Exhibit 10.1

EXECUTION VERSION

JOINDER AGREEMENT

THIS JOINDER AGREEMENT, dated as of March 30, 2012 (this “Agreement”), by and among each lender listed on the signature pages hereto as a Tranche C-3 Term Loan Lender (each a “Tranche C-3 Term Loan Lender” and collectively the “Tranche C-3 Term Loan Lenders”), EDUCATION MANAGEMENT LLC, a Delaware limited liability company, as Borrower (“Company”), EDUCATION MANAGEMENT HOLDINGS LLC, as a Guarantor (“Holdings”), CERTAIN SUBSIDIARIES OF HOLDINGS, as Guarantors, and BNP PARIBAS, as Administrative Agent and as Collateral Agent.

RECITALS:

WHEREAS, reference is hereby made to the Second Amended and Restated Credit and Guaranty Agreement, dated as of December 7, 2010 (as it may be amended, supplemented or otherwise modified prior to the date hereof, the “Credit Agreement”; the terms defined therein and not otherwise defined herein being used herein as therein defined), by and among Company, Holdings, CERTAIN SUBSIDIARIES OF HOLDINGS, as Guarantors, the Designated Subsidiary Borrowers party thereto from time to time, the Lenders party thereto from time to time, CREDIT SUISSE SECURITIES (USA) LLC, as Syndication Agent and BNP PARIBAS, as Administrative Agent and Collateral Agent; and

WHEREAS, subject to the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement, Company may have New Term Loan Lenders provide New Term Loan Commitments by entering into one or more Joinder Agreements with New Term Loan Lenders.

WHEREAS, pursuant to the terms and conditions of the Credit Agreement, the Tranche C-3 Term Loan Lenders constitute New Term Loan Lenders and their commitments hereunder constitute New Term Loan Commitments.

NOW, THEREFORE, in consideration of the premises and agreements, provisions and covenants herein contained, the parties hereto agree as follows:

Each Tranche C-3 Term Loan Lender party hereto hereby agrees to commit to provide its respective Commitment as set forth on Schedule A annexed hereto, on the terms and subject to the conditions set forth below:

Each Tranche C-3 Term Loan Lender (i) confirms that it has received a copy of the Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents, together with copies of the financial statements referred to therein and such other documents and information as it has deemed appropriate to make its own credit analysis and decision to enter into this Joinder Agreement; (ii) agrees that it will, independently and without reliance upon the Administrative Agent or any other Lender or Agent and based on such documents and information as it shall deem appropriate at the time, continue to make its own credit decisions in taking or not taking action under the Credit Agreement; (iii) appoints and authorizes Administrative Agent and Syndication Agent to take such action as agent on its behalf and to exercise such powers under the Credit Agreement and the other Credit Documents as are delegated to Administrative Agent and Syndication Agent, as the case may be, by the terms thereof, together with such powers as are reasonably incidental thereto; and (iv) agrees that it will perform in accordance with their terms all of the obligations which by the terms of the Credit Agreement are required to be performed by it as a Lender.

Each Tranche C-3 Term Loan Lender hereby agrees to make its Tranche C-3 Term Loan Commitment on the following terms and conditions:

For purposes hereof, the following terms shall have the meanings set forth below:

“Comparable Treasury Issue” means the United States Treasury security selected by a Reference Treasury Dealer appointed by the Administrative Agent after consultation with Company as having a maturity nearest to the second anniversary of the Effective Date that would be utilized, at the time of selection and in accordance with customary financial practice, in pricing new issues of corporate debt securities of comparable maturity to the remaining period prior to the second anniversary of the Effective Date; provided that if the period from such date to the second anniversary of the Effective Date is less than one year, the weekly average yield on actually traded United States Treasury securities adjusted to a constant maturity of one year will be used.

“Comparable Treasury Price” means, for any date, (a) the average of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) on the third Business Day preceding such date, as set forth in the most recently published statistical release designated “H.15(519)” (or any successor release) published by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System of the United States of America and which establishes yields on actively traded United States Treasury

securities adjusted to constant maturity under the caption “Treasury Constant Maturities”, or (b) if such release (or any successor release) is not published or does not contain such prices on such Business Day, the average of the Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations for such date or, if only one Reference Treasury Dealer Quotation is received, such quotation.

“Make-Whole Premium” shall mean, with respect to any voluntary prepayment of Tranche C-3 Term Loans occurring on or prior to the second anniversary of the Effective Date, an amount equal to the sum of the present value as of such date of all interest that would have accrued on the principal amount of such Tranche C-3 Term Loans so prepaid from such date through the second anniversary of the Effective Date, in each case computed using a discount rate equal to the Treasury Rate (determined as of the Business Day prior to such date) plus 0.50%, and discounted in accordance with accepted financial practice. For purposes of clause (a)(ii) of this definition, the amount of interest that would have accrued shall be calculated using the interest rate for such principal amount of such Tranche C-3 Term Loans in effect as of the date of such prepayment.

“Reference Treasury Dealer” means each of an Affiliate of the Administrative Agent that is a primary United States Government securities dealer in New York City designated by the Administrative Agent and one other primary United States Government securities dealer in New York City designated by the Administrative Agent with the consent of Company (each a “Primary Treasury Dealer”); provided that if any of the foregoing shall cease to be a Primary Treasury Dealer, the Administrative Agent, with the consent of Company, shall select another Primary Treasury Dealer to act as Reference Treasury Dealer.

“Reference Treasury Dealer Quotations” means, with respect to each Reference Treasury Dealer and on any date, the average, as determined by the Administrative Agent, of the bid and asked prices for the Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed in each case as a percentage of its principal amount) quoted in writing to the Administrative Agent by such Reference Treasury Dealer at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on the third Business Day preceding such date.

“Treasury Rate” means, for any date, the rate per annum equal to the yield to maturity of the Comparable Treasury Issue, compounded semi-annually, assuming a price for such Comparable Treasury Issue (expressed as a percentage of its principal amount) equal to the Comparable Treasury Price for such date.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, each of the undersigned has caused its duly authorized officer to execute and deliver this Joinder Agreement as of the date first above written.

Consented to by:

BNP PARIBAS,

as Administrative Agent

SCHEDULE A

TO JOINDER AGREEMENT