Terms of Service

1. Agreement to these Terms

By accessing or using PathAhead (available at mypathahead.org and any associated applications, the “Service”), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service (“Terms”) and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

PathAhead reserves the right to modify these Terms at any time. We will provide notice of material changes by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, by sending an email to the address associated with your account. Continued use of the Service after changes become effective constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

2. Who we are

PathAhead is a platform that helps high school students discover extracurricular opportunities, explore college majors, connect with mentors, and access AI-assisted college and career guidance. The Service is operated by PathAhead (“we,” “us,” or “our”).

3. Eligibility and minor users

The Service is intended for students enrolled in grades 9 through 12 (generally ages 13–18), their parents or legal guardians, school counselors, and educational professionals.

• If you are 13 or older but under 18, you may use the Service only with the review, consent, and supervision of a parent or legal guardian who agrees to these Terms on your behalf. By using the Service, your parent or guardian represents that they have read and accepted these Terms.
• If you are under 13, you may not use the Service. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have done so without verifiable parental consent, we will delete that information promptly.
• Parents and guardians who create accounts on behalf of a minor are fully responsible for the minor’s use of the Service and compliance with these Terms.
• If you are using the Service as a school counselor, company, institution, or in any professional capacity, you represent that you have authority to bind your organization to these Terms.

4. Account registration

Access to certain features requires creating an account through our third-party authentication provider (currently Clerk, Inc.). You agree to:

• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration.
• Maintain the security of your account credentials.
• Notify us immediately at legal@mypathahead.org if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
• Accept responsibility for all activity that occurs under your account.
• Not share your account with any other person or create accounts on behalf of others without their knowledge.

We reserve the right to suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms or that we determine, in our sole discretion, pose a risk to the Service or to other users.

5. Free and Premium plans

PathAhead offers a free plan and a paid Premium subscription. Features available on each plan are described on our Pricing page and may change over time with notice.

5a. Free plan

The free plan is available at no charge and includes access to the opportunity feed, major explorer, interest assessment quiz, and the ability to browse the mentor marketplace. We reserve the right to modify, limit, or discontinue free-plan features at any time.

5b. Premium subscription

• Premium is billed on a recurring monthly basis at the price shown at checkout, currently $19 per month. Prices may change with at least 30 days’ notice.
• Payment is processed by our third-party payment provider (currently Stripe). By subscribing, you authorize PathAhead to charge your payment method on a recurring basis until you cancel.
• Subscriptions renew automatically. You may cancel at any time through your account settings or by contacting us. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period; we do not issue prorated refunds for partial months.
• If you are under 18, your parent or legal guardian must authorize any Premium subscription and is responsible for all charges incurred.
• We may offer a free trial at our discretion. If you do not cancel before the trial ends, you will be charged the applicable subscription fee.

5c. Refunds

All subscription fees are non-refundable except where required by applicable law or as stated in our explicit refund policy (if any). We may issue refunds at our discretion on a case-by-case basis.

6. Opportunity listings

The Service catalogs third-party programs including internships, research placements, competitions, and scholarships, and links to their official application pages. You acknowledge and agree that:

• PathAhead does not operate, endorse, or guarantee any listed program. Listings are provided for informational convenience only.
• Program details including deadlines, eligibility, and cost change frequently. We make reasonable efforts to keep listings current but cannot guarantee accuracy. Always verify on the program’s official site before applying.
• Match scores are an internal ranking heuristic based on the profile you provide. They are not a prediction of admission, acceptance, or suitability.
• Your interactions with third-party programs are governed solely by their own terms and policies. PathAhead is not responsible for their decisions regarding your application.

7. AI Co-pilot

Premium subscribers have access to an AI-powered guidance assistant (“Co-pilot”) that provides college and career planning advice drawing on a curated knowledge base of essays contributed by verified alumni, together with general information.

• The Co-pilot is an AI tool and may generate inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information. Do not rely on it as a substitute for professional advice, official program information, or your own research.
• Always verify deadlines, eligibility requirements, and application details directly on the official website of any program before applying.
• The Co-pilot is not a licensed counselor, therapist, or college advisor. Any guidance provided is for informational purposes only.
• We may monitor Co-pilot conversations in aggregate to improve the Service. See our Privacy Policy for details on how conversation data is handled.
• You agree not to attempt to misuse, manipulate, or circumvent the Co-pilot’s intended purpose, including by attempting to extract harmful content or override safety instructions.

