Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using iStudyMate (the "Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with any part of these terms, you must stop using the Service. These terms apply to all visitors, users, applicants, and institutional partners.

2. Eligibility

The Service is intended for prospective international students pursuing study opportunities in China, and for authorized representatives of partner institutions. You represent that the information you submit is accurate and that you have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement in your jurisdiction. If you are under 18, you must have the consent of a parent or legal guardian.

3. Accounts and Registration

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials.
• You must provide accurate and complete information during registration and keep it up to date.
• You are responsible for all activity that occurs under your account.
• Notify us immediately at service@istudymate.com if you suspect unauthorized use of your account.

4. Application Services and Fees

iStudyMate provides tools to discover universities and programs, prepare applications, and submit them to partner institutions. Certain application steps and service packages may require payment. All fees are displayed in United States Dollars (USD) and are charged through our third-party payment processors.

Unless stated otherwise for a specific package, application and service fees are non-refundable once processing has begun. Refund eligibility, where applicable, is described on the relevant product page or order summary at the time of purchase.

5. User Content

You retain ownership of the documents and information you submit. By submitting content, you grant iStudyMate a limited license to use it solely to deliver the Service — including sharing with the institutions you apply to. You are responsible for the accuracy and legality of everything you submit and agree not to submit content that infringes rights, contains malware, or violates applicable law.

6. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Misrepresent your identity, qualifications, or documents.
• Interfere with, probe, or disrupt the Service, including attempts to bypass security or rate limits.
• Scrape or harvest data from the Service without prior written consent.
• Use the Service to send spam, harass others, or engage in unlawful activity.
• Resell, sublicense, or commercially exploit the Service without authorization.

7. Institutional Partners and Outcomes

Admission decisions are made solely by the receiving universities and institutions. iStudyMate does not guarantee admission, scholarships, visa approval, or any specific outcome. Response times and documentation requirements vary by institution and program.

8. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its software, design, text, and logos, is owned by iStudyMate and its licensors and is protected by applicable intellectual property laws. Except for the limited rights expressly granted to you, no rights are transferred.

9. Third-Party Services

The Service may integrate with third-party providers for payments, messaging, analytics, and storage. Your use of those services is subject to their terms and privacy policies. iStudyMate is not responsible for the content, practices, or availability of third-party services.

10. Disclaimers

The Service is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement. We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or that any information provided is complete or current.

11. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, iStudyMate and its affiliates will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or any loss of profits, data, or goodwill arising from or in connection with your use of the Service. Our total liability for any claim relating to the Service will not exceed the amount you paid to iStudyMate in the twelve (12) months preceding the claim.

12. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service, with or without notice, if you violate these terms, if we are required to do so by law, or if continued operation of the Service becomes commercially unreasonable. You may stop using the Service at any time by closing your account through your dashboard or by contacting support.

13. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms of Service from time to time. When we make material changes, we will post the updated terms on this page and update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the Service after the changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the new terms.