Terms of Use

§1

Acceptance of These Terms

These Terms of Use ("Terms") form a binding agreement between you and XYZ Ventures, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company doing business as First Dollar School ("First Dollar School," "we," "us," or "our"), governing your access to and use of the website at www.firstdollarschool.com, the online application and enrollment system, the tuition payment portal, and the student member portal known as "The Stand" (collectively, the "Services").

By accessing or using the Services, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Services.

These Terms govern use of the Services only. Tuition, refunds, attendance, conduct, and other program details are governed by the separate enrollment agreement that you sign when a student enrolls (the "Enrollment Agreement"). In the event of a conflict between these Terms and the Enrollment Agreement on a matter that the Enrollment Agreement specifically addresses, the Enrollment Agreement controls.

§2

Who May Use the Services

2.1 Adults

You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract to create an account, submit a waitlist or application, or make a payment on the Services. By doing so, you represent that you meet these requirements.

2.2 Students

First Dollar School serves students ages 9 through 22. A Parent or legal guardian ("Parent") must hold and manage the account for any student under 18. The Parent is responsible for the student's use of the Services and for compliance with these Terms.

2.3 The Stand

After enrollment, an enrolled student may access The Stand through the Parent's authorization. Students under 13 may use The Stand only after we obtain verifiable parental consent as described in our Privacy Policy. The Parent remains responsible for the student's account and conduct in The Stand.

§3

Accounts

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when you create an account and to keep it updated. You are responsible for safeguarding your credentials and for all activity that occurs under your account. Notify us promptly at the address in Section 17 if you suspect any unauthorized access or use.

We may suspend or terminate an account at any time, with or without notice, if we reasonably believe the account is being used in violation of these Terms, in a manner that risks harm to a student or to others, or in a manner that exposes us to legal or operational risk.

§4

Applications and Enrollment

4.1 Applications

Submitting an application does not guarantee admission. Admissions decisions are made at our sole discretion based on factors that may include readiness, fit, program capacity, and the strength of the application. Application fees, where charged, are non-refundable except as required by law.

4.2 Enrollment Agreement

If a student is admitted and the family chooses to enroll, the Parent will be required to execute the Enrollment Agreement and to pay tuition and any other applicable fees. The Enrollment Agreement, not these Terms, governs the program relationship, tuition, refunds, withdrawal, conduct expectations, and similar matters.

4.3 Truthful Information

You represent that all information submitted in connection with a waitlist, application, or enrollment is true, accurate, and complete to the best of your knowledge. Material misrepresentation may result in denial of admission, rescission of enrollment, or termination without refund.

§5

Payments

5.1 Tuition and Fees

Tuition, fees, payment schedules, late charges, and refund terms are specified in the Enrollment Agreement and any associated invoice or payment plan. By submitting a payment, you authorize us and our payment processor to charge the payment method you provide.

5.2 Payment Processor

Payments are processed by a third-party payment processor (e.g., Stripe). Your use of the payment portal is also subject to the payment processor's terms. We do not store full payment card numbers on our servers.

5.3 Taxes and Currency

All amounts are stated in U.S. dollars unless otherwise noted. You are responsible for any taxes that may be assessed in connection with your purchase, except for taxes on our net income.

5.4 Disputed Charges

If you believe a charge was made in error, contact us first at the address in Section 17 before initiating a chargeback. We will work in good faith to resolve disputes promptly.

§6

The Stand: Acceptable Use

The Stand exists so that young founders can learn, build, and earn together. Whether you are a Parent supervising your child's use or a student using The Stand directly, you agree not to:

1. Post or share content that is unlawful, harassing, threatening, defamatory, hateful, sexual, violent, or otherwise inappropriate for a school environment.
2. Bully, intimidate, dox, impersonate, or harm another student, mentor, or member of our community.
3. Share account credentials or use another user's account.
4. Upload or distribute viruses, malware, or any code that could disrupt the Services.
5. Attempt to access, probe, or scan systems or accounts you are not authorized to use.
6. Use the Services to advertise or sell products or services unrelated to the program without our written permission. (Selling your own program-related business in approved channels is the entire point and is welcomed within First Dollar Day and similar program activities.)
7. Scrape, copy, or republish materials from the Services except as permitted by Section 8.
8. Use the Services in violation of any law or third-party right, including intellectual-property, privacy, and publicity rights.

We may remove content and suspend or terminate accounts that violate this Section. In the case of a student under 18, we will work with the enrolling Parent.

§7

Mentor and Peer Interaction

The Stand may include moderated communication channels among students, mentors, and faculty. We use reasonable measures to moderate these channels but do not monitor every message in real time. If you encounter content or behavior that violates these Terms or that concerns you, report it to us promptly.

§8

Intellectual Property

8.1 Our Materials

The Services, including the Site design, logos, wordmarks (including "First Dollar School," "First Dollar," "First Dollar Day," "First Dollar Fellows," "First Dollar Founder," and related marks), text, graphics, photographs, videos, curriculum, lesson plans, templates, and software, are owned by us or our licensors and are protected by intellectual-property laws. We grant you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use these materials solely for personal, non-commercial purposes in connection with your participation in the program.

You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, create derivative works of, publicly display, or commercially exploit our materials without our prior written consent.

8.2 Your Content

You retain ownership of content that you (or a student under your account) submit to the Services ("Your Content"), including business plans, pitches, products, written work, and creative output.

You grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, store, reproduce, modify, create derivative works of, display, and otherwise use Your Content solely to provide and improve the Services, to deliver instruction and feedback, to operate the program (including showcasing student work in moderated peer channels and authorized program events), and for the limited promotional uses to which the Parent has consented (for example, in a media release).

A student's business, intellectual property, and revenue belong to the student. The license above does not transfer ownership of a student's business or work to us.

8.3 Feedback

If you provide suggestions, ideas, or feedback about the Services, you grant us a perpetual, irrevocable, royalty-free license to use them for any purpose without obligation to you.

8.4 Copyright Complaints (DMCA)

If you believe content on the Services infringes your copyright, send a notice with the information required by 17 U.S.C. § 512(c) to our designated agent at hello@firstdollarschool.com. We may remove allegedly infringing content and terminate repeat infringers.

§9

Third-Party Services and Links

The Services may contain links to third-party websites or services and may rely on third-party providers (such as Stripe for payments, Google for analytics, and learning-platform vendors). We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of third parties. Your use of third-party services is governed by their own terms and privacy policies.

§10

Disclaimers

The Services and any educational outcomes are provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis. To the maximum extent permitted by law, we disclaim all warranties, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, accuracy, and uninterrupted availability.

We make no guarantee that any student will launch a business, earn a particular amount of revenue, gain admission to any school or program, or achieve any specific outcome. Entrepreneurship involves risk, including financial loss. Any examples of student outcomes are illustrative, not predictive.

Nothing on the Services constitutes legal, tax, financial, investment, medical, or other professional advice.

§11

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

1. In no event will First Dollar School, its affiliates, or their respective officers, directors, employees, contractors, or agents be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits, revenue, data, goodwill, or business opportunity, arising out of or relating to the Services, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.
2. Our aggregate liability arising out of or relating to the Services and these Terms will not exceed the greater of (i) the amount you paid to us for the Services in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (ii) one hundred dollars (US$100).

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain limitations of liability, so portions of this Section may not apply to you.

§12

Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless First Dollar School and its affiliates from and against any claims, damages, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or relating to (a) your or your child's use of the Services, (b) your violation of these Terms, (c) your violation of any law or third-party right, or (d) Your Content.

§13

Termination

You may stop using the Services at any time. We may suspend or terminate your access at any time if you violate these Terms, if continued access poses a risk to us or to others, or if we discontinue any portion of the Services. Sections that by their nature should survive termination (including ownership, disclaimers, limitations, indemnification, and dispute resolution) will survive.

§14

Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

14.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Maryland, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles.

14.2 Informal Resolution

Before filing any claim, you agree to first contact us at hello@firstdollarschool.com and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least sixty (60) days.

14.3 Binding Arbitration

If the dispute is not resolved, you and First Dollar School agree to resolve any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Services by binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The arbitration will take place in Montgomery County, Maryland, or by video conference if both parties agree. Judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

Either party may bring an individual action in small-claims court instead of arbitration. Either party may seek injunctive or equitable relief in court to protect intellectual property or confidential information.

14.4 Class Action Waiver

You and First Dollar School agree that each may bring claims against the other only in an individual capacity, and not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class, collective, or representative proceeding. The arbitrator may not consolidate more than one person's claims and may not preside over any form of representative or class proceeding.

14.5 Opt-Out

You may opt out of Sections 14.3 and 14.4 by sending written notice to hello@firstdollarschool.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, stating your name, account, and that you decline the arbitration and class-action waiver provisions.

§15

Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last Updated" date above. If changes are material, we will provide additional notice (such as by email to the account holder or a banner on the Site) before the change takes effect. Your continued use of the Services after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

§16

Miscellaneous

1. Entire Agreement. These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy and, where applicable, the Enrollment Agreement, constitute the entire agreement between you and us regarding the Services.
2. Severability. If any provision is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
3. No Waiver. Our failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver of our right to do so later.
4. Assignment. You may not assign these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign these Terms in connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, or sale of assets.
5. Headings. Headings are for convenience only and do not affect interpretation.
6. Notices. We may provide notice by email to the address associated with your account, by posting on the Site, or by any other reasonable method.

§17

Contact Us

XYZ Ventures, LLC
Attn: Legal, First Dollar School
Email: hello@firstdollarschool.com