Document:

EX-10.5

 Exhibit 10.5 

2013 Employee Stock Option Agreement 
 Mr. Lesnik 
 CAREER EDUCATION CORPORATION 

2008 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN 
 NON-QUALIFIED STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT 
 This STOCK OPTION AGREEMENT
(this “Agreement”) dated March 4, 2013 (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 450,000 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 $2.72 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 and Vesting of the Option. The Option Term
shall expire on the tenth anniversary of the Grant Date. To the extent any portion of the Option is not exercised by the expiration of the Option Term, such portion of the Option shall be immediately cancelled and forfeited to the Company. Except as
provided in Section 4, the Option shall vest and become exercisable in twelve (12) equal installments on the fourteenth (14th) day of each calendar month beginning on April 14, 2013, and ending on March 14, 2014 (each a
“Vesting Date”), such that the Option shall become fully vested on March 14, 2014; provided, however, that the Option shall only vest and become exercisable with respect to a whole number of Shares on each Vesting Date and the
Company shall accordingly allocate such vesting across the Vesting Dates as evenly as possible. Except as otherwise provided herein, the Option may be exercised on or following the applicable Vesting Dates with respect to the vested portion, as long
as such exercise occurs prior to the expiration of the Option as provided in this Agreement and the Plan. 
 Notwithstanding the
foregoing provisions of this Section 3, and except as otherwise determined by the Committee, as provided in the Plan or as provided herein, any portion of the Option which is not vested (or otherwise not exercisable) at the time of the
Grantee’s Termination of Service (as defined in Section 4 below) shall not become exercisable after such termination and shall be immediately cancelled and forfeited to the Company. 

 2013 Employee Stock Option Agreement 

Mr. Lesnik 
  

4. Vesting and Exercisability Following Termination of Service. 

(a) Except as provided in Section 7, in the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service for any reason other than by the
Company for Cause, or as a result of his death or Disability, then the portion of the Option that was vested immediately prior to such Termination of Service, plus an additional portion of the Option equal to the Termination Vesting Portion which
shall become vested and exercisable as a result of such Termination of Service, shall remain exercisable until the third anniversary of the date of such Termination of Service, but not beyond the expiration of the Option Term. To the extent any of
the remaining portion of the Option is not exercised by the third anniversary of such Termination of Service, such portion of the Option shall be immediately cancelled and forfeited to the Company. For purposes of this Section 4(a), the
“Termination Vesting Portion” shall be a portion of the Option relating to a number of Shares equal the result of the following formula (rounded to the nearest whole Share): (A/12) x (B/C), where “A” equals the aggregate
number of Shares purchasable pursuant to the Option (as set forth in Section 1 above); “B” equals the number of days elapsing after the Vesting Date which immediately precedes the Termination of Service through and including the date
of such Termination of Service; and “C” equals the number of days following the Vesting Date which immediately precedes the Termination of Service through and including the Vesting Date which coincides with or immediately succeeds the
Termination of Service. For purposes of the preceding sentence, to the extent the relevant termination occurs on or prior to April 14, 2013, the Grant Date shall be deemed to be a Vesting Date. 

(b) In the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service as a result of his death or Disability, then the Option shall become fully
vested and exercisable, and shall remain exercisable until the third anniversary of the date of such Termination of Service, but not beyond the expiration of the Option Term. To the extent any portion of the Option is not exercised by the third
anniversary of such Termination of Service, such portion of the Option shall be immediately cancelled and forfeited to the Company. 
 (c) Except as provided in Section 7, in the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service by the Company for Cause, any portion of the Option that remains outstanding as of the date of such
Termination of Service shall be immediately cancelled and forfeited to the Company. 
 (d) Solely for purposes of this
Agreement, “Termination of Service” shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan, except that no Termination of Service shall be deemed to have occurred so long as, until March 14, 2014, either (i) the Grantee retains the
position of chief executive officer of the Company, or (ii) the Grantee remains available to provide executive consulting agent services to the Company at reasonable times and upon the reasonable notice from, and request of, any successor chief
executive officer of the Company (as described in that certain letter agreement between the Grantee and the Company dated as of February 26, 2013). 
 5. Exercise of Option. On or after the date any portion of the Option becomes exercisable, but prior to the expiration of the Option in accordance with Sections 3 and 4 above, the portion of the
Option that has become exercisable may be exercised in whole or in part by the Grantee (or, pursuant to Section 6, by his permitted successor) upon delivery of the following to the Company (or any Person designated by the Company): 

  
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(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. 
 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 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. Upon a Change in Control, the Grantee will have such rights with respect to
the Option as are provided for in the Plan. In addition, in the event of a Termination of Service for any reason following the occurrence of a Change in Control, the Option shall become fully vested and exercisable, and shall remain exercisable
until the third anniversary of the date of such Termination of Service, but not beyond the expiration of the Option Term. To the extent any portion of the Option is not exercised by the third anniversary of such Termination of Service, such portion
of the Option shall be immediately cancelled and forfeited to the Company. 

  
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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 is responsible for the tax consequences associated with the grant and
exercise of the Option. 

  
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 2013 Employee Stock Option Agreement 

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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 

  
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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: American Public Education, Inc., Apollo Group, Inc., Bridgepoint Education,
Inc., Capella Education Company, Corinthian Colleges, Inc., DeVry, Inc., Education Management Corporation, EmbanetCompass, Grand Canyon Education Inc., ITT Educational Services Inc., Kaplan, Inc., Laureate Education, Inc., Learning Tree
International Inc., Lincoln Education Services Corporation, National American University Holdings Inc., Strayer Education Inc., Universal Technical Institute 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. If the Grantee is involuntarily terminated from employment with the Company for other than 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. 

  
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19. Condition to Return Signed Agreement. This Agreement shall be null and void unless the Grantee indicates his acceptance of the
Option and this Agreement by signing, dating, and returning this Agreement to the Company on or before March 15, 2013. 

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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 2013 Employee Stock Option Agreement 

Mr. Lesnik 
  

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 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:	 	  
	 		 	  

		 		 		 	(Signature of Grantee)
		 		 		 	Print Name:                          
                                         
                   

 Please sign and return your signed copy of this Stock Option Agreement by March 15, 2013,
to                 . Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the award. Please retain a copy of this signed Stock Option Agreement for your
records. 

  
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 Exhibit 10.6 

2013 Cash-Settled RSU Agreement 
 Performance-Based 
 Mr. Lesnik 

CAREER EDUCATION CORPORATION 
 2008 INCENTIVE COMPENSATION PLAN 
 CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT
AGREEMENT 
 This CASH-SETTLED RESTRICTED STOCK UNIT AGREEMENT (this “Agreement”) dated March 4, 2013
(the “Grant Date”) is by and between Career Education Corporation, a Delaware corporation (the “Company”), and Steven H. Lesnik (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 299,401 Restricted Stock Units
(the “RSUs”) on the Grant Date, and the Grantee hereby accepts the grant of the RSUs as set forth herein. 
 2. Limitations
on Transferability. Except in the event of the death of the Grantee, 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, subject to achievement of the Performance Goal set forth below, become non-forfeitable (thereafter being referred to as “Vested RSUs”) on March 14, 2014 (the “Vesting Date”).
Notwithstanding the foregoing, if during the Year of 2013, the Company fails to achieve the Performance Goal set forth in the Career Education Corporation 2013 Annual Incentive Award Program for Key Executives (which is maintained under the Plan),
then except as set forth in Sections 5 and 6 of this Agreement, none of the RSUs shall become Vested RSUs on the Vesting Date. 

Notwithstanding the foregoing, and subject to Sections 5 and 6 below, in the event that (a) the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service (as defined
in Section 5 below) prior to the Vesting Date, or (b) the Performance Goal set forth above is not achieved, then in either case the RSUs 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 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 amounts credited to the RSU Account. The obligation to
make distributions of 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 Beneficiary, as applicable) an amount in cash equal to the product of (i) the number of Vested RSUs in the RSU Account as of the applicable Settlement Date, multiplied by
(ii) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Vesting Date (subject to applicable tax withholding obligations set forth in Section 24 of this Agreement or otherwise required by any taxing authority). The Settlement Date for all RSUs
credited to the RSU Account shall be as soon as administratively practical following the Vesting Date, but in no event shall such Settlement Date be later than March 15, 2014. Notwithstanding the foregoing, in no case will the amount due to the
Grantee in respect of an RSU exceed an amount equal to five times (5x) the Fair Market Value of a Share on the Grant Date. 
 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: 

