Welcome to CollegeQuest. By accessing or using our platform, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions, as well as our Privacy Policy.

We reserve the right to modify these terms at any time. Your continued use of the service after any such changes constitutes your acceptance of the new Terms and Conditions.

CollegeQuest provides an AI-powered college application management platform that helps students:

• Search and discover colleges based on their academic profile and preferences
• Manage college applications and track deadlines
• Find and apply for scholarships and financial aid
• Receive personalized college recommendations and career guidance
• Access AI-powered tools for essay writing and interview preparation
• Connect with college counseling services

Important Disclaimer: CollegeQuest is an informational and organizational tool. We do not guarantee college admissions, scholarship awards, or specific outcomes. All final application decisions are made by the respective colleges and scholarship providers.

To use CollegeQuest, you must create an account. You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• Maintain the security of your account credentials
• Notify us immediately of any unauthorized access to your account
• Be responsible for all activities that occur under your account
• Be at least 13 years of age, or have parental/guardian consent if under 18

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these terms or engage in fraudulent or harmful activities.

CollegeQuest offers both free and premium subscription plans:

• Free Plan: Access to basic college search and application tracking features
• Premium Plans: Access to advanced features including AI counselor, unlimited scholarship matches, essay review, and personalized strategies

Payment and Billing:

• Premium subscriptions are billed monthly or annually based on your selected plan
• All payments are processed securely through Stripe
• Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled before the renewal date
• Prices are subject to change with 30 days' notice to active subscribers
• Refunds are handled on a case-by-case basis within 7 days of initial purchase

Cancellation:

You may cancel your subscription at any time through your account settings. Upon cancellation, you will retain access to premium features until the end of your current billing period.

You agree not to:

• Provide false or misleading information in your profile or applications
• Use the platform to engage in academic dishonesty or plagiarism
• Share your account credentials with others
• Attempt to access unauthorized areas of the platform or other users' accounts
• Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access the service
• Interfere with or disrupt the platform's operation
• Upload viruses, malware, or any malicious code
• Harass, abuse, or harm other users
• Violate any applicable laws or regulations

Violation of these rules may result in immediate account termination without refund.

All content on CollegeQuest, including but not limited to text, graphics, logos, software, and AI-generated recommendations, is owned by CollegeQuest or its licensors and is protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

Your Content:

You retain ownership of any content you upload to the platform (essays, documents, personal information). By uploading content, you grant CollegeQuest a non-exclusive, worldwide license to use, store, and process your content solely for the purpose of providing our services.

You represent and warrant that you own or have the necessary rights to any content you upload and that it does not infringe on the rights of any third party.

CollegeQuest uses artificial intelligence to provide personalized recommendations, essay suggestions, and career guidance. You understand and agree that:

• AI-generated content is provided for informational and guidance purposes only
• Recommendations are based on algorithms and may not always be accurate or suitable for your situation
• You should independently verify all information and recommendations
• Final decisions about college applications and career paths are your responsibility
• We do not guarantee admission to any college or scholarship award
• AI-generated essays should be used as inspiration and guidance, not submitted as-is

We strive to provide accurate and up-to-date information about colleges, scholarships, and application requirements. However:

• College information is sourced from public databases and may not always be current
• Application requirements and deadlines can change without notice
• You are responsible for verifying all information directly with colleges
• We are not liable for any errors or omissions in the college data provided

Always consult official college websites and admissions offices for the most accurate and current information.

CollegeQuest is designed to serve students at various stages of the college journey. Because many of our users are minors, we have specific requirements based on age:

• Users under 18: You must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian to create an account and use CollegeQuest. By creating an account on behalf of a minor, the parent or guardian agrees to these Terms and our Privacy Policy on the minor's behalf.
• Users under 13 (COPPA): In compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), users under 13 years of age require verifiable parental consentbefore any personal information may be collected. We will not knowingly collect data from children under 13 without such consent.
• Account Creation Agreement: By creating an account for a child under 18, the parent or guardian affirmatively represents that they have read, understood, and agreed to these Terms and our Privacy Policy on the child's behalf.
• School and District Programs: When CollegeQuest is deployed through a school or school district program, the school or district may provide consent on behalf of parents where permitted by applicable law, including FERPA and applicable state education privacy statutes, pursuant to a signed Student Data Privacy Agreement (SDPA) with CollegeQuest.

If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information without proper consent, please contact us immediately at privacy@collegequestapp.com and we will take steps to remove the information.

CollegeQuest recognizes that student data deserves the highest level of protection. The following governs how student data is treated on our platform:

• All student data collected and processed through CollegeQuest is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.
• We comply with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) with respect to any education records we handle on behalf of schools or school districts, and with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) for users under 13.
• Student data is used solely to provide and improve CollegeQuest services. We do not sell student data, use it for targeted advertising, or share it with third parties except as described in our Privacy Policy.
• Schools and districts that partner with CollegeQuest retain ownership of their students' education records. CollegeQuest acts as a service provider and processes such data only as directed by the institution.

For full details on data collection, use, retention, and your rights regarding student data, please review our Privacy Policy.

Your privacy is important to us. Our collection and use of personal information is governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

By using CollegeQuest, you consent to our collection, use, and sharing of your information as described in our Privacy Policy.

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED.

We do not warrant that:

• The service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
• The results obtained from the service will be accurate or reliable
• The quality of any recommendations will meet your expectations
• Any errors in the software will be corrected

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, COLLEGEQUEST SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, OR OPPORTUNITIES.

Our total liability to you for any claim arising from your use of the service shall not exceed the amount you paid us in the twelve months preceding the claim.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless CollegeQuest, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including attorney's fees) arising from:

• Your use or misuse of the service
• Your violation of these Terms
• Your violation of any third-party rights
• Any content you submit to the platform

Our platform may contain links to third-party websites, including college websites, scholarship providers, and payment processors. We are not responsible for:

• The content or practices of these third-party sites
• Any transactions you conduct with third parties
• The privacy policies of external websites

Your interactions with third-party services are solely between you and that third party.

We may terminate or suspend your account and access to the service immediately, without prior notice or liability, for any reason, including:

• Breach of these Terms
• Fraudulent or illegal activity
• At your request
• For any other reason at our discretion

Upon termination, your right to use the service will immediately cease. All provisions of the Terms which by their nature should survive termination shall survive, including ownership provisions, warranty disclaimers, and limitations of liability.

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United States, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the service shall be resolved through:

1. Good faith negotiation between the parties
2. If negotiation fails, binding arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association
3. You waive your right to participate in class action lawsuits

We reserve the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will notify users of material changes via email or through a prominent notice on our platform at least 30 days before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of the service after the effective date of revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of the changes.

If any provision of these Terms is held to be invalid or unenforceable, that provision shall be limited or eliminated to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain in full force and effect.

If you have any questions about these Terms and Conditions, please contact us at: