Close · Education & Training

Seller Financing for Education & Training Independent Sponsors

Securities and M&A counsel for independent sponsors structuring education and training transactions, from LOI to close to the capital markets that open up afterward.

EV range $8M to $90M EV EBITDA $2M to $15M Audience Buy & Sell-side
The deal context

Education & Training deals in the lower middle market run a specific playbook. Seller Financing is where the structure either holds or starts to leak.

The typical education and training platform sits at $8M to $90M EV with EBITDA in the $2M to $15M range. The thesis runs on private school, training academy, or B2B training platform consolidation. Accreditation continuity is the only thing that matters in the first 30 days post-close.

The moves

How Seller Financing actually gets structured.

  1. Anchor seller notes at 5 to 15 percent of EV, with a 4 to 6 year term.

  2. Subordinate explicitly to senior and mezzanine debt with a clear standstill on default.

  3. Price interest at 6 to 8 percent, with cash pay or PIK depending on the senior package.

  4. Build prepayment optionality so refinancing flexibility is preserved.

  5. In education and training, layer in accreditor pre-notification calendar set as part of the Seller Financing workstream.

The common mistake

Treating the seller note as a hand-shake. Sellers sue on notes more often than on equity disputes.

Jason's take
"A seller note is debt. Document it like debt. Service it like debt."
Jason Powell · Seller Financing
Capital after close

The deal is one thing. The capital that opens up after close is another.

After close, the call list for refinancing, recapitalization, and growth equity gets short and known. Jason carries that list.

MONTH 18
Senior refi
MONTH 24
Dividend recap
MONTH 36
Growth equity
YEAR 4–5
Strategic exit
WORK WITH JASON

Bring the education and training deal. Get Seller Financing done right.

Direct counsel from a securities and M&A attorney with billions in structured transactions, the independent-sponsor-native playbook, and the capital markets network that opens up post-close.