1. Platform Overview

EFFA connects Schools with employer-sponsored students, manages tuition billing and payment, and facilitates direct-bill tuition assistance. EFFA is a platform intermediary — not a party to enrollment or tuition agreements between School and student, and not involved in admissions decisions, academic policy, or student recruiting.

1.1 Account Security

School is responsible for all account credentials and activity. School must notify support@effa.io immediately upon discovering unauthorized access.

2. Transaction Fees

2.1 Standard Transaction Fee

A percentage-based transaction fee is deducted from each disbursement before settlement to School.

Transaction fees are not refunded in connection with credits or refunds issued to students. EFFA may change the standard transaction fee rate for new schools with sixty (60) days' prior written notice.

2.2 Annual Platform Partner Fee

EFFA may introduce an annual platform partner fee beginning no earlier than twelve (12) months after School's first processed invoice. Sixty (60) days' prior written notice required before any such fee takes effect. Year 1 is waived for all schools.

2.3 Payment Disbursement

Tuition payments are disbursed via ACH credit to School's Stripe Connect Express account after the employer's ACH debit has cleared, typically 3–5 business days after invoice approval. School is responsible for maintaining a valid connected bank account in its Stripe Connect Express dashboard.

3. Lead Fees

3.1 Per-Inquiry Lead Fee

A per-inquiry lead fee is charged at the time of inquiry submission to the card on file via Stripe.

Lead fees are non-refundable. If the card on file cannot be charged, the inquiry will be held and School will be notified to update its payment method. A valid card on file is required at all times.

3.2 Related School Suggestion Lead Fee

The same per-inquiry rates apply if an employee submits an inquiry to a School surfaced as a related suggestion. The lead fee is charged only upon inquiry submission, not upon display of the suggestion.

4. School Operational Obligations

4.1 Tuition and Fee Disclosure

School agrees to provide detailed line items for all tuition charges, fees, and required materials for each program or course before enrollment confirmation.

4.2 Deferred Payment Request

School agrees to defer final payment request until after course completion and grades are available, unless otherwise agreed in writing.

4.3 Grade and Completion Reporting

School agrees to promptly provide grades or completion status after course completion through the EFFA platform.

4.4 Acceptance of Final Settlement Amount

School is bound by the Final Settlement Amount calculated based on the employer's configured business rules. Differences between the initial payment request and the Final Settlement Amount (due to grade policy application, annual cap limits, or eligibility re-verification) are the student's responsibility, not EFFA's.

4.5 Inquiry Response SLA

School agrees to respond to student inquiries within forty-eight (48) hours of receipt. School must designate a primary (and optionally secondary) inquiry contact during onboarding. Failure to respond within the SLA may result in the inquiry being surfaced to related school suggestions.

4.6 No Dissuasion

School agrees not to: (a) discourage students or employers from using EFFA for transactions originated through the platform; (b) direct students or employers to bypass EFFA for relationships originated through the platform; (c) criticize or mischaracterize EFFA to employer contacts or students; (d) promote alternative payment arrangements designed to avoid EFFA transaction fees. School may freely conduct business outside the EFFA platform for relationships not originated through EFFA.

4.7 Stripe Connect Express Account

Maintaining a valid Stripe Connect Express account is a required condition for receiving disbursements. School must comply with Stripe's Connected Account Agreement. EFFA is not responsible for delays or issues arising from School's Stripe account configuration or compliance.

5. FERPA and Data Handling

5.1 School Officials Exception

School shares student education records with EFFA under the FERPA school officials exception (20 U.S.C. § 1232g; 34 C.F.R. Part 99). EFFA acts under School's direct control for the limited purpose of administering employer-funded tuition assistance.

5.2 Scope of Data

Data shared is limited to enrollment verification, program and course information, tuition charges, grade and completion status, and student identity information necessary for billing and eligibility matching.

5.3 School's FERPA Responsibility

School is solely responsible for institutional FERPA compliance, including annual notification to students regarding disclosure to school officials, and processing student requests for inspection or amendment of records.

5.4 Data Security

School agrees to implement reasonable administrative and technical security measures to protect EFFA account credentials and any student data accessed through the platform. School must notify EFFA within seventy-two (72) hours of any known or suspected unauthorized access to student records.

5.5 No Further Disclosure

School will not share student data received from EFFA with any third party other than School's own authorized personnel without the written consent of both the student and EFFA.

6. Full Recourse and Payment Recovery

6.1 EFFA's Right to Recover

All payments disbursed to School through the EFFA platform are subject to Full Recourse. EFFA may withhold, offset, or recover disbursed amounts in the following circumstances: (a) a valid Disputed Charge is upheld in the employer's favor; (b) an invoice is determined to be fraudulent, materially inaccurate, or non-compliant with employer benefit policy; (c) School fails to comply with grade reporting obligations under Section 4.3; (d) School is in material breach of these Terms; (e) recovery is required by applicable law or regulation.

6.2 How Full Recourse is Exercised

EFFA may exercise Full Recourse by: (a) deducting the recovery amount from future disbursements; (b) notifying School of the amount owed and requesting payment within seven (7) business days; (c) reversing a transaction not yet disbursed to School. EFFA will provide written notice of any Full Recourse action where practicable, except in cases of suspected fraud.

6.3 Reserve

EFFA may establish a payment reserve if there is an elevated risk of disputed charges, fraud, or School's inability to fulfill obligations. EFFA will notify School of any reserve established.

7. Limitation of Liability

EFFA's total cumulative liability for any and all claims arising under these Terms shall not exceed the total transaction fees paid by School to EFFA in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim, or five thousand dollars ($5,000 USD), whichever is greater.

EFFA shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential, special, punitive, or exemplary damages, including but not limited to loss of tuition revenue, lost students, or business interruption, regardless of the theory of liability.

EFFA is not responsible for delays or failures caused by Stripe, banking systems, telecommunications providers, or events beyond EFFA's reasonable control. The platform is provided "AS IS" and "AS AVAILABLE."

8. Term Termination and Data Export

8.1 Term

These Terms commence upon creation of the School account and continue until terminated.

8.2 Termination

Either party may terminate with thirty (30) days' written notice. EFFA may terminate immediately without notice for: material breach of these Terms, submission of fraudulent invoices, violation of Section 4.6 (No Dissuasion), loss of accreditation, or insolvency. School must notify EFFA within twenty-four (24) hours of any change in accreditation status.

8.3 Post-Termination

Upon termination: (a) School must cease accepting new tuition payments through EFFA; (b) invoices approved prior to termination will be processed to completion; (c) outstanding transaction fees and lead fees remain payable; (d) School's data will be available for export for sixty (60) days, after which data will be deleted except as required by law; (e) EFFA's Full Recourse rights under Section 6 survive termination.

9. Amendments

Fee changes require sixty (60) days' prior written notice. Other material changes require thirty (30) days' prior written notice. Notice delivered via email to the registered account address or posted at effa.io/terms/school. Continued use of the platform after the effective date of any change constitutes acceptance.

10. Dispute Resolution and Governing Law

Any dispute arising under these Terms shall be submitted to binding arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association under its Commercial Arbitration Rules. Arbitration shall take place in Wyoming or remotely by mutual agreement. These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Wyoming, without regard to conflict of law principles. If a separately executed written agreement between EFFA and School conflicts with these Terms, the separately executed agreement shall control.

11. Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with any separately executed agreement, constitute the entire agreement between the parties.

Severability: If any provision is found invalid, the remainder continues in full force.

No Waiver: Failure to enforce any provision is not a waiver.

Assignment: School may not assign without EFFA's prior written consent. EFFA may assign to a successor entity.

Notices: support@effa.io or Workforce Reimagined LLC, 1621 Central Ave, Cheyenne, WY 82001.

12. Acceptance

By creating an EFFA school account and checking the acceptance box during the signup process, School agrees to be bound by these Terms. School's acceptance is recorded with a timestamp and IP address in EFFA's records.