Capella Education Company Initiates $0.35 Quarterly Dividend

Capella Education Company

, a provider of online post-secondary education, primarily through its wholly owned subsidiary Capella University, announced today that its board of directors has initiated a quarterly cash dividend of $0.35 per outstanding share of common stock. The initial cash dividend is payable on Jan. 10, 2014 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on Dec. 23, 2013. All future dividends are subject to declaration by Capella's board of directors and may be adjusted due to future business needs or other factors deemed relevant by the board of directors. "The best use of our cash remains reinvestment in our business, including learner success initiatives and new and innovative learning models,” said Kevin Gilligan, chairman and chief executive officer. "The board's action reflects Capella's strong balance sheet, a stabilization in business fundamentals and the expectation of cash generation in excess of our operating needs.” The board of directors previously authorized a share repurchase program under which approximately $53 million remained as of Sept. 30, 2013. The timing and volume of share repurchases are at the discretion of management pending market and other conditions. Forward-Looking Statements Certain information in this news release does not relate to historical financial information, including statements relating to our future prospects and our expectations regarding our revenues, enrollment, and operating performance, cash flow generation and may be deemed to constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company cautions investors not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available at the time those statements are made or management's good faith belief as of that time with regard to future events, and should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the company's actual results in the future to differ materially from its historical results and those presently anticipated or projected. The company undertakes no obligation to update its forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances arising after such date. Among these risks and uncertainties are expectations and assumptions concerning revenues, managing increases in our expenses; managing risks associated with the overall competitive environment and general economic conditions; and anticipated timing and results of capital expenditures or other investments. Other factors that could cause the company's results to differ materially from those contained in its forward-looking statements are included under, among others, the heading "Risk Factors" in our most recent Form 10-K and Form 10-Qs on file with the Securities and Exchange Commission and other documents filed by the company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. About Capella Education Company Founded in 1991, Capella Education Company is a leader in online education, primarily through our wholly owned subsidiary Capella University, a regionally accredited* online university. In addition, Capella Education Company offers online education through Resource Development International Ltd. (RDI), an independent provider of United Kingdom (UK) university distance learning qualifications. Capella Education Company also owns an innovative startup company called Sophia (http://www.sophia.org) - a social teaching and learning platform that integrates education with technology. Capella University offers online graduate degree programs in business, counseling, education, health administration, homeland security, human resource management, human services, information technology, nonprofit management and leadership, nursing, psychology, public administration, public health, public safety, and social work, and bachelor's degree programs in business, information technology, nursing, psychology, and public safety. These academic programs are designed to help working adults advance in their careers, combining high quality, competency-based curricula with the convenience and flexibility of an online learning format. Currently, Capella University offers 43 graduate and undergraduate degree programs with 145 specializations. As of Sept. 30, 2013, approximately 35,000 learners were enrolled with over 70 percent of learners enrolled in graduate degree programs. For more information about Capella Education Company, please visit http://www.capellaeducation.com. For more information about Capella University, please visit http://www.capella.edu or call 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552). Resource Development International Ltd. partners with a number of the top 100 universities in the UK to develop, validate and deliver UK higher education qualifications, predominantly through online courses. For more information, visit http://www.rdi.co.uk. Sophia is a first-of-its-kind social education platform that offers students many ways to learn by making free, credible, academic content available to anyone, anywhere, at anytime. The site offers tens of thousands of tutorials created by hundreds of teachers and experts that are taught in a variety of ways. The platform further enhances the learning process by offering quizzes, assessing learning preferences and providing learning paths. For more information, visit www.sophia.org. *Capella University is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission and is a member of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools (NCA), http://www.ncahlc.org. Capella University, Capella Tower, 225 South Sixth Street, Ninth Floor, Minneapolis, MN 55402, 1.888.CAPELLA (227.3552), http://www.capella.edu.