StudentAidGuard • Student Aid Guard

Terms of Use

Effective date: [Insert date] Last updated: [Insert date]

These Terms of Use (“Terms”) govern your access to and use of StudentAidGuard.com, including all content, tools, guides, calculators, and digital products made available on this website (“the Site”).

By accessing or using StudentAidGuard.com in any way — including reading our content, using the Aid Impact Simulator, downloading a digital product, or submitting your email address through any form — you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use this Site.

We have written these Terms in plain English because our audience deserves to understand the agreement they are entering into. If you have questions about anything in these Terms, contact us at [info@StudentAidGuard.com] before using the Site.

1. Who We Are

StudentAidGuard.com (“StudentAidGuard,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is an independent educational website that provides financial aid risk information, free interactive tools, and content resources for community college students, parents, and education professionals.

StudentAidGuard is not affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, any state financial aid agency, or any educational institution. We are a privately operated website. Nothing on this Site constitutes an official determination of financial aid eligibility, an official financial aid award, or a legally binding calculation of any kind.

2. Acceptance of Terms

By using this Site, you represent that:

  • You are at least 13 years of age, or if you are under 18, that you have the permission of a parent or legal guardian to use this Site and that your parent or guardian has reviewed and agreed to these Terms on your behalf
  • You have the legal authority to enter into this agreement
  • You will use the Site only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms
  • You will not use the Site in any way that violates applicable federal, state, or local law or regulation

If you are using this Site on behalf of an educational institution, organization, or business, you represent that you have the authority to bind that entity to these Terms.

3. Description of the Site and Its Tools

StudentAidGuard provides the following categories of content and tools:

3a. Educational Content

Written guides, articles, FAQs, and resource pages covering federal financial aid rules — including Pell Grant credit-hour eligibility tiers, Satisfactory Academic Progress (SAP) requirements, Return of Title IV (R2T4) rules, financial aid appeals, and related topics. This content is educational and informational in nature. It is based on publicly available federal regulations and guidance documents and is intended to help students understand how financial aid rules work — not to substitute for advice from a licensed financial aid professional or your school’s financial aid office.

3b. The Aid Impact Simulator

A free, interactive web tool that applies federal Pell Grant enrollment tier rules and general SAP thresholds to user-provided inputs — including current credit hours, aid type, aid amount, GPA standing, and the schedule change being considered — and returns an estimate of how that change may affect the user’s financial aid award.

The Aid Impact Simulator produces estimates only. It does not access your school’s student information system, your Federal Student Aid account, your FAFSA data, or any official government database. It applies publicly available federal rules to the information you enter. Its output is not an official financial aid calculation, is not binding on any school or government agency, and should not be used as a substitute for confirmation from your school’s financial aid office before making any enrollment decision. See Section 7 (Disclaimers) for the full limitation of liability applicable to the Aid Impact Simulator.

3c. Digital Products

Paid downloadable resources, including the Financial Aid Appeal Letter Templates and any other digital products sold through StudentAidGuard. Digital product purchases are subject to these Terms and to any additional terms presented at the point of purchase. See Section 9 (Digital Products and Purchases) for terms specific to paid products.

3d. Email Communications

Opt-in email communications sent to subscribers who provide their name and email address through forms on the Site. Email subscriptions are governed by these Terms and by our Privacy Policy.

4. Use of the Site — Permitted and Prohibited Conduct

4a. Permitted Use

You may use StudentAidGuard.com for the following purposes:

  • Reading, sharing, and personally referencing our educational content for your own financial aid decision-making
  • Using the Aid Impact Simulator to estimate the potential impact of a schedule change on your financial aid award
  • Downloading digital products you have purchased
  • Subscribing to our email list and receiving email communications
  • Sharing links to StudentAidGuard content on social media, in academic advising contexts, or with students and families who may benefit from the information
  • Citing StudentAidGuard content in educational or advisory contexts, with appropriate attribution

4b. Prohibited Conduct

You may not use StudentAidGuard.com for any of the following:

Misrepresentation. You may not use the Aid Impact Simulator output, or any other content from StudentAidGuard, to misrepresent your financial aid eligibility to your school, to a government agency, or to any third party. The Simulator produces educational estimates — presenting its output as an official aid calculation or government determination is a misuse of this tool.

