Terms of Service

These Terms of Service ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you and The Stud Works ("The Stud Works," "we," "us," or "our") and govern your access to and use of thestudworks.org, our educational content and tools, paid subscriptions, and any future mobile applications or features that link to these Terms (collectively, the "Services"). Please read them carefully. By accessing or using the Services, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy.

1. Acceptance of Terms

By creating an account, purchasing a subscription, or otherwise using the Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Services. If you use the Services on behalf of an organization, you represent that you are authorized to bind that organization to these Terms.

2. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use the Services. If you are under 18, you may use the Services only with the consent and supervision of a parent or guardian who agrees to these Terms. By using the Services, you represent that you meet these requirements and have the legal capacity to enter into these Terms.

3. User Accounts

Certain features require an account. You agree to provide accurate information, keep it current, and maintain the security of your login credentials. You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us promptly at hello@thestudworks.org of any unauthorized use. We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms.

4. Subscription Services

We offer free resources and paid premium subscriptions. Subscription features, pricing, and billing cycles are described at the point of purchase. We may offer monthly or other billing periods and may change features or pricing on a going-forward basis with notice as required by law.

5. Billing, Auto-Renewal, and Cancellation

5.1 Authorization and billing

Payments are processed by our third-party processor, Stripe. By subscribing, you authorize us and our processor to charge your selected payment method for the applicable fees, including recurring fees, plus any applicable taxes.

5.2 Automatic renewal

Subscriptions automatically renew at the end of each billing cycle at the then-current price until you cancel. By subscribing, you authorize these recurring charges.

5.3 Cancellation

You may cancel at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. When you cancel, your subscription remains active and you retain access to premium features until the end of the current billing cycle, after which it will not renew. Cancellation does not retroactively refund the current or prior periods except as stated in Section 6.

5.4 Price changes

We may change subscription prices. We will provide advance notice as required by law, and changes apply to the next billing cycle. Continued use after a price change constitutes acceptance.

6. Refund Policy

Except where required by applicable law, all fees are non-refundable, and we do not provide refunds or credits for partial billing periods, unused features, or periods during which your account remained open but you did not use the Services. If applicable law entitles you to a refund, we will honor it. Nothing in these Terms limits any non-waivable statutory rights you may have.

7. Donations

Donations through the Services are voluntary. Because The Stud Works is a for-profit company and not a tax-exempt organization, donations are not tax-deductible and are generally non-refundable. Donations do not entitle you to any product, service, equity, or other consideration.

8. Intellectual Property

The Services and all content and materials made available through them — including text, articles, study resources, graphics, logos, branding, user interfaces, software, source code, and AI tools — are owned by [The Stud Works legal entity name, e.g., The Stud Works LLC] or its licensors and are protected by intellectual property laws.

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use the Services and content for your own personal, non-commercial, educational use. You may not, and may not permit others to: copy, reproduce, republish, distribute, sell, license, rent, modify, create derivative works from, publicly display, frame, scrape, data-mine, or otherwise exploit the Services or any content without our prior written permission. All rights not expressly granted are reserved.

9. User-Generated Content

The Services may allow you to submit content, such as posts in future community forums, profiles for mentor/student matching, or event information ("User Content"). You retain ownership of your User Content, but you grant The Stud Works a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free, sublicensable license to host, store, reproduce, display, and use it as needed to operate, provide, and improve the Services.

You are solely responsible for your User Content and represent that you have the rights to submit it and that it does not violate any law or third-party right. We may, but are not obligated to, review, moderate, or remove User Content at our discretion.

10. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Services for any unlawful, harmful, fraudulent, or abusive purpose;
• Infringe intellectual property or privacy rights;
• Upload malware or attempt to disrupt, overload, or gain unauthorized access to the Services or related systems;
• Scrape, harvest, or use automated means to access or collect data except as expressly permitted;
• Reverse engineer or attempt to extract source code, except where permitted by law;
• Resell, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Services or content without authorization;
• Harass, threaten, or harm others, or post unlawful, defamatory, or objectionable content; or
• Misrepresent your identity or affiliation, or circumvent usage limits or security features.

11. AI-Powered Tools and AI-Generated Content

The Services may include AI-powered tools that generate or summarize educational content. AI-generated content may be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate, and may not be appropriate for your specific situation. AI output is provided for informational purposes only, is not a substitute for professional academic, educational, financial, legal, or other advice, and should be independently verified before you rely on it. You are responsible for how you use AI output, and you agree not to use the AI tools to generate unlawful, infringing, or harmful content.

12. Educational Disclaimer

The Stud Works provides educational resources for general informational purposes only. We do not guarantee any particular result, including academic performance, grades, test scores, admissions outcomes, scholarships, certifications, or employment. The Services are not a substitute for accredited instruction or professional advice. Your results depend on factors outside our control.

13. Third-Party Links and Services

The Services may link to or integrate third-party websites, products, or services that we do not control. We are not responsible for their content, policies, or practices, and your use of them is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

14. Disclaimers

To the maximum extent permitted by law, the Services and all content are provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE," without warranties of any kind, whether express, implied, or statutory, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, title, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Services will be uninterrupted, secure, error-free, or that content will be accurate or reliable.

15. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, in no event will [The Stud Works legal entity name, e.g., The Stud Works LLC], its officers, directors, employees, or agents be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or other intangible losses, arising out of or related to your use of (or inability to use) the Services, even if advised of the possibility of such damages.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total aggregate liability for all claims relating to the Services will not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to us for the Services in the twelve (12) months before the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars (US$100). Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations, so some of the above may not apply to you.

16. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless [The Stud Works legal entity name, e.g., The Stud Works LLC] and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to your use of the Services, your User Content, or your violation of these Terms or any law or third-party right.

17. Dispute Resolution and Binding Arbitration

17.1 Informal resolution

Before filing a claim, you agree to try to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us at hello@thestudworks.org. We will try in good faith to resolve it within 30 days.

17.2 Binding arbitration

If we cannot resolve a dispute informally, you and The Stud Works agree that any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services will be resolved by final and binding individual arbitration administered by a recognized arbitration provider (such as the American Arbitration Association) under its applicable rules, rather than in court, except as provided below. The arbitration will take place in [State], or by remote means where available, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

17.3 Class action waiver

Disputes will be conducted only on an individual basis and not as a class, consolidated, or representative action. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims.

17.4 Exceptions and opt-out

Either party may bring an individual claim in small-claims court, and either party may seek injunctive relief in court for intellectual-property or unauthorized-access matters. You may opt out of arbitration by emailing hello@thestudworks.org within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, stating your intent to opt out.

18. Governing Law

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or relating to them or the Services are governed by the laws of the State of [State] and applicable U.S. federal law, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Subject to Section 17, the state and federal courts located in [State] will have exclusive jurisdiction over any matters not subject to arbitration.

19. Account Termination

You may stop using the Services and close your account at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access, with or without notice, if we believe you have violated these Terms, to protect the Services or other users, or as required by law. Upon termination, your right to use the Services ends. Sections that by their nature should survive termination — including intellectual property, disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and dispute resolution — will survive.

20. Modification of Services and Terms

We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Services at any time, and we may update these Terms from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and provide notice as required by law. Your continued use of the Services after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

21. Force Majeure

We will not be liable for any delay or failure to perform resulting from causes beyond our reasonable control, including acts of God, natural disasters, war, terrorism, civil unrest, labor disputes, governmental actions, power or internet failures, or failures of third-party service providers.

22. Miscellaneous

These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and any terms presented at the point of purchase, are the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Services. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in effect. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver. You may not assign these Terms without our consent; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. Notices to you may be provided through the Services or by email.

23. Contact Information

Questions about these Terms? Contact us at:

• Email: hello@thestudworks.org
• Mail: [The Stud Works legal entity name, e.g., The Stud Works LLC], [Company mailing address]

These Terms are provided by [The Stud Works legal entity name, e.g., The Stud Works LLC], a United States-based company. See also our Privacy Policy.