This website is operated by Bold.org, Inc (“Bold”). Throughout this website (https://bold.org/) (the “Site”), the terms “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Bold. Bold offers this Site and the ability for users who are applicants to explore and apply for scholarships, fellowships and grants (the “Service”), conditioned upon your acceptance of all terms, conditions, policies and notices stated in these Terms of Use (the “Terms”). There are separate terms that apply to donors that register for an account on the Site, which are available here. These Terms govern your use of the Site and Service. The Site and Service are offered to you conditioned on your acceptance, without modification, of the terms, conditions, and notices contained in these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access the Site nor do you have the right to use our Service. The headings used in this agreement are included for convenience only and will not limit or otherwise affect these Terms.
By visiting our Site and/or purchasing the Service from us, you are engaging in our Service and agree to be bound by the Terms. These Terms apply to all users of the Site, including without limitation users who are browsers, vendors, customers, merchants, and/ or contributors of content.
Personal information that is collected on the Site and through the Service is handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Your use of the Service is also subject to additional terms as set forth in the section below (the "Additional Terms"). In the event that any of these Terms conflict with the Additional Terms or other terms and guidelines contained within any particular section of the Site or with any terms included with any product or service purchased from Bold, then these Terms shall control.
Please note, by using the Service, you acknowledge, confirm, and consent to: (i) Bold’s generation of revenue from its partnerships with scholarship providers, applicable academic institutions, and other third parties who are necessary for Bold to provide its Service to you, and (ii) Bold’s use of your information and data on Bold’s platform in order to do so.
PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE DISPUTE RESOLUTION; ARBITRATION; WAIVER OF CLASS ACTION SECTION BELOW REGARDING RESTRICTIONS ON YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS IN ANY DISPUTE INVOLVING BOLD, THESE TERMS, ADDITIONAL TERMS, OR OUR PRIVACY POLICY. IF YOU DO NOT AGREE TO THESE TERMS, PLEASE DO NOT ACCESS OR USE THE SITE OR SERVICE.
YOU MUST BE AT LEAST 14 YEARS OF AGE TO USE OR ACCESS THE SITE AND OUR SERVICE. YOU MAY ONLY ACCESS AND USE THE SITE AND THE SERVICE IN COMPLIANCE WITH ALL APPLICABLE LOCAL, STATE, FEDERAL, AND FOREIGN LAWS, RULES AND REGULATIONS.
You may use the Site and Service, including the content on it solely for the purposes stated on the Site itself, as described in these Terms and in accordance with any applicable Additional Terms. We reserve the right to refuse the Service to anyone for any reason at any time.
Users are the sole creators of their accounts on the Service and Bold may not independently verify the information provided. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your Bold account and password. You shall be responsible for all uses of your account and password, whether or not authorized by you. You agree to immediately notify Bold of any unauthorized use of your account or password.
While as a practice we strive to encrypt data in transmission and at rest, you understand that your content may be transferred unencrypted and involve: (a) transmissions over various networks; and (b) changes to conform and adapt to technical requirements of connecting networks or devices.
The Site and Service include a broad array of content and functionality. All user interfaces, software, and other information and content, or portion or combination thereof, provided and made available by or for Bold in connection with the Site and Service (“Site Content”) is for use only for individual, non-commercial purposes. We retain all of our right, title and interest in and to Site Content. This includes, but is not limited to all copyrights, trademarks, patents, derivative works, moral rights, trade secrets, and proprietary information in all content that appears on the Site (other than the content of our third-party business partners who have permission to appear on the Site), and in all software that we develop in connection with the Site and our Service. Nothing on the Site shall be construed as granting any license or right to use any image, trademark, service mark or logo. Downloading, copying or printing individual pages and/or parts of the Site is allowed for personal, non-commercial use only, and will not transfer title to any software or material on the Site to you. You agree not to reproduce, duplicate, copy, sell, resell or exploit any portion of the Site or the Service without express written permission by us.
Bold grants you a limited, revocable, non-exclusive, non-transferable, and non-sub-licensable right to access and make personal use of the Site and our Service. Explicit attribution to Bold must be made in the event that the material, or any part thereof, is reproduced in any form, written or electronic. Furthermore, any reproduction, re-publication or distribution of this material requires the express consent of Bold.
As a condition of your use of the Site and our Service, you will not use the Site or the Service for any purpose that is unlawful or prohibited by these Terms. You are prohibited from:
Any use which violates these Terms, gives Bold the right (without notice or liability) to revoke the aforementioned license, cancel any order, or to refuse, restrict, terminate or discontinue your access to the Site, Service, or Site Content (or any portions, components, or features thereof). We shall not be liable to you or to any third-party for any modification, suspension or discontinuance of the Site or the Service.
You, as an applicant, may choose to sign up for an account on the Site. There is no fee to create an account.
When you create an account, you will be required to select a username and password. You agree to provide us with accurate and complete registration information, and we disclaim any liability arising from your failure to do so.
You are responsible for safeguarding your account information, including your password for your account. You agree to take sole responsibility for any activities or actions under your password, whether or not you have authorized such activities or actions. You agree to immediately notify Bold of any unauthorized use of your password.
When you register for an account, you will be able to create a financial dashboard within your account that permits you to connect your bank accounts and loans to initiate and permit payments.
Bold does not process payment information. Payment information is handled by third-party vendors. By using the Service, you agree to your financial or payment information being shared with the third-party payment processor. We reserve the right to refuse registration of, or cancel your account at our sole discretion.
Although Bold attempts to provide accurate product descriptions and other information, we are not responsible if information made available on the Site is not accurate, complete or current. The material on the Site is provided for general information only and should not be relied upon or used as the sole basis for making decisions without consulting primary, more accurate, more complete or more timely sources of information. Any reliance on the material on the Site is at your own risk.
The Site may contain certain historical information. Historical information, necessarily, is not current and is provided for your reference only. We reserve the right to modify the contents of the Site at any time, but we have no obligation to update any information on the Site. You agree that it is your responsibility to monitor changes to the Site.
Certain content, products and services available via our Service may include materials from third-parties. Third-party links on this Site may direct you to third-party websites that are not affiliated with us. We are not responsible for examining or evaluating the content or accuracy and we do not warrant and will not have any liability or responsibility for any third-party materials or websites, or for any other materials, products, or services of third-parties. We are not liable for any harm or damages related to the purchase or use of goods, services, resources, content, or any other transactions made in connection with any third-party websites. Please review carefully the third-party’s policies and practices and make sure you understand them before you engage in any transaction. Complaints, claims, concerns, or questions regarding third-party products should be directed to the third-party.
Additionally, Bold participates in partner advertising programs designed to provide a means for Bold to generate revenue by advertising and linking to those third parties’ products or services. This allows us to keep Bold.org 100% free for applicants/students, and keeps 100% of donations going directly to recipients. When such partner relationships exist and there is an opportunity for Bold to be compensated for referring you to the partner, Bold will disclose that to you.
We may give you the ability through the Site and the Service to provide comments, images, videos, audios, files, and other information and materials that you wish to share (collectively, "Submitted Content"). For example, Submitted Content includes any information that you provide to us when creating your Bold profile or submitting your scholarship applications. Please be assured, to the extent Submitted Content includes any personal information, we will use such personal information in accordance with our Privacy Policy.
By providing Submitted Content, subject to Section 16 (Personal Information) of these Terms and your rights set out in our Privacy Policy, you authorize Bold to copy, modify, display, distribute, perform, or otherwise use the Submitted Content in any manner (collectively, the “Use Rights”) and to grant such Use Rights to third parties (such as our service providers, advertising partners). For example, we may share your Submitted Consent on Internet-based digital and social media (including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, TikTok, and Snapchat), via e-mail to users of the Site, on any website maintained by Bold, print advertising (including in newspapers, magazines, and other periodicals), promotional materials, and press releases. However, Bold will honor any request by you to stop a certain Use Right or to cease using particular Submitted Content (for example, if you’d like us to remove a social media post) as set forth in our Privacy Policy. To make such a request, email privacy@bold.org.
We may, but have no obligation to, monitor, edit or remove Submitted Content that we determine in our sole discretion are unlawful, offensive, threatening, libelous, defamatory, pornographic, obscene or otherwise objectionable or violates any party’s intellectual property or these Terms. You represent and warrant that your Submitted Content will not (i) violate any right of any third-party, including copyright, trademark, privacy, personality or other personal or proprietary right, (ii) contain libelous or otherwise unlawful, abusive or obscene material, or (iii) contain any computer virus or other malware that could in any way affect the operation of the Service or the site. Moreover, if you provide us with any personal information relating to another individual, whether via Submitted Content or otherwise, then you represent and warrant that you have the authority to do so and to permit us to use the information in accordance with these Terms and our Privacy Policy. You may not use a false e-mail address, pretend to be someone other than yourself, or otherwise mislead us or third-parties as to the origin of any Submitted Content. You are solely responsible for any Submitted Content you provide and its accuracy. We take no responsibility and assume no liability for any Submitted Content posted by you or any third-party.
You are responsible for all financial decisions you make on the Site and using the Service. The Site Content is for informational purposes only, and you should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice. Nothing contained on our Site constitutes a solicitation, recommendation, endorsement, or offer by Bold or any third-party service provider to buy or sell any securities or other financial instruments in this or in in any other jurisdiction in which such solicitation or offer would be unlawful under the securities laws of such jurisdiction.
All content on the Site is information of a general nature and does not address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Nothing in the Site constitutes professional and/or financial advice, nor does any information on the Site constitute a comprehensive or complete statement of the matters discussed or the law relating thereto. Bold is not a fiduciary by virtue of any person’s use of or access to the Site or content. You alone assume the sole responsibility of evaluating the merits and risks associated with the use of any information or other content on the Site before making any decisions based on such information or other content. In exchange for using the Site, you agree not to hold Bold, or any third-party service provider liable for any possible claim for damages arising from any decision you make based on information or other content made available to you through the Site.
We do not guarantee, represent or warrant that your use of the Site or the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure or error-free. We do not warrant that the results that may be obtained from the use of the Service will be accurate or reliable. You agree that from time to time we may remove the Site or Service for indefinite periods of time or cancel the Service at any time, without notice to you. You expressly agree that your use of, or inability to use, the Site or Service is at your sole risk.
We do not guarantee or warrant the security of your information or any information you disclose or transmit to us. We are not responsible for the acts of those who gain unauthorized access, and we make no warranty, express, implied or otherwise, that we will prevent such access, and we are not responsible for any damages or liabilities relating to any such incidents to the fullest extent permitted by law.
THE SITE AND SERVICE AND ALL PRODUCTS AND SERVICES DELIVERED TO YOU THROUGH THE SERVICE ARE (EXCEPT AS EXPRESSLY STATED BY US) PROVIDED ‘AS IS’ AND ‘AS AVAILABLE’ FOR YOUR USE, AND WE HEREBY DISCLAIM ANY REPRESENTATION, WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING ALL IMPLIED WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF MERCHANTABILITY, MERCHANTABLE QUALITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, DURABILITY, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.