Automated scraping and data harvesting. You may not use bots, scrapers, crawlers, or any automated tools to extract content from StudentAidGuard in bulk, to harvest email addresses, or to systematically copy our guides, tool outputs, or other content for redistribution without our written permission.

Unauthorized reproduction. You may not reproduce, republish, copy, sell, or redistribute substantial portions of StudentAidGuard’s written content, tool interfaces, or digital products without our express written permission. Fair use quotation with attribution is permitted; wholesale reproduction is not.

Interference with site operation. You may not attempt to interfere with, disrupt, or damage the operation of StudentAidGuard.com, its servers, or its infrastructure. This includes attempting to introduce malicious code, conducting denial-of-service attacks, attempting to bypass security measures, or accessing systems or data you are not authorized to access.

Impersonation. You may not impersonate StudentAidGuard, its staff, or any other person or entity in connection with your use of this Site.

Illegal use. You may not use this Site for any purpose that violates applicable federal, state, or local law, including but not limited to fraud, identity theft, harassment, or the transmission of illegal content.

Circumventing access controls. You may not attempt to access restricted areas of the Site, paid digital products you have not purchased, or administrative systems.

5. Intellectual Property

5a. Our Content

All content on StudentAidGuard.com — including written articles, guides, FAQs, tool interfaces, design elements, logos, graphics, and digital products — is the intellectual property of StudentAidGuard.com and is protected by United States copyright law and applicable international copyright conventions.

The StudentAidGuard name, logo, and brand identity are proprietary to StudentAidGuard.com. You may not use our name, logo, or brand elements in any way that implies endorsement, affiliation, or partnership without our express written permission.

5b. Limited License to Use the Site

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to access and use StudentAidGuard.com for personal, non-commercial purposes consistent with these Terms. This license does not include the right to:

  • Reproduce or distribute our content beyond personal reference
  • Create derivative works based on our content
  • Use our content for commercial purposes without written permission
  • Sublicense, sell, or transfer this license to any other party

5c. Federal Financial Aid Information

The financial aid rules described in our content — including Pell Grant eligibility tiers, SAP requirements, and Return of Title IV calculations — are based on publicly available federal regulations. The regulatory information itself is in the public domain. Our original expression of that information — the specific way we have written, organized, structured, and presented it — is our intellectual property and is protected by copyright.

5d. User-Submitted Content

If you submit any content to StudentAidGuard — including messages through our contact form, testimonials, or feedback — you grant StudentAidGuard a non-exclusive, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, reproduce, and publish that content in connection with operating and promoting the Site, subject to our Privacy Policy. You represent that any content you submit does not infringe the intellectual property rights of any third party.

6. Third-Party Links and Affiliate Relationships

StudentAidGuard contains links to third-party websites, including affiliate partner sites, government resources, and reference sources. These links are provided for your convenience and information.

We do not control third-party websites. When you click an external link and leave StudentAidGuard.com, you are subject to the terms of use and privacy policy of the site you visit. We are not responsible for the content, accuracy, privacy practices, or availability of any third-party website, even those we recommend or link to.

Affiliate links. Some links on StudentAidGuard are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase or complete a registration, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. Our full affiliate disclosure is available at StudentAidGuard.com/affiliate-disclosure/. The presence of affiliate links does not affect our editorial independence — see our Affiliate Disclosure and Policy page for our complete editorial standards.

Government resources. Links to government websites — including studentaid.gov and ecfr.gov — are provided for reference. Government website content may change without notice. We cannot guarantee that links to government resources remain current or accurate at the time you access them.

