Terms & Conditions

01Acceptance of these terms

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you and Stipenova, a brand of The Nelson M Group LLC ("Stipenova," "we," "us"). They govern your use of stipenova.com and related services, including email and text-message programs (the "Services"). By using the Services or submitting a form, you agree to these Terms, our Privacy Policy, and, if you opt in to texts, our SMS Terms. If these Terms are not acceptable to you, do not use the Services.

02What Stipenova is, and is not

Stipenova is an information service. We publish general, plain-language information about how education grants and student financial aid generally work, how the main forms and deadlines fit together, and which questions to ask a financial aid office, and let visitors opt in to related updates. We do not award, administer, or decide grants, take applications, offer or arrange loans, or match or refer people to schools or programs, and we do not share your details with schools, lenders, scholarship or matching services, recruiters, lead-generation companies, or any other partners.

• Decisions about your education and how to pay for it are yours. Reading our content does not obligate you to do anything.
• Your school, the program, or the official agency, not Stipenova, decides eligibility, amounts, deadlines, and conditions of any aid.
• Aid rules and amounts vary by program, school, and year. We will not guarantee that you will qualify for, receive, or keep any grant or amount.

03Eligibility

You may use the Services only if you are 18 or over, are in the United States, and are able to agree to a binding contract. Information you submit must be about you, or about a person who has authorized you to submit it.

04Your information and accuracy

The information you give us must be accurate and current, and you agree to correct it when it changes. Provide only a mobile number that belongs to you or that you are authorized to use. If your number changes or is reassigned, please reply STOP from the old number or contact us so that we do not message someone else.

05Communications and text-message consent

You agree, if you opt in, to receive email from us and, only for the boxes you check, automated text messages as set out in the SMS Terms. Consent to texts is optional, is not a condition of purchase or of using the Services, and may be withdrawn at any time by replying STOP. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. Reply HELP for help.

06Text messaging: rates, frequency, STOP and HELP

Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency may vary (up to about 8 messages a month, depending on the topics you choose). Text START to join, or opt in with the form on our Get Started or text updates page. Consent is not a condition of purchase or of using the Services.

• STOP: Reply STOP to any message to opt out (STOPALL, UNSUBSCRIBE, CANCEL, END and QUIT also work). You will get one confirmation text and then no more messages.
• HELP: Reply HELP to any message for help, or contact us by email at [email protected] or by phone at 877-550-4775.

Mobile information and opt-in data are not sold or shared with third parties or affiliates for marketing or promotional purposes. See the Privacy Policy and SMS Terms.

07Acceptable use

Prohibited conduct includes: (a) false, misleading, or third-party details; (b) unlawful, fraudulent, or abusive use; (c) interference with the Services or unauthorized access attempts; (d) bots or automated form submission; (e) copying, scraping, or reselling content without permission; and (f) impersonation. We can suspend or end your access if you engage in any of it.

08Third-party organizations and links

Organizations, programs, and products mentioned on or linked from the Services (for instance government agencies, schools, or nonprofit organizations) are run independently of us. Mentioning one is not an endorsement of any product, plan, or provider, and we are not responsible for third-party conduct, content, or results. Your relationship with a school or program is between you and them.

09Intellectual property

The Services, among them the Stipenova name, logo, text, graphics, and design, are owned by us or our licensors and covered by intellectual property laws. Your license to view and use the Services is limited, revocable, non-exclusive, and non-transferable, and is for personal, non-commercial uses. Site photographs are used under their respective free-use licenses.

10Disclaimers

We supply the services and all content "as is" and "as available" and disclaim all warranties, express or implied, among them implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy, and non-infringement. We do not warrant uninterrupted, error-free, or secure operation, or the delivery (or timely delivery) of any message.

Stipenova does not provide financial, legal, or tax advice, and makes no representation about any grant, award amount, eligibility, or deadline outcome.

11Limitation of liability

As far as the law allows, Stipenova and The Nelson M Group LLC, and their members, managers, officers, employees, and agents, will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of (or inability to use) the services, or from any education or financial aid decision you make or do not make. Our total liability for any claim relating to the services will not exceed one hundred U.S. dollars ($100).

Certain jurisdictions do not permit some limitations, so part of the above may not apply to you. These Terms do not limit any liability that the law does not allow to be limited.

12Indemnification

You agree to defend and hold harmless The Nelson M Group LLC, its affiliates, and its personnel against claims, damages, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) that arise from your breach of these Terms, your misuse of the Services, or your supplying a phone number or other information you had no authority to supply.

13Disputes, governing law, and arbitration

Informal resolution first. Please contact us at [email protected] giving us 30 days to try to work it out.

Binding arbitration. Small-claims matters and claims for injunctive relief against intellectual-property misuse are excluded. Any other dispute between you and Stipenova or The Nelson M Group LLC that arises out of or relates to these Terms or the Services will be settled by final, binding, individual arbitration run by the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. You choose whether the arbitration takes place in your county of residence or by video or phone. The arbitrator can grant the same individual relief a court could, and any court of competent jurisdiction may enter judgment on the award.

Class-action waiver. Both you and Stipenova agree, as far as the law permits, to pursue claims individually only, never as a plaintiff or member of a class, collective, or representative action.

Opt-out. You can opt out of arbitration within 30 days of your first acceptance of these Terms by emailing [email protected] using the subject line "Arbitration Opt-Out" and giving your name and mobile number.

Governing law. We interpret these Terms under the Federal Arbitration Act and the laws of the state where The Nelson M Group LLC has its principal place of business, ignoring conflict-of-law rules. The state and federal courts based there have exclusive jurisdiction, subject to the arbitration clause.

14Termination

You may stop using the Services at any time, and may opt out of messages by replying STOP. We may suspend or terminate access at our discretion, including for violations of these Terms. Sections that by their nature should survive (including disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and disputes) will survive termination.

15Changes

Updates to these Terms will be posted with a new "Last updated" date. Using the Services after the effective date means accepting the updated Terms. If a change is material, we will notify you as mandated by law.

16General

The entire agreement between you and us on this subject consists of these Terms, the Privacy Policy, and the SMS Terms. Should any part be found unenforceable, the rest continues in effect, and a failure by us to enforce a provision is not a waiver. Assignment by you requires our consent; we may assign these Terms in a merger or sale of the business.

17Contact us

Questions about these Terms? You can reach us by mail, email, phone, our online contact form, or by replying HELP to any text: