Terms of Service

The rules. In plain English. No fine print tricks.

Last updated: February 12, 2026

The Short Version

Use GradFax to find schools. Don't scrape our data. Don't be an asshole. We show you verified government data, but we're not responsible for your college decisions. You own your content, we own the platform. If you break the rules, we can ban you. Questions? Email us. California law applies.

Who Can Use GradFax

GradFax is designed for students aged 16 and older. If you're under 16, you need a parent or guardian to create an account for you.

When you create an account, you agree to:

✓Provide accurate information (fake emails = instant ban)
✓Keep your password secure (we can't recover it for you)
✓Not share your account with others
✓Use the service for personal, non-commercial purposes only

What You Can Do

✅

Search for schools and compare programs

✅

Save schools and create comparison lists

✅

Upload transcripts for analysis (we delete them after)

✅

Use our scholarship matching tools

✅

Share school profiles with friends or family

✅

What You Can't Do

🚫

Scrape, crawl, or systematically download our data

🚫

Use bots, scripts, or automated tools to access the site

🚫

Resell or redistribute our data to third parties

🚫

Reverse engineer or decompile any part of the platform

🚫

Upload viruses, malware, or malicious code

🚫

Impersonate other users or create fake accounts

🚫

Harass, abuse, or threaten other users or our team

🚫

Use the service for any illegal purpose

🚫

Try to bypass our security or authentication systems

Do any of this and we'll ban your account. No warnings. No refunds. Don't be that person.

About Our Data

We pull data from official government sources (primarily IPEDS) and verify everything we can. Every stat links to its source. We don't make shit up.

However: Government data has a lag time. Schools change. Programs get discontinued. Tuition goes up. We update regularly, but we can't guarantee real-time accuracy.

Bottom line: Use GradFax as a research tool, not the final word. Always verify critical info (tuition, deadlines, program availability) directly with the school before making decisions. We're here to help you make informed choices, not make the choice for you.

Free Forever (With a Catch)

GradFax is free for students. Forever. That's not changing.

We make money from schools who want verified profiles on our platform. They pay us to show accurate, transparent information about themselves. You never pay anything.

Some features (like premium transcript analysis) cost $1. That's it. We'll never charge for basic search, comparison tools, or verified data.

Who Owns What

You Own Your Stuff

Any content you create (saved lists, notes, profile info) belongs to you. We don't claim ownership. When you delete your account, we delete your content.

We Own the Platform

GradFax's code, design, branding, and compiled data sets are ours. You can't copy our platform, rebrand it, or sell access to our data.

Government Data is Public

IPEDS data is public domain. We don't own it. You can get it yourself from the Department of Education. What we own is the way we organize, verify, and present it.

We Can Ban You

If you violate these terms, we can suspend or terminate your account immediately. No warnings. No refunds.

You can also delete your account anytime. Just email us at support@gradfax.com and we'll remove everything within 30 days.

We reserve the right to shut down the service entirely if needed (though we have no plans to). If we do, we'll give you at least 30 days notice.

No Guarantees

GradFax is provided "as is." We work hard to keep the site running smoothly, but we can't guarantee it will be bug-free, always available, or perfectly accurate.

We're not responsible for:

•Decisions you make based on our data
•Outdated information from government sources
•Technical issues, downtime, or data loss
•Third-party services we integrate with (OpenAI, Google Analytics, etc.)

Translation: Do your own research. We're a tool, not a college counselor.

Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, GradFax and its founders are not liable for any damages resulting from your use of the service. This includes lost opportunities, wasted application fees, or any other indirect damages.

If we are found liable for anything, our maximum liability is limited to $100 or the amount you paid us in the last 12 months (whichever is greater). Since the service is free, that's probably $100.

If We Disagree

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict of law principles.

If you have a problem with GradFax, email us first. We'll try to work it out. If we can't, any legal disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in California.

You agree to resolve disputes individually, not as part of a class action lawsuit.

We Can Change These Terms

We may update these terms from time to time. If we make significant changes, we'll notify you by email (if you have an account) or by posting a notice on the site.

Continued use of GradFax after changes means you accept the new terms. If you don't agree, delete your account.

Questions?

If you have questions about these terms, email us:

legal@gradfax.com

GradFax LLC | California, USA

These terms were written by humans for humans. No AI-generated legal jargon.