7. Disclaimers — Please Read Carefully

This section contains important limitations on what StudentAidGuard is and what our content and tools can do. Read it in full.

7a. Educational Information Only — Not Professional Advice

All content on StudentAidGuard — including written guides, the Aid Impact Simulator, FAQ responses, and email communications — is educational and informational in nature. It is not financial advice, legal advice, academic counseling, or official financial aid guidance.

StudentAidGuard is not a licensed financial advisor, financial aid administrator, attorney, or academic counselor. Nothing on this Site creates a professional relationship between you and StudentAidGuard of any kind.

Before making any financial aid decision — including dropping a course, withdrawing from a semester, changing your enrollment status, or submitting a financial aid appeal — we strongly recommend that you:

  • Speak directly with your school’s financial aid office
  • Consult your academic advisor regarding academic consequences
  • Contact Federal Student Aid at studentaid.gov for official federal guidance
  • For complex situations, consult a licensed independent financial aid advisor or attorney

7b. Aid Impact Simulator Disclaimer

The Aid Impact Simulator applies federal Pell Grant enrollment tier rules and general SAP thresholds as published in the Federal Student Aid Handbook to the information you enter. It is designed to help you understand the potential financial aid consequences of a schedule change before you make that change.

The Simulator’s output is an estimate. It is not an official financial aid calculation. It is not binding on your school, on Federal Student Aid, or on any government agency.

The Simulator may not accurately reflect your specific situation for any of the following reasons, among others:

  • Your school may have financial aid policies that differ from federal minimums
  • Your aid package may include institutional, state, or private aid with different eligibility rules than federal Pell Grant tiers
  • Your school’s SAP policy may apply different GPA minimums, completion rate thresholds, or evaluation timelines than the general standards used in the Simulator
  • Aid recalculation timing varies by institution and may differ from the Simulator’s assumptions
  • Your specific enrollment history, prior SAP status, or aid package composition may create outcomes the Simulator cannot anticipate from the inputs provided

Always confirm the impact of any enrollment change with your school’s financial aid office before submitting that change. StudentAidGuard and the Aid Impact Simulator are decision-support tools — they are not a substitute for official confirmation from your institution.

7c. No Warranty

StudentAidGuard.com and all content, tools, and resources on this Site are provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranty of any kind — express, implied, or statutory.

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, we disclaim all warranties, including but not limited to:

  • Warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement
  • Warranties that the Site will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of viruses or other harmful components
  • Warranties that the content on the Site is accurate, complete, current, or reliable at any given time
  • Warranties that the Aid Impact Simulator will produce results that accurately predict any individual’s financial aid outcome

Federal financial aid rules change annually. While we make reasonable efforts to update our content when rules change, we cannot guarantee that every piece of content on StudentAidGuard reflects the most current federal regulations at the moment you access it. Always verify current rules at studentaid.gov.

8. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, StudentAidGuard, its owners, operators, employees, contributors, and affiliates shall not be liable for any damages of any kind arising from your use of this Site or its content, including but not limited to:

  • Direct, indirect, incidental, punitive, or consequential damages
  • Loss of financial aid, loss of enrollment, or any academic or financial consequences resulting from a decision made in reliance on StudentAidGuard content or Aid Impact Simulator output
  • Damages resulting from errors, inaccuracies, or omissions in our content
  • Damages resulting from your reliance on third-party content, tools, or services linked from this Site
  • Damages resulting from unauthorized access to or alteration of your data
  • Damages resulting from any interruption, suspension, or termination of the Site

This limitation of liability applies even if StudentAidGuard has been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain warranties or liability. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

The maximum aggregate liability of StudentAidGuard to you for any claim arising from your use of this Site — regardless of the form of action — shall not exceed the greater of (a) the amount you paid to StudentAidGuard for any digital product in the 12 months preceding the claim, or (b) one hundred US dollars ($100.00).

9. Digital Products and Purchases

9a. Purchase Terms

Digital products sold through StudentAidGuard — including the Financial Aid Appeal Letter Templates and any future products — are sold subject to these Terms and to any additional terms presented at the point of purchase.

By completing a purchase, you represent that:

  • You are authorized to use the payment method provided
  • The billing information you provide is accurate and complete
  • You are purchasing for personal, non-commercial use unless otherwise agreed in writing

9b. Delivery of Digital Products

Digital products are delivered electronically — typically via download link sent to the email address provided at purchase, or via a download page accessible immediately after payment confirmation. We are not responsible for delivery failures caused by an incorrect email address provided at checkout or by spam filters blocking our delivery email. If you do not receive your digital product within 24 hours of purchase, contact us at [support@StudentAidGuard.com].

9c. Refund Policy

Because our digital products are delivered electronically and are accessible immediately upon purchase, all sales are generally final. We do not offer refunds for digital product purchases except in the following circumstances:

  • You were charged but did not receive access to the product due to a technical error on our end
  • The product was materially misrepresented on the sales page in a way that constitutes a significant discrepancy from what you received
  • A duplicate charge occurred due to a payment processing error

To request a refund under one of the above circumstances, contact us at [support@StudentAidGuard.com] within 14 days of your purchase date with your order confirmation and a description of the issue. We will review your request and respond within 5 business days.

We reserve the right to decline refund requests that do not meet the above criteria or that appear to involve downloading the product and then requesting a refund.

9d. License for Digital Products

Upon purchase of a digital product from StudentAidGuard, you receive a limited, personal, non-transferable license to use that product for your own individual purposes. You may not:

  • Share, redistribute, resell, or sublicense the product to any third party
  • Reproduce the product for distribution — in whole or in substantial part
  • Use the product as the basis for a competing commercial product
  • Remove or alter any copyright or attribution notices within the product

Financial aid advisors, TRIO program staff, and institutional users who wish to use our digital products with multiple students should contact us at [info@StudentAidGuard.com] to discuss institutional licensing terms.

10. Privacy

Your use of StudentAidGuard.com is also governed by our Privacy Policy, available at StudentAidGuard.com/privacy-policy/. The Privacy Policy is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By agreeing to these Terms, you also agree to the Privacy Policy.

Our Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, how we use it, how we protect it, and your rights regarding your data — including your right to access, correct, or delete your information.

11. Affiliate Disclosure

Your use of StudentAidGuard.com is also subject to our Affiliate Disclosure and Policy, available at StudentAidGuard.com/affiliate-disclosure/. The Affiliate Disclosure is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

The Affiliate Disclosure explains which links on StudentAidGuard are affiliate links, how affiliate commissions work, our editorial independence policy, and the categories of products we will and will not promote.

12. Children’s Use of This Site

StudentAidGuard.com is intended for users who are 13 years of age or older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are under 13, do not use this Site or submit any personal information through any form on this Site.

Users between the ages of 13 and 17 may use this Site with the knowledge and permission of a parent or legal guardian. If you are a parent or guardian of a minor who has used this Site without your permission, contact us at [info@StudentAidGuard.com] and we will take appropriate steps including deleting any personal information associated with that user.

13. Modifications to the Site and These Terms

13a. Changes to the Site

We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of StudentAidGuard.com at any time without notice. This includes the Aid Impact Simulator, individual guides, digital product offerings, email communications, and any other feature or content on the Site. We are not liable to you or any third party for any modification, suspension, or discontinuation of the Site or any part of it.

13b. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, in applicable law, or in the services we provide. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we will notify active email subscribers by sending a notice to the email address on file.

Your continued use of the Site after any update to these Terms constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, discontinue your use of the Site.

We recommend bookmarking this page and reviewing it periodically — particularly if you make a purchase or rely on the Aid Impact Simulator for an important financial aid decision.

