Terms of Service

Acceptance of Terms

Welcome to Forum Tutoring. These Terms of Service (the “Terms”) form a binding agreement between you and Forum Tutoring LLC (“we,” “us,” or “our”). By creating an account, booking a session, listing yourself as a tutor, or otherwise using the Platform, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agreed to be bound by these Terms.

You must be at least 18 years old to create an account in your own name. If you are between 13 and 17, you may use the Platform only through a parent- or guardian-managed account that supervises your activity. If you are under 13, your participation is governed exclusively by our Children’s Privacy Notice and requires verified parental consent. If you do not agree to these Terms — or if your jurisdiction prohibits any part of them — you must not use the Platform.

Service Description

Forum Tutoring operates an online tutoring platform connecting students and families with two categories of tutors: (1) Certified Tutors, contracted by Forum Tutoring through our vendor partners and trained on our methodology; and (2) Independent Tutors, who are independent contractors operating their own tutoring businesses through the platform. Forum Tutoring provides booking, payment, video classroom, and quality-oversight services. Tutoring sessions are delivered by individual tutors based on their qualifications and approach; Forum Tutoring does not warrant any specific academic outcome.

Forum Tutoring is not a school, accredited educational institution, or substitute for traditional schooling. Tutoring services are supplemental and intended to complement, not replace, the student’s primary educational program.

Account Terms

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information when you register and to keep that information up to date. Each account belongs to a single individual, with one important exception: a parent or guardian may operate a single parent account that manages one or more linked child profiles. Sharing personal accounts between adults — for example, two siblings or a couple — is not permitted.

You are responsible for safeguarding your password and any other credentials you use to access the Platform, and you accept responsibility for all activity that occurs under your account. If you believe your account has been accessed without your authorization, you must notify us promptly at support@forumtutoring.com. We may, but are not obligated to, lock or freeze an account while we investigate suspected unauthorized use.

Tutor Classification

All tutors on the Forum Tutoring platform - both Certified and Independent - are independent contractors, not employees of Forum Tutoring. Certified Tutors are contracted through our vendor partners and operate under Forum Tutoring’s defined methodology, rates, and quality standards. Independent Tutors set their own rates within platform-defined tier bands, control their own schedule, and are responsible for their own tax obligations.

Forum Tutoring does not provide employment-related benefits (health insurance, retirement plans, unemployment insurance, workers compensation) to any tutor on the platform. Tutors retain control of their tutoring methodology subject to platform quality standards.

Payment Terms

Payment processing is handled by Stripe, Inc. By providing payment information you also accept Stripe’s applicable terms. We never store full payment card numbers on our own servers; only the tokenized references and last-four digits needed to display your payment history.

For pay-as-you-go bookings, your payment method is authorized at the time of booking and captured at session start. For packages, monthly subscription plans, and structured test prep programs, you are charged upfront for the full plan or package, with subscription renewals occurring automatically on the same monthly anniversary unless you cancel.

Independent Tutors set their own rates within platform-defined tier bands and are subject to a 22% platform commission on every completed session, retained automatically at payout. Certified Tutor rates are set by the platform.

Cancellation windows, no-show rules, and refund eligibility are described in our Refund Policy, which is incorporated into these Terms by reference.

Acceptable Use

Every user agrees to behave on the Platform in a way that keeps students safe, respects tutors, and protects the integrity of the marketplace. The full list of dos and don’ts — including the Tutor and Student codes of conduct, prohibited content categories, our anti-circumvention rule against taking relationships off-platform, and the enforcement ladder — appears in our Acceptable Use Policy. Violations may result in warning, suspension, or permanent termination of your account.

Content & IP

You retain all ownership rights in the materials you upload — lesson notes, problem sets, essays, recordings you provide, and any other content you submit. By uploading content, you grant Forum Tutoring a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to host, display, transmit, and process that content solely as needed to operate the Platform and deliver the service to you and the other party to your session.

Whiteboard sessions, classroom video, and other in-session collaborative artifacts created through the Platform are by default owned by the tutor’s company (for Certified Tutors, the contracting vendor partner; for Independent Tutors, the individual tutor). Students receive a personal, non-transferable license to access and review those artifacts for their own learning. Parties may agree in writing to a different arrangement on a per-engagement basis.

Our own trademarks, logos, and the Platform software remain the property of Forum Tutoring LLC and its licensors. Nothing in these Terms grants you a license to use them outside the Platform.

Outcomes & Results

Individual academic results vary based on student effort, attendance, baseline preparation, and many other factors. Testimonials, case studies, and aggregate outcome data represent specific students’ experiences and do not guarantee similar results for any other student. Forum Tutoring does not guarantee any specific grade improvement, test score gain, or admission outcome.

Termination

You may close your account at any time from your account settings or by writing to support@forumtutoring.com. We may suspend or terminate your account, with or without notice, if you materially violate these Terms, if continued access would expose us or other users to legal or safety risk, or if your account has been inactive for an extended period.

When an account ends, any sessions already booked but not yet delivered will be cancelled and refunded according to the Refund Policy. Provisions of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination — including IP, disclaimers, liability caps, indemnity, and dispute resolution — will continue to apply.

Disclaimers & Liability Caps

The Platform is provided on an “as is” and “as available” basis, without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not warrant uninterrupted availability, freedom from defects, or compatibility with every device or network. We make no guarantee of academic outcomes; grades, test scores, admissions decisions, and other educational results depend on many factors outside our control.

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the Platform is limited to the greater of (a) the total fees you paid to us in the twelve (12) months immediately preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) one hundred U.S. dollars. We are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits or lost data, even if we have been advised of the possibility.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Forum Tutoring LLC, its officers, directors, employees, and agents from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, losses, and expenses (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or in any way connected with your use of the Platform, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another party.

We agree to the same obligation in your favor with respect to claims brought against you by a third party alleging that the Platform itself — used as permitted by these Terms — infringes that third-party’s intellectual-property rights. The party seeking indemnification must notify the other promptly, allow the indemnifying party to control the defense, and cooperate reasonably at the indemnifying party’s expense.

Dispute Resolution

Any dispute arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Platform will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered under the rules of a recognized U.S. arbitration provider, seated in Ramsey County, Minnesota, and governed by the substantive law of the State of Minnesota. The arbitrator’s decision is final and may be entered as a judgment in any court of competent jurisdiction.

You and we each waive any right to a jury trial and any right to participate in a class, collective, or representative action. Claims must be brought in your individual capacity only.

New users may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending a written notice to support@forumtutoring.com within thirty (30) days of first creating an account. Opting out does not affect any other provision of these Terms.

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Minnesota, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles. To the extent any claim is not subject to arbitration, the parties consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Ramsey County, Minnesota.

Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time as the Platform evolves or as required by law. When we make material changes, we will notify you by email to the address on your account and by posting a notice on the site at least thirty (30) days before the changes take effect. Non-material updates — typos, clarifications, new sub-processor additions that do not change how your data is used — will be published on the site with an updated “Last updated” date.

Continued use of the Platform after a change takes effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to a change, you may close your account before the effective date.

Contact

Questions about these Terms? Email support@forumtutoring.com or write to us at 2361 MN-36 W, Suite 130, Roseville, MN 55113.