8. Third-party programs and links

PathAhead lists third-party programs, competitions, scholarships, internships, and other opportunities (“Third-Party Programs”) and provides links to their official application pages. You acknowledge and agree that:

• PathAhead does not operate, endorse, or guarantee any Third-Party Program. Listings are provided for informational convenience only.
• Program details, including deadlines, eligibility, cost, and availability, change frequently. We make reasonable efforts to keep listings current but cannot guarantee accuracy. Always verify details on the program’s official website before applying.
• Your interactions with Third-Party Programs are governed solely by their own terms, policies, and requirements. PathAhead is not responsible for any decisions made by Third-Party Programs regarding your application.
• We may receive compensation from certain organizations for featuring their programs. Where this applies, it will be disclosed.

9. Acceptable use

You agree not to use the Service to:

• Violate any applicable law, regulation, or these Terms.
• Impersonate any person or entity or misrepresent your affiliation with any person or entity.
• Upload, transmit, or share content that is unlawful, harassing, defamatory, obscene, or otherwise objectionable.
• Collect or store personal information about other users without their consent.
• Use automated means (bots, scrapers, crawlers) to access or extract data from the Service without our express written permission.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to any portion of the Service or its related systems.
• Interfere with or disrupt the integrity or performance of the Service.
• Engage in any conduct that could expose PathAhead or its users to harm or liability.

Violation of these rules may result in immediate suspension or termination of your account and, where appropriate, referral to law enforcement.

10. User content

Certain features may allow you to submit content, including profile information, quiz responses, saved opportunities, and messages to Mentors (“User Content”). You retain ownership of your User Content. By submitting User Content, you grant PathAhead a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, store, display, and process your User Content solely to operate and improve the Service.

You represent that you have all rights necessary to grant this license and that your User Content does not infringe the rights of any third party.

11. Intellectual property

All content on the Service other than User Content, including the PathAhead name, logo, design, software, text, graphics, and the curated alumni knowledge base, is owned by or licensed to PathAhead and is protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws. You may not copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

12. Privacy

Your use of the Service is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference. By using the Service, you consent to the collection, use, and sharing of your information as described in our Privacy Policy.

We take the privacy of minor users seriously. We collect only the information necessary to provide the Service and do not sell personal information of users under 18 to third parties for their own marketing purposes.

13. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, ACCURACY, OR NON-INFRINGEMENT.

PathAhead does not warrant that:

• The Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure.
• Any opportunity listings, program details, deadlines, or match scores are accurate, complete, or current.
• Use of the Service will result in admission to any program, school, or scholarship, or any particular academic or career outcome.
• AI Co-pilot responses are accurate, complete, or appropriate for your specific circumstances.
• Mentors’ credentials, advice, or qualifications are verified or suitable for your needs.

14. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, PATHAHEAD AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, AND LICENSORS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

In no event shall PathAhead’s total liability to you for all claims arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service exceed the greater of (a) the total amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim or (b) $50.

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of liability for consequential or incidental damages, so the above limitation may not apply to you.

15. Dispute resolution and arbitration

Please read this section carefully. It requires most disputes to be resolved through binding arbitration rather than in court and waives your right to a jury trial and class action.

15a. Informal resolution first

Before initiating any formal dispute, you agree to contact us at legal@mypathahead.org and give us 30 days to try to resolve the issue informally.

15b. Binding arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, except that either party may bring claims in small claims court if they qualify.

15c. Class action waiver

You and PathAhead each waive the right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration. All disputes must be brought in your individual capacity only.

15d. Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in any court of competent jurisdiction to prevent infringement of intellectual property rights or unauthorized use of confidential information.

16. Governing law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the United States and the state in which PathAhead is incorporated, without regard to conflict of law principles. To the extent court proceedings are permitted under Section 15, you consent to the personal jurisdiction of the courts located in that state.

17. Termination

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time through your account settings.

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service at any time, with or without cause or notice, including if we reasonably believe you have violated these Terms. Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Sections 10, 11, 13, 14, 15, and 16 survive termination.

18. General provisions

• Entire agreement. These Terms and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire agreement between you and PathAhead regarding the Service and supersede all prior agreements.
• Severability. If any provision of these Terms is held invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions remain in full force.
• No waiver. Our failure to enforce any right or provision is not a waiver of that right.
• Assignment. You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights without restriction.
• Force majeure. We are not liable for any failure or delay in performance due to causes beyond our reasonable control.

19. Contact us

Questions about these Terms? Reach us at: