Terms & Conditions

01Acceptance of these terms

These Terms & Conditions ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you and Semestelo, a brand of The Nelson M Group LLC ("Semestelo," "we," "us"). They govern your use of semestelo.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 you do not agree, do not use the Services.

02What Semestelo is, and is not

Semestelo is an information service. We publish general, plain-language data 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 Semestelo, 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 hold 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

You promise that what you submit is accurate and up to date, and you will update it if anything changes. The mobile number you enter must be one you own or have authority 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

When you opt in, you agree that email and, if you check the applicable boxes, automated text messages might be used to contact you as described 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 Consent to texts is optional, is not a condition of purchase or of using the Services, and may be withdrawn at any time by replying STOP.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 at 888-669-3731, 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 888-669-3731.

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.

Our text-message number is 888-669-3731.

07Acceptable use

Do not (a) submit information that is false, misleading, or belongs to someone else, (b) use the Services unlawfully, fraudulently, or abusively, (c) disrupt the Services or attempt unauthorized access, (d) fill in forms with bots or automated means, (e) copy, scrape, or resell our content without permission, or (f) impersonate anyone. If you do, your access might be suspended or ended.

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 managed by third parties, not by us. We never recommend any product, plan, or provider, and we are not answerable for their conduct, content, or results. Your relationship with a school or program is between you and them.

09Intellectual property

The Services, among them the Semestelo name, logo, text, graphics, and design, are the property of us or our licensors, protected under intellectual property laws. We license you, on a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable basis, to view and use the Services for personal and non-commercial purposes only. Each photograph on the Site is used under its free-use license.

10Disclaimers

We offer 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.

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

11Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Semestelo 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).

Because some jurisdictions restrict certain limitations, portions of the above may not apply to you. Nothing here limits liability that cannot lawfully be limited.

12Indemnification

If your violation of these Terms, your misuse of the Services, or your submission of a phone number or other information you were not authorized to offer leads to claims, damages, or expenses (including appropriate attorneys' fees), you agree to indemnify and hold harmless The Nelson M Group LLC and its affiliates and personnel.

13Disputes, governing law, and arbitration

Informal resolution first. Before you file any claim, reach us at [email protected] and give us 30 days to try to resolve it.

Binding arbitration. Disputes between you and Semestelo or The Nelson M Group LLC that arise out of or relate to these Terms or the Services (other than small-claims matters and injunctive-relief claims for intellectual-property misuse) will go to final and binding individual arbitration with the American Arbitration Association under its Consumer Arbitration Rules. The venue is your county of residence, or video or phone if you prefer. The arbitrator may give the same individual relief a court could, and a court of competent jurisdiction may enter judgment.

Class-action waiver. You and Semestelo each waive, to the extent the law permits, any right to bring claims as a plaintiff or class member in a class, collective, or representative action; claims may be brought on an individual basis only.

Opt-out. You may opt out of arbitration within 30 days of first accepting these Terms by emailing [email protected] and include "Arbitration Opt-Out" as the subject, along with your name and mobile number.

Governing law. The laws of the state where The Nelson M Group LLC has its principal place of business, together with the Federal Arbitration Act, govern these Terms, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. Subject to the arbitration clause, the state and federal courts in that state have exclusive jurisdiction.

14Termination

You may stop using the Services at any time, and may opt out of messages by replying STOP. Access may be suspended or terminated by us at our discretion, for example for violations of these Terms. Sections that by nature are intended to survive, including disclaimers, limitation of liability, indemnification, and disputes, remain in force after termination.

15Changes

We reserve the right to revise these Terms. Revised Terms will carry a new "Last updated" date, and your continued use of the Services after the effective date counts as acceptance. We will give notice of material updates as the law requires.

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: