Terms of Service

1. Eligibility

• Candidates must meet the applicable prerequisites and eligibility requirements established by NBEFC for the program or credential being sought.
• Candidates are responsible for providing accurate and complete information regarding education, qualifications, identity, and other credentialing requirements.
• Submission of false, misleading, altered, or incomplete information may result in denial of eligibility, suspension, revocation, termination of program access, or other appropriate action.

2. Use of NBEFC Services

• NBEFC websites, educational programs, examinations, credentialing services, registries, resources, and related services may be used only for their intended purposes.
• Unauthorized use, reproduction, distribution, alteration, falsification, or misuse of NBEFC materials, examinations, credentials, credential data, or services is prohibited.
• Students, candidates, and credential holders are responsible for complying with applicable NBEFC policies, procedures, standards, and requirements.

3. Program Access and Duration

Unless a different access period is expressly stated for a particular program, students are provided access to their enrolled NBEFC program and associated educational materials for up to 365 days from the date of enrollment.

The 365-day access period represents the maximum standard period of program access. Program access may end, be restricted, or be suspended before the expiration of 365 days under circumstances including, but not limited to:

• Failure to make required payments in accordance with the student’s payment agreement or payment schedule.
• Violation of these Terms, the Student Agreement, NBEFC policies, the Code of Ethics, examination or academic integrity requirements, intellectual property restrictions, professional conduct standards, or other applicable NBEFC rules or requirements.
• Suspension or termination of enrollment, participation, or program access by NBEFC in accordance with applicable policies.
• Successful completion of the program and passage of the applicable NBEFC certification examination.

Program access may conclude upon successful completion of the program and passage of the applicable NBEFC certification examination, even if fewer than 365 days have elapsed since the student’s enrollment date.

Expiration, restriction, suspension, or termination of program access does not cancel or eliminate outstanding payment obligations or other requirements applicable to the student’s enrollment or certification.

Any extension of program access is subject to NBEFC’s then-current extension policies, eligibility requirements, availability, and applicable fees. Extensions are not guaranteed and must be approved by NBEFC.

4. Credentialing, Certification Maintenance, and Renewal

NBEFC credentials are awarded only after successful completion of all applicable education, examination, eligibility, and certification requirements established by NBEFC.

Credential holders are responsible for maintaining active certification through timely renewal, completion of applicable continuing education requirements, payment of applicable renewal fees, and compliance with current NBEFC certification standards and requirements.

Specific continuing education requirements, renewal fees, deadlines, reinstatement requirements, and other certification maintenance requirements may be published separately by NBEFC and are not required to be individually stated in these Terms.

NBEFC may establish, amend, or update certification, continuing education, renewal, reinstatement, and credential maintenance requirements from time to time. Requirements applicable to a particular renewal period will be those designated by NBEFC for that renewal period.

Failure to satisfy applicable certification maintenance or renewal requirements may result in expiration, lapse, suspension, or other change in credential status.

Misuse of an NBEFC credential, including use after expiration, suspension, or revocation, may result in disciplinary action.

5. Examination and Retake Requirements

• Examinations are administered through designated examination platforms and are subject to NBEFC’s current examination, scoring, security, timing, and retake requirements.
• Candidates are responsible for meeting applicable technical, identity verification, scheduling, and examination requirements.
• Examination passing standards and competency requirements are established by NBEFC and may be published separately.
• Applicable retake fees or other examination-related fees may apply to additional examination attempts.

6. Fees, Payments, and Refunds

Fees may include, but are not limited to:

• Program and enrollment fees
• Application fees
• Examination fees
• Retake fees
• Educational or preparation resource fees
• Certification renewal fees
• Continuing education fees
• Extension fees
• Reinstatement or other applicable administrative fees

Initial program tuition or enrollment fees do not include future certification renewal fees, continuing education costs, extension fees, reinstatement fees, or other certification maintenance expenses unless expressly stated.

Current fees may be published separately and may be established or changed by NBEFC from time to time.

Failure to complete an agreed payment plan or other payment obligation may result in restriction or suspension of program access and may affect eligibility for examination, completion, certification, or other NBEFC services.

7. Additional Policies and Requirements

These Terms are not intended to constitute a complete or exhaustive listing of all NBEFC policies, procedures, standards, certification requirements, examination requirements, continuing education requirements, renewal requirements, fees, or other rules that may apply to students, candidates, or credential holders.

Additional policies, procedures, standards, requirements, and fees may be published or otherwise made available by NBEFC and may be established, amended, or updated from time to time.

Students, candidates, and credential holders are responsible for complying with the NBEFC policies and requirements applicable to their program, examination, credential, certification status, or renewal period.

8. Accessibility and Accommodations

• NBEFC is committed to providing reasonable access to its programs, examinations, and credentialing services.
• Individuals requiring accommodations should contact NBEFC in advance so that available accommodations may be reviewed and arranged as appropriate.
• Accommodation requests may require reasonable documentation or additional information when appropriate.

9. Professional Conduct, Disciplinary Action, and Credential Use

Students, candidates, and credential holders are expected to comply with applicable NBEFC ethical standards, professional conduct requirements, certification policies, examination requirements, and credential-use requirements.

NBEFC reserves sole discretion to determine appropriate disciplinary action based upon the nature and severity of a violation, subject to any review or appeal rights expressly provided by applicable NBEFC policy.

Disciplinary action may include warnings, restrictions, suspension or termination of program access, denial of examination eligibility, denial of certification or renewal, suspension or revocation of a credential, or other action NBEFC determines appropriate.

10. Privacy and Data Protection

• Personal information submitted to NBEFC may be used for program administration, credentialing, verification, examination, certification maintenance, communication, and related purposes.
• Information included in NBEFC’s public credential registry is limited to information NBEFC determines appropriate for credential verification.
• Personal information is handled in accordance with NBEFC’s applicable privacy practices and policies.

11. No Guarantee of Employment, Licensure, or Third-Party Acceptance

Completion of an NBEFC program or receipt of an NBEFC credential does not guarantee employment, income, promotion, licensure, professional authorization, reimbursement, continuing education acceptance, or recognition by any employer, government agency, licensing board, professional association, educational institution, or other third party.

Requirements established by third parties are determined by those organizations and may change independently of NBEFC.

12. Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by applicable law, NBEFC is not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or similar damages arising from participation in NBEFC programs, examinations, credentialing, certification maintenance, or use of NBEFC services or materials.

13. Modifications to Terms, Policies, Standards, and Requirements

NBEFC reserves the right to establish, amend, revise, replace, or discontinue these Terms and its policies, procedures, standards, certification requirements, examination requirements, continuing education requirements, renewal requirements, fees, and other requirements from time to time.

Changes become effective on the date specified by NBEFC. Continued participation in NBEFC programs, credentialing, certification maintenance, renewal, or use of applicable NBEFC services after the effective date of a change constitutes acceptance of the updated requirements to the extent applicable.

14. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of Ohio, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

15. Relationship to Other NBEFC Policies

These Terms operate together with applicable NBEFC policies, standards, agreements, certification requirements, examination requirements, ethical requirements, and other published requirements.

Where a more specific NBEFC policy or agreement applies to a particular program, examination, credential, certification requirement, or service, that specific policy or agreement may govern that subject.