Terms of Service

By accessing or using ajwfoundation.org and related services operated by the Aaron J. White Foundation (“AJW Foundation,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), you agree to these Terms of Service (“Terms”). If you do not agree, please do not use the site.

These Terms work together with our Privacy Policy, which describes how we handle personal information.

• General website accounts are intended for users who are at least 13 years old. Scholarship applications may be submitted by applicants under 18, and a parent or guardian may assist where appropriate.
• You must provide accurate registration information and keep your account credentials secure.
• You are responsible for activity that occurs under your account.
• You must verify your email address when required before using certain features, including scholarship applications.
• We may suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, misuse the site, or create risk for the Foundation or other users.

Scholarship programs listed on the site are subject to their posted eligibility requirements, deadlines, prompts, and cycle rules. By applying, you agree that:

• You will provide truthful, complete, and original responses unless otherwise permitted.
• You meet the eligibility requirements you confirm during screening, when applicable.
• Draft applications may be saved automatically so you can continue later; saving a draft does not submit an application.
• An application is not considered submitted until you complete the submission process and receive confirmation.
• You may only maintain one application per scholarship per cycle unless we explicitly allow otherwise.
• Uploaded files must be your own work or material you have the right to submit, and must comply with any posted file requirements.
• We may review, score, decline, waitlist, withdraw, or return an application to draft status as part of program administration.
• Submission does not guarantee selection, an award, or any particular review outcome.

Scholarship decisions are made by the Foundation in accordance with program criteria and applicable policies. We may update application requirements during a cycle when necessary to correct errors or comply with law, with reasonable notice when practicable.

Donations made through the site are processed by our third-party payment provider. By donating, you represent that you are authorized to use the payment method provided. Donations are generally final once processed, except where required by law or explicitly stated otherwise on the donation page.

The Foundation may provide tax receipts or acknowledgment letters where applicable. You are responsible for determining the tax treatment of your contribution.

When you contact us through support forms or email, you agree not to submit unlawful, harassing, deceptive, or abusive content. We may use your messages to respond, investigate concerns, and improve our services.

If you subscribe to foundation updates, you agree to receive messages related to that subscription until you opt out, where applicable.

You agree not to:

• Use the site for unlawful purposes or in violation of applicable laws.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to accounts, applications, files, or systems.
• Interfere with site operation, security, or other users' access.
• Submit false eligibility information, plagiarized application materials, or misleading donation details.
• Scrape, copy, or exploit site content or applicant data except as permitted by these Terms or the Foundation.
• Use automated means to access the site in a way that burdens our infrastructure.

The site, Foundation branding, and content we publish are owned by or licensed to the Aaron J. White Foundation and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce or distribute site content except for personal, non-commercial use or as otherwise permitted.

You retain ownership of content you submit in applications and messages, but you grant us a non-exclusive license to use, store, reproduce, and share that content as needed to administer scholarships, respond to inquiries, and operate the site.

The site relies on third-party providers for functions such as authentication, email delivery, payment processing, and file storage. Your use of those features may also be subject to the providers' terms and privacy practices.

The site and its content are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis. To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Foundation disclaims warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.

Information on the site about scholarships, deadlines, awards, and programs is for general program communication and may change. Always refer to the official scholarship listing and your account for current details.

To the fullest extent permitted by law, the Aaron J. White Foundation and its directors, officers, employees, volunteers, and agents will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for lost profits, data, or goodwill, arising from or related to your use of the site.

To the extent liability cannot be excluded, our total liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the site or these Terms will not exceed the greater of one hundred U.S. dollars (US $100) or the amount you paid to us through the site in the twelve months before the event giving rise to the claim.

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless the Foundation from claims, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your misuse of the site, your application materials, your breach of these Terms, or your violation of another person's rights.

We may modify the site, scholarship programs, or these Terms at any time. If we make material changes to these Terms, we will update the date above and may provide additional notice on the site. Your continued use after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

We may suspend or discontinue any part of the site or terminate access for conduct that violates these Terms or creates risk for the Foundation or others.

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where prohibited by applicable law. Any dispute arising from these Terms or the site will be brought in the state or federal courts located in North Carolina, unless otherwise required by law.

Questions about these policies may be sent to hello@ajwfoundation.org for general inquiries or support@ajwfoundation.org for account and technical support.

Related policies: Privacy Policy.