Terms of Service

1. Introduction

Welcome to the SkillsUSA Registration Platform ("Platform"), operated by SkillsUSA, Inc. ("SkillsUSA," "we," "us," or "our"). This Platform serves as the official membership registration system for SkillsUSA, a national membership organization serving middle school, high school, and college/postsecondary students who are preparing for careers in trade, technical, and skilled service occupations, including health occupations.

By accessing or using the Platform at join.skillsusa.org, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not use the Platform. These Terms apply to all users, including students, advisors, state directors, and administrators.

2. Eligibility

To use this Platform, you must:

• Be a student enrolled in a SkillsUSA-eligible educational program, an advisor or instructor affiliated with a SkillsUSA chapter, a state director, or an authorized administrator.
• If you are under the age of 18, you must have consent from a parent, legal guardian, or authorized school advisor to create an account and use the Platform.
• Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and maintain the accuracy of such information.
• Be invited by an authorized advisor, state director, or administrator, or join through an approved chapter invitation code or QR code.

3. Account Registration and Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials. Accounts are authenticated through Firebase Authentication, which may include email/password or Google OAuth sign-in methods. You agree to:

• Keep your password secure and not share your login credentials with anyone.
• Notify SkillsUSA immediately if you suspect unauthorized access to your account.
• Accept that your session may be automatically terminated after 2 hours of inactivity for security purposes.
• Not attempt to access accounts, data, or features you are not authorized to use.

Upon registration, you are assigned a permanent SkillsUSA Member ID (format: CODE-XXXXXXXX). This identifier is unique to you and is used across the SkillsUSA ecosystem.

4. Membership and Dues

This Platform facilitates the payment and management of SkillsUSA membership dues. By enrolling, you acknowledge that:

• Membership dues consist of a national portion and a state portion, which vary by state association. Dues amounts are determined by SkillsUSA and the respective state association and are subject to change.
• New members are granted a 30-day grace period from the date of roster enrollment to complete payment. If payment is not received within this grace period, your membership status will be set to suspended. Suspended members may reinstate their membership by paying outstanding dues.
• Membership is organized by annual membership cycles. Your membership is valid for the cycle in which dues are paid.
• SkillsUSA reserves the right to modify dues, membership terms, and benefits at any time, with reasonable notice provided to active members.

5. Payments and Billing

Payment processing on this Platform is handled through Stripe, a third-party payment processor. By making a payment, you also agree to Stripe's Terms of Service.

• Payments may be made via credit card, debit card, check, ACH transfer, or other methods as made available. Non-card payments (check, ACH) require manual verification by an authorized administrator or state director.
• Payment amounts are split between the SkillsUSA National Office and your state association through Stripe Connect. SkillsUSA absorbs all payment processing fees; these are not passed on to members or chapters.
• Refund eligibility is determined on a case-by-case basis. Refund requests should be directed to your chapter advisor or state director.
• Payment records are maintained for auditing and compliance purposes in accordance with our Privacy Policy.

6. Data Collection, Use, and Synchronization

Your use of this Platform is also governed by the SkillsUSA Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your personal information.

By using the Platform, you acknowledge and consent to the following:

• Primary Data Storage: Your membership data, chapter information, roster records, payment history, and account details are stored in our primary database systems.
• Data Synchronization:Certain membership data—including your name, contact information, membership status, member ID, chapter affiliation, and state association—is synchronized to the SkillsUSA Portal, a secondary system used to support additional SkillsUSA services such as competition management, certifications, achievements, and training completions. This synchronization is one-way and occurs on a regular basis, with data in the Portal reflecting changes made on this Platform within a reasonable timeframe.
• Audit Logging: Sensitive operations (account changes, payment transactions, role assignments, chapter modifications) are logged for security, compliance, and troubleshooting purposes.
• School Data: Chapter and school information may be matched against the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) database to verify school identity and maintain data accuracy.

7. Connected Services and Third-Party Integrations

The SkillsUSA Registration Platform serves as a central identity and membership system. Your account may be used to access additional SkillsUSA services and authorized third-party applications through Single Sign-On (SSO) via our OAuth/OpenID Connect (OIDC) integration. These connected services may include:

• SkillsUSA Portal: The member-facing portal for competition results, certifications, achievements, event attendance, and training completions.
• Third-Party Educational Tools: Authorized platforms such as Pathful and other career readiness, assessment, training, or communication tools that SkillsUSA may integrate with from time to time.
• In-House Applications: Other SkillsUSA-developed tools for competitions, training, resources, and communication.

When you access a connected service, certain profile information (such as your name, email, role, member ID, chapter, and state affiliation) may be shared with that service in accordance with our Privacy Policy and the scopes authorized during the SSO flow. Each connected service may have its own terms of service and privacy policy, which you should review before use. SkillsUSA is not responsible for the practices of third-party services.

8. Roles and Responsibilities

The Platform employs a role-based access system. Your responsibilities vary based on your assigned role:

9. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use the Platform for any purpose other than SkillsUSA membership activities.
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to other users' accounts, chapter data, or platform systems.
• Submit false or misleading information, including fraudulent chapter requests or enrollment data.
• Circumvent, disable, or interfere with any security features of the Platform, including rate limiting, authentication, or access controls.
• Use automated tools, scripts, or bots to access or scrape data from the Platform without authorization.
• Share invitation codes or QR join links with individuals who are not eligible for SkillsUSA membership.
• Harass, abuse, or engage in discriminatory behavior toward other users of the Platform.

Violation of these acceptable use terms may result in suspension or termination of your account and membership.

10. Intellectual Property

The Platform, including its design, features, content, logos, and the SkillsUSA name and brand, are the property of SkillsUSA, Inc. and are protected by applicable intellectual property laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, modify, or create derivative works from any content on the Platform without prior written consent from SkillsUSA.

11. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

THE PLATFORM IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

SkillsUSA does not warrant that the Platform will be uninterrupted, error-free, or secure. Data synchronization between the Platform and the SkillsUSA Portal is eventually consistent; temporary delays in data availability across connected systems are expected and do not constitute a service failure.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, SKILLSUSA SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE PLATFORM, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO LOSS OF DATA, PAYMENT PROCESSING ERRORS, OR SERVICE INTERRUPTIONS.

12. Account Suspension and Termination

SkillsUSA reserves the right to suspend or terminate your access to the Platform at any time, with or without notice, for conduct that violates these Terms, disrupts other users, or is otherwise harmful to SkillsUSA or its mission.

Membership suspensions due to non-payment of dues within the grace period are handled automatically. Suspended accounts retain their data and may be reinstated upon payment of outstanding dues, subject to the current membership cycle.

If you wish to close your account, please contact your chapter advisor or SkillsUSA Customer Care at customercare@skillsusa.org.

13. Minors and Student Data

SkillsUSA recognizes that many Platform users are minors (under 18). We are committed to protecting the privacy of student users and complying with applicable laws, including the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), as applicable.

• Student accounts are created through school advisor invitations, ensuring appropriate oversight and consent.
• Student data is accessible only to authorized advisors, state directors, and administrators within the scope of their roles.
• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental or school consent as required by law.
• For more information on how student data is handled, please refer to our Privacy Policy.

14. Email Communications

By creating an account, you agree to receive transactional emails related to your membership, including:

• Account verification and password reset emails
• Chapter invitations and membership notifications
• Payment confirmations and receipts
• Membership status updates and renewal reminders
• Platform announcements and service updates

These communications are necessary for the operation of your membership and are not marketing materials. You may not opt out of transactional emails while maintaining an active account.

15. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the Commonwealth of Virginia, without regard to conflict of law principles. Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Platform shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Fairfax County, Virginia.

16. Changes to These Terms

SkillsUSA reserves the right to update or modify these Terms at any time. When changes are made, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Continued use of the Platform after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Terms. Material changes may be communicated via platform announcements or email notification.

17. Contact Information

If you have questions about these Terms of Service, please contact: