SEC Form DEF 14A filed by Universal Technical Institute Inc

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2024 was a year of significant achievement for Universal Technical Institute, Inc. as we balanced purpose with profit to create excellent student outcomes and provide value for our shareholders.

The Concorde and UTI divisions had many successes, including announcing plans for a first-of-its-kind campus co-branded with Heartland Dental, a longtime partner of Concorde Career Colleges; launching a multi-brand consolidation to leverage the renowned UTI name; the introduction of new programs and expansion of existing offerings across both divisions; award recognitions for our campuses’ exemplary graduation and placement rates; and the addition of more employer partners as we marked milestone anniversaries with some of the nation’s foremost companies. On behalf of the Executive Leadership Team and our Board of Directors, I want to thank our employees, who represent the very best of our industry and consistently demonstrate exceptional dedication to our students and partners.

Underpinning this success is our corporate North Star Strategy. In 2024, we concluded phase one of this strategy and made significant progress toward its core tenets of growth, diversification, and optimization. Phase two of the strategy is now underway and will accelerate our work to prepare even more skilled collar workers in industries that are pillars of the American economy.

Our ambitious agenda includes launching new programs and courses across our campuses, with an emphasis on high-demand fields like healthcare and aviation; laying the groundwork for significant campus expansions in three new locations; and enhancing our curriculum to align with industry trends like electric vehicles and renewable energy. We also continue to explore strategic acquisition opportunities that will complement our healthcare footprint. These initiatives put us in a strong position to meet the growing demand for skilled workers and reach our fullest potential as the nation’s leading provider of workforce solutions.

You are cordially invited to attend the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (the “Company,” “UTI,” “we,” “us” or “our”), to be held on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard time. The Annual Meeting will be a completely “virtual” meeting of stockholders. You will be able to attend the Annual Meeting as well as vote and submit your questions during the live webcast of the meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UTI2025 and entering the 16-digit control number included in your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, on your proxy card or in the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

The attached proxy statement, with the accompanying notice of meeting, contain details of the business to be conducted at the Annual Meeting. We urge you to review these materials carefully and to take part in the business of our company by voting on the matters described in the accompanying proxy statement. We hope that you will be able to attend the meeting during which our directors and senior leadership team will be available to answer questions.

Your vote is important. Whether or not you attend the Annual Meeting, it is important that your shares be represented and voted at the meeting. Therefore, I urge you to promptly vote and submit your proxy before the meeting so that your shares will be represented and voted at the meeting, even if you cannot attend in person. If you attend the meeting virtually, you may continue to have your shares of stock voted as instructed in a previously delivered proxy or you may electronically revoke your proxy and vote your shares of stock online during the meeting. We look forward to your participation.

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I would like to express our appreciation for your continued interest in the affairs of UTI. We look forward to seeing you at the Annual Meeting.

Sincerely,

 

Robert T. DeVincenzi

Chairman of the Board of Directors

January 15, 2025

This proxy statement is dated January 15, 2025 and is first being made available to stockholders

on or about January 15, 2025.

UNIVERSAL TECHNICAL INSTITUTE, INC.

4225 E. WINDROSE DRIVE

SUITE 200

PHOENIX, ARIZONA 85032

(623) 445-9500

The 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (“Annual Meeting”) of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (the “Company,” “UTI,” “we,” “us” or “our”) will be held on Thursday, March 6, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard time. The Annual Meeting will be a completely “virtual” meeting of stockholders and you will be able to attend the Annual Meeting by visiting www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UTI2025 and entering the 16-digit control number included in your Notice of Internet Availability of Proxy Materials, on your proxy card or in the instructions that accompanied your proxy materials.

Important Notice Regarding the Availability of Proxy Materials for the Annual Meeting to be Held on March 6, 2025. The Notice of Annual Meeting, Proxy Statement and the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 (which constitutes our annual report to stockholders) are available electronically at https://investor.uti.edu.

By Order of the Board of Directors,

 

This Proxy Statement is furnished in connection with the solicitation by the Board of Directors (our “Board”) of Universal Technical Institute, Inc. (the “Company,” “UTI,” “we,” “us” or “our”), of proxies for use in voting at the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “Annual Meeting”) to be held virtually on March 6, 2025 at 9:30 a.m. Eastern Standard time at www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UTI2025, and any adjournment or postponement thereof. On January 15, 2025, we expect to begin mailing a notice containing instructions on how to access this Proxy Statement and our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024 (the “2024 Annual Report”) online. The date of this Proxy Statement is January 15, 2025.

Please see the section titled “Questions and Answers About the Proxy Materials and Voting Information” for important information about the proxy materials, voting, the Annual Meeting, UTI’s corporate governance documents and communications. Please see the section titled “Submission of Stockholder Proposals for 2026 Annual Meeting” for the deadlines to submit stockholder proposals and director nominees for the 2026 annual meeting of stockholders. Additional questions may be directed to Christopher E. Kevane, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, at Universal Technical Institute, Inc., 4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032.

Please also visit UTI’s 2025 Annual Meeting website, www.virtualshareholdermeeting.com/UTI2025 to easily access our interactive proxy materials, vote through the Internet, submit questions in advance of the 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, and listen to a live webcast of the meeting.

Our Board currently has ten (10) members, the majority of whom are “independent” in accordance with the published listing requirements of the New York Stock Exchange (the “NYSE”). Our Board is divided into three (3) classes, as set forth below:

Our Board, acting on the recommendation of the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee of our Board (our “Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee”), has nominated Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Shackelton, Mr. Slubowski and Mr. Trammell for election as Class III Directors, each to serve a three-year term ending in 2028, or until the director’s successor is duly elected and qualified. It is intended that the votes represented by the proxies at the Annual Meeting will be cast for the election of Ms. Sanchez, Mr. Shackelton, Mr. Slubowski and Mr. Trammell as Class III Directors.

Director Nominees. The following table and text present information as of the date of this Proxy Statement concerning the nominees for election as Class III Directors, including in each case their current membership on committees of our Board, the year they were first elected or appointed as a director, their principal occupations or affiliations during the last five years, other directorships currently held or held during the past five years, and the experiences, qualifications, attributes or skills each of them brings to our Board. We believe that each of the director nominees possesses an ability, as demonstrated by recognized success in his or her field, to make meaningful contributions to our Board’s oversight of the business and affairs of UTI.

The terms of Messrs. DeVincenzi and Grant and Ms. Okinaka, our Class I Directors, are scheduled to end in 2026 and the terms of Mr. Brochick, General Lennox and Ms. Srere are scheduled to end in 2027.

We believe that effective corporate governance is critical to our ability to create long-term value for our stockholders. Accordingly, we have structured our corporate governance to align our interests with those of our stockholders in the following ways:

Board Leadership Structure. Under our Corporate Governance Guidelines, our Board may appoint a Chairman of the Board in any manner that is in the best interests of UTI. In making leadership structure determinations, our Board considers many factors, including the specific characteristics and circumstances existing at that time, whether the role of Chairman should be separate from that of the Chief Executive Officer and, if the roles are separate, whether the Chairman should be selected from the independent directors or from management. Our Board believes that no single board leadership model is universally or permanently appropriate and will periodically review the performance of the sitting Chairman and determine whether or not that selection should remain in effect.

Our Corporate Governance Guidelines call for regular executive sessions of the non-management directors (those not employed by us). Our Board believes that these regular executive sessions outside of the presence and influence of management ensure that non-management directors have sufficient opportunity to fully and candidly discuss ideas and issues regarding UTI, management’s performance, and whether Board operations are satisfactory. The non-executive Chairman or the lead director, as applicable, will lead and preside over these executive sessions and will organize and establish the agenda for these sessions. If the non-executive Chairman or lead director, as applicable, is absent or such positions are vacant, the non-management directors will select from among them who will preside over any executive sessions. Mr. DeVincenzi, as non-executive Chairman of the Board, leads and presides over our Board’s executive sessions.

“Independent” Directors. Our Board has determined that Messrs. Brochick, DeVincenzi, Trammell, Slubowski, General Lennox, Shackleton and Mses. Okinaka, Srere and Sanchez qualify as “independent” in accordance with the published listing requirements of the NYSE. The NYSE’s independence definition includes a series of objective tests, such as that the director is not an employee of the listed company, has no material relationships with the listed company, and has not engaged in various types of business dealings with the listed company. An explanation of the independence standard used by our Board, which incorporates the NYSE independence definition, is set forth in our Corporate Governance Guidelines adopted by our Board and discussed elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. Our Board considers all relevant facts and circumstances in evaluating the independence of its members from management. Non-material business transactions conducted in the ordinary course of business are not determinative of the issue of independence. As required by NYSE rules and regulations, our Board has made an affirmative determination as to each independent director that no relationships exist which, in the opinion of our Board, would interfere with the exercise of independent judgment in carrying out the responsibilities of a director, and has affirmatively determined that each independent director meets the independence standard used by our Board. In making these determinations, our Board reviewed and discussed information provided by the directors and our management with regard to each director’s business and personal activities as they may relate to us and our management.

“Independence” for Audit Committee and Compensation Committee Members and “Audit Committee Financial Experts.” As required by NYSE rules and regulations, each member of the Audit Committee of our Board (our “Audit Committee”) qualifies as “independent” under special standards established by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) for members of audit committees, and each member of the Compensation Committee of our Board (our “Compensation Committee”) qualifies as “independent” under special standards established by the NYSE for members of compensation committees. Our Audit Committee also includes at least one independent member whom our Board has determined meets the qualifications of an “audit committee financial expert” in accordance with SEC rules and regulations, including the requirement that such person satisfies the criteria for an “independent director.” Our Board has determined that each of Messrs. DeVincenzi and Trammell and Ms. Okinaka, each of whom serves on our Audit Committee, is an “audit committee financial expert.”

Board’s Role in Risk Oversight. Our Board oversees our risk management function and ensures that management develops sound business strategies. Our Board’s close involvement in setting our business strategy and objectives is integral to its assessment of ongoing business risks, determinations of appropriate levels of risk and how to effectively manage risk. In fulfilling this risk management responsibility, our Board regularly receives reports and/or presentations from applicable members of management and the committees of our Board. In particular, our Board continually evaluates risks relating to financial matters, legal, and regulatory issues, operational and strategic considerations and fraud, and addresses individual risks on a case-by-case basis with management, as necessary.

Our Board and its committees meet throughout the year on a set schedule, hold special meetings, and act by written consent from time to time, as appropriate. Our Board has delegated various responsibilities and authority to different Board committees, which regularly report on their activities and actions to the full Board. In addition, our Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines that call for regular executive sessions of the non-management directors.

In fiscal 2024, our Board met seven (7) times. Each of our directors attended more than 75% of the aggregate of the total number of Board meetings and the total number of meetings held by all committees on which he or she served that were held during the 2024 fiscal year and that were held while such person was a director of the Company or a member of such committee.

Our Board has five (5) standing committees: Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance, Government Affairs and Public Policy, and Strategic Opportunities. Each member of our Audit, Compensation, Nominating and Corporate Governance, Government Affairs and Public Policy, and Strategic Opportunities Committees is an independent director in accordance with NYSE standards. Each of our Board committees has a

written charter approved by our Board. Copies of each charter are posted on our website at www.uti.edu under the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance—Committee Charters” captions. We will provide copies of our Board committee charters upon request made in writing to us at our principal executive offices at 4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032.

Our Board adopted a charter for our Compensation Committee that provides, among other things, that our Compensation Committee may, at its discretion, utilize consultants, counsel, or other advisers to assist our Compensation Committee in fulfilling its duties. Pursuant to its written charter, our Compensation Committee has the sole authority to retain, obtain the advice of or terminate any such consultant, counsel or other adviser, including sole authority to approve the fees and other retention terms. Our Compensation Committee has retained Pearl Meyer & Partners, LLC (“Pearl Meyer”), a national compensation consulting firm, to assist as independent compensation consultants. For additional information on the role of compensation consultants, please see “Compensation Discussion and Analysis— Role of Compensation Consultants,” which is included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement. Other than their review and analysis of officer and director compensation as discussed in this Proxy Statement, Pearl Meyer did not provide any additional services to us during the 2024 fiscal year.

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also reviews and makes recommendations to our Board regarding the size and the composition of our Board. In addition, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will review and consider properly submitted stockholder recommendations on candidates for membership on our Board as described below. In evaluating such recommendations, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will use the same review criteria discussed below under “Director Qualifications and Review of Director Nominees.” Any stockholder recommendations proposed for consideration by our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee must include the candidate’s name, accompanied by relevant biographical information, and must be submitted in accordance with our Bylaws to the attention of our Secretary at Universal Technical Institute, Inc., 4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032.

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee makes recommendations to our Board regarding the size and composition of our Board. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews annually with our Board the composition of our Board as a whole and recommends, if necessary, measures to be taken so that our Board reflects the appropriate balance of knowledge, experience, skills, expertise, and diversity required for our Board, as a whole, and contains at least the minimum number of independent directors required by the NYSE and other applicable laws and regulations. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee is responsible for ensuring the composition of our Board accurately reflects the needs of our business and, in accordance with the foregoing, proposing the addition of members and the necessary resignation of members for purposes of obtaining the appropriate members and skills.

Though neither our Board nor our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee has a formal policy concerning diversity, our Board values diversity on our Board, believes diversity should be considered in the director identification and nominating process, and seeks to compose a Board that is holistically diverse, with a range of views, backgrounds, leadership and business experience, and that includes women and underrepresented minorities. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also considers the extent to which a candidate would fill a present need on our Board. In selecting director nominees, our Board seeks to

monitor the mix of specific experiences, qualifications, and skills of its members in order to assure that our Board, as a whole, has the necessary tools to perform its oversight function effectively in light of UTI’s business and structure, as highlighted in the following director qualifications matrix.

 

To fulfill its responsibility to recruit and recommend to the full Board nominees for election as directors, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee reviews the composition of our Board to determine the qualifications and areas of expertise needed to further enhance the composition of our Board and works to attract candidates with those qualifications. In evaluating a director candidate, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers factors that are in the best interests of the Company and its stockholders, including the knowledge, experience, and integrity of each candidate; the potential contribution of each candidate to the diversity of backgrounds, experience, and competencies which our Board desires to have represented; each candidate’s ability to devote sufficient time and effort to his or her duties as a director; and any other criteria established by our Board and any core competencies or technical expertise necessary to staff committees of our Board. Director candidates must have a background and experience in areas important to our operations, such as business, education, healthcare, marketing, finance, government, or law, and should be individuals of high integrity and independence with substantial accomplishments. Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee does not assign specific weights to any particular criteria. Rather, our Board believes that the backgrounds and qualifications of the directors, considered as a group, should provide a composite mix of experience, knowledge, and abilities that will allow our Board to fulfill its responsibilities. In connection with each director nomination recommendation, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee considers the issue of continuing director tenure and whether our Board will be exposed to new ideas and viewpoints and will maintain willingness to critically examine the status quo.

In connection with director nominations, our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee also considers each nominee’s ability to (i) assist with our business strategy, (ii) oversee our efforts in complying with the disclosure requirements of the SEC and the NYSE, (iii) assist in improving our internal controls and disclosure controls, and (iv) oversee our corporate governance and leadership structure.

Our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee will consider nominees recommended by stockholders for election to our Board, provided the names of such nominees, accompanied by relevant biographical information, are submitted in accordance with our Bylaws. Pursuant to our Bylaws, a stockholder may nominate a person for election to our Board by making timely notice in proper written form to our Secretary. To be timely, a stockholder’s notice must be delivered to or mailed to and received by our Secretary at the principal executive offices of the Company at

4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032, not less than 90 days nor more than 120 days in advance of the first anniversary of the preceding year’s annual meeting; provided, however, that in the event that (i) no annual meeting was held in the previous year, or (ii) the date of the annual meeting has been changed by more than 30 days from the date of the previous year’s meeting, or (iii) in the event of a special meeting of stockholders called for the purpose of electing directors, not later than the close of business on the 10th day following the day on which notice of the date of the meeting was mailed or public disclosure of the date of the meeting was made, whichever occurs first. To be in proper written form, such stockholder’s notice to our Secretary shall set forth in writing (a) as to each person whom such stockholder proposes to nominate for election or re-election as a director, all information relating to such person that is required to be disclosed in solicitations of proxies for election of directors, or is otherwise required, in each case pursuant to Regulation 14A under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), including, without limitation, such person’s written consent to being named in the proxy statement as a nominee and to serving as director if elected, as well as (i) such person’s name, age, business address, and residence address, (ii) his or her principal occupation or employment, (iii) the class and number of shares of the Company that are beneficially owned by such person, (iv) a statement as to whether such person, if elected, intends to tender, promptly following such person’s failure to receive the required vote for re-election at the next meeting which such person would face re-election, an irrevocable resignation effective upon acceptance of such resignation by our Board, in accordance with our Corporate Governance Guidelines, and (v) a description of all arrangements or understandings between the stockholder and each nominee and any other person or persons (naming such person or persons) pursuant to which the nominations are to be made by the stockholder; and (b) as to such stockholder (i) the name and address, as they appear on the Company’s books, of such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made, (ii) the class and number of shares of the Company which are beneficially owned by such stockholder and the beneficial owner, if any, on whose behalf the nomination is made, and any material interest of such stockholder and owner, and (iii) a description of any agreement, arrangement, or understanding (including any derivative or short positions, profit interests, options, hedging transactions, and borrowed or loaned shares) that has been entered into as of the date of the stockholder’s notice to our Secretary by, or on behalf of, the stockholder or any of its affiliates or associates, the effect or intent of which is to mitigate loss to, manage risk, or benefit of share price changes for, or increase or decrease the voting power of the stockholder or any of its affiliates or associates with respect to shares of stock of the Company, and a representation that the stockholder will notify us in writing within five (5) business days after the record date for such meeting of any such agreement, arrangement or understanding in effect as of the record date for the meeting.

Although we do not have a formal policy regarding attendance by members of our Board at annual meetings of stockholders, we expect that our directors will participate in our meetings, absent a valid reason for not doing so. All of our directors then serving on our Board attended the 2024 annual meeting of stockholders.

We will conduct the Annual Meeting on March 6, 2025 as a “virtual meeting,” allowing our stockholders to join remotely from anywhere with an Internet connection or access to a telephone. Our virtual meeting platform empowers stockholders to submit questions to our Board and management team, who are then able to thoughtfully review and respond to those questions in an organized manner. Virtual stockholder meetings also offer other benefits. We avoid the time, effort, and elevated expenses of organizing physical meetings which historically have been attended by only a few stockholders; our stockholders who wish to attend our annual meeting do not need to incur travel and other costs to do so; and we reduce the environmental impact our annual meetings have by cutting transport and related carbon emissions, paper materials, and other negative impacts necessarily a part of a physical meeting. Our virtual meeting platform also allows us to better track attendance and more easily verify the identity of our stockholders. We believe these factors allow us to conduct our annual meetings in a manner that is more meaningful to us and our stockholders.

We remain very sensitive to concerns regarding virtual meetings generally from investor advisory groups and other stockholder rights advocates, who have suggested that virtual meetings may diminish stockholder voice or reduce accountability. Accordingly, we employ a virtual format that is designed to enhance, rather than constrain, stockholder access, participation, and communication. For example, the virtual format allows stockholders to

communicate with us during the meeting so they can ask questions of our Board or management. During the question-and-answer session of the meeting, we will answer questions as time permits and at the discretion of our Chairman. The live webcast is available only to stockholders of record as of January 8, 2025. We believe the virtual format is beneficial and appropriate in the context of our broader direct outreach program and given our geographic location, which is far removed from the offices of our principal investors.

Stockholders and other interested parties may communicate with the Chairman of our Board, the directors as a group, the non-management directors as a group, or an individual director directly by submitting a letter addressed to the named individual, the committee, the group, or our Board as a whole c/o Christopher E. Kevane, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, at Universal Technical Institute, Inc., 4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032.

We have a Code of Conduct (including a Supplemental Code of Ethics for the Chief Executive Officer and Senior Financial Officers) (collectively, the “Code of Conduct”) that applies to all of our employees, including our principal executive officer, principal financial officer, and principal accounting officer. This Code of Conduct is posted on our website at www.uti.edu under the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance—Code of Conduct” captions. We will provide a copy of the Code of Conduct upon request made by writing to us at our principal executive offices at 4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032.

As indicated elsewhere in this Proxy Statement, our Board has adopted Corporate Governance Guidelines, which are posted on our website at www.uti.edu under the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance—Board of Directors” captions. We will provide a copy of the Corporate Governance Guidelines upon request made by writing to us at our principal executive offices at 4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032.

Both the Board and the Company have long acted to foster a diverse and vibrant workplace, as we believe that we must have the best talent, including individuals who possess a broad range of experiences, backgrounds and skills that enable us to anticipate and meet the needs of our business. Over time, we have hired, developed and retained a diverse workforce that is a key component in our success.

Our ability to attract, develop and retain diverse talent is reflected at both the board and management levels:

The Board believes that a diverse Board and management team are an important part of the Company’s culture.

There are no family relationships among any of our directors and executive officers, except that Mr. Sherrell E. Smith, our Executive Vice President, Chief Academic Officer, is married to Ms. Lori B. Smith, our Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer.

At our 2021 annual meeting of stockholders, a supermajority of our stockholders approved an amendment to our certificate of incorporation, and our Board subsequently approved a conforming amendment to our bylaws, that allows stockholders to amend the Company’s certificate of incorporation and bylaws, as applicable, upon the affirmative vote of the holders of fifty percent (50%) or more of the shares of the then outstanding voting stock of the Company entitled to vote generally in the election of directors, voting together as a single class, pursuant to a binding proposal submitted for approval at a duly called annual meeting or special meeting of stockholders.

The annual cash retainer for our non-management directors is $50,000. Each non-management director also receives an annual award under our Amended and Restated 2021 Equity Incentive Plan, of shares of common stock equal to approximately $100,000 on the date of grant. In addition, each non-management director also receives reimbursement for out-of-pocket expenses, including travel expenses on commercial flights or the equivalent cost of advance purchase first class commercial travel for non-management directors utilizing private aircraft. Upon election or appointment to our Board, our new non-management directors receive an award of shares of common stock equal to the annual award amount, pro-rated from the date of election or appointment.

In fiscal 2024, the non-executive Chairman of the Board received an additional annual cash retainer of $100,000. The lead director, if any, would receive an additional annual retainer of $20,000. The chairperson of our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee received an additional annual cash retainer of $12,000, the chairperson of our Compensation Committee received an additional annual cash retainer of $15,000, the chairpersons of our Audit Committee, Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee, and Strategic Opportunities Committee each received an additional annual cash retainer of $25,000. The non-chairperson directors serving on our Compensation Committee and our Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee each received an additional annual cash retainer of $6,000. The non-chairperson directors serving on our Audit Committee and our Government Affairs and Public Policy Committee each received an additional annual cash retainer of $8,000. The non-chairperson directors serving on our Strategic Opportunities Committee each received an additional annual cash retainer of $15,000. No director received additional compensation for meeting attendance. Directors who are also officers do not receive any separate compensation for serving as directors.

Historically, our non-management directors were also eligible to participate in a nonqualified deferred compensation plan (our “Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan”), which has since been frozen. Under our Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan our directors were allowed to set aside a portion of their income for retirement on a pre-tax basis. A non-management director could defer up to 100% of cash Board compensation earned in the calendar year. Our Nonqualified Deferred Compensation Plan is more fully discussed in the “Compensation Discussion and Analysis” section included elsewhere in this Proxy Statement.

The following table sets forth a summary of the compensation we paid to our non-management directors in fiscal 2024.

Indemnification. We indemnify our directors and officers to the fullest extent permitted by law so that they will be free from undue concern about personal liability by reason of their service to us. We have also entered into indemnification agreements with our directors, contractually obligating us to provide this indemnification to them.

Our Audit Committee has selected Deloitte & Touche LLP (“Deloitte”) as our independent registered public accounting firm to perform an integrated audit of our financial statements for the year ending September 30, 2025 and of our internal control over financial reporting as of September 30, 2025. In taking this action, our Audit Committee considered Deloitte’s independence with respect to the services to be performed and other factors that our Audit Committee and our Board believe are advisable and in the best interest of our stockholders. As a matter of good corporate governance, our Audit Committee has decided to submit its selection to our stockholders for ratification. In the event that our selection of Deloitte is not ratified by a majority vote of the shares of capital stock present or represented at the Annual Meeting, it will be considered as a direction to our Audit Committee to consider the selection of a different firm.

As more fully described below, all services provided by Deloitte as our independent registered public accounting firm are pre-approved by our Audit Committee, including audit services, audit-related services, tax services and certain other services.

The following table sets forth the aggregate fees paid by us to Deloitte for professional services rendered in connection with the audit of our consolidated financial statements for fiscal 2024 and 2023:

Our Audit Committee has determined that the provision of services to us described in the foregoing table was compatible with maintaining Deloitte’s independence. All (100%) of the services described in the foregoing table with respect to us and our subsidiaries were approved by our Audit Committee in conformity with our pre-approval policy (as described below).

It is expected that representatives of Deloitte will be present at the Annual Meeting, will have the opportunity to make a statement if they desire and will be available to respond to any appropriate questions from stockholders.

Pre-Approval of Audit Services. Our Audit Committee meets with representatives from Deloitte prior to the audit to review the planning and staffing of the audit and approve the services to be provided by Deloitte in connection with the audit.

Pre-Approval of Non-Audit Services. Our Audit Committee reviews and approves in advance the retention of Deloitte for any non-audit service that is not prohibited by the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“SOX”), provided, however, that:

(a) permitted non-audit services that account for less than $10,000 shall be deemed to be pre-approved, and

(b) as permitted by Section 302 of SOX, such pre-approval is waived and shall not be required with respect to non-audit services:

(i) that account, in the aggregate, for less than 5% of the total fees paid by us to our independent registered public accounting firm during the fiscal year in which such non-audit services are provided;

(ii) that we did not recognize as “non-audit” services at the time of the engagement; and

(iii) that are promptly brought to the attention of, and approved by, our Audit Committee before the completion of the audit (and such approval may be given by our Audit Committee or any member of our Audit Committee).

Our Audit Committee may delegate to any one of its members the authority to grant pre-approval of any permitted non-audit services that account for between $10,000 and $20,000 (and except as otherwise provided in a resolution of our Audit Committee adopted hereafter, our Audit Committee shall be deemed to have delegated such authority, such that any one member of our Audit Committee shall have the authority to grant pre-approval of any permitted non-audit services within such dollar limits). The pre-approval of any non-audit services pursuant to delegated authority or deemed approval shall be reported to our full Audit Committee at its next scheduled meeting. Approval of non-audit services to be performed by our independent registered public accounting firm pursuant to clause (b) above will be disclosed by us as required pursuant to Section 202 of SOX in the applicable reports filed with the SEC.

The Audit Committee operates under a written charter adopted by the Board that outlines its responsibilities and the practices it follows. The Audit Committee charter is available on the Company’s website at www.uti.edu under the “Investor Relations—Corporate Governance —Committee Charters” captions and is available in print to any stockholder who requests copies by contacting Christopher E. Kevane, Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer, at Universal Technical Institute, Inc., 4225 East Windrose Drive, Suite 200, Phoenix, Arizona 85032. The Audit Committee is currently composed of four independent directors who meet the independence and financial literacy requirements of the NYSE and additional, heightened independence criteria applicable to members of the Audit Committee under SEC and NYSE rules. The Board has designated each of Shannon Okinaka, Robert T. DeVincenzi and Kenneth R. Trammell as “audit committee financial experts.”

The Audit Committee represents and assists the Board in fulfilling its oversight responsibility relating to the integrity of the Company’s financial statements and the financial reporting process, the systems of internal accounting and financial controls, the internal audit function and the annual independent audit of the Company’s financial statements. The Audit Committee oversees the Company’s compliance with legal and regulatory requirements, the independent auditors’ qualifications and independence, the performance of the Company’s internal audit function and the independent auditors, and the Company’s ethical compliance programs, including the Company’s Code of Conduct. The Audit Committee’s process includes meeting periodically with members of management and receiving reports on enterprise risk management, including management’s assessment of risk exposures (including risks related to liquidity, credit, operations and regulatory compliance, among others), and the processes in place to monitor and control such exposures. The Audit Committee receives and reviews quarterly reports on privacy and data security matters from UTI’s Information Technology Department. These reports include updates on UTI’s security assessments, security posture, audits and related enhancements.

During fiscal 2024, among other things, the Audit Committee:

One of the Audit Committee’s primary responsibilities is to assist the Board in overseeing the Company’s management and independent registered public accounting firm in regard to the Company’s financial reporting and internal controls over financial reporting. In performing this oversight function, the Audit Committee relied upon advice and information received in its discussions with management and the independent registered public accounting firm.

In connection with its function to oversee and monitor the Company’s financial reporting process, the Audit Committee:

In reliance on the reviews and discussions referred to above, the Audit Committee recommended to the Board, and the Board approved, the inclusion of the audited financial statements in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, for filing with the SEC.

This report has been furnished by the members of the Audit Committee of the Board.

The Audit Committee:

We are seeking an advisory vote from our stockholders to approve the compensation of our NEOs. This proposal, commonly known as a “Say on Pay” proposal, gives our stockholders the opportunity to express their views on the compensation of our NEOs, and is provided as required pursuant to Section 14A of the Exchange Act. We currently submit a Say on Pay proposal to our stockholders every year.

Our executive compensation program is driven by our business environment, objectives and outcomes. Consequently, we evaluate the performance of our executive officers, including the NEOs, based on their management of the Company in the context of current business and economic conditions and our performance relative to our peers. Because the NEOs have broad policy-making authority, the Compensation Committee holds them responsible for our financial performance and for upholding our values in a competitive marketplace. We believe that, in this highly competitive market for top executive talent, it is critical that we provide our executive officers with incentives to excel, be internally and externally equitable and promote a culture of innovation and results-oriented service for our students and customers while, at the same time, not encouraging undue risk-taking.

During the year ended September 30, 2024, our management team accomplished the following:

Financial Results.

Acquisition and Optimization Results.

We urge you to read the Compensation Discussion and Analysis section of this Proxy Statement and the tabular disclosure regarding Named Executive Officer compensation (together with the accompanying narrative).

“RESOLVED, that the stockholders approve, on an advisory basis, the compensation of the Company’s Named Executive Officers, as disclosed pursuant to the compensation disclosure rules of the SEC (which disclosure includes the Compensation Discussion and Analysis, the compensation tables and any related material).”

Although the advisory vote is non-binding, the Compensation Committee and the Board will review the results of the vote. The Compensation Committee will consider our stockholders’ concerns and take them into account in future determinations concerning our executive compensation program. The Board therefore recommends that you indicate your support for the compensation policies and procedures for our NEOs, as outlined in the above resolution.

The following table summarizes our equity compensation plan information as of September 30, 2024. Information is included for both equity compensation plans approved by our stockholders and equity plans not approved by our stockholders.

The biographical information with respect to each of our executive officers as of the date of this Proxy Statement is set forth below, except Mr. Grant, our Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Grant also serves as a director on our Board and his biographical information is set forth above in the section titled “Proposal No. 1—Election of Directors—Continuing Directors.”

Christine Kline, age 46, has served as Interim Chief Financial Officer since October 2024 and Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer since December 2023. Prior to these roles, she served as Vice President, Corporate Controller since joining the Company in February 2020. In this role Ms. Kline led the Company’s corporate accounting team in all aspects of the monthly close and financial accounting and the audit and Sarbanes-Oxley (SOX) compliance processes and has worked closely with executive management and department leaders. Prior to joining the Company, Ms. Kline served as the Director of Financial Reporting at Nuverra Environmental Solutions, an energy-focused environmental solutions company (since acquired by Select Energy Services, Inc. (NYSE: WTTR), from July 2015 to February 2020 and was named the Principal Accounting Officer from November 2019 through February 2020, and as the Director of Accounting and Reporting at PetSmart, Inc., the pet supplies company, from October 2007 to July 2015. Ms. Kline started her career with Deloitte & Touche LLP. Ms. Kline is a Certified Public Accountant. Ms. Kline earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting and Finance from the University of Arizona.

Sherrell E. Smith, age 61, has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Academic Officer since May 2023. Prior to this, he served as our Executive Vice President, Campus Operations & Services since April 2018. He was Executive Vice President of Admissions and Operations from 2015 to 2018, and Senior Vice President, Operations from 2012 to 2015. During his previous tenure with us, from 1986 to 2009, Sherrell held several positions, including Campus President, Regional Vice President of Operations, Senior Vice President of Operations and Education and Executive Vice President of Operations. Prior to his return to us, he advised a private equity firm on acquisition opportunities in the education field and served as the Chief Executive Officer of the American Institute of Technology. He received a Bachelor of Science degree in Management from Arizona State University. Mr. Smith is the spouse of Ms. Lori B. Smith, our Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer.

Christopher E. Kevane, age 51, has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Legal Officer since October 2023, having previously served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Legal Officer since March 2020. Mr. Kevane has more than 20 years of legal and executive experience, representing both publicly traded and private equity-backed organizations. Prior to joining UTI, he was Chief Legal Officer for Centauri Health Solutions from January 2019 to January 2020, one of Inc. Magazine’s fastest growing private healthcare IT services companies. In addition, he has served as the senior legal officer for Rural/Metro Corporation, one of the nation’s largest publicly traded ambulance and fire protection services company. In 2012, Mr. Kevane represented Rural/Metro through its successful sale to Warburg Pincus, one of the world’s largest private equity firms. Prior to becoming general counsel, Mr. Kevane practiced law with the international law firm of Squire Patton Boggs, focusing on

capital markets, mergers & acquisitions as well as corporate governance. Mr. Kevane received a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University and a Juris Doctor degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor School of Law at Arizona State University.

Todd A. Hitchcock, age 59, has served as our Executive Vice President, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer since October 2023, having previously served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Strategy and Transformation Officer since January 2020. In addition to leading the development of Corporate Strategy, Mr. Hitchcock also oversees the Transformation Office, Corporate Development, and Corporate Affairs. Mr. Hitchcock has more than 20 years of leadership experience in the education sector and as President of Red Leaf Advising, a higher education consulting company, he had been advising UTI for more than two years before formally joining the company in 2020. Prior to that, Mr. Hitchcock served as Chief Operating Officer of Pearson Embanet, as Senior Vice President for Pearson Learning Solutions, and as Vice President of Florida Virtual School’s Global Services division. He holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of New Brunswick, a Bachelor of Education degree from the University of New Brunswick, and Academic Administration Credentials from the University of Toronto and York University. Mr. Hitchcock has served on the Board of Directors of both the United States Distance Learning Association (USDLA) and The International Association for K-12 Online Learning (iNACOL).

Carolyn Frank, age 46, has served as our Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer since January 2024. She brings more than 25 years of experience in building and managing human resource organizations across industries. Most recently, she served as Chief Human Resources Officer and Executive Vice President at Finance of America (NYSE: FOA), a mortgage loan company, for 4 years, and as Chief Human Resources Officer and Senior Vice President at Guild Mortgage Company, a mortgage loan company, for 5 years. Ms. Frank is recognized as a national leader in her profession, having been honored as one of the Top 100 Women in Business by the National Women’s Conference in 2022, and as HR Executive of the Year by the San Diego HR Forum in 2018.

Lori B. Smith, age 58, has served as our Senior Vice President and Chief Information Officer since January 2020. She has been with UTI for 30 years and has held a number of leadership positions across several functional areas. She most recently served as Vice President, Business Intelligence and Compliance from 2016 to 2020. Ms. Smith has also served as Controller, Vice President of Student Services and Vice President of Financial Aid/Student Services. She earned a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Black Hills State University.

Tracy Lorenz, age 55, has served as our Senior Vice President and Universal Technical Institute Division President, since April 2023. Prior to joining Universal Technical Institute, Inc., she served as the President and Chief Executive Officer of Triumph Higher Education, a global education organization, from October 2017 to March 2023. Prior to Triumph Higher Education, she spent nearly nine years at Apollo Education Group, a provider of higher education programs, from April 2009 to September 2017 in various roles, including as President of Western International University. Ms. Lorenz has a Bachelor of Science in Accounting and Business Management and a Masters Degree in Strategic Management, both from Indiana University—Kelley School of Business.

Kevin Prehn, age 50, has served as Senior Vice President and Concorde Division President since December 2023. Prior to this role, he served as Chief Operating Officer, Senior VP of Operations, and Regional VP of Operations of Concorde Career Colleges, Inc. since 2019. He has more than 20 years of experience in proprietary education, including roles as Campus President, Regional VP of Operations, and Sr. VP of Operations. Prior to Concorde, Mr. Prehn worked at International Education Corporation, Education Corporation of America and Kaplan Higher Education. Mr. Prehn holds a Bachelor of Arts in Communications from the University of California San Diego, and a Masters of Business Administration from Purdue University Global.

This Compensation Discussion and Analysis (“CD&A”) explains the executive compensation program for our NEOs listed below. Specifically, this CD&A provides an overview of our executive compensation philosophy, the overall objectives of our executive compensation program and each compensation component that we provide. In addition, we explain how and why our Compensation Committee arrived at the specific compensation decisions that it made for our executive officers for fiscal year 2024.

Overview. Our revenues for the year ended September 30, 2024 were $732.7 million, an increase of $125.3 million, or 20.6%, from the prior year. UTI revenues increased by $57.1 million, or 13.3%, driven primarily by the higher average full-time active students compared to the prior year. Concorde revenues increased by $68.2 million, or 38.3%, primarily due to the inclusion of two extra months of revenue compared to the prior year period, along with higher average full-time active students.

In fiscal 2024, we had operating income of $58.9 million, a 175.2% increase when compared to $21.4 million in the prior year. Our operating expenses for fiscal 2024 were $673.8 million, a 15.0% increase over the prior year. This increase in operating income was primarily driven by productivity improvements and proactive cost reductions, which have been a key part of our operating model for the past several years. Net income for the year ended September 30, 2024 was $42.0 million compared to $12.3 million in the prior year.

Our business strategy has three key tenets: to grow the business by more deeply penetrating existing target markets and adding new markets; to diversify the business by adding new locations, programs, and offerings that maximize the lifetime value of our students; and to continually optimize the business by constantly enhancing operational efficiency.

During the year ended September 30, 2024, our management team executed the following as part of our growth, diversification and optimization strategy:

In addition, we continue to pursue other opportunities that align with our growth, diversification and optimization strategy.

The primary elements of “target total direct compensation” for our NEOs during fiscal 2024 consisted of base salary, annual cash incentive awards and long-term equity incentive compensation.

Each of these elements is an important component of our executive compensation program because they help to attract and retain talent, tie the interests of our executives to the interests of our stockholders and reward contributions to our long-term success and the achievement of our mission and key business strategies. A general overview of our 2024 executive compensation program is presented below.

We believe that the success of our business and resulting value creation for our stockholders is largely dependent on a stable management team led by an individual with the vision to provide long-term strategic leadership. Accordingly, our Compensation Committee seeks to design the compensation package of our CEO around this principle while, at the same time, ensuring that we achieve our overall compensation objectives, including rewarding sustainable growth as reflected by our financial performance and favorable student outcomes, effective cost management and consistent operational excellence. For fiscal 2024, the compensation package for our CEO:

Prior to 2023, as previously approved by our stockholders, we held stockholder advisory votes required by Section 14A of the Exchange Act (“Say on Pay votes”) on the compensation of our NEOs every three years. At our 2023 annual meeting, however, our management proposed, and our stockholders approved, a proposal to begin holding Say on Pay votes every year beginning with our 2024 annual meeting. At our 2024 annual meeting our 2024 Say on Pay proposal received overwhelming support, achieving 98.9% approval, excluding broker non-votes. Our Compensation Committee considers the results of our Say on Pay votes, together with the other factors discussed in this CD&A, as it considers appropriate when it reviews and modifies our compensation program and the compensation packages provided to our NEOs.

We endeavor to maintain sound compensation policies and practices. Our Compensation Committee evaluates our executive compensation program on an ongoing basis to ensure that it is consistent with our short-term and long-term goals given the dynamic nature of our business and the market in which we compete for executive talent. The following policies and practices were in effect during fiscal 2024:

Our executive compensation program is driven by our business environment, objectives, and outcomes. Consequently, we evaluate the performance of our executive officers, including our NEOs, based on their management performance in the context of current business and economic conditions and our performance relative to our peers. Because our NEOs have broad policy-making authority, our Compensation Committee holds them responsible for our financial performance and for upholding our values in a competitive marketplace.

In this highly competitive market for top executive talent, we generally believe that it is important to provide our executive officers with incentives that align with the interests of our stockholders, are internally and externally equitable, promote a culture of innovation and results-oriented service for our students and customers, and discourage undue risk-taking. We also believe an effective executive compensation program rewards the achievement of short-term, long-term and strategic objectives that are closely aligned with the soundness of our business and the interests of our stockholders and encourages appropriate decision-making regarding the long-term value of our business.

Therefore, we generally believe that a meaningful portion of each executive officer’s target total direct compensation opportunity should be “at-risk” and earned only if his or her performance benefits the interests of our stockholders.

Our key elements of our compensation program reflect our overall compensation:

Our executive compensation program was designed around the concept of total direct compensation—that is, the combination of base salary, annual incentive awards and long-term incentive compensation. In setting the appropriate level of target total direct compensation, our Compensation Committee sought to set each compensation element at a level that was competitive with our peers and that would attract and motivate top talent, while maintaining overall compensation levels that align with our stockholders’ interests and our executive officers’ core objectives and responsibilities. As illustrated below, the majority of our CEO’s and other NEOs’ total direct compensation opportunity is at-risk, with the at-risk elements consisting of an annual cash incentive bonus and RSU and PSU awards. The graphs below depict the mix of total target direct compensation for our CEO for fiscal 2024 and peer companies’ most recent compensation as reported by Equilar.

 

Role of Compensation Committee. Our Compensation Committee is responsible for overseeing the design and operation of our executive compensation program. In fulfilling this responsibility, our Compensation Committee formulates recommendations for the target total direct compensation, and each individual element of compensation, for our executive officers, including our NEOs, for our Board’s consideration and approval.

In developing these recommendations, our Compensation Committee evaluates our financial and operational performance and conducts a performance review of our CEO, taking into consideration our short-term and long-term goals and objectives. Our Compensation Committee also considers the annual performance reviews of our other executive officers, as conducted by our CEO, as a significant factor in developing the compensation recommendations for these individuals.

With the assistance of a compensation consultant, our Compensation Committee also conducts an annual assessment of the competitiveness of our executive compensation program, including a review of the compensation mix to ensure appropriate pay leverage is maintained in the overall compensation package and in equity-based incentives that emphasize the creation of long-term stockholder value.

In the Fall of 2023, our Compensation Committee conducted its annual review of compensation for fiscal 2024, examining the base salary, annual cash incentive award opportunity and long-term incentive compensation opportunity of each executive officer, including each NEO.

Role of Executive Officers. Our CEO makes recommendations to our Compensation Committee as to the base salaries, target annual cash incentive award opportunities and long-term incentive compensation opportunities of our executive officers, including our other NEOs. These recommendations are based on an analysis of relevant market data (derived from a review of peer company and survey data), as well as our CEO’s evaluation of each executive officer’s performance.

Role of Compensation Consultants. Our Compensation Committee engaged Pearl Meyer, its independent compensation consultant, during fiscal 2024, to assist it in fulfilling its responsibilities and duties. Pearl Meyer was engaged to provide advisory services, including a periodic review of our executive compensation philosophy; executive compensation levels and “pay-for-performance” linkage; executive cash and broad-based equity incentive program design; executive officer employment and other agreements; director remuneration; regulatory and proxy advisory updates regarding compensation matters; review of our proxy statement; and other ad hoc support.

Pearl Meyer serves at the direction of, and reports directly to, our Compensation Committee. A representative of Pearl Meyer attends all Compensation Committee meetings. Pearl Meyer does not perform any other services for us unless directed to do so by our Compensation Committee. Other than the work described above, there are no other material relationships between Pearl Meyer and us, our executive officers or members of our Board.

Our Compensation Committee has analyzed whether the work performed by Pearl Meyer as a compensation consultant has raised any conflicts of interest, taking into consideration the factors as set forth in the listing standards of the NYSE. Based upon its analysis, our Compensation Committee has determined that the work performed by Pearl Meyer has not created any conflicts of interest.

The Role of Competitive Positioning. To evaluate the competitiveness of our executive compensation program, our Compensation Committee generally compares each compensation element, as well as the total direct compensation of our executive officers, including our NEOs, against the compensation practices of a group of peer companies. In selecting the peer group companies, our Compensation Committee focuses on companies that operate in the education services industry, or other education-related or counter-cyclical industries, headquartered in the United States and traded on a major U.S. stock exchange and that have revenue, market capitalization, assets and headcount within a reasonable range of UTI.

The fiscal 2024 compensation peer group consisted of the following companies:

In addition to compensation peer group data, we also review compensation plan designs of other education services companies and compile and analyze job-specific compensation survey data prepared from general industry organizations for companies with similar revenue levels. For fiscal 2024, the compensation surveys included Equilar, Pay Factors, Pearl Meyer and Willis Towers Watson survey databases. The data drawn from these surveys is combined with the data derived from the companies in the compensation peer group to create a set of composite comparison data (the “Competitive Market Data”).

Our Compensation Committee and the independent members of our Board use the Competitive Market Data as a guide when making decisions about target total direct compensation, as well as individual elements of compensation, for our executive officers, including our NEOs. Generally, using the data from the 50th percentile of target total direct compensation as a reference point, our Compensation Committee formulates recommendations for each individual element of compensation for each executive officer.

We compare the positioning of our employee benefits annually using national healthcare surveys. Retirement benefits are evaluated annually against general industry standards, using data from our plan administrators (Fidelity and Newport Group). Typically, we target the median of this data to maintain competitive levels with respect to each of our employee benefits programs.

Each year, our Compensation Committee reviews the base salaries of our executive officers, including our NEOs, using the process described above. In making base salary adjustment recommendations, our Compensation Committee considers our current business environment, the Competitive Market Data and each executive officer’s past performance, anticipated future contributions, role, responsibilities, skills and experience, and, with respect to the NEOs other than our CEO, the recommendations of our CEO. For fiscal 2024, Messrs. Grant, Anderson, Hitchcock, and Kevane received merit-based salary increases of 8.3%, 5.9%, 3.9% and 3.9% respectively, as set forth in the table below.

Our NEOs’ base salaries for fiscal 2024 are included in “Executive Compensation—Fiscal 2024 Summary Compensation Table” below.

Our annual cash incentive compensation supports our Compensation Committee’s pay-for-performance philosophy and aligns individual payouts with the goals set forth in our annual operating plan. Under the MIP, executives are eligible for cash incentive awards based on our attainment of performance goals established by our Compensation Committee and our Board as part of our annual operating and strategic planning process. For fiscal 2024, the MIP was designed to provide eligible participants, including our NEOs, target cash incentive payouts, contingent on expected individual performance, if we achieved targeted goals. The MIP provides that a maximum bonus opportunity of 150% of everyone’s target could be achieved for achieving superior results, with a minimum bonus opportunity of 25% at threshold and 0% for achievement below the threshold performance level.

When establishing the target annual cash incentive award opportunities for our NEOs for fiscal 2024, our Compensation Committee considered (i) the desired target total cash compensation opportunity and target total direct compensation opportunity that it believed were reasonable and appropriate for each executive officer, (ii) each executive officer’s prior annual cash incentive awards, (iii) our current business environment, (iv) the Competitive Market Data, and (v) each executive officer’s past performance, anticipated future contributions, role, responsibilities, skills and experience. Based on the foregoing analysis, our Compensation Committee recommended, and the independent members of our Board approved, the following target annual cash incentive award opportunities for our NEOs for fiscal 2024, which included increased target annual cash incentive award opportunities for Messrs. Hitchcock and Kevane.

The target annual cash incentive awards of our NEOs were based on our financial performance as measured by our “Post-Bonus Adjusted EBITDA” achieved during fiscal 2024. We define “Post-Bonus Adjusted EBITDA” as our Adjusted EBITDA for the year ended September 30, 2024, less the bonus expense recorded in both Educational services and facilities and Selling, general and administrative during the year ended September 30, 2024. For 2024, we defined Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of calculating the annual cash incentive awards in a manner consistent with the definition we use when reporting our financial results. See Exhibit 99.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on November 20, 2024. Post-Bonus Adjusted EBITDA may be further adjusted by our Compensation Committee, in its discretion, for final budget modifications, acquisitions and divestitures, unplanned restructuring costs, regulatory and accounting changes, and unusual or extraordinary events which result in a significant impact to the goals. Our Compensation Committee recommended, and the independent members of our Board selected, Post-Bonus Adjusted EBITDA as the performance measure for the annual cash incentive awards because it believed that it effectively captured our need to reward performance and contain costs during fiscal 2024. For fiscal 2024, the Post-Bonus Adjusted EBITDA goals were $98,832,000, $114,905,000 and $125,620,000 for threshold, target, and maximum potential award payouts, respectively.

For the year ended September 30, 2024, while we failed to achieve the pro rata threshold level at the UTI division level, our Concorde division delivered strong financial results and, on an overall basis, we achieved actual Post-Bonus Adjusted EBITDA for fiscal 2024 of 87%, or approximately $114.4 million. Accordingly, our Compensation Committee awarded cash incentives equal to 115% of target to our NEOs and other senior executives within the Corporate division, and all NEOs met their expected individual performance goals, resulting in annual incentive cash payouts of 115% of target. With respect to other participants in the MIP, 58% of target was awarded to the UTI division participants after allocating divisional and corporate results and 133% of target was awarded to the Concorde division. The amounts of these bonuses earned by our NEOs are shown in the table below and reflected in “Executive Compensation—Fiscal 2024 Summary Compensation Table”.

Our long-term incentive compensation is designed to promote a balanced focus on driving performance, retaining talent, and aligning the interests of our NEOs with those of our stockholders. Awards are expressed in dollars and anticipated to be granted annually. For fiscal 2024, the annual long-term incentive compensation awards included a mix of 50% time-based RSUs units and 50% performance-based PSUs.

The PSU awards are “at-risk” performance-based compensation that encourages and rewards long-term performance based on a three-year performance period. The PSUs vest in part based on achieving stated revenue targets in the final year of the performance period weighted at 60% and in part based on achieving stated operating income targets (for the 2022 awards) and Adjusted EBITDA targets (for the 2023 and 2024 awards) in the final year of the performance period weighted at 40%. We define Adjusted EBITDA for purposes of calculating the achievement of the Adjusted EBITDA metric of the PSUs in a manner consistent with the definition we use when reporting our financial results. See Exhibit 99.1 to our Current Report on Form 8-K, filed with the SEC on November 20, 2024. In addition, the number of shares underlying the PSUs for the fiscal 2022 and 2023 awards earned are subject to a modifier based on a compound annual total shareholder return (“TSR”) of our stock (the “TSR Modifier”). TSR is calculated as the compounded annual growth rate, expressed as a percentage (rounded to the nearest tenth of a percent), in the value per share of common stock during the performance period due to the appreciation in the price per share of common stock and dividends (excluding preferred stock dividends) paid to a stockholder of record with respect to one share of common stock during the performance period, assuming dividends, if any, are reinvested on the ex-dividend date during the performance period. For purposes of this calculation, the change in the price of the Company's common stock is based upon the 30-trading day average closing stock price (i) ending on and including the grant date, and (ii) ending on and including the last day of the Performance Period. To the extent actual performance falls between two performance goal levels, linear interpolation is applied.

The RSU awards are also “at-risk” due to the potential fluctuation in the value of the underlying shares of stock, and vest annually in three equal installments, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting dates. In determining the size of these awards, our Compensation Committee considers our current business environment, and current fiscal concerns as well as the compensation philosophy toward alignment of our NEOs with our stockholders’ interests. Equity award levels vary among participants based on their positions within Corporate and our divisions.

In December 2021, our Compensation Committee recommended and unanimously approved the “FY 2022 Grants” which included both RSU and PSU awards.

The FY 2022 Grants included a mix of 53% RSUs and 47% PSUs. The fiscal 2022 RSUs vested annually in three equal annual installments, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting dates, with the final annual tranche of the 2022 RSUs vesting in December 2024. The fiscal 2022 PSUs were based on a three-year financial performance period that ended on September 30, 2024, with the number of units earned to be based on achieving stated revenue and operating income targets, weighted at 60% and 40% respectively, during the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024. In addition, the number of units earned pursuant to achievement of the financial metrics was subject to the TSR Modifier. The maximum number of shares underlying the 2022 PSUs that could be earned with respect to the FY 2022 Grants was set at 187.5% of the target award.

The pay and performance scale initially established for the 2022 PSUs was adjusted upward due to the MIAT and Concorde acquisitions during fiscal 2022 and fiscal 2023, respectively. The adjusted pay and performance scale for the 2022 PSUs is as follows:

The 2022 PSUs vested at 92% of target payout for the FY 2024 Revenue goal based on achieving revenue of $732.7 million and at 0% of target payout for the FY 2024 Operating Income goal based on achieving operating income below the threshold. This result was then multiplied by 125% based on achieving the maximum adjustment in respect of the TSR modifier, resulting in a total payout of 69% of target. On December 13, 2024, our Compensation Committee recommended and unanimously approved the performance unit results for fiscal year ending September 30, 2024.

In December 2022, our Compensation Committee recommended and unanimously approved the “FY 2023 Grants” which included both RSU and PSU awards. When making the 2023 PSU grants, the Compensation Committee elected to use revenue and Adjusted EBTIDA as the relevant financial metrics, with Adjusted EBITDA replacing the operating income metric that had been used in prior PSU grants.

The FY 2023 Grants include a mix of 50% RSUs and 50% PSUs. Additionally, NEOs and other members of senior management who received a PSU grant in fiscal 2020 received a final replacement grant of RSUs in fiscal 2023 (the “2023 Special Grants”). The RSUs vest annually in three equal installments, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting dates, with the final annual tranche of the 2023 RSUs vesting in December 2025. The fiscal 2022 PSU awards are based on a three-year financial performance period ending on September 30, 2025, with the number of units earned to be based on achieving stated revenue and Adjusted EBITDA targets, weighted at 60% and 40% respectively, during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2025. In addition, the number of units that may be earned pursuant to achievement of the financial metrics is subject to a TSR Modifier. The maximum number of shares underlying the 2023 PSUs that can be earned with respect to the FY 2023 Grants is 187.5% of the target award.

The number of shares underlying the 2023 PSU awards and the target award value were as follows:

The number of shares underlying the 2023 RSU awards and the 2023 Special Grants and the target award value were as follows:

The pay and performance scale for the 2023 PSUs is as follows:

In December 2023, our Compensation Committee recommended and unanimously approved the “FY 2024 Grants” which included both RSU and PSU awards. When making these grants, the Compensation Committee elected to continue using revenue and Adjusted EBTIDA as the relevant financial metric and to eliminate further use of a TSR Modifier.

The FY 2024 Grants included a mix of 50% RSUs and 50% PSUs. The RSUs vest annually in three equal installments, subject to continued service through the applicable vesting dates, with the final annual tranche of the 2024 RSUs vesting in December 2026. The 2024 PSU awards are based on a three-year financial performance period ending on September 30, 2026, with the number of units earned to be based on achieving stated revenue and Adjusted EBITDA targets, weighted at 60% and 40% respectively, during the fiscal year ending September 30, 2026. The maximum number of shares underlying the 2024 PSUs that can be earned with respect to the FY 2024 Grants is 150% of the target award. We calculated the target number of shares subject to the PSUs and RSUs by dividing the target dollar value by the 30-trading day average of our common stock during the period ending on the grant date.

The target number of shares underlying the 2024 PSU awards and the target award value were as follows: