The independent, trusted guide to online education for over 26 years!

Terms of Use

Effective July 31, 2020

Welcome to the websites and mobile applications owned and operated by Approved Colleges, LLC (“Approved Colleges,” “we”or “us.”). Our websites, geteducated.com and perdiaeducation.com (“websites”), and our mobile enrollment application, EMMATM (“App”) are designed to allow adult students to learn about various online degree programs, communicate with universities, apply for and enroll in an online degree program, and, if eligible, to track and earn post-graduation scholarships upon successful completion on a participating online degree program (“Services“).  The websites and App will be collectively referred to in these Terms of Use as our “Sites.”

These Terms of Use, along with our Privacy Policy (“Privacy Policy”) constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Approved Colleges (collectively, the “Agreement”).  Please read the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy carefully. Your access to and use of the Sites and Services is subject to these Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy and all applicable laws.  By accessing and using any of our Sites and/or Services in any manner, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to adhere to these Terms of Use or the Privacy Policy, then you may not use the Sites or our Services.

We reserve the right to change these Terms of Use and our Privacy Policy, and do make changes on a regular basis.  If you do not agree to any changes made to these Terms of Use or our Privacy Policy, you may no longer use the Sites or Services.

BY USING AND/OR ACCESSING ANY PART OF THE SITES OR SERVICES, YOU UNCONDITIONALLY AND EXPRESSLY ACKNOWLEDGE, REPRESENT AND AGREE THAT YOU: (A) ARE OVER 18 YEARS OF AGE; (B) HAVE READ AND UNDERSTAND THESE TERMS OF USE AND THE PRIVACY POLICY; (C) UNDERSTAND THAT YOU ARE BOUND BY THESE TERMS OF USE AND THE PRIVACY POLICY; AND (D) WILL COMPLY WITH THESE TERMS OF USE, THE PRIVACY POLICY AND ANY APPLICABLE LAWS AND REGULATIONS.

  1. License to Use the Sites and Services. Subject to these Terms of Use, the Privacy Policy and applicable law, Approved Colleges grants you a limited, non-transferable license to access and use the functionality, features, content and information provided through the Sites and/or Services for their intended uses (learning more about online degree programs, communicating with universities, applying for and enrolling in online program(s), tracking any applicable scholarship or other program eligibility). You may not use the Sites or Services for any other purpose without first obtaining written permission from Approved Colleges.
  1. Ownership Rights. You expressly acknowledge and agree that Approved Colleges and/or its content providers and partners own all of the content, trademarks, copyrights and other intellectual property related to the Sites and Services.
  1. User Registration. To use certain features of the Sites and Services, you will be required to set up an account with Approved Colleges. For example, to use the EMMA™ application, you will be required to set up an account and register. During registration, you will be required to provide your name, date of birth, and contact information. You may also submit additional information, including text and documentation, such as education transcripts, to build your user profile. You will be solely responsible for all information you provide to us. You will also be solely responsible for the security of your account credentials and any activity (whether authorized or unauthorized) that takes place through your account. You agree to notify us immediately of any unauthorized uses of your account or any other breach of security. You agree not to submit false information to Approved Colleges or anyone else through the Sites or Services.
  1. Communications. By creating an account on the Sites or signing up to receive information or Services, you consent to receive periodic communication from Approved Colleges and other users of the App, including (without limitation), universities with online degree programs. You may opt-out of any of our marketing emails through the link provided in such emails, or by contacting us at: [email protected]
  1. Graduation Scholarship Program. Our EMMA™ App includes a unique graduation scholarship program designed to encourage adult students to earn online higher education degrees in a timely and uninterrupted manner (“Scholarship Program”). We want to help you go back to school, earn your degree and save money!
    1. What is it? We work with select online degree program providers to provide information about degree programs, facilitate your application process, facilitate your communications with your school, advise you on ongoing retention, and track your status toward completion of your degree. If you enroll in an eligible program through our App, remain continuously enrolled and actively taking classes until you earn your degree, we will pay you a certain percentage of the total amount of tuition, excluding fees, you paid to the participating school to earn your degree.
    2. Who is eligible? To participate in our scholarship program, you must meet all of the following criteria:
      • Be 18 years old or older at the time of scholarship application.
      • Be eligible to receive Federal Student Aid (even if you do not use Federal Student Aid to fund your education).
      • Apply for your participating program of study through the Emma Mobile Enrollment App and complete the Post-Graduation Scholarship written agreement at the time you apply for program admission.
      • Be accepted and enroll in a participating online degree program, remain enrolled consistently with no breaks, and complete one or more courses each consecutive term.
      • Remain actively enrolled in courses, without lapse. Any break in enrollment (including summer sessions) will result in scholarship disqualification.
      • You must provide Approved Colleges, LLC with permission to access your records from your school to verify your enrollment, attendance, tuition payments and successful degree completion.
      • You must agree to the scholarship program Terms of Use and comply with all of the Terms of Use provisions, as well as all applicable laws.
    3. How much is the scholarship amount? Typically, our scholarship program covers between ten percent (10%) and twenty-five percent (25%) of the total tuition paid for your online degree program completed after enrollment in the program. However, the actual percentage amount will vary depending on the school and the program you enroll in. The scholarship amount offer will be explained to you in further as you select and enroll in your school and program, and will be set forth in your Post-Graduation Scholarship Program Enrollment Agreement.
    4. What if I change schools or degree programs? If you change your degree program or your school after entering into a Post-Graduation Scholarship Program Enrollment Agreement, you may lose eligibility and/or your potential scholarship amount may change. Please see the specific terms of your Post-Graduation Scholarship Program Enrollment Agreement for more details.
    5. Can I lose eligibility? Yes. If you take a break or any time off from your course load, you will lose eligibility for the scholarship program. You will lose eligibility if you enroll in classes, but drop them or otherwise fail to complete them. You will also lose eligibility if you fail to meet any of the eligibility requirements or breach any of the representations or warranties in this Section 5 or any other terms of the Post-Graduation Scholarship Program Enrollment Agreement. Sorry, no exceptions.
    6. Are there other limitations? Yes, your right to any scholarship payment will not be earned unless you satisfy each of the requirements listed above and earn a degree. This offer applies only to the online degree programs applied for through our App and completed in accordance with these Terms and any other agreements between you and Approved Colleges. The scholarship program applies only to the tuition amounts you actually paid to the online degree program for tuition during your enrollment in one of our participating school’s programs. So, for example, if you took 60 credits previously at another school, then applied for a program through our App and completed your degree, the 25% tuition payment would apply only to the tuition amounts you actually paid while using our App and Services. It would not apply to the prior 60 credits you earned, even if it was at the same school. It would also not apply to amounts paid for fees and costs other than tuition, such as (among other non-tuition charges) room and board, lab, book, technology, or parking fees.
    7. How do I receive my payment? Once you earn your degree, apply for the payment through the EMMA App. We will need to take steps verify: (i) that you meet the eligibility requirements, (ii) have met all requirements to receive the payment under these terms and your Post-Graduation Scholarship Enrollment Agreement; and (iii) the amount of your tuition payments made. Once verification is complete, we will send you a check for your earned scholarship amount within thirty (30) days of verification to the address you provide to us through the App. It is your responsibility to ensure that your information is accurate. Please allow 2-4 weeks for payment to arrive via U.S. Mail.
  1. Age Limitations. THE SITES ARE DESIGNED FOR USE BY INDIVIDUALS EIGHTEEN (18) AND OLDER. IF YOU ARE UNDER EIGTHEEN (18) YEARS OF AGE, YOU MAY NOT USE THE SITES. IF YOU HAVE KNOWLEDGE OF ANYONE USING THE APP THAT IS UNDER 18 YEARS OLD, PLEASE NOTIFY US AT [email protected].
  1. Your Information and Your Rights. You own the information you provide through the Sites. Our use of that information is governed by the terms of our Privacy Policy. By submitting your information and other content to the Sites, you grant Approved Colleges and other users of the Sites, such as online universities, a royalty-free, fully paid up, non-exclusive, irrevocable, worldwide, transferable license to use, copy, modify, distribute, publish, create derivative works, process and compile with other information without further notice, consent or compensation. You are solely responsible for all information you provide and the accuracy of the same. Likewise, we are not responsible for the accuracy or completeness of any information provided to us by participating schools. We are not responsible for any damages you may incur through your reliance on this information and you disclaim any and all rights relating to the same. By posting, uploading, inputting, providing or submitting content or other information, you represent and warrant that you own or otherwise control all of the rights to your submitted content, information and communications (as applicable) including, without limitation, all the rights necessary for you to provide, post, upload, input or submit the content and communications and grant the license above.
  1. Your Obligations to Us. In exchange for use of the Sites and/or any Services, you agree to the following:
    1. You’re at least 18 years of age.
    2. You agree not to create false accounts or to provide false information. You represent and warrant that the contact information and account information you provide is truthful.
    3. The security of your account is your responsibility. You agree to choose a strong password and keep it private to you. You’re responsible for any and all activity on your account. If you suspect misuse of your account, please contact us immediately.
    4. From time-to-time we may need to contact you in order to provide important notices about your account.
    5. When using any of the Sites and/or Services, you will obey all applicable federal, state and local laws.
    6. You will not engage in any of the following activities:
      • Using or submitting any offensive content including, but not limited to, obscene language, obscene references, obscene images, threatening or harassing messages, discriminatory actions, messages, or images, and defamatory statements.
      • Creating a username that is offensive or violates anyone else's trade secret, copyright, privacy right, publicity right or other intellectual property right.
      • Engaging in activity that constitutes an unauthorized advertisement or promotion, including unauthorized solicitation of users of the Sites and/or Services.
      • Collecting personal information of other users of the Sites and/or Services without such user's consent.
      • Engaging in activity that compromises the Sites and/or Services in any way. Such activity may include, but is not limited to hacking, IP attacks, worms, viruses, spamming, phishing, cancel bots, Trojan horses, and mail bombing or crashing, and transferring any malware to the Sites or other users of the Sites or Services.
      • Allowing unauthorized access, whether intentionally or unintentionally, to the Sites and/or Service.
      • Using the Sites, Services and/or any information or content available through the Sites or Services in any manner that is not expressly permitted under these Terms of Use.
      • Taking any action that imposes, or may impose, in our sole discretion, an unreasonable or disproportionately large data load on our systems or infrastructure;
      • Interfering or attempting to interfere with the proper working of the Sites and/or Services; or
      • Bypassing measures used to prevent or restrict access to the Sites and/or Services, violating or attempting to violate the security or authentication measures of the system, or attempting to prove, scan, or test the vulnerability of a system or network without proper written authorization from us.

The license granted to you under this Terms of Use to access and use the Sites, the Services and/or our scholarship and other programs shall automatically terminate and/or become void if you violate any of these restrictions.

  1. Accessibility. We value all of our users, and it is our goal to provide an excellent online experience for all users, including our users with disabilities. You understand and accept, however, that some of the features of the Sites and/or Services may not be fully accessible because they are provided by third-party providers (including schools) or because documents and features sometimes contain errors. If you have comments regarding the accessibility of the Sites and/or Services, or would like to report an issue you are experiencing, please email us at [email protected]. You expressly agree to attempt to resolve any and all issues with accessibility directly with us and in good faith prior to instituting any legal action against us.
  1. DISCLAIMERS AND LIMITS ON LIABILITY. THE SITES AND SERVICES, AND ALL INFORMATION AND MATERIALS AVAILABLE THROUGH THE SITES AND SERVICES ARE PROVIDED TO YOU ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT ANY IMPLIED OR EXPRESS WARRANTY OF ANY KIND (INCLUDING, WITHOUT LIMITATION, THE IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, SUITABILITY, SECURITY, CORRECTNESS, COMPLETENESS, ACCESSIBILITY AND NON-INFRINGEMENT). APPROVED COLLEGES, ITS SUBSIDIARIES, AFFILIATES, OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, CONTRACTORS, AGENTS, AND SUPPLIERS (COLLECTIVELY THE "AC PARTIES") MAKE NO REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY REGARDING: (A) THE CONTINUED AVAILABILITY, RELIABILITY, ACCURACY, ACCESSIBILITY, RESULTS OR PERFORMANCE OF THE SITES AND SERVICES AND/OR ANY INFORMATION PROVIDED THROUGH THEM; (B) THE EXISTENCE (OR ABSENCE) OF ANY VIRUS, WORM, MALWARE, MALICIOUS CODE OR OTHER DISABLING DEVICES OR CODE FROM ANY SOURCES; (C) THE UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO OR USE OF YOUR INFORMATION; (D) ANY TECHNICAL FAILURES (INCLUDING HARDWARE OR SOFTWARE FAILURES); OR (E) LOSS, USE OR MISUSE OF YOUR DATA.

FURTHER, WHILE APPROVED COLLEGES ENDEAVORS TO PROMOTE SUCCESSFUL COMPLETION OF HIGHER EDUCATION, APPROVED COLLEGES PROVIDES NO REPRESENTATIONS AND WARRANTIES THAT ARE NOT SPECIFICALLY SET OUT IN THESE TERMS OR OTHER WRITTEN AGREEMENT WITH YOU.  ANY ACTIONS, INACTION OR INFORMATION PROVIDED BY ANY OTHER USER OR THIRD PARTY IS ATTRIBUTABLE ONLY TO THAT USER AND/OR THIRD-PARTY AND NOT TO PERDIA.  YOUR USE OF THE APP AND SERVICES IS AT YOUR OWN RISK. YOU AGREE THAT THE AC PARTIES ARE NOT LIABLE FOR ANY CONSEQUENTIAL, SPECIAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES. IN NO EVENT SHALL THE AC PARTIES’ TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY DAMAGES, LOSSES, FEES AND EXPENSES (INCLUDING ATTORNEYS’ FEES), WHETHER IN CONTRACT, TORT, OR OTHERWISE, EXCEED THE AMOUNT (IF ANY) PAID BY YOU TO APPROVED COLLEGES FOR THE USE OF THE SITES AND/OR SERVICES WITHIN THE LAST TWELVE MONTHS, OR AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $100 IF YOU DID NOT PAY FOR THE SITES OR SERVICES. IF YOU LIVE IN A STATE THAT DOES NOT ALLOW THE WAIVER OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, OR LIMITATIONS OR DAMAGES WAIVERS DESCRIBED IN THIS SECTION, SOME OF THESE PROVISIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU. YOU AGREE TO PROMPTLY NOTIFY APPROVED COLLEGES IN WRITING IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE ANY CLAIM AGAINST ANY OF THE AC PARTIES, AND, IN ANY EVENT, YOU AGREE THAT ANY CLAIM NOT BROUGHT WITHIN ONE YEAR AFTER IT ARISES (OR SUCH SHORTER PERIOD UNDER APPLICABLE STATUTES OF LIMITATION) SHALL BE WAIVED AND RELEASED.

  1. Indemnification. You agree to indemnify, defend and hold harmless Approved Colleges and its affiliates, employees, agents, representatives and third party service providers, for any and all claims, demands, actions, liability, fines, penalties and expenses, whether based on warranty, contract, negligence, strict liability or otherwise, that may arise from any of your acts through the use of the Sites and/or Services. Such acts may include but are not limited to: your submission of information, fraud, unauthorized use of material obtained through the Sites and/or Services, or breach the terms of these Terms of Use or any applicable law.
  1. Third-Party Links. The Sites contain links to other third-party websites, such as schools and government information sources. Such third-party websites are maintained by persons or organizations over which Approved Colleges exercises no control. Approved Colleges expressly disclaims any responsibility for the content or results from your use of such third-party websites.
  1. Consent to Receive Electronic Notifications. Electronic communication is the most effective and timely way to provide the users of the Sites and/or Services with any optional or required notifications and disclosures. In some circumstances, however, state and/or federal laws may require us to send you disclosures or communications in paper format unless you have affirmatively consented to receiving electronic notifications only in advance of the notification. Through this Agreement, pursuant to 15 U.S.C. § 7001, you hereby affirmatively consent to receive electronic notifications and disclosures from us only (without requiring a paper copy) and you represent that, to date, you have not withdrawn such consent. You have the right to change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time. If you would like to withdraw your consent to receive electronic notifications and/or would like to request a paper copies of any electronic notifications you receive, please contact: [email protected]. To receive electronic records, you will need access to a smart phone, tablet, laptop or computer with Internet access and either email software (such as Microsoft Outlook) or access to a web-based electronic mail software platform, such as Gmail, Yahoo or other electronic mail provider.
  1. Severability. If any term or provision in these Terms of Use is found to be void, against public policy, or unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction and such finding or order becomes final with all appeals exhausted, then the offending provision shall be deemed modified to the extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable. If the offending provision cannot be so modified, then the same shall be deemed stricken from these Terms of Use in its entirety and the remainder of these Terms of Use shall survive with the said offending provision eliminated.
  1. Availability. APPROVED COLLEGES CANNOT GUARANTEE THE SITES AND SERVICES WILL BE AVAILABLE 100% OF THE TIME BECAUSE PUBLIC NETWORKS, SUCH AS THE INTERNET, OCCASIONALLY EXPERIENCE DISRUPTIONS. ALTHOUGH APPROVED COLLEGES STRIVES TO PROVIDE THE MOST RELIABLE SITES AND SERVICES REASONABLY POSSIBLE, SOME INTERRUPTIONS AND DELAYS IN ACCESSING THE SITES AND SERVICES ARE UNAVOIDABLE AND APPROVED COLLEGES DISCLAIMS ANY LIABILITY FOR DAMAGES RESULTING FROM SUCH PROBLEMS OR INTERRUPTIONS.
  1. Headings. Condition and section headings are for convenience of reference only and shall not affect the interpretation of these Terms of Use.
  1. Controlling Law and Venue. It is understood and agreed that all the construction and interpretation of these Terms of Use and the relationship between the parties shall at all times and in all respects be governed by the internal laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without giving effect to the conflict of laws provisions thereof. Venue of any action brought to enforce or relating to these Terms of Use or arising out of the relationship between the parties shall be brought exclusively in the courts located in Virginia.
  1. Limitations on Claims. If you have a claim or potential claim against Approved Colleges or any other AC Party under these Terms and Conditions or our Privacy Policy, you agree to attempt to resolve the claim in good faith with Approved Colleges prior to instituting legal action. If you do institute legal action against Approved Colleges or any other AC Party, you agree you must do so within one year of such claim arising. You agree to resolve any claims on a case-by-case basis and expressly waive the right to participate in any class action against Approved Colleges relating to the Sites, the Services or our programs (including, without limitation, our scholarship programs).
  1. Force Majeure. Approved Colleges shall not be deemed to be in default under these Terms if it delays performance, alters performance, or is unable to perform any obligation due to conditions beyond Approved College’s reasonable control, including acts of God, pandemic, civil commotion, strikes, labor disputes, third-party attacks and governmental demands or requirements.
  1. Questions. If you have any questions about Approved Colleges, the Sites, our programs, the Services, the Privacy Policy, or these Terms and Conditions, you may contact us at:

Approved Colleges, LLC
PO Box 458
Monterey, VA 24465
[email protected]