 68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(1,135)		(1,135)
Issuance of common stock under employee plans, shares				3
Shares withheld for payroll taxes	(3)				(3)
Stock-based compensation	359				359
Preferred stock dividends	(1,323)		(1,323)
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2017		6,865		31,875		700
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	160,883	$ (97,388)	3,919	$ 3	185,496	$ 0	68,853
Beginning Balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2017		6,865		31,872		700
Beginning Balance at Sep. 30, 2017	125,776	$ (97,388)	(30,832)	$ 3	185,140	$ 0	68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(21,681)
Ending Balance, shares at Jun. 30, 2018		6,865		32,052		700
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2018	138,609	$ (97,388)	(19,231)	$ 3	186,372	$ 0	68,853
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2017		6,865		31,875		700
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2017	160,883	$ (97,388)	3,919	$ 3	185,496	$ 0	68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(8,833)		(8,833)
Issuance of common stock under employee plans, shares				179
Shares withheld for payroll taxes, shares				(4)
Shares withheld for payroll taxes	(8)				(8)
Stock-based compensation	741				741
Preferred stock dividends	(1,295)		(1,295)
Ending Balance, shares at Mar. 31, 2018		6,865		32,050		700
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2018	151,488	$ (97,388)	(6,209)	$ 3	186,229	$ 0	68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(11,713)		(11,713)
Issuance of common stock under employee plans, shares				2
Shares withheld for payroll taxes	(2)				(2)
Stock-based compensation	145				145
Preferred stock dividends	(1,309)		(1,309)
Ending Balance, shares at Jun. 30, 2018		6,865		32,052		700
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2018	138,609	$ (97,388)	(19,231)	$ 3	186,372	$ 0	68,853
Beginning Balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2018		6,865		32,169		700
Beginning Balance at Sep. 30, 2018	126,645	$ (97,388)	(31,555)	$ 3	186,732	$ 0	68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(7,717)		(7,717)
Issuance of common stock under employee plans, shares				99
Issuance of common stock under employee plans	0
Shares withheld for payroll taxes, shares				(38)
Shares withheld for payroll taxes	(118)				(118)
Stock-based compensation	694				694
Preferred stock dividends	(1,323)		(1,323)
Ending Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2018		6,865		32,230		700
Ending Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	118,181	$ (97,388)	(40,595)	$ 3	187,308	$ 0	68,853
Beginning Balance, shares at Sep. 30, 2018		6,865		32,169		700
Beginning Balance at Sep. 30, 2018	126,645	$ (97,388)	(31,555)	$ 3	186,732	$ 0	68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(13,345)
Ending Balance, shares at Jun. 30, 2019		6,865		32,364		700
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2019	110,727	$ (97,388)	(48,827)	$ 3	188,086	$ 0	68,853
Beginning Balance, shares at Dec. 31, 2018		6,865		32,230		700
Beginning Balance at Dec. 31, 2018	118,181	$ (97,388)	(40,595)	$ 3	187,308	$ 0	68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(5,263)		(5,263)
Issuance of common stock under employee plans, shares				134
Shares withheld for payroll taxes, shares				(2)
Shares withheld for payroll taxes	(7)				(7)
Stock-based compensation	618				618
Preferred stock dividends	(1,295)		(1,295)
Ending Balance, shares at Mar. 31, 2019		6,865		32,362		700
Ending Balance at Mar. 31, 2019	112,234	$ (97,388)	(47,153)	$ 3	187,919	$ 0	68,853
Increase (Decrease) in Stockholders' Equity [Roll Forward]
Net loss	(365)		(365)
Issuance of common stock under employee plans, shares				2
Shares withheld for payroll taxes	(2)				(2)
Stock-based compensation	169				169
Preferred stock dividends	(1,309)		(1,309)
Ending Balance, shares at Jun. 30, 2019		6,865		32,364		700
Ending Balance at Jun. 30, 2019	$ 110,727	$ (97,388)	$ (48,827)	$ 3	$ 188,086	$ 0	$ 68,853

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEM_4

CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS (UNAUDITED) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Cash flows from operating activities:
Net loss	$ (13,345)	$ (21,681)
Adjustments to reconcile net loss to net cash used in operating activities:
Depreciation and amortization	9,945	9,891
Amortization of assets subject to financing obligation	2,012	2,012
Goodwill and intangible asset impairment expense	0	1,164
Bad debt expense	887	1,191
Stock-based compensation	1,481	1,245
Deferred income taxes	0	(2,812)
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliate	(298)	(289)
Training equipment credits earned, net	440	116
Other losses, net	143	71
Changes in assets and liabilities:
Receivables	3,795	173
Prepaid expenses	571	(1,342)
Other assets	1,270	(31)
Notes receivable	1,630	(421)
Accounts payable and accrued expenses	(3,793)	556
Deferred revenue	(10,564)	(15,491)
Income tax payable/receivable	198	(1,490)
Accrued tool sets and other current liabilities	441	507
Deferred rent liability	(2,076)	4,027
Other liabilities	139	148
Net cash used in operating activities	(7,124)	(22,456)
Cash flows from investing activities:
Purchase of property and equipment	(5,301)	(17,088)
Proceeds from disposal of property and equipment	8	9
Proceeds received upon maturity of investments	0	7,497
Purchase of trading securities	0	(894)
Proceeds from sales of trading securities	0	40,902
Capitalized costs for intangible assets	0	(325)
Return of capital contribution from unconsolidated affiliate	200	229
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities	(5,093)	30,330
Cash flows from financing activities:
Payment of preferred stock cash dividend	(2,618)	(2,618)
Payment of financing obligation	(974)	(816)
Payment of payroll taxes on stock-based compensation through shares withheld	(127)	(13)
Net cash used in financing activities	(3,719)	(3,447)
Change in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash:
Net (decrease) increase in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash	(15,936)	4,427
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, beginning of period	72,159	64,960
Cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, end of period	56,223	69,387
Supplemental disclosure of cash flow information:
Taxes paid	56	1,278
Interest paid	2,424	2,490
Training equipment obtained in exchange for services	520	1,724
Depreciation of training equipment obtained in exchange for services	1,066	1,022
Change in accrued capital expenditures during the period	1,173	(840)
Dividends payable	$ 1,309	$ 1,309

Nature of the Business

Nature of the Business	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of the Business	Nature of the Business We are the leading provider of postsecondary education for students seeking careers as professional automotive, diesel, collision repair, motorcycle and marine technicians as well as welders and computer numerical control (CNC) machining technicians as measured by total average undergraduate full-time enrollment and graduates. We offer certificate, diploma or degree programs at 13 campuses across the United States under the banner of several well-known brands, including Universal Technical Institute, Motorcycle Mechanics Institute and Marine Mechanics Institute and NASCAR Technical Institute. We also offer manufacturer specific advanced training (MSAT) programs, including student-paid electives, at our campuses and manufacturer or dealer sponsored training at certain campuses and dedicated training centers. We have provided technical education for 53 years. We work closely with leading original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and employers to understand their needs for qualified service professionals. Revenues generated from our schools consist primarily of tuition and fees paid by students. To pay for a substantial portion of their tuition, the majority of students rely on funds received from federal financial aid programs under Title IV Programs of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, as well as from various veterans benefits programs. For further discussion, see Note 2 "Summary of Significant Accounting Policies - Concentration of Risk" and Note 18 “Government Regulation and Financial Aid” included in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018.

Basis of Presentation

Basis of Presentation	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Basis of Presentation [Abstract]
Basis of Presentation	Basis of Presentation The accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (GAAP) for interim financial information and the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, our condensed consolidated financial statements do not include all the information and footnotes required by GAAP for complete financial statements. Normal and recurring adjustments considered necessary for a fair statement of the results for the interim periods have been included. Operating results for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019 , are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending September 30, 2019. The accompanying condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and notes thereto included in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018. The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. and our wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany transactions and balances have been eliminated. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires us to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ from these estimates.

Recent Accounting Pronouncement

Recent Accounting Pronouncements	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Recent Accounting Pronouncements	Recent Accounting Pronouncements Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. ASU 2017-01 clarifies the definition of a business. If substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets, then the acquisition is not a business. In addition, a business must include at least one substantive process. The standard is to be applied on a prospective basis to purchases or disposals of a business or an asset. We adopted ASU 2017-01 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact to our financial statements or disclosures. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which clarifies how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. We adopted ASU 2016-15 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact on our consolidated statements of cash flows. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Restricted Cash. This guidance requires restricted cash and cash equivalents to be included with cash and cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. We adopted ASU 2016-18 as of October 1, 2018 using the retrospective method of adjustment. As a result of our adoption of ASU 2016-18, net cash used in operating activities increased by less than $0.1 million and net cash provided by investing activities decreased by $1.4 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2018. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows: June 30, 2019 June 30, 2018 Cash and cash equivalents $ 42,689 $ 55,968 Restricted cash 13,534 13,419 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in condensed consolidated statements of cash flows $ 56,223 $ 69,387 In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. ASU 2016-01 primarily impacts the accounting for equity investments other than those accounted for using the equity method of accounting, financial liabilities under the fair value option and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. Additionally, the FASB clarified guidance related to the valuation allowance assessment when recognizing deferred tax assets resulting from unrealized losses on available-for-sale debt securities. The accounting for other financial instruments, such as loans, investments in debt securities and financial liabilities is largely unchanged. We adopted ASU 2016-01 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact to our financial statements or disclosures. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. ASU 2018-02 amends Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 220 to allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" and requires entities to provide certain disclosures regarding stranded tax effects. We adopted ASU 2018-02 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact to our financial statements or disclosures. Effective the First Quarter of Fiscal 2020: In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for substantially all leases, with the exception of short-term leases. Leases will be classified as either financing or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of income. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842) to provide entities with relief from the costs of implementing certain aspects of the new leasing standard. ASU 2018-11 allows entities to elect not to recast the comparative periods presented when transitioning to ASC 842. It also allows lessors to elect not to separate lease and nonlease components when certain conditions are met. In March 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-01, Lease (Topic 824): Codification Improvements . ASU 2019-01 clarifies certain items regarding lessor accounting. It also clarifies the interim disclosure requirements during transition. We are in the process of implementing a new enterprise-wide lease accounting system and are modifying internal controls to address the collection, recording and accounting for leases in accordance with ASC 842. We do expect this standard to have a material impact on our financial statements. ASC 842 also provides a package of transition practical expedients that allow an entity to not reassess (1) whether any expired or existing contracts contain a lease, (2) the lease classification of any expired or existing lease, and (3) initial direct costs for any existing lease. We expect to elect the package of transition practical expedients, and to use the modified retrospective method without the recasting of comparative periods’ financial information. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820). ASU 2018-13 amends the disclosure requirements of ASC 820, changing the fair value measurement disclosure requirements of ASC 820 by adding new disclosure requirements, modifying existing disclosure requirements and eliminating other disclosure requirements. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that the standard will have on our financial statement disclosures. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and other Internal-use Software (Subtopic 350-40) . ASU 2018-15 aligns the accounting for costs incurred to implement a cloud computing arrangement (CCA) that is a service arrangement with the guidance on capitalizing costs associated with developing or obtaining internal-use software. Specifically, the ASU amends ASC 350 to include in its scope implementation costs of a CCA that is a service contract and clarifies that a customer should apply ASC 350-40 to determine which implementation costs should be capitalized in a CCA that is considered a service contract. Early adoption is permitted. The effect of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements will be dependent on our entry into any future cloud computing arrangements. Effective the First Quarter of Fiscal 2021: In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . ASU 2016-13 includes an impairment model (known as the current expected credit loss (CECL) model) that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under the new guidance, an entity recognizes as an allowance its estimate of expected credit losses (ECL), which the FASB believes will result in more timely recognition of such losses. In April 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05 - Targeted Transition Relief, which provides transition relief to entities adopting ASU 2016-13. We are currently evaluating the impact that the update will have on our results of operations, financial condition and financial statement disclosures.

Revenue from Contracts with Cus

Revenue from Contracts with Customers	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Revenue from Contract with Customers	Revenue from Contracts with Customers Nature of Goods and Services Postsecondary education. Revenues consist primarily of student tuition and fees derived from the programs we provide after reductions are made for discounts and scholarships that we sponsor and for refunds for students who withdraw from our programs prior to specified dates. We apply the five-step model outlined in Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts from Customers (ASC 606), which we adopted effective October 1, 2017. Tuition and fee revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the course or program offered. The majority of our core programs are designed to be completed in 33 to 102 weeks, and our advanced training programs range from 12 to 23 weeks in duration. We supplement our revenues with sales of textbooks and program supplies and other revenues, which are recognized as the transfer of goods or services occurs. Deferred revenue represents the excess of tuition and fee payments received as compared to tuition and fees earned and is reflected as a current liability in our consolidated balance sheets because it is expected to be earned within the next 12 months. Additionally, certain students participate in a proprietary loan program that extends repayment terms for their tuition. We purchase said loans from the lender, and based on historical collection rates believe a portion of these loans are collectible. Accordingly, we recognize tuition and loan origination fees financed by the loan and any related interest revenue under the effective interest method required under the loan based on the amount we expect to collect, and we recognize these revenues ratably over the term of the course or program offered. Other. We provide dealer technician training or instructor staffing services to manufacturers. Revenues are recognized as transfer of the services occurs. We provide postsecondary education and other services in the same geographical market, the U.S. The impact of economic factors on the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows is consistent among our various postsecondary education programs. See Note 15 for disaggregated segment revenue information. Contract Balances Contract assets primarily relate to the Company’s rights to consideration for work completed in relation to its services performed but not billed at the reporting date. The contract assets are transferred to the receivables when the rights become unconditional. Currently, the Company does not have any contract assets which have not transferred to a receivable. The contract liabilities primarily relate to service contracts where we received payments but we have not yet satisfied the related performance obligations. The advance consideration received from customers for the services is a contract liability until services are provided to the customer. The following table provides information about receivables and contract liabilities from contracts with customers: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Receivables, which includes Tuition and Notes Receivable $ 40,299 $ 46,372 Contract liabilities $ 27,672 $ 38,236 During the nine months ended June 30, 2019, the contract liabilities balance included decreases for revenues recognized during the period and increases related to new students who started school during the period. Transaction Price Allocated to the Remaining Performance Obligations Tuition and fee revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the course or program offered. The majority of our undergraduate programs are designed to be completed in 33 to 102 weeks, and our advanced training programs range from 12 to 23 weeks in duration.

Postemployment Benefits

Postemployment Benefits	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Postemployment Benefits [Abstract]
Postemployment Benefits	Postemployment Benefits On February 18, 2019, we announced that our campus in Norwood, Massachusetts is no longer accepting new student applications, and its last group of students started on March 18, 2019. The campus is expected to close in the fall of 2020. We expect the postemployment benefits will total approximately $0.9 million , when the campus closes in 2020. Additionally, we periodically enter into agreements that provide postemployment benefits to personnel whose employment is terminated. The postemployment benefit liability, which is included in accounts payable and accrued expenses on the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets, is generally paid out ratably over the terms of the agreements, which range from 1 month to 24 months , with the final agreement expiring in 2021. The postemployment benefit accrual activity for the nine months ended June 30, 2019 was as follows: Liability Balance at Postemployment Cash Paid Other Liability Balance at June 30, 2019 Severance $ 372 $ 1,607 $ (932 ) $ (74 ) $ 973 Other 9 85 (22 ) (22 ) 50 Total $ 381 $ 1,692 $ (954 ) $ (96 ) $ 1,023 (1) Primarily relates to the reclassification of benefits between severance and other benefits.

Fair Value Measurements

Fair Value Measurements	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Fair Value Measurements	Fair Value Measurements The accounting framework for determining fair value includes a hierarchy for ranking the quality and reliability of the information used to measure fair value, which enables the reader of the financial statements to assess the inputs used to develop those measurements. The fair value hierarchy consists of three tiers: Level 1, defined as quoted market prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities; Level 2, defined as inputs other than Level 1 that are observable, either directly or indirectly, such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities, quoted prices in markets that are not active, model-based valuation techniques for which all significant assumptions are observable in the market or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities and Level 3, defined as unobservable inputs that are not corroborated by market data. Any transfers of investments between levels occurs at the end of the reporting period. Assets measured or disclosed at fair value on a recurring basis consisted of the following: Fair Value Measurements Using June 30, 2019 Quoted Prices Significant Significant Money market funds and corporate bonds $ 42,626 $ 42,626 $ — $ — Notes receivable 34,747 — — 34,747 Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis $ 77,373 $ 42,626 $ — $ 34,747 Fair Value Measurements Using September 30, 2018 Quoted Prices Significant Significant Money market funds $ 36,387 $ 36,387 $ — $ — Notes receivable 36,377 — — 36,377 Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis $ 72,764 $ 36,387 $ — $ 36,377 Money market funds and corporate bonds are reflected as cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated balance sheets. Notes receivable relate to our proprietary loan program.

Property and Equipment, net

Property and Equipment, net	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property and Equipment, net	Property and Equipment, net Property and equipment, net consisted of the following: Depreciable June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Land — $ 3,189 $ 3,189 Buildings and building improvements 30-35 82,576 81,304 Leasehold improvements 1-28 53,399 54,310 Training equipment 3-10 97,072 95,795 Office and computer equipment 3-10 36,243 36,714 Curriculum development 5 19,692 19,692 Software developed for internal use 1-5 11,606 12,251 Vehicles 5 1,400 1,400 Construction in progress — 885 4,250 306,062 308,905 Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (199,572 ) (194,057 ) $ 106,490 $ 114,848 The following amounts, which are included in the above table, represent assets financed by financing obligations: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Assets financed by financing obligations, gross $ 45,816 $ 45,816 Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (13,538 ) (11,526 ) Assets financed by financing obligations, net $ 32,278 $ 34,290

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Goodwill and Intangible Assets [Abstract]
Goodwill and Intangible Assets	Goodwill and Intangible Assets Goodwill represents the excess of the cost of an acquired business over the estimated fair values of the assets acquired and liabilities assumed. Goodwill is reviewed at least annually for impairment, which may result from the deterioration in the operating performance of the acquired business, adverse market conditions, adverse changes in applicable laws or regulations and a variety of other circumstances. Any resulting impairment charge would be recognized as an expense in the period in which impairment is identified. Our goodwill balance of $8.2 million resulted from the acquisition of our motorcycle and marine education business in 1998 and is allocated to our MMI Orlando, Florida campus that provides the related educational programs. No impairment was identified during the nine months ended June 30, 2019.