(a) Except as provided in Section 6, in the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service for any reason other than by the
Company for Cause, or as a result of his death or Disability, as of the Vesting Date, and subject to achievement of the Performance Goal set forth in Section 3, a portion of the RSUs equal to the Termination Vesting Portion shall become Vested
RSUs and, as of the Settlement Date, the Grantee shall be entitled to receive an amount determined pursuant to Section 4 hereof in respect of such Vested RSUs. For purposes of this Section 5(a), the “Termination Vesting
Portion” shall be a number of RSUs equal the result of the following formula: (A) x (B/375), where “A” equals the aggregate number of RSUs granted pursuant to this Agreement (as set forth in Section 1 above); and
“B” equals the number of days elapsing between the Grant Date and the date of such Termination of Service. 
 (b) In
the event the Grantee incurs a Termination of Service because of his death or Disability, all RSUs shall become Vested RSUs as of the date of such Termination of Service, and, as of the Settlement Date, the Grantee (or his Beneficiary, as
applicable) shall be entitled to receive an amount determined pursuant to Section 4 hereof. 
 (c) In the event the Grantee
incurs a Termination of Service by the Company for Cause, the RSUs shall be immediately cancelled and forfeited to the Company. 

(d) Solely for purposes of this Agreement, “Termination of Service” shall have the meaning set forth in the Plan, except
that no Termination of Service shall be deemed to have occurred so long as, until March 14, 2014, either (i) the Grantee retains the position of chief executive officer of the Company, or (ii) the Grantee remains available to provide
executive consulting agent services to the Company at reasonable times and upon the reasonable notice from, and request of, any successor chief executive officer of the Company (as described in that certain letter agreement between the Grantee and
the Company dated as of February 26, 2013). 
 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. In addition, in the event of a Termination of Service for any reason prior to the Vesting Date but following the occurrence of a Change in Control, the RSUs shall become Vested RSUs, and, as
of the Settlement Date, the Grantee shall be entitled to receive an amount determined pursuant to Section 4 hereof in respect of such Vested RSUs. 
 7. Adjustment in RSUs. The Committee may make or provide for such adjustments as provided for in Section 4.2 of the Plan. 

  
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 8. 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. 

9. No Stockholder Rights. The RSUs represent only the right to receive cash pursuant to the terms hereof and shall not represent an equity
security of the Company and shall not carry any voting or dividend rights. 
 10. 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. 
 11. Disclosure
Rights. Except as required by applicable law, the Company (or any of its affiliates) shall not have any duty or obligation to disclose any information to a record or beneficial holder of RSUs or Vested RSUs. 

12. 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). 
 13. Compliance with Laws and
Regulations. Notwithstanding anything herein to the contrary, the Company shall not be obligated to pay amounts due hereunder unless and until the Company is advised by its counsel that such payment 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 payment, 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. The RSUs are intended to comply with the Performance-Based Exception and shall, to the greatest extent
reasonably possible, be administered in a manner that complies with the requirements of the Performance-Based Exception. This Agreement shall be interpreted as reserving to the Committee all powers necessary to ensure that amounts payable hereunder
satisfy the requirements of the Performance-Based Exception. 
 14. 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. 

15. 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. 
 16. 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 

  
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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. 
 17. Construction. Notwithstanding any other provision of this Agreement, this Agreement is made,
and the RSUs 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. 
 18. 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. 
 19. 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. 
 20. 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.  
 21. 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.  
 22. Headings. The headings contained in this Agreement are for reference purposes only and shall not affect the meaning or interpretation of this Agreement. 

23. 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.  
 24. Tax Consequences. Payments made pursuant hereto shall be subject to all required tax withholding obligations. 
 25. 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 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. 

  
 4 

 26. 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 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 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: American Public Education, Inc., Apollo Group, Inc., Bridgepoint Education, Inc., Capella Education Company, Corinthian Colleges, Inc., DeVry, Inc., Education Management Corporation, EmbanetCompass, Grand Canyon Education Inc., ITT
Educational Services Inc., Kaplan, Inc., Laureate Education, Inc., Learning Tree International Inc., Lincoln Education Services Corporation, National American University Holdings Inc., Strayer Education Inc., Universal Technical Institute 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, 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 26(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. 

  
 5 

 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 payments made or remaining due 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 payments made 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. 
 27. Condition to Accept Agreement. This Agreement will be null and void unless the Grantee indicates his acceptance of the award of the RSUs provided for hereunder by signing, dating and returning
this Agreement to the Company on or before March 15, 2013. 
 [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 March 15,
2013, to                     . Failure to do so will result in forfeiture of the award. Please retain a copy of this signed
Cash-Settled Restricted Stock Unit Agreement for your records. 

  
 7

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