Terms of Service

2.1 Education Counselling

Personalised guidance on university selection, programme matching, career pathway planning, and application strategy based on your academic profile, goals, and preferences. Counselors are assigned to students based on specialisation, language proficiency, destination expertise, and availability. Our counselling services are advisory in nature and do not constitute guarantees of any particular outcome.

2.2 Application Management

Support with preparing, reviewing, organising, and submitting applications to universities and educational institutions. This includes document management, deadline tracking, application status monitoring through our Student Atlas portal, and coordinated communication between students and their assigned counselors. IEC may submit applications on your behalf only where you have provided explicit authorisation for each submission.

2.3 Document Processing

Secure upload, storage, and organisation of academic transcripts, test scores, personal statements, identity documents, financial statements, letters of recommendation, and other supporting materials required for applications. Documents are classified, tagged, and made available to your counselor for review. AI-powered tools may be used to assist with document analysis, as described in Section 7 below.

2.4 AI-Assisted Tools

Our Platform features AI-powered tools including document review and analysis, the Compass chatbot for general enquiries, AI-assisted counselor tools for drafting communications and reviewing materials, content generation tools for blog and educational resources, and intelligent counselor–student matching. These tools are designed to enhance — not replace — human guidance. All AI features are subject to the disclaimers set out in Section 7 of these Terms.

2.5 Visa and Immigration Guidance

General guidance on visa application requirements, document preparation, and interview preparation for your destination country. This guidance is informational only. We do not provide legal immigration advice, and our guidance does not constitute legal counsel. Visa decisions are made solely by the relevant embassies, consulates, and immigration authorities. We strongly recommend consulting a qualified immigration lawyer for complex visa matters.

2.6 Events and Resources

Educational webinars, informational events, university fairs, blog content, destination guides, scholarship databases, and other resources to support your study-abroad journey. Event registration and attendance may be subject to additional terms communicated at the time of registration.

2.7 Scholarship and Financial Aid Guidance

Information and guidance on scholarship opportunities, financial aid options, and funding strategies for international education. IEC does not award scholarships directly, and all scholarship decisions are made by the awarding institutions or bodies. We do not guarantee that you will receive any scholarship or financial aid.

3.1 Account Creation

To access most features of our Platform, you must create an account. Account registration and authentication are managed through Clerk, our third-party authentication provider. You may sign up using your email address or through supported social sign-in methods (e.g., Google). By creating an account, you consent to the collection and processing of your registration data as described in our Privacy Policy and in accordance with the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019.

3.2 Accurate Information

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep your profile information up to date at all times. This includes your full legal name, email address, phone number, nationality, and academic background. Providing false or misleading information may result in suspension or termination of your account and may affect the validity of any applications submitted through the Platform.

3.3 Account Security

• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials, including passwords and authentication tokens.
• You must notify us immediately at support@ieduconsultants.com if you suspect any unauthorised access to or use of your account.
• You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account, whether or not you have authorised such activities.
• We reserve the right to require you to change your password, enable multi-factor authentication, or take other steps to secure your account if we suspect a security breach.
• IEC shall not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain the security of your account credentials.

3.4 One Account Per Person

Each individual may maintain only one account. Creating multiple accounts to circumvent restrictions, bans, or usage limits is prohibited and constitutes a material breach of these Terms.

3.5 Age Requirements

You must be at least 16 years of age to create an account on the Platform. Users between the ages of 16 and 18 must have verifiable parental or guardian consent. IEC reserves the right to request proof of age or parental consent at any time and to suspend accounts where such proof is not provided within a reasonable timeframe.

4.1 Students

Students can manage their profile, upload and organise documents, track applications, communicate with assigned counselors, receive notifications and task reminders, interact with the Compass chatbot, and access educational resources and event information. Students are expected to respond promptly to counselor requests, maintain accurate profile information, and meet all deadlines communicated through the Platform.

4.2 Counselors

Counselors can view and manage assigned student profiles and applications, review student documents, communicate with students via in-app chat (including translated messaging), create and assign tasks and deadlines, use AI-assisted tools for document review and content creation, and contribute blog posts and educational content. Counselors are bound by professional conduct standards and confidentiality obligations as set out in their employment or contractor agreements with IEC.

4.3 Administrators

Administrators have full platform management capabilities including user management (creating, suspending, or banning accounts), leads pipeline management, event and blog management, email broadcasts, analytics dashboards, AI assistant tools, and destination/university configuration. Administrator access is restricted to authorised IEC personnel and is subject to internal access control policies and audit logging.

4.4 Role Restrictions

You agree to use the Platform only within the scope of your assigned role. You must not attempt to access features, data, or administrative functions beyond your authorised role. Attempting to escalate privileges or access other users' data without authorisation is a serious violation of these Terms and may constitute a criminal offence under the Kenya Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018.

5.1 Permitted Use

You may use the Platform solely for its intended purposes: managing your education consultancy relationship with IEC, processing university applications, communicating with counselors, accessing educational resources, and utilising related services. Any use of the Platform for purposes unrelated to international education consultancy is prohibited.

5.2 Prohibited Conduct

You agree not to:

• Submit fraudulent, forged, plagiarised, or deliberately misleading documents or information
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity, qualifications, or affiliation
• Upload content that is illegal, defamatory, threatening, harassing, obscene, or otherwise objectionable
• Attempt to gain unauthorised access to other users' accounts, data, or administrative features
• Use automated bots, scrapers, crawlers, or other tools to access, extract, or interact with the Platform without prior written authorisation
• Reverse-engineer, decompile, disassemble, or attempt to extract the source code of the Platform or any of its components
• Interfere with or disrupt the Platform's infrastructure, servers, networks, or security features
• Use the Platform to send unsolicited commercial communications (spam) or chain letters
• Circumvent, disable, or otherwise interfere with any security-related features of the Platform
• Use the Platform to collect or harvest personal information of other users
• Violate any applicable local, national, or international law or regulation, including but not limited to Kenyan law and the laws of your country of residence
• Assist or encourage any other person in doing any of the above

5.3 Document Integrity

5.4 Monitoring and Enforcement

IEC reserves the right, but is not obligated, to monitor use of the Platform for compliance with these Terms. We may investigate any reported or suspected violation and take appropriate action, including issuing warnings, suspending or terminating accounts, removing content, and reporting violations to law enforcement authorities.

6.1 Your Responsibility

You are solely responsible for ensuring that all documents you upload are authentic, accurate, complete, and legally obtained. You represent and warrant that you have the right to upload and share each document you submit through the Platform. You further warrant that the documents do not infringe on the intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other rights of any third party.

6.2 AI Document Review

Documents you upload may be processed by our AI-powered review tools, which analyse documents for completeness, formatting, identify potential issues, and provide preliminary feedback. AI-powered document review is conducted using cloud-based AI services (including AWS Bedrock with Claude language models). Document content is transmitted securely via encrypted connections (TLS 1.2 or higher) and is processed in transit — IEC does not permanently store your document content on third-party AI servers. AI reviews are supplementary and are always subject to review by your assigned human counselor. AI-generated assessments should not be considered final evaluations.

6.3 Storage and Retention

Uploaded documents are stored securely using Cloudflare R2 cloud storage with role-based access controls, encryption at rest, and encryption in transit. Documents are retained in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019. You may request deletion of your documents at any time by contacting us in writing, subject to applicable legal retention requirements and any ongoing contractual obligations.

6.4 Sharing with Institutions

By using our services for university applications, you authorise us to share your documents and application materials with your selected universities and educational institutions as necessary to process your applications. You will be informed about which institutions will receive your materials before submission. IEC will not share your documents with any institution without your prior consent, except where required by law.

6.5 Document Accuracy Disclaimer

IEC reviews documents in good faith but does not independently verify the authenticity of every document submitted. Ultimate responsibility for document authenticity rests with you. If a university or other institution rejects your application due to document issues, IEC shall not be held liable.

7.1 Document Review AI

Our AI document review system uses AWS Bedrock (Claude models) to provide preliminary assessments, suggestions, and feedback on your uploaded documents. Document content is transmitted to the AI service via encrypted connections and processed in transit — we do not permanently store your document content on third-party AI servers. AI-generated analyses are intended to support — not replace — the professional judgement of your counselor. AI reviews are not guarantees of document quality, application strength, or admission likelihood.

7.2 Compass Chatbot

The Compass chatbot provides general informational responses about our services, university applications, destination countries, and related topics. Compass operates from a curated FAQ knowledge base and does not have access to your personal application data unless you are authenticated and interacting within your student portal. All chatbot conversations are logged and stored for quality assurance, service improvement, and compliance purposes. Chatbot responses are for informational purposes only and do not constitute professional advice. For personalised guidance, please consult with your assigned counselor.

7.3 Admin AI Assistant

The Admin AI Assistant is an internal tool available to IEC administrators that enables natural-language queries against platform data. The assistant uses structured tool calls to retrieve statistics, generate reports, and answer operational questions. The assistant operates within the administrator's existing access permissions and does not expose data beyond what the administrator is already authorised to view. All interactions with the Admin AI Assistant are logged for audit purposes.

7.4 Counselor Assist AI

The Counselor Assist AI helps counselors draft responses to student enquiries, review application materials, and generate preliminary assessments. This AI reads the context of the student's profile, application history, and conversation threads to generate relevant draft content. All AI-generated drafts are clearly marked as drafts and must be reviewed, edited, and approved by the human counselor before being sent to students. Counselors retain full responsibility for the accuracy and appropriateness of all communications.

7.5 Blog Writer AI

IEC uses AI tools to assist with generating and translating blog content and educational resources. AI-generated content may be published in English, French, Portuguese, and Swahili. All AI-generated blog content undergoes mandatory human editorial review before publication. IEC takes responsibility for the accuracy of published content but acknowledges that AI-generated translations may contain minor inaccuracies. Users should refer to the English-language version as the authoritative source.

7.6 Automated Profiling and Recommendations

AI may be used to analyse your academic profile, preferences, and application data to generate programme recommendations, counselor–student pairings, and other personalised suggestions. These automated processes constitute profiling as defined under the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019. All AI-generated recommendations are advisory only — final decisions on counselor assignments, programme recommendations, and application strategy are always made by human IEC staff.

7.7 General AI Limitations

8.1 IEC's Intellectual Property

All content, branding, software, designs, text, graphics, logos, and materials on our Platform — including the Imperial Education Consultants name, IEC logos, Student Atlas branding, Counselor portal design, Compass chatbot, blog content, educational resources, and AI tools — are the intellectual property of Imperial Education Consultants Ltd or its licensors and are protected by applicable copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws of Kenya and international treaties. The Platform's source code, architecture, and proprietary algorithms are trade secrets of IEC.

8.2 Your Content

You retain full ownership of all personal documents, academic records, and content you upload to the Platform. By uploading content, you grant IEC a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, revocable licence to use, store, process, reproduce, and transmit that content solely for the purpose of providing our services to you (including AI processing, application submission, counselor review, and document analysis). This licence terminates when you delete your content or close your account, subject to any applicable legal retention periods.

8.3 Blog and Educational Content

Blog posts, guides, destination profiles, and educational materials published on the Platform — whether authored by counselors, administrators, or generated with AI assistance — are owned by Imperial Education Consultants Ltd. You may share links to this content but may not reproduce, distribute, translate, or create derivative works without our prior written consent.

8.4 Restrictions

• You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, lease, or sublicence any part of our Platform or its content.
• You may not use our branding, logos, or trademarks without prior written permission.
• You may not frame, mirror, or embed any part of our Platform on another website or service.
• You may not use data mining, robots, or similar data-gathering tools on the Platform.
• Any unauthorised use of IEC's intellectual property may result in legal action, including injunctive relief and claims for damages.

8.5 Feedback

If you provide us with suggestions, ideas, or feedback regarding the Platform or our services ("Feedback"), you grant IEC an unrestricted, irrevocable, perpetual, royalty-free licence to use, implement, modify, and incorporate such Feedback without any obligation to compensate you.

9.1 Service Fees

Certain services require payment of consultancy fees. Fee structures, payment schedules, and specific terms will be communicated to you in writing before you commit to any paid service. All fees are quoted in the currency specified at the time of engagement. Our Platform supports multiple currency display (including USD, KES, EUR, GBP, and others) for your convenience, but billing is conducted in the agreed currency. Currency conversions displayed on the Platform use approximate exchange rates and are for informational purposes only.

9.2 Consultation Fees

Consultation fees are earned upon delivery of the consultation service. Consultation fees are non-refundable after the consultation has been delivered, whether in person, via video call, or through the Platform. Where a consultation is scheduled but not attended by you without at least 24 hours' prior notice, IEC reserves the right to charge the full consultation fee.