Investment in Unconsolidated Af

Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate [Abstract]
Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate	Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate In 2012, we invested $4.0 million to acquire an equity interest of approximately 28% in a joint venture (JV) related to the lease of our Lisle, Illinois campus facility. In connection with this investment, we do not possess a controlling financial interest as we do not hold a majority of the equity interest, nor do we have the power to make major decisions without approval from the other equity member. Therefore, we do not qualify as the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, this investment is accounted for under the equity method of accounting and is included in other assets in our condensed consolidated balance sheets. We recognize our proportionate share of the net income or loss during each accounting period and any return of capital as a change in our investment. Investment in unconsolidated affiliate consisted of the following and is included within other assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheet: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Carrying Value Ownership Percentage Carrying Value Ownership Percentage Investment in JV $ 4,304 27.972 % $ 4,206 27.972 % Investment in unconsolidated affiliate included the following activity during the period: Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 Balance at beginning of period $ 4,206 $ 4,112 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliate 298 289 Return of capital contribution from unconsolidated affiliate (200 ) (229 ) Balance at end of period $ 4,304 $ 4,172

Accounts Payable and Accrued Ex

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses	Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses Accounts payable and accrued expenses consisted of the following: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Accounts payable $ 6,982 $ 8,759 Accrued compensation and benefits 18,646 22,022 Other accrued expenses 11,722 15,836 $ 37,350 $ 46,617

Income Taxes

Income Taxes	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Income Taxes	Income Taxes Each reporting period, we estimate the likelihood that we will be able to recover our deferred tax assets, which represent timing differences in the recognition of revenue and certain tax deductions for accounting and tax purposes. The realization of deferred tax assets is dependent, in part, upon future taxable income. In assessing the need for a valuation allowance, we consider all available evidence, including our historical profitability and projections of future taxable income. If, based on the weight of available evidence, it is more likely than not the deferred tax assets will not be realized, we record a valuation allowance. Such valuation allowance is maintained on our deferred tax assets until sufficient positive evidence exists to support its reversal in future periods. The weight given to the positive and negative evidence is commensurate with the extent to which the evidence may be objectively verified. Significant judgment is required to determine if, and the extent to which, valuation allowances should be recorded against deferred tax assets. During the three months ended March 31, 2016, there were several pieces of negative evidence that contributed to our conclusion that a valuation allowance was appropriate against all deferred tax assets that rely upon future taxable income for their realization. As a result of our assessment, we recorded a full valuation allowance during the three months ended March 31, 2016. The amount of the deferred tax assets considered realizable, however, could be adjusted in future periods if estimates of future taxable income during the carryforward period are increased, if objective negative evidence in the form of cumulative losses is no longer present and if additional weight may be given to subjective evidence such as our projections for growth. We continue to have a full valuation allowance as of June 30, 2019 and will continue to evaluate our valuation allowance in future periods for any change in circumstances that causes a change in judgment about the realizability of the deferred tax assets. Tax Cuts and Jobs Act On December 22, 2017, the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the Act) was enacted. The Act makes significant changes to U.S. tax laws, including the following that are expected to be impactful to us: lower corporate tax rates; limitations on the amount of net operating losses that can be used to offset income beginning with our fiscal year ending September 30, 2019; the elimination of net operating loss carrybacks and the allowance of indefinite loss carryforwards; and the immediate expensing of short-lived capital investment, such as machinery and equipment. We have adjusted our deferred tax liabilities and deferred tax assets, and the corresponding valuation allowance, for the expected impact of the provisions of the Act. As our net operating losses can now be carried forward indefinitely, our related deferred tax asset can be offset with the deferred tax liability related to goodwill, before a full valuation allowance was applied to the deferred tax asset. As a result of the Act, which was enacted on December 22, 2017, we reversed approximately $2.8 million of the valuation allowance on our deferred tax assets during the three months ended December 31, 2017, as such assets are now offset by the deferred tax liability related to our goodwill before the full valuation allowance was applied to the deferred tax asset. Section 382 Change in Ownership Under Section 382 of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC), for income tax purposes only, we underwent a change in ownership as a result of a preferred stock issuance in June 2016, which is discussed in Note 13. Under the IRC, a change in ownership occurs when a five percent shareholder, as measured by ownership value, increases their ownership in a loss corporation by more than 50 percentage points during the defined testing period; both common and preferred stock are included in the determination of ownership value. Since the purchaser of the preferred stock acquired ownership exceeding 50 percent of our total ownership value, this transaction qualified as a change in ownership under section 382 of the IRC only. Accordingly, certain deductions and losses will be subject to an annual Section 382 limitation. The limitation will affect the timing of when these deductions and losses can be used and may cause us to make income tax payments even if a pre-tax loss is recorded in future periods. The components of income tax expense are as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Current expense (benefit) United States federal $ 5 $ (119 ) $ — $ (125 ) State 26 (39 ) 253 (87 ) Total current expense (benefit) 31 (158 ) 253 (212 ) Deferred (benefit) expense United States federal — — — (2,878 ) State — — — 66 Total deferred benefit — — — (2,812 ) Total provision (benefit) for income taxes $ 31 $ (158 ) $ 253 $ (3,024 ) The income tax provision differs from the tax that would result from application of the statutory federal tax rate of 21.0% to pre-tax loss for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019 and 24.5% to pre-tax loss for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2018. The reasons for the differences are as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Income tax benefit at statutory rate $ (69 ) $ (2,909 ) $ (2,749 ) $ (6,053 ) State income taxes (benefits), net of federal tax benefit 24 (403 ) 204 (1,010 ) Current and deferred tax rate difference — 416 — 865 Increase in valuation allowance 14 2,750 2,630 3,119 Other, net 62 (12 ) 168 55 Total income tax expense (benefit) $ 31 $ (158 ) $ 253 $ (3,024 ) The components of the deferred tax assets (liabilities) recorded in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets were as follows: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Gross deferred tax assets Deferred compensation $ 1,303 $ 1,253 Reserves and accruals 4,576 4,794 Accrued tool sets 765 638 Deferred revenue 4,342 9,185 Deferred rent liability — 189 Net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards 13,678 5,389 Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment 4,680 3,740 Charitable contribution carryovers 1,188 804 Deductions limited by Section 382 668 700 Valuation allowance (26,921 ) (23,112 ) Total gross deferred tax assets 4,279 3,580 Gross deferred tax liabilities Amortization of goodwill and intangibles (2,056 ) (2,056 ) Prepaid and other expenses deductible for tax (2,552 ) (1,853 ) Total gross deferred tax liabilities (4,608 ) (3,909 ) Net deferred tax liabilities $ (329 ) $ (329 ) The following table summarizes the activity for the valuation allowance for the nine months ended June 30, 2019 : Balance at Additions (Reductions) to Income Write-offs Balance at End of $ 23,112 $ 3,809 $ — $ 26,921

Commitments and Contingencies

Commitments and Contingencies	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Commitments and Contingencies Disclosure [Abstract]
Commitments and Contingencies	Commitments and Contingencies Legal In the ordinary conduct of our business, we are periodically subject to lawsuits, demands in arbitration, investigations, regulatory proceedings or other claims, including, but not limited to, claims involving current or former students, routine employment matters, business disputes and regulatory demands. When we are aware of a claim or potential claim, we assess the likelihood of any loss or exposure. If it is probable that a loss will result and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated, we accrue a liability for the loss. When a loss is not both probable and estimable, we do not accrue a liability. Where a loss is not probable but is reasonably possible, including if a loss in excess of an accrued liability is reasonably possible, we determine whether it is possible to provide an estimate of the amount of the loss or range of possible losses for the claim. Because we cannot predict with certainty the ultimate resolution of the legal proceedings (including lawsuits, investigations, regulatory proceedings or claims) asserted against us, it is not currently possible to provide such an estimate. The ultimate outcome of pending legal proceedings to which we are a party may have a material adverse effect on our business, cash flows and results of operations or financial condition.

Shareholders' Equity

Shareholders' Equity	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Equity [Abstract]
Shareholders’ Equity	Shareholders’ Equity Common Stock Holders of our common stock are entitled to receive dividends when and as declared by our Board of Directors and have the right to one vote per share on all matters requiring shareholder approval. On June 9, 2016, our Board of Directors voted to eliminate the quarterly cash dividend on our common stock. Any future common stock dividends require the approval of a majority of the voting power of the Series A Preferred Stock. Preferred Stock Preferred Stock consists of 10,000,000 authorized preferred shares of $0.0001 par value each. As of June 30, 2019 and September 30, 2018, 700,000 shares of Series A Convertible Preferred Stock (Series A Preferred Stock) were issued and outstanding. The liquidation preference associated with the Series A Preferred Stock was $100 per share at June 30, 2019 . Pursuant to the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement, we may pay a cash dividend on each share of the Series A Preferred Stock at a rate of 7.5% per year on the liquidation preference then in effect (Cash Dividend). If we do not pay a Cash Dividend, the liquidation preference shall be increased to an amount equal to the current liquidation preference in effect plus an amount reflecting that liquidation preference multiplied by the Cash Dividend rate then in effect plus 2.0% per year (Accrued Dividend). Cash Dividends are payable semi-annually in arrears on September 30 and March 31 of each year, and begin to accrue on the first day of the applicable dividend period. We paid Cash Dividends of $2.6 million on March 28, 2019 and accrued Cash Dividends of $1.3 million as of June 30, 2019. Share Repurchase Program On December 20, 2011, our Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to $25.0 million of our common stock in the open market or through privately negotiated transactions. The timing and actual number of shares purchased will depend on a variety of factors such as price, corporate and regulatory requirements and prevailing market conditions. We may terminate or limit the share repurchase program at any time without prior notice. We did not repurchase shares during the nine months ended June 30, 2019 . As of June 30, 2019 , we have purchased 1,677,570 shares at an average price per share of $9.09 and a total cost of approximately $15.3 million under this program. Under the terms of the Securities Purchase Agreement, future stock purchases under this program require the approval of a majority of the voting power of the Series A Preferred Stock.

Earnings per Share

Earnings per Share	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Earnings per Share	Earnings per Share Basic net income (loss) per share has historically been calculated by dividing net income (loss) attributable to common stock by the weighted average number of common shares outstanding for the period. Our Series A Preferred Stock is considered a participating security because, in the event that we pay a dividend or make a distribution on the outstanding common stock, we shall also pay each holder of the Series A Preferred Stock a dividend on an as-converted basis. As such, for periods subsequent to the issuance of the Series A Preferred Stock, which occurred on June 24, 2016, we calculated basic earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. The two-class method is an earnings allocation formula that determines earnings per share for common stock and participating securities according to dividend and participation rights in undistributed earnings. Under this method, all earnings, distributed and undistributed, are allocated to common shares and participating securities based on their respective rights to receive dividends. The Series A Preferred Stock is not included in the computation of basic income (loss) per share in periods in which we have a net loss, as the Series A Preferred Stock is not contractually obligated to share in our net losses. Accordingly, the two-class method was not applicable for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018. Diluted net income per share is calculated using the more dilutive of the as-converted or the two-class method. The two-class method assumes conversion of all potential shares other than the participating securities. Dilutive potential common shares include outstanding stock options, unvested restricted share awards and units and convertible preferred stock. The basic and diluted net loss amounts are the same for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018 as a result of the net loss and anti-dilutive impact of the potentially dilutive securities. The following table summarizes the computation of basic and diluted loss per share under the as-converted method: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Loss available for distribution $ (1,674 ) $ (13,022 ) $ (17,272 ) $ (25,608 ) Weighted average number of shares Basic shares outstanding 25,498 25,186 25,410 25,084 Dilutive effect related to employee stock plans — — — — Diluted shares outstanding 25,498 25,186 25,410 25,084 Net loss per share - basic $ (0.07 ) $ (0.52 ) $ (0.68 ) $ (1.02 ) Net loss per share - diluted $ (0.07 ) $ (0.52 ) $ (0.68 ) $ (1.02 ) The following table summarizes the potential weighted average shares of common stock that were excluded from the determination of our diluted shares outstanding as they were anti-dilutive: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Outstanding stock-based grants 273 262 387 450 Convertible preferred stock 21,021 21,021 21,021 21,021 21,294 21,283 21,408 21,471

Segment Information

Segment Information	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Segment Information	Segment Information Our principal business is providing postsecondary education. We also provide manufacturer-specific training and these operations are managed separately from our campus operations. These operations do not currently meet the quantitative criteria for segments and therefore are reflected in the Other category. Our equity method investment and other non-Postsecondary Education operations are also included within the Other category. Corporate expenses are allocated to Postsecondary Education and the Other category based on compensation expense. Depreciation and amortization includes amortization of assets subject to a financing obligation. Summary information by reportable segment is as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Revenues Postsecondary education $ 75,396 $ 70,751 $ 232,561 $ 224,348 Other 3,646 4,144 11,277 12,367 Intersegment eliminations — (5 ) — (6 ) Consolidated $ 79,042 $ 74,890 $ 243,838 $ 236,709 Income (loss) from operations Postsecondary education $ (402 ) $ (10,253 ) $ (12,071 ) $ (21,284 ) Other (53 ) (1,547 ) (1,169 ) (2,940 ) Consolidated $ (455 ) $ (11,800 ) $ (13,240 ) $ (24,224 ) Depreciation and amortization (1) Postsecondary education $ 3,966 $ 3,376 $ 11,835 $ 11,239 Other 36 473 122 664 Consolidated $ 4,002 $ 3,849 $ 11,957 $ 11,903 Net loss Postsecondary education $ (413 ) $ (10,364 ) $ (12,474 ) $ (19,237 ) Other 48 (1,349 ) (871 ) (2,444 ) Consolidated $ (365 ) $ (11,713 ) $ (13,345 ) $ (21,681 ) June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Goodwill Postsecondary education $ 8,222 $ 8,222 Other — — Consolidated $ 8,222 $ 8,222 Total assets Postsecondary education $ 237,240 $ 275,427 Other 6,851 6,851 Consolidated $ 244,091 $ 282,278 (1) Excludes depreciation of training equipment obtained in exchange for services of $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and of $1.1 million and $1.0 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Government Regulation and Finan