14. Termination of Access

We reserve the right to terminate or restrict your access to StudentAidGuard.com at any time, without notice, for any of the following reasons:

  • Violation of these Terms
  • Conduct that we determine, in our sole discretion, is harmful to other users, to the Site, or to the integrity of our content
  • Fraudulent, abusive, or illegal conduct
  • Any other reason we deem appropriate in our reasonable judgment

Termination does not affect any provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination, including Sections 5 (Intellectual Property), 7 (Disclaimers), 8 (Limitation of Liability), 14 (Termination), 15 (Dispute Resolution), and 16 (Governing Law).

15. Dispute Resolution

15a. Informal Resolution First

Before initiating any formal legal proceeding against StudentAidGuard, you agree to contact us at [info@StudentAidGuard.com] and provide a written description of the dispute, the relief you are seeking, and your contact information. We will attempt to resolve the dispute informally within 30 days of receiving your notice. Many disputes can be resolved quickly through direct communication.

15b. Binding Arbitration

If we are unable to resolve a dispute informally within 30 days, you and StudentAidGuard agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or your use of the Site — including disputes about the validity, enforceability, or scope of this arbitration provision — shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (AAA) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court.

By agreeing to arbitration, you and StudentAidGuard are each waiving the right to a trial by jury.

The arbitration shall take place in [Insert state of business registration], or by telephone or video conference if both parties agree. The arbitrator’s decision shall be final and binding, and judgment on the award may be entered in any court of competent jurisdiction.

15c. Class Action Waiver

You and StudentAidGuard agree that each may bring claims against the other only in your or its individual capacity — not as a plaintiff or class member in any purported class action, collective action, or representative proceeding. If this class action waiver is found unenforceable for any reason, the arbitration provision in Section 15b shall also be unenforceable.

15d. Small Claims Court Exception

Notwithstanding the arbitration provision above, either party may bring an individual claim in small claims court if the claim qualifies under the court’s jurisdictional requirements.

15e. Time Limitation on Claims

Any claim or cause of action arising from your use of StudentAidGuard.com or these Terms must be filed within one (1) year after the claim or cause of action arose. Claims filed after this one-year period are permanently barred, to the fullest extent permitted by law.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of [Insert state of business registration], without regard to its conflict of law principles. To the extent any dispute is not subject to arbitration under Section 15, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in [Insert county and state] for resolution of any such dispute.

17. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless StudentAidGuard, its owners, operators, employees, contributors, and affiliates from and against any and all claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses — including reasonable attorneys’ fees — arising out of or related to:

  • Your use of or access to StudentAidGuard.com
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any applicable law or regulation
  • Your infringement of the intellectual property or other rights of any third party
  • Any content you submit to the Site
  • Any reliance you place on Aid Impact Simulator output or other Site content in making financial, academic, or enrollment decisions

18. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found by a court or arbitrator of competent jurisdiction to be invalid, illegal, or unenforceable, that provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if it cannot be modified, it shall be severed from these Terms. The remaining provisions of these Terms shall continue in full force and effect.

19. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy (StudentAidGuard.com/privacy-policy/) and our Affiliate Disclosure and Policy (StudentAidGuard.com/affiliate-disclosure/), constitute the entire agreement between you and StudentAidGuard regarding your use of this Site. They supersede any prior agreements, representations, or understandings between you and StudentAidGuard regarding the same subject matter.

No waiver by StudentAidGuard of any provision of these Terms shall be construed as a continuing waiver of that provision or any other provision. Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.

20. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms of Use, contact us at:

StudentAidGuard.com Email: [info@StudentAidGuard.com] Website: https://StudentAidGuard.com/contact/

For privacy-related inquiries: [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com] For affiliate policy inquiries: [info@StudentAidGuard.com] For digital product support: [support@StudentAidGuard.com]

We will respond to all Terms-related inquiries within 30 days.