9.3 Application Fees

9.4 Payment Terms

• Payment is due according to the schedule specified in your service agreement.
• Late payments may incur an administrative surcharge of up to 2% per month on the outstanding balance.
• Failure to make timely payments may result in suspension of services until payment is received in full.
• We reserve the right to modify our fee structures with at least 30 days' advance written notice. Changes do not apply retroactively to existing service agreements.
• All fees are exclusive of applicable taxes unless otherwise stated. You are responsible for any applicable value-added tax (VAT), withholding tax, or other taxes arising from your use of our services.

9.5 Refund Policy

Refund eligibility is determined as follows:

• Services not yet commenced: Full refund available if cancellation is requested within 7 days of payment and before any service delivery has begun.
• Services partially delivered: Pro-rata refund may be available at IEC's discretion, calculated based on the proportion of services already rendered.
• Services fully delivered: No refund is available for services that have been fully rendered, including completed consultations and submitted applications.
• Application rejection or visa denial: IEC's service fees are not contingent on the outcome of your application or visa process. Rejection or denial does not entitle you to a refund of IEC's fees.
• All refund requests must be submitted in writing to billing@ieduconsultants.com.
• Approved refunds will be processed within 30 business days to the original payment method.

9.6 Third-Party Fees

University application fees, visa application fees, standardised test registration fees (e.g., IELTS, TOEFL, GRE), courier fees, notarisation fees, and other third-party costs are your sole responsibility and are not included in IEC's service fees unless explicitly stated otherwise in your service agreement. IEC is not responsible for refunding any third-party fees under any circumstances.

10.1 Service Communications

By using our Platform, you consent to receiving service-related communications from us, including application updates, deadline reminders, task notifications, counselor messages, document status updates, and important account notifications. These communications are essential to the provision of our services and cannot be opted out of while your account is active. Service communications may be delivered via email, in-app notification, SMS, or messaging service, depending on your contact preferences and the urgency of the communication.

10.2 Email Notifications

We use email (via Resend) to deliver application updates, event invitations, deadline reminders, and important platform announcements. Service-related emails are transactional and necessary for the delivery of our services. You are responsible for ensuring that our emails are not filtered to spam and that the email address associated with your account is current and monitored regularly.

10.3 Marketing Communications

We may send marketing emails about new services, events, educational resources, blog posts, scholarship opportunities, and other offerings. You may opt out of marketing communications at any time by clicking the unsubscribe link in any marketing email or by contacting us at support@ieduconsultants.com. Opting out of marketing emails will not affect service-related communications.

10.4 messaging service and Messaging

We may communicate with you via messaging service or other messaging platforms where you have provided your contact details and consented to such communication. messaging service messages may include appointment reminders, deadline alerts, and important service updates. You may opt out of messaging communications at any time by notifying us in writing. Please note that messaging service communications are subject to messaging service's own terms of service and privacy policy.

10.5 In-App Chat

Our Platform includes an in-app chat feature for counselor–student communication. Chat messages may be automatically translated between supported languages (English, French, Portuguese, Swahili) for your convenience using AI translation services. Chat messages are stored as part of your service record and may be retained for the duration specified in our Privacy Policy. Please be aware that counselors and administrators may access chat histories as part of providing our services and for quality assurance purposes.

10.6 Response Times

While IEC endeavours to respond to all communications promptly, response times may vary depending on counselor availability, the volume of enquiries, and the complexity of your request. Typical response times are 1–3 business days for email enquiries and within 24 hours for in-app chat during business hours (Monday to Friday, 8:00 AM – 6:00 PM East Africa Time). These response times are indicative only and do not constitute a binding commitment.

11.1 Termination by You

You may discontinue using our services and request account closure at any time by contacting us at support@ieduconsultants.com. Applicable refund policies (Section 9.5) will apply to any prepaid and unused service fees. Upon closure, your data will be handled in accordance with our Privacy Policy. Please note that account closure does not relieve you of any outstanding payment obligations.

11.2 Suspension by IEC

We may temporarily suspend your access to the Platform if:

• We reasonably believe you have violated these Terms
• Your account shows suspicious activity or potential security concerns
• You have outstanding unpaid fees beyond 14 days past due
• We need to investigate a complaint or reported issue involving your account
• Required by law, regulatory order, or court order
• We detect potential fraudulent activity associated with your account

We will notify you of the suspension and the reason, where possible and where disclosure would not compromise an ongoing investigation, and provide an opportunity to resolve the issue. During suspension, you will not be able to access the Platform, but your data will be preserved.

11.3 Termination (Ban) by IEC

We may permanently terminate your account and ban you from the Platform for serious or repeated violations, including:

• Submitting fraudulent or forged documents
• Repeated violations of these Terms after prior warnings
• Conduct that poses a risk to other users or to IEC's reputation or operations
• Illegal activity conducted through or facilitated by the Platform
• Attempting to gain unauthorised access to other accounts or administrative functions
• Harassment, abuse, or threats directed at IEC staff, counselors, or other users
• Material misrepresentation of your identity, qualifications, or academic history

11.4 Appeal Process

If your account has been suspended or terminated, you may appeal the decision by contacting our legal team in writing at legal@ieduconsultants.com within 30 days. Your appeal should include a detailed explanation of the circumstances and any supporting evidence. We will review your appeal and respond within 14 business days. Our decision on appeal is final, except where applicable law provides otherwise.

11.5 Data After Termination

Upon account termination, we will retain your data as described in our Privacy Policy and as required by the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019. You may request a copy of your uploaded documents before or within 30 days after account closure. After the applicable retention period, your personal data will be securely deleted or anonymised in accordance with our data retention policies. Certain records may be retained for longer periods where required by law or for the establishment, exercise, or defence of legal claims.

15.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Republic of Kenya, without regard to its conflict of laws principles. This includes, without limitation, the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019, the Consumer Protection Act, 2012, the Kenya Information and Communications Act, and the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, 2018.

15.2 Informal Resolution

Before initiating formal proceedings, you agree to first attempt to resolve any dispute with us through good-faith negotiation. You may contact our legal team in writing at legal@ieduconsultants.com, and we will endeavour to resolve the matter within 30 days.

15.3 Mediation and Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, any dispute arising from these Terms or our services shall be submitted to mediation administered by a mutually agreed-upon mediator in Nairobi, Kenya. If mediation does not resolve the dispute within 60 days, either party may submit the dispute to binding arbitration in Nairobi, Kenya, conducted under the Arbitration Act of Kenya, 1995 (as amended). The arbitration shall be conducted by a single arbitrator appointed in accordance with the said Act. The language of the arbitration shall be English. The award of the arbitrator shall be final and binding upon both parties.

15.4 Jurisdiction

For any disputes not subject to arbitration, or where injunctive or equitable relief is sought, you consent to the exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of Nairobi, Kenya. Nothing in these Terms prevents either party from seeking injunctive or equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to protect its intellectual property rights or confidential information.

15.5 Class Action Waiver

To the extent permitted by law, you agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted only on an individual basis and not as part of a class, consolidated, or representative action. You waive any right to participate in a class action lawsuit or class-wide arbitration against IEC.

15.6 Data Protection Complaints

Without prejudice to any other remedies, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner of Kenya if you believe that your personal data has been processed in violation of the Kenya Data Protection Act, 2019. Contact details for the Data Protection Commissioner can be found at www.odpc.go.ke.

24.1 Scope

"User-Generated Content" ("UGC") refers to any content that you voluntarily submit, post, or publish through the Platform beyond your private application materials, including but not limited to blog comments, forum posts, reviews, testimonials, profile descriptions, and any other publicly visible or community-facing content.

24.2 Licence Grant

By submitting UGC to the Platform, you grant Imperial Education Consultants a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual, irrevocable, transferable, and sublicensable licence to use, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, distribute, display, and create derivative works from your UGC in connection with the operation and promotion of the Platform and IEC's services. This licence continues even if you delete your account or the specific content.

24.3 Content Standards

You agree that your UGC will not:

• Contain false, misleading, or deceptive statements
• Infringe upon the intellectual property, privacy, or other rights of any third party
• Contain defamatory, obscene, threatening, harassing, or unlawful material
• Contain spam, advertising, or solicitations unrelated to IEC's services
• Disclose personal information of other users without their consent

24.4 Moderation

IEC reserves the right to review, edit, refuse, or remove any UGC at its sole discretion, without prior notice and without liability to you. IEC is not obligated to monitor UGC but may do so for quality assurance, compliance, and safety purposes. IEC is not responsible or liable for any UGC posted by users.