IN NO CASE SHALL BOLD, ITS DIRECTORS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, CONTRACTORS, INTERNS, SUPPLIERS, SERVICE PROVIDERS OR LICENSORS BE LIABLE FOR ANY INJURY, LOSS, CLAIM, OR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, PUNITIVE, SPECIAL, OR CONSEQUENTIAL DAMAGES OF ANY KIND, INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION LOST PROFITS, LOST REVENUE, LOST SAVINGS, LOSS OF DATA, REPLACEMENT COSTS, OR ANY SIMILAR DAMAGES, WHETHER BASED IN CONTRACT, TORT (INCLUDING NEGLIGENCE), STRICT LIABILITY OR OTHERWISE, ARISING FROM YOUR USE OF ANY OF THE SITE OR SERVICE OR ANY PRODUCTS PROCURED USING THE SITE OR SERVICE, OR FOR ANY OTHER CLAIM RELATED IN ANY WAY TO YOUR USE OF THE SITE OR SERVICE OR ANY PRODUCT, INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO, ANY ERRORS OR OMISSIONS IN ANY CONTENT, OR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE OF ANY KIND INCURRED AS A RESULT OF THE USE OF THE SERVICE OR ANY CONTENT (OR PRODUCT) POSTED, TRANSMITTED, OR OTHERWISE MADE AVAILABLE VIA THE SERVICE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THEIR POSSIBILITY. BECAUSE SOME STATES OR JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OR THE LIMITATION OF LIABILITY FOR CONSEQUENTIAL OR INCIDENTAL DAMAGES, IN SUCH STATES OR JURISDICTIONS, OUR LIABILITY SHALL BE LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW.
IN NO EVENT SHALL BOLD BE LIABLE, UNDER ANY LEGAL THEORY (CONTRACT, BREACH OF WARRANTY, NEGLIGENCE OR OTHER TORT, STRICT LIABILITY, OR OTHERWISE) UNDER THESE TERMS OR OTHERWISE FOR ANY DAMAGES IN EXCESS OF ONE HUNDRED DOLLARS ($100). SUCH LIMITATION SHALL EXTEND TO ALL LIABILITY OR POTENTIAL LIABILITY, INCLUDING FOR PERSONAL INJURY OR WRONGFUL DEATH.
You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Bold and its subsidiaries, partners, officers, directors, agents, contractors, licensors, service providers, subcontractors, suppliers, and employees, harmless from and against any claim or demand, including reasonable attorneys’ fees, made by any third-party due to or arising out of your breach of these Terms or the documents they incorporate by reference, or your violation of any law or the rights of a third-party.
In the event that any provision of these Terms is determined to be unlawful, void or unenforceable, such provision shall nonetheless be enforceable to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, and the unenforceable portion shall be deemed to be severed from these Terms, such determination shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any other remaining provisions.
We reserve the right at any time to modify or discontinue the Site and Service (or any part or content thereof) without notice at any time. The obligations and liabilities of the parties incurred prior to the termination date shall survive the termination of these Terms for all purposes. These Terms are effective unless and until terminated by either you or us. You may terminate these Terms at any time by notifying us that you no longer wish to use the Service, or when you cease using the Site. If in our sole judgment you fail, or we suspect that you have failed, to comply with any of these Terms, we also may terminate these Terms at any time without notice and you will remain liable for all amounts due up to and including the date of termination; and/or accordingly may deny you access to the Service and the Site (or any part thereof).
Any update to these Terms will not apply to your ongoing use of the Service until or unless you expressly agree to the updated Terms, although such agreement may be a condition of your ongoing use of the Service. In other respects, we reserve the right to change these Terms and Conditions as they relate the Site on a going-forward basis at any time. If such an update to these Terms materially modifies any of your rights or obligations, we will post notice of the update on the Site for a reasonable period of time.
The failure by us to exercise or enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of such right or provision. These Terms and any policies or operating rules posted by us on the site or in respect to the Site or Service constitutes the entire agreement and understanding between you and us and governs your use of the Site and Service, superseding any prior or contemporaneous agreements, communications and proposals, whether oral or written, between you and us (including, but not limited to, any prior versions of these Terms).
These Terms and any separate agreements whereby we provide you the Service shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of California without regards to its conflicts of law provisions. The city and county of San Francisco shall have exclusive jurisdiction, and you hereby waive any claims that the forum is inconvenient, over any disputes related to Bold, these Terms, the Site, or the Service.
The Site is controlled and operated from within the United States. We make no representation that the Site is appropriate or available in locations outside the United States. Anyone choosing to access the Site from other locations are responsible for compliance with applicable laws. International visitors must comply with all local rules regarding online conduct and acceptable content, including laws regulating the export of data from the United States or your country of residence.
Your submission of personal information to Bold or through the site is governed by our Privacy Policy which you can access via the link located at the bottom of this page.
You agree that we or third parties acting on our behalf may send you emails regarding important information regarding your use of the Site and Service and other electronic communications such as newsletters and promotional materials. While using the Site or Service, if you agree to receiving a newsletter, promotional materials, or any other subscription or registration or use of another platform that partners with Bold, then you will be deemed to have acknowledged, agreed, and consented to Bold’s use of your personal information and data for that purpose.
You may opt out of receiving the newsletters and other promotional messages at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link on the email, but you may not opt-out of receiving important items regarding the use of the Site, the Service or your account and the like.
Bold will try to work in good faith to resolve any issue you have regarding the Site and the Service through its customer service department. However we realize there may be cases where we may not be able to resolve an issue to a customer's satisfaction. At Bold’s discretion, we may require that any dispute arising from these Terms or the Site or Service – including but not limited to disputes arising from or concerning contract interpretation or alleged invalidity or unenforceability, alleged breach, non-performance, or termination – to final and binding arbitration under the Rules of Arbitration of the American Arbitration Association applying California law. If you bring a dispute in a manner other than in accordance with this section, you agree that we may move to have it dismissed, and that you will be responsible for our reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and disbursements in doing so. Additionally, in any action or proceeding to enforce rights under these Terms, the prevailing party will be entitled to reasonable attorneys’ fees, court costs, and disbursements.
TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED UNDER APPLICABLE LAW: (a) YOU AND BOLD AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN YOUR OR ITS INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION, AND (b) UNLESS BOTH YOU AND BOLD AGREE, NO ARBITRATOR OR JUDGE MAY CONSOLIDATE MORE THAN ONE PERSON’S CLAIMS OR OTHERWISE PRESIDE OVER ANY FORM OF A REPRESENTATIVE OR CLASS PROCEEDING.
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These Specific Additional Terms and Conditions set forth terms applicable only to (i) using of the Site to enroll as an applicant or (ii) an applicant who is logged in and using the Service.
If you use any of the following parts of the Service, the terms below apply to you in addition to the Terms of Use above:
1. Connected Accounts. Bold offers products and services that allow you to “connect” or “link” external accounts, such as a bank account, a loan, or a credit card account held at another institution. You agree to the following terms and conditions when you connect an account at another institution:
2. Bold’s Personal Finance Dashboard Tool. If you use Bold’s Personal Finance Platform Tool service, the following terms and conditions also apply to you.
Bold offers personal tools to view, aggregate, and manage your information from multiple accounts. The information compiled includes accounts held at Bold and at external financial institutions, such as a bank account or a loan serviced by another institution. Bold offers these tools under the product name brand of “Personal Finance Dashboard Tool”. If you elect to connect an external account in the Personal Finance Dashboard Tool, you authorize Bold to obtain information from your Connected Account(s) and use it as described above in the section “Connected Accounts”. Bold’s Personal Finance Dashboard Tool is intended to only provide organizational and planning services for your financial information. The Bold Personal Finance Dashboard Tool tools and services are not intended to provide any financial planning, investment, tax, retirement planning or debt management or consolidation services or advice. Bold does NOT undertake any review of your account information to provide you with any advice or guidance. Bold does not make any determination about the suitability or appropriateness of any transactions you might undertake at Bold or elsewhere. If you elect to use Personal Finance Dashboard Tool, you are fully and solely responsible for your accounts and agree Bold’s only role is to aggregate compile data to information for presentment to you.
3. Bold’s Points Program. If you participate in Bold’s Points Program (the “Program”) whether through your Bold Credit Card or through the Site, the following terms and conditions also apply to you.