Government Regulation and Financial Aid	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Government Regulation and Financial Aid [Abstract]
Government Regulation And Financial Aid	Government Regulation and Financial Aid Accreditation In July 2018, the Accrediting Commission of Career Schools and Colleges (ACCSC) conducted a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation at NASCAR Technical Institute, which resulted in zero findings. The campus was reaccredited at the February 2019 Commission meeting. The accreditation will expire in December 2023. In August 2018, ACCSC conducted a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation at our Orlando, Florida campus. On April 19, 2019, we received a Team Summary Report from ACCSC that summarized two findings from its visit to our campus in connection with renewing the campus’ accreditation. The first finding related to two programs that did not meet the employment benchmark set by ACCSC. Both programs did not meet the employment benchmark primarily due to low enrollment of only eight students available for employment across both programs. The second finding relates to not being able to provide documentation of our prior work experience verification for instructors hired prior to 2009. Due to a change in vendors for that service, verification records going back that far were no longer available. Since the on-site evaluation, we have reverified and documented that all instructors meet the minimum three-year practical work experience requirement, and we have provided the documentation in our Team Summary Report response. We responded to the Team Summary Report on May 31, 2019 in advance of the June 3, 2019 deadline. The campus will be considered for reaccreditation at the August 2019 Commission meeting. In September 2018, ACCSC conducted a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation at our Houston, Texas campus, which resulted in one finding of non-compliance. The Houston, Texas campus reported student graduation and employment rates that did not meet the ACCSC minimum benchmarks for the Collision Repair & Refinish Technology program and Core Collision Repair & Refinish Technology with Estimating. The campus has since discontinued the Core Collision Repair & Refinish Technology with Estimating program and the Collision Repair & Refinish Technology is now above the established benchmarks. The campus was reaccredited at the May 2019 Commission meeting. The accreditation will expire in February 2024. In December 2018, ACCSC conducted a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation at our Lisle, Illinois campus, which resulted in zero findings. The campus was reaccredited at the May 2019 Commission meeting. The accreditation will expire in February 2024. In February 2019, ACCSC conducted a branch verification on-site evaluation at our Bloomfield, New Jersey campus, which resulted in zero findings. The campus is currently engaged in the renewal of accreditation process and anticipates a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation in the fall of 2019. ACCSC also conducted a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation at our Avondale, Arizona campus, which resulted in zero findings. The campus will be considered for reaccreditation at the August 2019 Commission meeting. In March 2019, ACCSC conducted a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation at our Rancho Cucamonga, California campus, which resulted in zero findings. The campus will be considered for reaccreditation at the August 2019 Commission meeting. In April 2019, ACCSC conducted a renewal of accreditation on-site evaluation at our Phoenix, Arizona campus, which resulted in one finding. ACCSC found that the program name identified on the enrollment agreement and the transcript included internal codes and abbreviations that do not align with the state or ACCSC approvals. The enrollment agreement and transcript have been updated and no longer include internal codes or abbreviations in the program name. Under ACCSC procedures, we intend to respond to the Team Summary Report by the August 26, 2019 due date. The campus will be considered for reaccreditation at the November 2019 Commission meeting. State Authorization and Regulation Each of our institutions must be authorized by the applicable state education agency where the institution is located to operate and offer a postsecondary education program to its students. Our institutions are subject to extensive, ongoing regulation by each of these states. The level of regulatory oversight varies substantially from state to state and is extensive in some states. “See “Regulatory Environment - State Authorization and Regulation” in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018. States often change their requirements in response to the Department of Education (ED) regulations or to implement requirements that may impact institutional and student success, and our institutions must respond quickly to remain in compliance. Also, from time to time, states may transition authority between state agencies and we must comply with the new state agency’s rules, procedures and other documentation requirements. Changes in state requirements have resulted in changes to our recruiting and other operations in those states and have increased our costs of doing business. If any one of our campuses were to lose its authorization from the education agency of the state in which the campus is located, that campus would be unable to offer its programs and we could be forced to close that campus. If one of our campuses were to lose its authorization from a state other than the state in which the campus is located, that campus would not be able to recruit students in that state. As we previously reported, a series of bills were proposed in the California legislature that would impose substantial new requirements on our schools in California. In the ensuing period, there have been major proposed revisions to the bills, which decrease their potential risk to our current business; however, these bills are not final, and are still subject to additional change. The proposed new gainful employment standard for educational programs has been amended to remove penalties associated with a new measure of median student debt and California based wages; the proposal to set limitations on the percentage of revenue received from federal and state financial aid that would have been stricter than ED’s 90/10 rule was withdrawn by the author; and further restrictions on payments based on student success have been amended. We cannot predict the timing, content or impact of any final laws that may emerge from the California legislature on these or other topics. The enactment of one or more of these proposed laws or similar laws could create compliance challenges and impose substantial additional costs on our institutions which could have a material adverse effect on our cash flows, results of operations and financial condition. Regulation of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs Accreditation & Academic Definitions. On October 15, 2018, ED published a notice in the Federal Register announcing its intent to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee and three subcommittees to develop proposed regulations related to several matters, including, but not limited to, requirements for accrediting agencies in their oversight of member institutions and programs; criteria used by ED to recognize accrediting agencies; simplification of ED’s recognition and review of accrediting agencies; clarification of the core oversight responsibilities amongst accrediting agencies, states and ED; clarification of the permissible arrangements between an institution of higher education and another organization to provide a portion of an educational program; roles and responsibilities of institutions and accrediting agencies in the teach-out process; regulatory changes required to ensure equitable treatment of brick-and-mortar and distance education programs; regulatory changes required to enable expansion of direct assessment programs, distance education, and competency-based education; regulatory changes required to clarify disclosure and other requirements of state authorization; emphasizing the importance of institutional mission in evaluating its policies, programs and outcomes; simplification of state authorization requirements related to distance education; defining “regular and substantive interaction” as it relates to distance education and correspondence courses; defining the term “credit hour;” defining the requirements related to the length of educational programs and entry level requirements for the occupation; and other matters. On January 7, 2019, ED released a set of draft proposed regulations for consideration and negotiation by the negotiated rulemaking committee and subcommittees. The draft proposed regulations also cover additional topics including, but not limited to, amendments to current regulations regarding the clock to credit hour conversion formula for measuring the lengths of certain educational programs, the return of unearned Title IV funds received for students who withdraw before completing their educational programs, and the measurement of student academic progress. ED released additional revisions and updates to the draft proposed regulations prior to subsequent meetings of the committee and subcommittees in early 2019. The committee and subcommittees completed their meetings in April 2019 and reached consensus on draft proposed regulations. On June 12, 2019, ED published proposed regulations on a portion of these issues (primarily those related to accreditation) in a notice of proposed rulemaking in the Federal Register for public comment and to consider revisions to the regulations in response to the comments before publishing the final versions of the regulations. ED stated that it intends to publish proposed regulations on the remaining issues in a separate notice of proposed rulemaking, but did not indicate when it would publish these proposed changes. The proposed changes to the regulations remain subject to further change during the rulemaking process. We are in the process of reviewing the proposed regulations and will continue to monitor and review the proposed regulations as they evolve. At this time, we cannot provide any assurances as to the timing, content or impact of any final regulations arising from the negotiated rulemaking process. Compliance with Regulatory Standards and Requests. As described in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018, in connection with the issuance of our Series A Preferred Stock, effective July 2016 ED requested the submission of bi-weekly cash flow projection reports and a monthly student roster. On February 28, 2018, ED notified us that the cash flow projection reports would be required on a monthly basis instead of the previously requested bi-weekly basis. This special reporting will continue until we are otherwise notified by ED. Gainful Employment. As described in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018, ED gainful employment regulations include debt to earning (DE) metrics and disclosure requirements for program certifications, reporting and disclosure of program information and warnings. On July 1, 2019, ED issued final regulations that rescind the gainful employment regulations. The final regulations have an effective date of July 1, 2020. However, ED has stated in a June 28, 2019 electronic announcement that institutions may elect to implement immediately the new regulations and that institutions that early implement the regulations will not be required to report gainful employment data for the 2018-2019 award year, comply with requirements for including a gainful employment disclosure template in their promotional materials or directly distributing the disclosure template to prospective students, post gainful employment disclosures on their web pages, or comply with certification requirements for gainful employment. ED stated in the electronic announcement that institutions that do not early implement the new regulations are expected to comply with the existing gainful employment regulations by July 1, 2020. We have taken steps to early implement the new regulations. Defense to Repayment Regulations. The current regulations on borrower defense to repayment were published on November 1, 2016, with an effective date of July 1, 2017. As described in detail in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018, the current regulations include provisions related to Borrower Defense and Other Discharges, Financial Protection Requirements, Student Loan Repayment Rates, and Prohibitions on Pre-Dispute Contractual Provisions. See “Regulatory Environment - Defense to Repayment Regulations” in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018. On October 24, 2017, ED published an interim regulation that delayed until July 1, 2018 the effective date of the majority of the regulations. On February 14, 2018, a final rule was published in the Federal Register delaying until July 1, 2019 the effective date of the regulations. On September 12, 2018, a U.S. District Court judge issued an opinion concluding among other things that the delay in the effective date was unlawful. On October 16, 2018, the judge issued an order declining to extend a stay preventing the regulations from taking effect. Consequently, the November 1, 2016 regulations are now in effect. On March 15, 2019, ED issued an electronic announcement with guidance regarding the implementation of some of the provisions of the regulations that were published on November 1, 2016 (the “2016 Final Regulations”). • Borrower Defense to Repayment Standard: The 2016 Final Regulations established a federal standard for borrower defense to repayment applications based upon judgments against institutions, breaches of contract by institutions and substantial misrepresentations by institutions. See “Regulatory Environment - Defense to Repayment Regulations - Borrower Defense and Other Discharges” in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018. The electronic announcement states that this standard will be applied for borrower defense to repayment claims asserted as to loans first disbursed on or after July 1, 2017. • The Financial Responsibility Events, Actions, and Conditions : The 2016 Final Regulations included revisions to ED’s standards that institutions must meet to be deemed financially responsible. Among other things, the 2016 Final Regulations require institutions to notify ED within specified time frames for any one of an extensive list of events, actions, or conditions that occur on or after July 1, 2017. See “Regulatory Environment - Defense to Repayment Regulations - Financial Protection Requirements” in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018. ED acknowledged in the electronic announcement that some institutions may have been uncertain about how to comply with these requirements in light of the delays and court orders regarding the effective date of the 2016 Final Regulations. In general, ED gives institutions within 60 days of the electronic announcement to send notifications of actions, events, and conditions that occurred between the July 1, 2017 effective date of the 2016 Final Regulations and the date of the electronic announcement. However, there are exceptions. For example, institutions are not required to submit a notification for certain debts, liabilities and losses that occurred between July 1, 2017 and the last day of the fiscal year end for the most recent annual audit submission submitted to ED. The electronic announcement indicates that institutions have an ongoing responsibility to notify ED of subsequent actions, events, or conditions. One such event is the planned closure of our Norwood, Massachusetts campus in the fall of 2020, which we announced on February 18, 2019. The occurrence, and notification to ED, of such actions, events, or conditions could result in ED recalculating our composite score and/or requiring us to submit a letter of credit in an amount to be calculated by ED and agree to other conditions on our Title IV participation, which could have a material adverse effect on the company. In May 2019, we submitted our formal notification to ED regarding the closure of our Norwood, Massachusetts campus. We have not received a response from ED regarding our submission. • The Class Action Bans and Pre-dispute Arbitration Agreements Provisions: The announcement also includes guidance regarding prohibitions in the 2016 Final Regulations on class action bans and pre-dispute arbitration agreements, including implementation of the prohibitions, the types of claims to which the prohibitions do not apply, and the deadlines for submitting to ED copies of certain arbitral and judicial records in connection with certain proceedings concerning borrower defense claims. • Repayment Rate Disclosures: The guidance indicates that institutions will be notified at a later date about when and how they must provide repayment rate warnings to students in the future and of any changes to the content of the warning. ED also stated that institutions do not need to provide disclosures to enrolled and prospective students regarding the occurrence of financial actions, events or conditions until further notice from ED. ED published a notice of proposed rulemaking on July 31, 2018 that included proposed regulations for public comment that would modify the existing defense to repayment regulations, but has not issued final regulations. See “Regulatory Environment - Defense to Repayment Regulations” in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018. We cannot provide any assurances as to the timing, content or ultimate effective date of any such regulations. Closed School Loan Discharges . ED regulations state that ED may discharge a borrower’s obligation to repay certain Title IV loans if the borrower (or the student on whose behalf a parent borrowed) did not complete the program of study for which the loan was made because the campus at which the borrower (or student) was enrolled closed. The borrower may qualify for a discharge by submitting a request to ED and meeting specific requirements in the regulations. Borrowers generally may qualify for a discharge if they were enrolled at the campus at the time it closed, or if they were enrolled not more than 120 days before the campus closed, and if they did not complete their educational program through a teach-out at another school or by transferring academic credits earned at the closed school to another school. ED has the authority to extend the 120-day period for extenuating circumstances. If ED discharges the loans, ED may seek to recover from the school or other related parties the amount of loans discharged and to impose other liabilities and penalties. Consequently, if we close a campus, ED could discharge borrower obligations to repay certain Title IV loans in connection with loans received by all students enrolled in the campus at the time of its closure and by all students who withdrew from the campus120 days (or a longer period established by ED) prior to the closure and seek to recover the amount of the discharged loans and other liabilities and penalties. We may be able to mitigate these losses by conducting or arranging for an orderly teach-out of students at a closed campus, but these efforts could be unsuccessful if students decline to participate in the teach-out or transfer their credits to another school or if they fail to complete their programs. ED published a notice of proposed rulemaking on July 31, 2018 that included proposed regulations on a variety of topics, including amendments to regulations related to the discharge of student loans based on the school’s closure or a false claim of high school completion under certain circumstances, but has not published final regulations on this topic. We cannot provide any assurances as to the timing, content or ultimate effective date of any such regulations. See “Regulation of Federal Student Financial Aid Programs - Defense to Repayment Regulations” in our 2018 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on November 30, 2018. On February 18, 2019, we announced that our campus in Norwood, Massachusetts is no longer accepting new student applications, and its last class group of students started on March 18, 2019. The campus is expected to close in the fall of 2020. We intend to teach out all of the students currently enrolled at the campus although certain students may elect to withdraw before graduation and we cannot predict the number of any students who might withdraw prior to the closure of the campus and potentially qualify for a loan discharge.

Recent Accounting Pronounceme_2

Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Policies)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements	Recently Adopted Accounting Pronouncements In January 2017, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) issued Accounting Standards Update (ASU) 2017-01, Business Combinations (Topic 805): Clarifying the Definition of a Business. ASU 2017-01 clarifies the definition of a business. If substantially all of the fair value of the gross assets acquired is concentrated in a single identifiable asset or group of similar identifiable assets, then the acquisition is not a business. In addition, a business must include at least one substantive process. The standard is to be applied on a prospective basis to purchases or disposals of a business or an asset. We adopted ASU 2017-01 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact to our financial statements or disclosures. In August 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-15, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Classification of Certain Cash Receipts and Cash Payments, which clarifies how certain cash receipts and cash payments are presented and classified in the statement of cash flows. We adopted ASU 2016-15 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact on our consolidated statements of cash flows. In November 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-18, Statement of Cash Flows (Topic 230) - Restricted Cash. This guidance requires restricted cash and cash equivalents to be included with cash and cash equivalents on the statement of cash flows. We adopted ASU 2016-18 as of October 1, 2018 using the retrospective method of adjustment. As a result of our adoption of ASU 2016-18, net cash used in operating activities increased by less than $0.1 million and net cash provided by investing activities decreased by $1.4 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2018. The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows: June 30, 2019 June 30, 2018 Cash and cash equivalents $ 42,689 $ 55,968 Restricted cash 13,534 13,419 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in condensed consolidated statements of cash flows $ 56,223 $ 69,387 In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, Financial Instruments—Overall (Subtopic 825-10): Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities. ASU 2016-01 primarily impacts the accounting for equity investments other than those accounted for using the equity method of accounting, financial liabilities under the fair value option and the presentation and disclosure requirements for financial instruments. Additionally, the FASB clarified guidance related to the valuation allowance assessment when recognizing deferred tax assets resulting from unrealized losses on available-for-sale debt securities. The accounting for other financial instruments, such as loans, investments in debt securities and financial liabilities is largely unchanged. We adopted ASU 2016-01 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact to our financial statements or disclosures. In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, Income Statement—Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220): Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income. ASU 2018-02 amends Accounting Standards Codification (ASC) 220 to allow a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act" and requires entities to provide certain disclosures regarding stranded tax effects. We adopted ASU 2018-02 as of October 1, 2018. There was no impact to our financial statements or disclosures. Effective the First Quarter of Fiscal 2020: In February 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-02, Leases (Topic 842). ASU 2016-02 requires lessees to recognize a right-of-use asset and a lease liability on the balance sheet for substantially all leases, with the exception of short-term leases. Leases will be classified as either financing or operating, with classification affecting the pattern of expense recognition in the statement of income. In July 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-11, Leases (Topic 842) to provide entities with relief from the costs of implementing certain aspects of the new leasing standard. ASU 2018-11 allows entities to elect not to recast the comparative periods presented when transitioning to ASC 842. It also allows lessors to elect not to separate lease and nonlease components when certain conditions are met. In March 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-01, Lease (Topic 824): Codification Improvements . ASU 2019-01 clarifies certain items regarding lessor accounting. It also clarifies the interim disclosure requirements during transition. We are in the process of implementing a new enterprise-wide lease accounting system and are modifying internal controls to address the collection, recording and accounting for leases in accordance with ASC 842. We do expect this standard to have a material impact on our financial statements. ASC 842 also provides a package of transition practical expedients that allow an entity to not reassess (1) whether any expired or existing contracts contain a lease, (2) the lease classification of any expired or existing lease, and (3) initial direct costs for any existing lease. We expect to elect the package of transition practical expedients, and to use the modified retrospective method without the recasting of comparative periods’ financial information. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-13, Fair Value Measurement (Topic 820). ASU 2018-13 amends the disclosure requirements of ASC 820, changing the fair value measurement disclosure requirements of ASC 820 by adding new disclosure requirements, modifying existing disclosure requirements and eliminating other disclosure requirements. Early adoption is permitted. We are currently evaluating the impact that the standard will have on our financial statement disclosures. In August 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-15, Intangibles—Goodwill and other Internal-use Software (Subtopic 350-40) . ASU 2018-15 aligns the accounting for costs incurred to implement a cloud computing arrangement (CCA) that is a service arrangement with the guidance on capitalizing costs associated with developing or obtaining internal-use software. Specifically, the ASU amends ASC 350 to include in its scope implementation costs of a CCA that is a service contract and clarifies that a customer should apply ASC 350-40 to determine which implementation costs should be capitalized in a CCA that is considered a service contract. Early adoption is permitted. The effect of this new standard on our consolidated financial statements will be dependent on our entry into any future cloud computing arrangements. Effective the First Quarter of Fiscal 2021: In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments . ASU 2016-13 includes an impairment model (known as the current expected credit loss (CECL) model) that is based on expected losses rather than incurred losses. Under the new guidance, an entity recognizes as an allowance its estimate of expected credit losses (ECL), which the FASB believes will result in more timely recognition of such losses. In April 2019, the FASB issued ASU 2019-05 - Targeted Transition Relief, which provides transition relief to entities adopting ASU 2016-13. We are currently evaluating the impact that the update will have on our results of operations, financial condition and financial statement disclosures.
Revenue Recognition Policy	Nature of Goods and Services Postsecondary education. Revenues consist primarily of student tuition and fees derived from the programs we provide after reductions are made for discounts and scholarships that we sponsor and for refunds for students who withdraw from our programs prior to specified dates. We apply the five-step model outlined in Accounting Standards Codification Topic 606, Revenue from Contracts from Customers (ASC 606), which we adopted effective October 1, 2017. Tuition and fee revenue is recognized ratably over the term of the course or program offered. The majority of our core programs are designed to be completed in 33 to 102 weeks, and our advanced training programs range from 12 to 23 weeks in duration. We supplement our revenues with sales of textbooks and program supplies and other revenues, which are recognized as the transfer of goods or services occurs. Deferred revenue represents the excess of tuition and fee payments received as compared to tuition and fees earned and is reflected as a current liability in our consolidated balance sheets because it is expected to be earned within the next 12 months. Additionally, certain students participate in a proprietary loan program that extends repayment terms for their tuition. We purchase said loans from the lender, and based on historical collection rates believe a portion of these loans are collectible. Accordingly, we recognize tuition and loan origination fees financed by the loan and any related interest revenue under the effective interest method required under the loan based on the amount we expect to collect, and we recognize these revenues ratably over the term of the course or program offered. Other. We provide dealer technician training or instructor staffing services to manufacturers. Revenues are recognized as transfer of the services occurs. We provide postsecondary education and other services in the same geographical market, the U.S. The impact of economic factors on the nature, amount, timing and uncertainty of revenue and cash flows is consistent among our various postsecondary education programs. See Note 15 for disaggregated segment revenue information. Contract Balances Contract assets primarily relate to the Company’s rights to consideration for work completed in relation to its services performed but not billed at the reporting date. The contract assets are transferred to the receivables when the rights become unconditional. Currently, the Company does not have any contract assets which have not transferred to a receivable. The contract liabilities primarily relate to service contracts where we received payments but we have not yet satisfied the related performance obligations. The advance consideration received from customers for the services is a contract liability until services are provided to the customer.

Recent Accounting Pronounceme_3

Recent Accounting Pronouncements (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Restricted Cash	The following table provides a reconciliation of cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash reported within the condensed consolidated balance sheets that sum to the total of the same amounts shown in the condensed consolidated statements of cash flows: June 30, 2019 June 30, 2018 Cash and cash equivalents $ 42,689 $ 55,968 Restricted cash 13,534 13,419 Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in condensed consolidated statements of cash flows $ 56,223 $ 69,387

Revenue from Contracts with C_2

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Contract with Customer, Asset and Liability	The following table provides information about receivables and contract liabilities from contracts with customers: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Receivables, which includes Tuition and Notes Receivable $ 40,299 $ 46,372 Contract liabilities $ 27,672 $ 38,236

Postemployment Benefits (Tables

Postemployment Benefits (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Postemployment Benefits [Abstract]
Schedule of Changes in Accumulated Postemployment Benefit Obligations	The postemployment benefit accrual activity for the nine months ended June 30, 2019 was as follows: Liability Balance at Postemployment Cash Paid Other Liability Balance at June 30, 2019 Severance $ 372 $ 1,607 $ (932 ) $ (74 ) $ 973 Other 9 85 (22 ) (22 ) 50 Total $ 381 $ 1,692 $ (954 ) $ (96 ) $ 1,023 (1) Primarily relates to the reclassification of benefits between severance and other benefits.

Fair Value Measurements (Tables

Fair Value Measurements (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Fair Value Disclosures [Abstract]
Summary of Fair Value of Our Trading Securities, Money Market Funds, Notes Receivable and Corporate Bonds	Assets measured or disclosed at fair value on a recurring basis consisted of the following: Fair Value Measurements Using June 30, 2019 Quoted Prices Significant Significant Money market funds and corporate bonds $ 42,626 $ 42,626 $ — $ — Notes receivable 34,747 — — 34,747 Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis $ 77,373 $ 42,626 $ — $ 34,747 Fair Value Measurements Using September 30, 2018 Quoted Prices Significant Significant Money market funds $ 36,387 $ 36,387 $ — $ — Notes receivable 36,377 — — 36,377 Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis $ 72,764 $ 36,387 $ — $ 36,377 Money market funds and corporate bonds are reflected as cash and cash equivalents in our consolidated balance sheets. Notes receivable relate to our proprietary loan program.

Property and Equipment, net (Ta

Property and Equipment, net (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Property, Plant and Equipment [Abstract]
Property and Equipment, Net	Property and equipment, net consisted of the following: Depreciable June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Land — $ 3,189 $ 3,189 Buildings and building improvements 30-35 82,576 81,304 Leasehold improvements 1-28 53,399 54,310 Training equipment 3-10 97,072 95,795 Office and computer equipment 3-10 36,243 36,714 Curriculum development 5 19,692 19,692 Software developed for internal use 1-5 11,606 12,251 Vehicles 5 1,400 1,400 Construction in progress — 885 4,250 306,062 308,905 Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (199,572 ) (194,057 ) $ 106,490 $ 114,848
Assets Financed by Financing Obligations	The following amounts, which are included in the above table, represent assets financed by financing obligations: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Assets financed by financing obligations, gross $ 45,816 $ 45,816 Less accumulated depreciation and amortization (13,538 ) (11,526 ) Assets financed by financing obligations, net $ 32,278 $ 34,290

Investment in Unconsolidated _2

Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate [Abstract]
Equity Method Investment	Investment in unconsolidated affiliate consisted of the following and is included within other assets on our condensed consolidated balance sheet: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Carrying Value Ownership Percentage Carrying Value Ownership Percentage Investment in JV $ 4,304 27.972 % $ 4,206 27.972 % Investment in unconsolidated affiliate included the following activity during the period: Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 Balance at beginning of period $ 4,206 $ 4,112 Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliate 298 289 Return of capital contribution from unconsolidated affiliate (200 ) (229 ) Balance at end of period $ 4,304 $ 4,172

Accounts Payable and Accrued _2

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses	Accounts payable and accrued expenses consisted of the following: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Accounts payable $ 6,982 $ 8,759 Accrued compensation and benefits 18,646 22,022 Other accrued expenses 11,722 15,836 $ 37,350 $ 46,617

Income Taxes (Tables)

Income Taxes (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Schedule of Components of Income Tax Expense (Benefit)	The components of income tax expense are as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Current expense (benefit) United States federal $ 5 $ (119 ) $ — $ (125 ) State 26 (39 ) 253 (87 ) Total current expense (benefit) 31 (158 ) 253 (212 ) Deferred (benefit) expense United States federal — — — (2,878 ) State — — — 66 Total deferred benefit — — — (2,812 ) Total provision (benefit) for income taxes $ 31 $ (158 ) $ 253 $ (3,024 )
Schedule of Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation	The income tax provision differs from the tax that would result from application of the statutory federal tax rate of 21.0% to pre-tax loss for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2019 and 24.5% to pre-tax loss for the three and nine months ended June 30, 2018. The reasons for the differences are as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Income tax benefit at statutory rate $ (69 ) $ (2,909 ) $ (2,749 ) $ (6,053 ) State income taxes (benefits), net of federal tax benefit 24 (403 ) 204 (1,010 ) Current and deferred tax rate difference — 416 — 865 Increase in valuation allowance 14 2,750 2,630 3,119 Other, net 62 (12 ) 168 55 Total income tax expense (benefit) $ 31 $ (158 ) $ 253 $ (3,024 )
Schedule of Deferred Tax Assets and Liabilities	The components of the deferred tax assets (liabilities) recorded in the accompanying condensed consolidated balance sheets were as follows: June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Gross deferred tax assets Deferred compensation $ 1,303 $ 1,253 Reserves and accruals 4,576 4,794 Accrued tool sets 765 638 Deferred revenue 4,342 9,185 Deferred rent liability — 189 Net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards 13,678 5,389 Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment 4,680 3,740 Charitable contribution carryovers 1,188 804 Deductions limited by Section 382 668 700 Valuation allowance (26,921 ) (23,112 ) Total gross deferred tax assets 4,279 3,580 Gross deferred tax liabilities Amortization of goodwill and intangibles (2,056 ) (2,056 ) Prepaid and other expenses deductible for tax (2,552 ) (1,853 ) Total gross deferred tax liabilities (4,608 ) (3,909 ) Net deferred tax liabilities $ (329 ) $ (329 )
Schedule of Valuation and Qualifying Accounts Disclosure	The following table summarizes the activity for the valuation allowance for the nine months ended June 30, 2019 : Balance at Additions (Reductions) to Income Write-offs Balance at End of $ 23,112 $ 3,809 $ — $ 26,921

Earnings per Share (Tables)

Earnings per Share (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Summary of Calculation of Weighted Average Number of Shares Outstanding Used in Computing Basic and Diluted Net Income Loss Per Share	The following table summarizes the computation of basic and diluted loss per share under the as-converted method: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Loss available for distribution $ (1,674 ) $ (13,022 ) $ (17,272 ) $ (25,608 ) Weighted average number of shares Basic shares outstanding 25,498 25,186 25,410 25,084 Dilutive effect related to employee stock plans — — — — Diluted shares outstanding 25,498 25,186 25,410 25,084 Net loss per share - basic $ (0.07 ) $ (0.52 ) $ (0.68 ) $ (1.02 ) Net loss per share - diluted $ (0.07 ) $ (0.52 ) $ (0.68 ) $ (1.02 )
Schedule of Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share	The following table summarizes the potential weighted average shares of common stock that were excluded from the determination of our diluted shares outstanding as they were anti-dilutive: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 (In thousands) Outstanding stock-based grants 273 262 387 450 Convertible preferred stock 21,021 21,021 21,021 21,021 21,294 21,283 21,408 21,471

Segment Information (Tables)

Segment Information (Tables)	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019
Segment Reporting [Abstract]
Summary of Information by Reportable Segment	Summary information by reportable segment is as follows: Three Months Ended June 30, Nine Months Ended June 30, 2019 2018 2019 2018 Revenues Postsecondary education $ 75,396 $ 70,751 $ 232,561 $ 224,348 Other 3,646 4,144 11,277 12,367 Intersegment eliminations — (5 ) — (6 ) Consolidated $ 79,042 $ 74,890 $ 243,838 $ 236,709 Income (loss) from operations Postsecondary education $ (402 ) $ (10,253 ) $ (12,071 ) $ (21,284 ) Other (53 ) (1,547 ) (1,169 ) (2,940 ) Consolidated $ (455 ) $ (11,800 ) $ (13,240 ) $ (24,224 ) Depreciation and amortization (1) Postsecondary education $ 3,966 $ 3,376 $ 11,835 $ 11,239 Other 36 473 122 664 Consolidated $ 4,002 $ 3,849 $ 11,957 $ 11,903 Net loss Postsecondary education $ (413 ) $ (10,364 ) $ (12,474 ) $ (19,237 ) Other 48 (1,349 ) (871 ) (2,444 ) Consolidated $ (365 ) $ (11,713 ) $ (13,345 ) $ (21,681 ) June 30, 2019 September 30, 2018 Goodwill Postsecondary education $ 8,222 $ 8,222 Other — — Consolidated $ 8,222 $ 8,222 Total assets Postsecondary education $ 237,240 $ 275,427 Other 6,851 6,851 Consolidated $ 244,091 $ 282,278 (1) Excludes depreciation of training equipment obtained in exchange for services of $0.4 million and $0.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively, and of $1.1 million and $1.0 million for the nine months ended June 30, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Nature of the Business - Narrat

Nature of the Business - Narrative (Details)	Jun. 30, 2019Campus
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Number of campuses through which undergraduate degree, diploma and certificate programs are offered	13

Recent Accounting Pronounceme_4

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - ASU 2016-18 Transition (Details) - Accounting Standards Update 2016-18 $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2018USD ($)
New Accounting Pronouncements or Change in Accounting Principle [Line Items]
Decrease net cash used in operating activities (less than)	$ 0.1
Decrease net cash provided by investing activities	$ 1.4

Recent Accounting Pronounceme_5

Recent Accounting Pronouncements - Reconciliation (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017
Accounting Policies [Abstract]
Cash and cash equivalents	$ 42,689	$ 58,104	$ 55,968
Restricted cash	13,534	14,055	13,419
Total cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash shown in condensed consolidated statements of cash flows	$ 56,223	$ 72,159	$ 69,387	$ 64,960

Revenue from Contracts with C_3

Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Revenue from Contract with Customer [Abstract]
Receivables, which includes Tuition and Notes Receivable	$ 40,299	$ 46,372
Contract liabilities	$ 27,672	$ 38,236

Postemployment Benefits - Narra

Postemployment Benefits - Narrative (Details) $ in Millions	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)
Schedule Of Postemployment Benefits [Line Items]
Postemployment benefits liability, noncurrent	$ 0.9
Minimum
Schedule Of Postemployment Benefits [Line Items]
Period for payment of post employment benefit	1 month
Maximum
Schedule Of Postemployment Benefits [Line Items]
Period for payment of post employment benefit	24 months

Postemployment Benefits - Poste

Postemployment Benefits - Postemployment Activity (Details) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019USD ($)
Postemployment Benefits Disclosure [Line Items]
Liability Balance at September 30, 2018	$ 381
Postemployment Benefit Charges	1,692
Cash Paid	(954)
Other Non-cash	(96)
Liability Balance at June 30, 2019	1,023
Severance
Postemployment Benefits Disclosure [Line Items]
Liability Balance at September 30, 2018	372
Postemployment Benefit Charges	1,607
Cash Paid	(932)
Other Non-cash	(74)
Liability Balance at June 30, 2019	973
Other
Postemployment Benefits Disclosure [Line Items]
Liability Balance at September 30, 2018	9
Postemployment Benefit Charges	85
Cash Paid	(22)
Other Non-cash	(22)
Liability Balance at June 30, 2019	$ 50

Fair Value Measurements - Asset

Fair Value Measurements - Assets Measured at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis (Details) - Fair Value, Measurements, Recurring - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	$ 42,626	$ 36,387
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Money market funds and corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	42,626
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Money market funds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis		36,387
Quoted Prices in Active Markets for Identical Assets (Level 1) | Notes receivable
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	0	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	0	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Money market funds and corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Money market funds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis		0
Significant Other Observable Inputs (Level 2) | Notes receivable
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	0	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3)
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	34,747	36,377
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Money market funds and corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Money market funds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis		0
Significant Unobservable Inputs (Level 3) | Notes receivable
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	34,747	36,377
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	77,373	72,764
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement | Money market funds and corporate bonds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	42,626
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement | Money market funds
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis		36,387
Estimate of Fair Value Measurement | Notes receivable
Fair Value, Assets and Liabilities Measured on Recurring Basis [Line Items]
Total assets at fair value on a recurring basis	$ 34,747	$ 36,377

Property and Equipment, net (De

Property and Equipment, net (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 306,062	$ 308,905
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	(199,572)	(194,057)
Property and equipment, net	106,490	114,848
Land
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	3,189	3,189
Buildings and building improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 82,576	81,304
Buildings and building improvements | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	30 years
Buildings and building improvements | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	35 years
Leasehold improvements
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 53,399	54,310
Leasehold improvements | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	1 year
Leasehold improvements | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	28 years
Training equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 97,072	95,795
Training equipment | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	3 years
Training equipment | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	10 years
Office and computer equipment
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 36,243	36,714
Office and computer equipment | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	3 years
Office and computer equipment | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	10 years
Curriculum development
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	5 years
Property and equipment, gross	$ 19,692	19,692
Software developed for internal use
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 11,606	12,251
Software developed for internal use | Minimum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	1 year
Software developed for internal use | Maximum
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	5 years
Vehicles
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Depreciable Lives	5 years
Property and equipment, gross	$ 1,400	1,400
Construction in progress
Property, Plant and Equipment [Line Items]
Property and equipment, gross	$ 885	$ 4,250

Property and Equipment, net - A

Property and Equipment, net - Assets Financed by Financing Obligations (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Assets financed by financing obligations [Line Items]
Less accumulated depreciation and amortization	$ (13,538)	$ (11,526)
Assets financed by financing obligations, net	32,278	34,290
Buildings and building improvements
Assets financed by financing obligations [Line Items]
Assets financed by financing obligations, gross	$ 45,816	$ 45,816

Goodwill and Intangible Assets

Goodwill and Intangible Assets (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 8,222	$ 8,222
Orlando, Florida campus
Goodwill [Line Items]
Goodwill	$ 8,200

Investment in Unconsolidated _3

Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2017	Sep. 30, 2012
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 4,304	$ 4,206	$ 4,172	$ 4,112	$ 4,000
Ownership Percentage					28.00%
Investment in JV
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Carrying Value	$ 4,304	$ 4,206
Ownership Percentage	27.972%	27.972%

Investment in Unconsolidated _4

Investment in Unconsolidated Affiliate (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period			$ 4,206	$ 4,112
Equity in earnings of unconsolidated affiliate	$ 100	$ 96	298	289
Return of capital contribution from unconsolidated affiliate			(200)	(229)
Balance at end of period	4,304	$ 4,172	4,304	$ 4,172
Investment in JV
Schedule of Equity Method Investments [Line Items]
Balance at beginning of period			4,206
Balance at end of period	$ 4,304		$ 4,304

Accounts Payable and Accrued _3

Accounts Payable and Accrued Expenses (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Payables and Accruals [Abstract]
Accounts payable	$ 6,982	$ 8,759
Accrued compensation and benefits	18,646	22,022
Other accrued expenses	11,722	15,836
Accounts payable and accrued expenses, total	$ 37,350	$ 46,617

Income Taxes - Components of In

Income Taxes - Components of Income Tax Expense (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Components of income tax expense [Line Items]
Current expense (benefit)	$ 31	$ (158)	$ 253	$ (212)
Deferred (benefit) expense	0	0	0	(2,812)
Total provision (benefit) for income taxes	31	(158)	253	(3,024)
United States federal
Components of income tax expense [Line Items]
Current expense (benefit)	5	(119)	0	(125)
Deferred (benefit) expense	0	0	0	(2,878)
State
Components of income tax expense [Line Items]
Current expense (benefit)	26	(39)	253	(87)
Deferred (benefit) expense	$ 0	$ 0	$ 0	$ 66

Income Taxes - Reconciliation o

Income Taxes - Reconciliation of Tax Rate (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Effective Income Tax Rate Reconciliation, at Federal Statutory Income Tax Rate, Percent	21.00%	24.50%	21.00%	24.50%
Income tax benefit at statutory rate	$ (69)	$ (2,909)	$ (2,749)	$ (6,053)
State income taxes (benefits), net of federal tax benefit	24	(403)	204	(1,010)
Current and deferred tax rate difference	0	416	0	865
Increase in valuation allowance	14	2,750	2,630	3,119
Other, net	62	(12)	168	55
Income tax expense (benefit)	$ 31	$ (158)	$ 253	$ (3,024)

Income Taxes - Components of De

Income Taxes - Components of Deferred Tax Assets (Liabilities) (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018
Income Tax Disclosure [Abstract]
Deferred compensation	$ 1,303	$ 1,253
Reserves and accruals	4,576	4,794
Accrued tool sets	765	638
Deferred revenue	4,342	9,185
Deferred rent liability	0	189
Net operating losses and tax credit carryforwards	13,678	5,389
Depreciation and amortization of property and equipment	4,680	3,740
Charitable contribution carryovers	1,188	804
Deductions limited by Section 382	668	700
Valuation allowance	(26,921)	(23,112)
Total gross deferred tax assets	4,279	3,580
Amortization of goodwill and intangibles	(2,056)	(2,056)
Prepaid and other expenses deductible for tax	(2,552)	(1,853)
Total gross deferred tax liabilities	(4,608)	(3,909)
Net deferred tax liabilities	$ (329)	$ (329)

Income Taxes - Summary of Valua

Income Taxes - Summary of Valuation Allowance (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2019
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Balance at Beginning of Period		$ 23,112
Additions (Reductions) to Income Tax Expense		3,809
Write-offs		0
Balance at End of Period		$ 26,921
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Valuation Allowance, Tax Credit Carryforward
SEC Schedule, 12-09, Movement in Valuation Allowances and Reserves [Roll Forward]
Write-offs	$ 2,800

Shareholders' Equity - Narrativ

Shareholders' Equity - Narrative (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, $ in Thousands	9 Months Ended		90 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Sep. 30, 2018	Dec. 20, 2011
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]
Common stock, voting rights	1
Payment of preferred stock cash dividend	$ 2,618	$ 2,618
Dividends payable	$ 1,309	$ 1,309	$ 1,309	$ 0
Repurchase of common stock authorized by Board of Directors					$ 25,000
Purchased shares			1,677,570
Average price per share			$ 9.09
Aggregate cost of treasury stock repurchased during the period			$ 15,300
Series A Preferred Stock
Stockholders Equity Note [Line Items]
Preferred stock, shares authorized	10,000,000		10,000,000	10,000,000
Preferred stock, par value (in dollars per share)	$ 0.0001		$ 0.0001	$ 0.0001
Preferred stock, shares issued	700,000		700,000	700,000
Preferred stock, liquidation preference (in dollars per share)	$ 100		$ 100	$ 100
Preferred stock, dividend rate, percentage	7.50%
Preferred stock, dividend payment rate, variable	If we do not pay a Cash Dividend, the liquidation preference shall be increased to an amount equal to the current liquidation preference in effect plus an amount reflecting that liquidation preference multiplied by the Cash Dividend rate then in effect plus 2.0% per year (Accrued Dividend).

Earnings per Share - Calculatio

Earnings per Share - Calculation of earnings per share (Details) - USD ($) $ / shares in Units, shares in Thousands, $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Earnings Per Share [Abstract]
Loss available for distribution	$ (1,674)	$ (13,022)	$ (17,272)	$ (25,608)
Weighted average number of shares
Basic shares outstanding	25,498	25,186	25,410	25,084
Dilutive effect related to employee stock plans	0	0	0	0
Diluted shares outstanding	25,498	25,186	25,410	25,084
Net loss per share - basic (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.52)	$ (0.68)	$ (1.02)
Net loss per share - diluted (in dollars per share)	$ (0.07)	$ (0.52)	$ (0.68)	$ (1.02)

Earnings per Share - Schedule o

Earnings per Share - Schedule of antidilutive securities (Details) - shares shares in Thousands	3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	21,294	21,283	21,408	21,471
Restricted Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	273	262	387	450
Convertible Preferred Stock
Antidilutive Securities Excluded from Computation of Earnings Per Share [Line Items]
Antidilutive securities excluded from computation of earnings per share, amount	21,021	21,021	21,021	21,021

Segment Information (Details)

Segment Information (Details) - USD ($) $ in Thousands	3 Months Ended						9 Months Ended
	Jun. 30, 2019	Mar. 31, 2019	Dec. 31, 2018	Jun. 30, 2018	Mar. 31, 2018	Dec. 31, 2017	Jun. 30, 2019	Jun. 30, 2018	Sep. 30, 2018
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 79,042			$ 74,890			$ 243,838	$ 236,709
Income (loss) from operations
Income (loss) from operations	(455)			(11,800)			(13,240)	(24,224)
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization							9,945	9,891
Total depreciation and amortization	4,002			3,849			11,957	11,903
Net loss	(365)	$ (5,263)	$ (7,717)	(11,713)	$ (8,833)	$ (1,135)	(13,345)	(21,681)
Goodwill	8,222						8,222		$ 8,222
Total assets	244,091						244,091		282,278
Depreciation of training equipment obtained in exchange for services	400			300			1,066	1,022
Operating Segments | Postsecondary education
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	75,396			70,751			232,561	224,348
Income (loss) from operations
Income (loss) from operations	(402)			(10,253)			(12,071)	(21,284)
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	3,966			3,376			11,835	11,239
Net loss	(413)			(10,364)			(12,474)	(19,237)
Goodwill	8,222						8,222		8,222
Total assets	237,240						237,240		275,427
Corporate, Non-Segment | Other
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	3,646			4,144			11,277	12,367
Income (loss) from operations
Income (loss) from operations	(53)			(1,547)			(1,169)	(2,940)
Depreciation and amortization
Depreciation and amortization	36			473			122	664
Net loss	48			(1,349)			(871)	(2,444)
Goodwill	0						0		0
Total assets	6,851						6,851		$ 6,851
Intersegment eliminations
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenues	$ 0			$ (5)			$ 0	$ (6)

Uncategorized Items - uti-20190

Label	Element	Value
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 37,209,000
Retained Earnings [Member]
Cumulative Effect of New Accounting Principle in Period of Adoption	us-gaap_CumulativeEffectOfNewAccountingPrincipleInPeriodOfAdoption	$ 37,209,000