Document:

Non-Qualified Stock Option Agreement dated March 1, 2012

 EXHIBIT 10.4 
 CAREER EDUCATION CORPORATION 
 2008 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN

 NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT 
 This STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated March 1, 2012 (the “Grant Date”) is by and between Career Education Corporation, a Delaware corporation
(the “Company”), and Steven H. Lesnik (the “Grantee”). 
 In accordance with Section 6 of
the Career Education Corporation 2008 Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended (the “Plan”), and subject to the terms of the Plan and this Agreement, the Company hereby grants to the Grantee an option to purchase shares of common
stock, par value $0.01 per share, of the Company (“Shares”) on the terms and conditions as set forth below (“Option”). The Option granted hereby is not intended to constitute an Incentive Stock Option within the
meaning of Section 422 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”). All capitalized terms used but otherwise not defined herein shall have the meanings set forth in the Plan. 

To evidence the Option and to set forth its terms, the Company and the Grantee agree as follows: 

1. Grant. The Committee hereby grants the Option to the Grantee on the Grant Date for the purchase from the Company of all or any
part of an aggregate of 143,513 Shares (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.2 of the Plan). 
 2. Option
Price. The purchase price per Share purchasable under the Option shall be $8.63 per Share (the “Option Price”) (subject to adjustment as provided in Section 4.2 of the Plan). The Option Price is equal to 100% of the Fair
Market Value of one share of Common Stock on the Grant Date, as calculated under the Plan. 
 3. Term, Vesting and Forfeiture
of the Option. 
 (a) The Option Term shall expire on the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date. In all cases, any portion of
the Option that remains outstanding at the time of the expiration of the Option Term shall be immediately forfeited. 
 (b) The
Option shall vest in full upon the later to occur of (i) the first anniversary of the Grant Date, and (ii) satisfaction of Performance Criteria (such later occurrence, the “Vesting Date”). For the avoidance of doubt, the
Option shall be immediately forfeited and shall not vest if (A) the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service prior to the first anniversary of the Grant Date for any reason other than his death or Disability, or (B) the Performance Criteria
are not timely satisfied. For purposes of this Agreement, satisfaction of the “Performance Criteria” shall occur when the closing trading price of a Share (as reported by NASDAQ) equals or exceeds $30.00 for any 30 trading days
during any 90 calendar day period occurring between the Grant Date and the third anniversary of the Grant Date. 
 (c)
Notwithstanding the foregoing provisions of this Section 3 or the provisions of the Plan, if the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service, the following provisions shall apply: 

 (i) In the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service by reason of his death or
Disability following the Vesting Date, then the Option shall remain outstanding until the first to occur of (A) the third anniversary of such Termination of Service, or (B) the expiration of the Option Term. Thereafter, any portion of the
Option which remains unexercised shall be immediately forfeited. 
 (ii) In the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of
Service by reason of his death or Disability prior to the timely satisfaction of the Performance Criteria and prior to the third anniversary of the Grant Date, then the Option shall remain outstanding and shall vest in full if the Performance
Criteria are timely satisfied. If the Performance Criteria are timely satisfied, then the Option shall remain outstanding and exercisable until the third anniversary of the date the Performance Criteria are timely satisfied and any portion of the
Option that remains unexercised thereafter shall be immediately forfeited. If the Performance Criteria are not timely satisfied, then the Option shall never vest and shall be immediately forfeited upon the third anniversary of the Grant Date.

 (iii) In the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service for Cause, any portion of the Option that remains outstanding
at the time of such Termination of Service shall be immediately forfeited. 
 (iv) In the event the Grantee incurs a Termination
of Service for any reason other than his death, his Disability or for Cause after the first anniversary of the Grant Date but prior to the Vesting Date, then the Option shall remain outstanding and shall vest in full if the Performance Criteria are
timely satisfied. If the Performance Criteria are timely satisfied, then the Option shall remain outstanding and exercisable until the third anniversary of the date the Performance Criteria are timely satisfied and any portion of the Option that
remains unexercised thereafter shall be immediately forfeited. If the Performance Criteria are not timely satisfied, then the Option shall never vest and shall be immediately forfeited upon the third anniversary of the Grant Date. For the avoidance
of doubt, in the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service for any reason other than his death, his Disability or for Cause prior to the first anniversary of the Grant Date, then the terms of Section 3(b) hereof shall control.

 4. [Reserved]. 
 5. Exercise of Option. On or after the date the Option becomes exercisable, but prior to the expiration of the Option in accordance with Sections 3 above, the Option may be exercised in whole or in
part by the Grantee (or, pursuant to Section 6, by his or her permitted successor) upon delivery of the following to the Company (or any Person designated by the Company): 

(a) a written notice of exercise (which may include a notice made through any electronic system designated by the Company) which
identifies this Agreement and states the number of whole Shares then being purchased; and 
 (b) any combination of cash (or by
certified or personal check or wire transfer), and/or (i) with the approval of the Committee, Shares or Shares of Restricted Stock then owned by the Grantee in an amount having a combined Fair Market Value on the exercise date equal to the
aggregate Option Price of the Shares then being purchased, or (ii) unless otherwise prohibited by law for either the Company or the Grantee, an irrevocable authorization of a third party to sell Shares acquired upon the exercise of the Option
and promptly remit to the Company a sufficient portion of the sale proceeds to pay the entire Option Price and any tax withholdings resulting from such exercise. 

  
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 Notwithstanding the foregoing, the Grantee (or any permitted successor) shall take whatever
additional actions, including, without limitation, the furnishing of an opinion of counsel, and execute whatever additional documents the Company may, in its sole discretion, deem necessary or advisable in order to carry out or effect one or more of
the obligations or restrictions imposed by the Plan, this Agreement or applicable law. 
 No Shares shall be issued upon
exercise of the Option until full payment has been made. Upon satisfaction of the conditions and requirements of this Section 5 and the Plan, the Company, in its sole discretion, shall either (a) credit the number of Shares for which the
Option was exercised in a book entry on the records kept by the Company’s stockholder record keeper or (b) shall deliver to the Grantee (or his or her permitted successor) a certificate or certificates for the number of Shares in respect
of which the Option shall have been exercised. Upon exercise of the Option (or a portion thereof), the Company shall have a reasonable time to issue shares or credit a book entry for the Common Stock for which the Option has been exercised, and the
Grantee shall not be treated as a stockholder for any purpose whatsoever prior to such issuance or book entry. No adjustment shall be made for cash dividends or other rights for which the record date is prior to the date such Common Stock is
recorded as issued and transferred in the Company’s official stockholder records, except as otherwise provided in the Plan or this Agreement. 
 6. Limitation Upon Transfer. The Option and all rights granted hereunder shall not (a) be transferred by the Grantee, other than by will, by the laws of descent and distribution, or to a
Permitted Transferee; (b) be otherwise assigned, pledged or hypothecated in any way; and (c) be subject to execution, attachment or similar process. Any attempt to transfer the Option, other than by will or by the laws of descent and
distribution or to a Permitted Transferee, or to assign, pledge or hypothecate or otherwise dispose of the Option or of any rights granted hereunder contrary to the provisions hereof, or upon the levy of any attachment or similar process upon the
Option or such rights, shall be void and unenforceable against the Company or any Subsidiary; provided, however, that the Grantee may designate a Beneficiary to receive benefits in the event of the Grantee’s death. The Option shall be exercised
during the Grantee’s lifetime only by the Grantee, the Grantee’s guardian, the Grantee’s legal representative or a Permitted Transferee. 
 7. Change in Control. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Plan or Section 3 above, upon a Change in Control prior to the timely satisfaction of the Performance Criteria and prior to the
third anniversary of the Grant Date, (a) the Option shall remain outstanding and shall vest in full if the Performance Criteria are timely satisfied (or, if later, on the first anniversary of the Grant Date), (b) if the Performance
Criteria are not timely satisfied, then the Option shall never vest and shall be immediately forfeited upon the third anniversary of the Grant Date. Notwithstanding the provisions of the Plan or Section 3 above, if the Grantee incurs a
Termination of Service by the Company without Cause during the two-year period following the occurrence of a Change in Control prior to the timely satisfaction of the Performance Criteria then the Option shall remain outstanding and (i) shall
vest in full if the Performance Criteria are timely satisfied and shall remain outstanding until the third anniversary of the date the Performance Criteria were timely satisfied (and any portion of the Option which thereafter remains outstanding
shall be immediately forfeited), or (ii) shall be immediately forfeited if the Performance Criteria are not timely satisfied. For the avoidance of doubt, if the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service for any reason other than by the Company
without Cause during the two-year period following the occurrence of a Change in Control, then the provisions of Section 3(d) hereof shall control, except that for this purpose, the Grantee will be treated as if he had continued to provide
service to the Company through the first anniversary of the Grant Date. 

  
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 8. Effect of Amendment of Plan. No discontinuation, modification, or amendment of the
Plan may, without the written consent of the Grantee, adversely affect the rights of the Grantee under the Option, except as otherwise provided under the Plan. 
 This Agreement may be amended as provided under the Plan, but no such amendment shall adversely affect the Grantee’s rights under the Agreement without the Grantee’s written consent, unless
otherwise permitted by the Plan. 
 9. No Limitation on Rights of the Company. The grant of the Option shall not in any
way affect the right or power of the Company to make adjustments, reclassifications, or changes in its capital or business structure or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate, sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets.

 10. Rights as a Stockholder. The Grantee shall have the rights of a stockholder with respect to the Shares subject to
the Option only upon becoming the holder of record of such Shares. 
 11. Compliance with Applicable Law. Notwithstanding
anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to either (a) cause to be issued or delivered any certificates for Shares pursuant to the exercise of the Option, or (b) credit a book entry related to the shares issued
pursuant to the exercise of the Option to be entered on the records of the Company’s stockholder record keeper, unless and until the Company is advised by its counsel that the issuance and delivery of such certificates or entry on the records,
as applicable, is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations of governmental authority, and the requirements of any exchange upon which Shares are traded. The Company may require, as a condition of the issuance and delivery of such
certificates or entry on the records, as applicable, and in order to ensure compliance with such laws, regulations and requirements, that the Grantee make such covenants, agreements, and representations as the Company, in its sole discretion,
considers necessary or desirable. 
 12. No Obligation to Exercise Option. The granting of the Option shall impose no
obligation upon the Grantee to exercise the Option. 
 13. Agreement Not a Contract of Employment or Other Relationship.
This Agreement is not a contract of employment, and the terms of employment of the Grantee or other relationship of the Grantee with the Company or its Subsidiaries shall not be affected in any way by this Agreement except as specifically provided
herein. The execution of this Agreement shall not be construed as conferring any legal rights upon the Grantee for a continuation of an employment or other relationship with the Company or its Subsidiaries, nor shall it interfere with the right of
the Company or its Subsidiaries to discharge the Grantee and to treat him or her without regard to the effect that such treatment might have upon him or her as a Grantee. 
 14. Withholding. If the Company is obligated to withhold an amount on account of any tax imposed as a result of the exercise of the Option, the Grantee shall be required to pay such amount to the
Company, or make arrangements satisfactory to the Company regarding the payment of such amount, as provided in Section 17 of the Plan. The obligations of the Company under the Plan shall be conditional on such payment or arrangements, and the
Company shall, to the extent permitted by law, have the right to deduct any such taxes from any payment otherwise due to the Grantee. The Grantee acknowledges and agrees that he or she is responsible for the tax consequences associated with the
grant and exercise of the Option. 

  
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 15. Notices. Any communication or notice required or permitted to be given hereunder
shall be in writing, and, if to the Company, to its principal place of business, attention: Secretary, and, if to the Grantee, to the address appearing on the records of the Company. Such communication or notice shall be delivered personally or sent
by certified, registered, or express mail, postage prepaid, return receipt requested, or by a reputable overnight delivery service. Any such notice shall be deemed given when received by the intended recipient. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any
notice required or permitted hereunder from the Company to the Grantee may be made by electronic means, including by electronic mail to the Company-maintained electronic mailbox of the Grantee, and the Grantee hereby consents to receive such notice
by electronic delivery. To the extent permitted in an electronically delivered notice described in the previous sentence, the Grantee shall be permitted to respond to such notice or communication by way of a responsive electronic communication,
including by electronic mail. 
 16. Governing Law. Except to the extent preempted by federal law, this Agreement shall
be construed and enforced in accordance with, and governed by, the laws of the State of Delaware without regard to the principles thereof relating to the conflicts of laws. 
 17. Receipt of Plan. The Grantee acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan, and represents that the Grantee is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, and hereby accepts the Option subject
to all the terms and provisions of this Agreement and of the Plan. The Option is granted pursuant to the terms of the Plan, the terms of which are incorporated herein by reference, and the Option shall in all respects be interpreted in accordance
with the Plan. The Committee shall interpret and construe the Plan and this Agreement, and its interpretation and determination shall be conclusive and binding upon the parties hereto and any other person claiming an interest hereunder, with respect
to any issue arising hereunder or thereunder. 
 18. Restrictive Covenants. In consideration of receiving the Option
hereunder, and as a term and condition of the Grantee’s employment with the Company, the Grantee agrees to adhere to, and be bound by, the following restrictions. The Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Grantee’s job responsibilities give
the Grantee access to confidential and proprietary information belonging to the Company and/or its subsidiaries, and that this and other confidential information to which the Grantee has access would be of value, and provide an unfair advantage, to
a competitor in competing against the Company or its subsidiaries in any of the markets in which the Company or its subsidiaries maintains schools, provides on-line education classes or otherwise conducts business. The Grantee further acknowledges
that the following restrictions will not cause the Grantee undue hardship. Consequently, the Grantee agrees that the restrictions below (the “Restrictive Covenants”) are reasonable and necessary to protect the Company’s and/or
its subsidiaries’ legitimate business interests. 
 During the Grantee’s employment with the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries
and continuing thereafter for the post-termination periods specified below, the Grantee will not, in any way, directly or indirectly, either for the Grantee or any other person or entity, whether paid or unpaid: 

(a) For twelve (12) months following Grantee’s voluntary resignation from Grantee’s employment with the Company or
Grantee’s termination from employment by the Company for Cause, accept employment with, own, manage, operate, consult or provide expert services to any person or entity that competes with the Company or any of its subsidiaries in any capacity
that involves any responsibilities or activities involving or relating to any Competing Educational Service, as defined herein. “Competing Educational Service” means any 

  
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educational service that competes with the educational services provided by the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries, including but not limited to coursework in the areas of visual
communication and design technologies; information technology; business studies; culinary arts; and health education, or any education service. The Grantee hereby acknowledges that the following organizations, among others, provide Competing
Educational Services and, should the Grantee accept employment with, own, manage, operate, consult or provide expert services to any of these organizations, it would inevitably require the use and/or disclosure of confidential information belonging
to the Company and/or its subsidiaries and would provide such organizations with an unfair business advantage over the Company: DeVry Inc., Kaplan, Inc., Apollo Group Inc., Education Management LLC, Embanet Corporation, Capella Education
Company, ITT Educational Services, Inc., Corinthian Colleges, Inc., Laureate Education, Inc. and Strayer Education, Inc. and each of their respective subsidiaries, affiliates and successors. The Grantee further acknowledges that the Company and/or
its subsidiaries provide career-oriented education through physical and web-based virtual campuses throughout the world and, therefore, it is impracticable to identify a limited, specific geographical scope for this Restrictive Covenant. For the
avoidance of doubt, if the Grantee is involuntarily terminated from employment with the Company other than for Cause, the Grantee will not be subject to any post-termination non-compete restriction under this Section 18(a). 

(b) For twelve (12) months following Grantee’s termination of employment with the Company for any reason, solicit, attempt
to solicit, assist with the solicitation of, direct another to solicit, or otherwise entice any employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to leave his/her employment. 
 Should the Grantee breach the terms of these Restrictive Covenants, the Company reserves the right to enforce the terms herein in court and seek any and all remedies available to it in equity and law, and
the Grantee agrees to pay the Company’s attorneys’ fees and costs should it succeed on its claim(s). Further, should the Grantee breach the terms of these Restrictive Covenants, the Grantee will forfeit any right to the Option or Shares
issued hereunder, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, and the Grantee agrees to pay the Company’s attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in recovering the Option or Shares issued pursuant hereto. 

It is the intention of the Grantee and the Company that in the event any of the covenants contained in these Restrictive Covenants are determined to be
unreasonable and/or unenforceable with respect to scope, time or geographical coverage, the Grantee and the Company agree that such covenants may be modified and narrowed by a court, so as to provide the maximum legally enforceable protection of the
Company’s and any of its subsidiaries’ interests as described in this Agreement. 
 19. Condition to Return Signed
Agreement. This Agreement shall be null and void unless the Grantee indicates his or her acceptance of the Option and this Agreement by signing, dating, and returning this Agreement to the Company on or before March 20, 2012. 

20. Other Terms and Conditions. The foregoing does not modify or amend any terms of the Plan. To the extent any provisions of the
Agreement are inconsistent or in conflict with any terms or provisions of the Plan, the Plan shall govern. 
 [Signature Page
Follows] 

  
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 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed as of the day and year
first written above. 
  

					
		 		 	CAREER EDUCATION CORPORATION
			
		 		 	 /s/ Michael J. Graham

		 		 	 Executive Vice President and Chief

Financial Officer

 ACCEPTANCE (OR REJECTION) OF AWARD BY GRANTEE 

The undersigned, the Grantee, hereby: (select one of the options below) 

 

	x	ACCEPTS the award of the Option as set forth in this Agreement and agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan.

  

	 ̈	REJECTS the award of the Option contemplated by this Agreement and forfeits all rights relating thereto. Please note that a rejection of this award has no impact on
any other award of options, restricted stock or restricted stock units you have previously received, including any restrictive covenants you are subject to pursuant to the agreement(s) governing your previous awards. 

 

					
	Date: 3/2/12	 	 	 	 /s/ Steven H. Lesnik

		 		 	(Signature of Grantee)
		 		 	Print Name: Steven H. Lesnik

 Please sign and return your signed copy of this Stock Option Agreement by March 20, 2012, to Catherine
Andersen at CEC corporate via pdf, fax or inter-office mail (CAndersen@careered.com or 847-551-7416 (fax)). Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the award. Please retain a copy of this signed Stock Option Agreement
for your record. 

  
 7Form of Restricted Stock Unit Agreement

 EXHIBIT 10.5 
 FORM OF 
 CAREER EDUCATION CORPORATION 

2008 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN 
 RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT 
 This RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT
(this “Agreement”) dated                     (the “Grant Date”) is by and between Career Education Corporation, a Delaware
corporation (the “Company”), and                     (the “Grantee”). 

To evidence such award and to set forth its terms, the Company and the Grantee agree as follows. All capitalized terms not otherwise
defined in this Agreement shall have the meaning set forth in the Career Education Corporation 2008 Incentive Compensation Plan, as amended (the “Plan”). 
 1. Grant of Restricted Stock Units. Subject to and upon the terms and conditions set forth in this Agreement and the Plan, the Committee granted to the Grantee the following number of Restricted
Stock Units (the “RSUs”) on the Grant Date, and the Grantee hereby accepts the grant of the RSUs as set forth herein: 

Total Number of Restricted Stock Units Granted 
 and Available for Vesting under this Agreement:             [Insert Number] (the “RSUs”) 

2. Limitations on Transferability. At any time prior to the Settlement Date, the RSUs, or any interest therein, cannot be directly or indirectly
transferred, sold, assigned, pledged, hypothecated, encumbered or otherwise disposed. 
 3. Dates of Vesting. Subject to the provisions
of Sections 5 and 6 of this Agreement, the RSUs shall cease to be restricted and shall become non-forfeitable (thereafter being referred to as “Vested Shares”) on the
            anniversary of the Grant Date (the “Vesting Date”), but only if the Performance Criteria set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto have been satisfied. If,
as of the Vesting Date, the Performance Criteria set forth on Exhibit A attached hereto have not been satisfied, then the RSUs shall be immediately forfeited. 
 Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to Sections 5 and 6 below, in the event that the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service prior to the Vesting Date, any RSUs that were unvested at the date of
such Termination of Service shall be immediately forfeited to the Company.
 4. Crediting and Settling RSUs. 

(a) RSU Accounts. The Company shall establish an account on its books for each grantee who receives a grant of RSUs (the
“RSU Account”). The RSUs granted hereby shall be credited to the Grantee’s RSU Account as of the Grant Date. The RSU Account shall be maintained for record keeping purposes only and the Company shall not be obligated to
segregate or set aside assets representing securities or other amounts credited to the RSU Account. The obligation to make distributions of securities or other amounts credited to the RSU Account shall be an unfunded, unsecured obligation of the
Company. 

 (b) Settlement of RSU Accounts. The Company shall settle the RSU Account by
delivering to the holder thereof (who may be the Grantee or his or her Beneficiary, as applicable) a number of Shares equal to the whole number of Vested Shares underlying the RSUs then credited to the Grantee’s RSU Account (or a specified
portion in the event of any partial settlement). The Settlement Date for all RSUs credited to a Grantee’s RSU Account shall be as soon as administratively practical following when the Restrictions applicable to any portion of the RSUs granted
hereby have lapsed, but in no event shall such Settlement Date be later than March 15 of the calendar year following the calendar year in which the Restrictions applicable to an the RSUs have lapsed. 

5. Termination of Service. Subject to Section 6, the provisions of this Section 5 shall apply in the event the Grantee incurs a
Termination of Service at any time prior to the Vesting Date set forth in Section 3: 
 (a) If the Grantee incurs a
Termination of Service because of his death or Disability, any RSUs that had not become Vested Shares prior to the date of the Termination of Service shall become Vested Shares, and, as of the relevant Settlement Date, the Grantee shall own a number
of Shares equal to the whole number of Vested Shares underlying the RSUs free of all restrictions otherwise imposed by this Agreement except for Shares used to satisfy the tax withholding obligations set forth in Section 26 of this Agreement or
otherwise required by any taxing authority. 
 (b) If the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service for any reason other than his
or her death or Disability, then any RSUs that had not become Vested Shares prior to the date of the Termination of Service shall be immediately forfeited to the Company. 
 6. Change in Control. Upon a Change in Control, the Grantee will have such rights with respect to the RSUs as are provided for in the Plan. 
 7. Stock Certificates and Escrow. On the Settlement Date, the Company, at its election, shall either (a) credit any Shares issued to the Grantee pursuant hereto through a book entry on the
records kept by the Company’s stockholder record keeper, or (b) issue certificates for such Shares. 
 8. Liability of the
Company. The inability of the Company to obtain approval from any regulatory body having authority deemed by the Company to be necessary to the lawful issuance and transfer of any Shares pursuant to this Agreement shall relieve the Company of
any liability with respect to the non-issuance or transfer of the Shares as to which such approval shall not have been obtained. However, the Company shall use its best efforts to obtain all such approvals. 

9. Adjustment in RSUs. The Committee may make or provide for such adjustments as provided for in Section 4.2 of the Plan. 

10. Plan Amendment. No discontinuation, modification, or amendment of the Plan may, without the written consent of the Grantee, adversely affect
the rights of the Grantee under this Agreement, except as otherwise provided under the Plan. 
 11. Stockholder Rights. The RSUs shall
not represent an equity security of the Company and shall not carry any voting or dividend rights. The Grantee shall have no rights of a stockholder of the Company with respect to any Vested Shares to be issued pursuant to a RSU until certificates
for the Shares underlying the RSUs granted hereby are issued to the Grantee or such Shares are otherwise reflected in a book entry on the records kept by the Company’s stockholder record keeper. Notwithstanding the foregoing, on the relevant
Settlement Date, the Grantee shall be entitled to receive an amount in cash equal to the dividends, if any, that would have become payable on or after the Vesting Date, but prior to the Settlement Date, with respect to the Shares issued on the
Settlement Date. 

  
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 12. Employment Rights. This Agreement is not a contract of employment, and the terms of employment of
the Grantee or other relationship of the Grantee with the Company shall not be affected in any way by this Agreement except as specifically provided herein. The Grantee’s execution or acceptance of this Agreement shall not be construed as
conferring any legal rights upon the Grantee for a continuation of an employment or other relationship with the Company, nor shall it interfere with the right of the Company to discharge the Grantee and to treat him or her without regard to the
effect which such treatment might have upon him or her as a Grantee. 
 13. Disclosure Rights. Except as required by applicable law, the
Company (or any of its affiliates) shall not have any duty or obligation to disclose affirmatively to a record or beneficial holder of Common Stock, RSUs or Vested Shares, and such holder shall have no right to be advised of, any material
information regarding the Company at any time prior to, upon or in connection with receipt of the Shares. 
 14. Governing Law. The
interpretation, performance and enforcement of this Agreement shall be governed by and enforced in accordance with the laws of the State of Delaware (other than its laws respecting choice of law). 

15. Compliance with Laws and Regulations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to either
(a) cause to be issued or delivered any certificates for Shares, or (b) credit a book entry related to the Shares to be entered on the records of the Company’s stockholder record keeper, unless and until the Company is advised by its
counsel that such issuance and delivery of such certificates or entry on the records, as applicable, is in compliance with all applicable laws, regulations of governmental authority, and the requirements of any exchange upon which Shares are traded.
The Company may require, as a condition of such issuance and delivery of such certificates or entry on the records, as applicable, and in order to ensure compliance with such laws, regulations and requirements, that the Grantee make such
covenants, agreements, and representations as the Company, in its sole discretion, considers necessary or desirable. 
 16. Successors and
Assigns. Except as otherwise expressly set forth in this Agreement, the provisions of this Agreement shall inure to the benefit of, and be binding upon, the succeeding administrators, heirs and legal representatives of the Grantee and the
successors and assigns of the Company. 
 17. No Limitation on Rights of the Company. This Agreement shall not in any way affect the
right of the Company to adjust, reclassify, reorganize or otherwise make changes in its capital or business structure, or to merge, consolidate, dissolve, liquidate, sell or transfer all or any part of its business or assets. 

18. Notices. Any communication or notice required or permitted to be given hereunder shall be in writing, and, if to the Company, to its principal
place of business, attention: Secretary, and, if to the Grantee, to the address appearing on the records of the Company. Such communication or notice shall be delivered personally or sent by certified, registered, or express mail, postage prepaid,
return receipt requested, or by a reputable overnight delivery service. Any such notice shall be deemed given when received by the intended recipient. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any notice required or permitted hereunder from the Company to the
Grantee may be made by 

  
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electronic means, including by electronic mail to the Company-maintained electronic mailbox of the Grantee, and the Grantee hereby consents to receive such notice by electronic delivery. To the
extent permitted in an electronically delivered notice described in the previous sentence, the Grantee shall be permitted to respond to such notice or communication by way of a responsive electronic communication, including by electronic mail.

 19. Construction. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, this Agreement is made, and the RSUs and Shares are
granted, pursuant to the Plan and are in all respects limited by and subject to the express provisions of the Plan, as amended from time to time. To the extent any provision of this Agreement is inconsistent or in conflict with any term or provision
of the Plan, the Plan shall govern. The interpretation and construction by the Committee of the Plan, this Agreement and any such rules and regulations adopted by the Committee for purposes of administering the Plan, shall be final and binding upon
the Grantee and all other persons. 
 20. Entire Agreement. This Agreement, together with the Plan, constitute the entire
obligation of the parties hereto with respect to the subject matter hereof and shall supersede any prior expressions of intent or understanding with respect to this transaction. 
 21. Amendment. This Agreement may be amended as provided under the Plan, but except as provided in the Plan no such amendment shall adversely affect the Grantee’s rights under the
Agreement without the Grantee’s written consent, unless otherwise permitted by the Plan. 
 22. Waiver; Cumulative
Rights. The failure or delay of either party to require performance by the other party of any provision hereof shall not affect its right to require performance of such provision unless and until such performance has been waived in writing. Each
and every right hereunder is cumulative and may be exercised in part or in whole from time to time.  
 23. Counterparts.
This Agreement may be signed in two counterparts, each of which shall be an original, but both of which shall constitute but one and the same instrument.  
 24. Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. 

25. Severability. If any provision of this Agreement shall for any reason be held to be invalid or unenforceable, such invalidity or
unenforceability shall not effect any other provision hereof, and this Agreement shall be construed as if such invalid or unenforceable provision were omitted.  
 26. Tax Consequences. The Grantee acknowledges and agrees that the Grantee is responsible for all taxes and tax consequences with respect to the grant of RSUs, the lapse of restrictions otherwise
imposed by this Agreement and the issuance of Shares pursuant hereto. The Grantee further acknowledges that it is the Grantee’s responsibility to obtain any advice that the Grantee deems necessary or appropriate with respect to any and all tax
matters that may exist as a result of the grant of the RSUs, the lapse of restrictions otherwise imposed by this Agreement and the issuance of Shares pursuant hereto. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, Shares shall not be issued
to the Grantee pursuant hereto unless, as provided in Section 17 of the Plan, the Grantee shall have paid to the Company, or made arrangements satisfactory to the Company regarding the payment of, any federal, state, local or foreign taxes of
any kind required by law to be withheld with respect to the grant of the RSUs, the lapse of restrictions otherwise imposed by this Agreement and the issuance of Shares pursuant hereto. 

  
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 27. Receipt of Plan. The Grantee acknowledges receipt of a copy of the Plan, and represents that the
Grantee is familiar with the terms and provisions thereof, and hereby accepts the RSUs subject to all the terms and provisions of this Agreement and of the Plan. The Shares issued pursuant hereto are granted pursuant to the terms of the Plan, the
terms of which are incorporated herein by reference, and the RSUs and such Shares shall in all respects be interpreted in accordance with the Plan. The Committee shall interpret and construe the Plan and this Agreement, and its interpretation and
determination shall be conclusive and binding upon the parties hereto and any other person claiming an interest hereunder, with respect to any issue arising hereunder or thereunder. 
 28. Restrictive Covenants. In consideration of receiving the RSUs hereunder, and as a term and condition of the Grantee’s employment with the Company, the Grantee agrees to adhere to, and be
bound by, the following restrictions. The Grantee hereby acknowledges that the Grantee’s job responsibilities give the Grantee access to confidential and proprietary information belonging to the Company and/or its subsidiaries, and that this
and other confidential information to which the Grantee has access would be of value, and provide an unfair advantage, to a competitor in competing against the Company or its subsidiaries in any of the markets in which the Company or its
subsidiaries maintains schools, provides on-line education classes or otherwise conducts business. The Grantee further acknowledges that the following restrictions will not cause the Grantee undue hardship. Consequently, the Grantee agrees that the
restrictions below (the “Restrictive Covenants”) are reasonable and necessary to protect the Company’s and/or its subsidiaries’ legitimate business interests. 
 During the Grantee’s employment with the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries and continuing thereafter for the post-termination periods specified below, the Grantee will not, in any way, directly
or indirectly, either for the Grantee or any other person or entity, whether paid or unpaid: 

(a) For            months following Grantee’s voluntary resignation
from Grantee’s employment with the Company or Grantee’s termination from employment by the Company for Cause, accept employment with, own, manage, operate, consult or provide expert services to any person or entity that competes with the
Company or any of its subsidiaries in any capacity that involves any responsibilities or activities involving or relating to any Competing Educational Service, as defined herein. “Competing Educational Service” means any educational
service that competes with the educational services provided by the Company and/or any of its subsidiaries, including but not limited to coursework in the areas of visual communication and design technologies; information technology; business
studies; culinary arts; and health education, or any education service. The Grantee hereby acknowledges that the following organizations, among others, provide Competing Educational Services and, should the Grantee accept employment with, own,
manage, operate, consult or provide expert services to any of these organizations, it would inevitably require the use and/or disclosure of confidential information belonging to the Company and/or its subsidiaries and would provide such
organizations with an unfair business advantage over the Company: DeVry Inc., Kaplan, Inc., Apollo Group Inc., Education Management LLC, Embanet Corporation, Capella Education Company, ITT Educational Services, Inc., Corinthian Colleges,
Inc., Laureate Education, Inc. and Strayer Education, Inc. and each of their respective subsidiaries, affiliates and successors. The Grantee further acknowledges that the Company and/or its subsidiaries provide career-oriented education through
physical and web-based virtual campuses throughout the world and, 

  
 5 

 
therefore, it is impracticable to identify a limited, specific geographical scope for this Restrictive Covenant. For the avoidance of doubt, in the event the Grantee is involuntarily terminated
from employment with the Company other than for Cause, the Grantee will not be subject to any post-termination noncompete restriction under this Section 28(a). 
 (b) For            months following Grantee’s termination of employment with the Company for any reason, solicit, attempt to solicit,
assist with the solicitation of, direct another to solicit, or otherwise entice any employee of the Company or any of its subsidiaries to leave his/her employment. 
 Should the Grantee breach the terms of these Restrictive Covenants, the Company reserves the right to enforce the terms herein in court and seek any and all remedies available to it in equity and law, and
the Grantee agrees to pay the Company’s attorneys’ fees and costs should it succeed on its claim(s). Further, should the Grantee breach the terms of these Restrictive Covenants, the Grantee will forfeit any right to the RSUs or Shares
issued hereunder, subject to the terms and conditions of the Plan, and the Grantee agrees to pay the Company’s attorneys’ fees and costs incurred in recovering such RSUs or Shares issued pursuant hereto. 

It is the intention of the Grantee and the Company that in the event any of the covenants contained in these Restrictive Covenants are determined to be
unreasonable and/or unenforceable with respect to scope, time or geographical coverage, the Grantee and the Company agree that such covenants may be modified and narrowed by a court, so as to provide the maximum legally enforceable protection of the
Company’s and any of its subsidiaries’ interests as described in this Agreement. 
 29. Condition to Accept Agreement. This
Agreement will be null and void unless the Grantee indicates his or her acceptance of the award of RSUs provided for hereunder by signing, dating and returning this Agreement to the Company on or before
            . 
 [Signature Page Follows] 

  
 6 

 IN WITNESS WHEREOF, this Agreement has been duly executed as of the day and year
first written above. 
  

			
	CAREER EDUCATION CORPORATION
		
	By:	 	 
	Name:	 	 
	Title:	 	 

 ACCEPTANCE (OR REJECTION) OF AWARD BY GRANTEE 

The undersigned, the Grantee, hereby: (select one of the options below) 

 

	 ̈	ACCEPTS the award of RSUs as set forth in this Agreement and agrees to be bound by the terms and conditions of this Agreement and the Plan. 

 

	 ̈	REJECTS the award of RSUs contemplated by this Agreement and forfeits all rights relating thereto. Please note that a rejection of this award has no impact on any
other award of options, restricted stock or restricted stock units you have previously received, including any restrictive covenants you are subject to pursuant to the agreement(s) governing your previous awards. 

 

					
	Date:                             
   	 		 	  

		 		 	(Signature of Grantee)
		 		 	Print
Name:                                        

 Please sign and return your signed copy of this Restricted Stock Unit Agreement
by            , to            at CEC
corporate via pdf, fax or inter-office mail ([insert email address] or [insert fax #] (fax)). Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the award. Please retain a copy of this signed Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for
your records. 

  
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 EXHIBIT A 
 PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

  
 8

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