Terms of Service

1. Acceptance of these terms

These Terms of Service govern your use of the website at https://www.hongkikim.buzz and your participation in the services offered by Hongkikim Foundation through its learning access hall. By visiting the website, sending a message to the desk, reserving a study seat, joining a mentor pairing, entering an exam prep circle, submitting a book list or attending a coaching day, you agree to these terms.

If you do not agree with any part of these terms, do not use the website and do not request hall services. You may still contact the desk by telephone to ask questions about the terms before deciding whether to participate.

These terms apply to every visitor and every learner. A person who acts on behalf of an institution, a school or an employer confirms that they have authority to accept these terms for that organization.

Our Privacy Policy explains how we handle personal information and forms part of the agreement between you and the foundation. If these terms and the Privacy Policy appear to conflict on a privacy question, the Privacy Policy controls for that question.

2. About the foundation

Hongkikim Foundation is a learning access organization that funds the cost of study for adult learners and staffs the human support that helps those learners finish what they started. The hall is located at 1790 W 3500 S Ste 1790-A, West Valley - 84119-3434, United States (US). The foundation works within the professional, scientific and technical services sector and funds study most often in computer systems design and related fields.

The foundation is not a school, college, university, testing center or licensed tutoring business. It does not grant credentials, does not award degrees and does not set curriculum. Instruction is delivered by partner institutions and independent study providers, and the foundation pays for that instruction on behalf of an approved learner.

The desk staffs the hall, reviews applications, builds budgets, releases instalments, pairs learners with mentors and keeps the register. Nothing a clerk says at the desk creates a promise of a credential, a job, a license or a particular outcome. The foundation promises process, funding and support, not results that depend on a third party.

3. Eligibility for hall services

Hall services are open to adults aged eighteen or older. A learner aged sixteen or seventeen may be admitted with the written consent of a parent or guardian and with a program that accepts a minor. The desk verifies age only to the extent a program or a funder requires it.

A learner must be able to attend study blocks at the hall, or join mentor hours on video where distance makes attendance impractical. A learner must be working toward a credential, a license, a certificate, an entrance requirement or a course of study that the foundation is able to fund.

The foundation does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, age, veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law. A reasonable accommodation request is handled by the desk and is never treated as a reason to deny a place.

A person who has previously withdrawn from the hall for a conduct reason may reapply after twelve months. The director reviews the application and may impose conditions on a return, such as a modified schedule or a different mentor.

4. The register and the funded place

The register is the record of each learner place in the hall. Signing the register begins an intake conversation in which the learner describes the credential being pursued, the next deadline, the weekly hours available and any previous attempt that stopped short. The clerk drafts a budget and a schedule from those answers.

A funded place exists when the desk has approved the plan, the learner has accepted it in writing and the first instalment has been scheduled. Approval is discretionary. The foundation has a limited number of places in each term and allocates them by fit between the learner plan and the funds available, not by first come order alone.

A place is personal to the learner. It may not be transferred, sold or shared, and a second person may not attend a reserved seat or a mentor hour in place of the registered learner. A learner who wishes to bring a guest to a public event does not need permission; a learner who wishes to bring a guest to a study block or a coaching day must ask the desk in advance.

The register records the term, the credential, the budget, the mentor pairing, the seat reservation, the prep circle and the coaching day. A learner may ask to see the register entry at any desk visit and may ask for a factual error to be corrected.

5. Funding, instalments and settlement

The foundation funds tuition, exam fees, books, required materials and a transit stipend where the budget includes one. Funds are never paid to the learner as cash. The foundation settles directly with the school, the testing center, the bookstore or the equipment seller, and in some cases purchases on the learner behalf and delivers to the hall desk.

Funding is released in instalments tied to the term calendar and to attendance. The first instalment is released after the learner has attended two study blocks and one mentor conversation. Later instalments are released at term checkpoints, and the clerk confirms with the learner that the plan is still realistic before each release.

If a scheduled instalment is not released because a checkpoint has not been met, the learner may ask for a review. The clerk explains what is missing and how to complete it. A missed checkpoint does not by itself cancel the place.

The foundation does not issue loans and does not require repayment of any funded amount. There is no interest, no fee and no credit check. If the foundation cannot pay a partner on time, the foundation resolves the matter with the partner and the learner is not held responsible for the delay.

A learner who receives funding from another source must tell the desk so that the budget can be adjusted. Funding from two sources for the same cost is a duplication and the foundation will reduce or withdraw its share rather than allow a double payment.

6. Study hall reservations

Study hall reservations are held in three hour blocks, with a maximum of three blocks per learner per week. A reservation carries a named seat, a lamp, a power outlet and a small shelf that remains with the learner for the term. Reservations are free and require an active register entry.

A reserved seat is expected to be occupied for most of the block. The reading room keeps a quiet rule, a no speakerphone rule and a rule against taking another learner seat. Food and drink are allowed at the side tables but not at the desk surfaces, to protect materials and equipment.

A learner who misses two consecutive blocks without notice releases the seat so that it can be offered to the waiting list. The seat can be reserved again when availability allows. Notice of a missed block may be given by email to access@hongkikim.buzz or by telephone to +12679865299 before the block begins.

The hall may close a reservation block for maintenance, for a hall event or for a safety reason. When a block is cancelled by the hall the learner receives the earliest available replacement in the same week, and no funding is affected.

7. Mentor pairing and conduct

Mentors volunteer their time and are screened before a first pairing. A pairing is arranged within ten days of intake where a suitable mentor is available. The learner may request a different pairing at any time, and no reason is required.

A mentor offers guidance, encouragement and practical perspective. A mentor does not provide legal, medical, financial or licensed professional advice, and a learner should not rely on a mentor conversation as a substitute for advice from a qualified professional.

Office hours take place in the reading room during staffed hours or on a platform agreed through the desk. A learner should not meet a mentor alone at a private residence or at an unstaffed location. If a mentor proposes a meeting that feels inappropriate, stop the conversation and report it to the desk immediately.

Mentor notes are written for the desk and kept private. A learner may ask what a mentor note says. Neither party may publish screenshots of a private mentoring conversation without the written permission of the other party.

8. Exam prep circles and exam fees

An exam prep circle forms eight weeks before a scheduled test date and runs twice weekly for ninety minutes. A circle holds six to ten learners working toward the same exam. Attendance is recorded so that the coordinator can identify a learner who has fallen behind before the test date arrives.

Practice materials used in a circle are licensed for hall use and may not be copied, shared outside the circle or posted online. A learner who copies licensed material or distributes it breaches these terms and may be removed from the circle.

The foundation pays the exam fee directly to the testing center. A learner who needs an accommodation must tell the desk at least four weeks before the test so that the request can be filed in time. A late request is still filed, but the testing center may not be able to approve it for the scheduled date.

A learner who fails a test on the first attempt may join the next circle at no additional cost and the foundation pays the retake fee where the testing center allows a retake. Repeated failures trigger a review with the mentor and a rebuild of the study plan rather than an unlimited supply of fees.

9. Book fund rounds

The book fund opens in two rounds each year, before the fall term and before the spring term. A learner submits a title list with editions and the clerk confirms each title against the syllabus. Books and licensed software are ordered by the foundation and delivered to the hall desk.

Books purchased through a round remain the property of the foundation for the duration of the term. A learner may keep a book that the foundation does not intend to reuse and may borrow a current edition from the shelf for reference. A learner who loses a book should tell the desk so the record can be updated.

A learner may not resell a book purchased through the book fund. A book that is no longer needed should be returned to the desk so that the next cohort can borrow it. Resale of a funded book is a breach of these terms and may affect eligibility for a later round.

The foundation publishes a summary after each round showing titles purchased and categories covered, without learner names. A donor who designates a gift for books receives that summary as the account of how the gift was used.

10. Graduation coaching days

Graduation coaching days take place at the close of each term and cover credential paperwork, licensing applications, resume framing and the practical questions of the first ninety days after completion. A coaching day is a full day with a working lunch and is offered at no cost to the learner.

A learner may bring one guest to a coaching day with notice to the desk. A guest is welcome to listen and ask questions but does not receive a funded place or a mentor pairing.

A follow up session is available at any point in the twelve months after a coaching day. The hall keeps the completion record so that a follow up does not require starting a new intake, and a learner who returns after a break is treated as a returning member of the hall.

Coaching does not guarantee employment, licensure or admission to a further program. The foundation helps a learner present a record clearly; the decision on a job, a license or an admission rests with the organization that makes it.

11. Learner obligations

A learner agrees to give accurate information at intake and to tell the desk promptly when circumstances change. A change of address, a change of telephone number, a change of program, a new deadline or a new source of funding should be reported within ten business days.

A learner agrees to attend the study blocks and mentor hours that the plan requires. If attendance becomes impossible for a period, the learner should tell the desk rather than stop responding, because a clerk can usually rebuild a plan around a temporary difficulty.

A learner agrees to treat staff, mentors and other learners with courtesy, to respect the quiet rule of the reading room and to keep the hall clean and safe. A learner agrees not to record another person without permission and not to publish information about another learner.

A learner agrees to use funded materials for study and not for resale. A learner agrees to report any error in a funding record so that it can be corrected before the next instalment is released.

12. Prohibited conduct

The following conduct is prohibited at the hall and on this website. A person may not submit false information to obtain a funded place or to increase a budget. A person may not impersonate another learner, mentor or member of staff.

A person may not harass, threaten or intimidate another person, whether in the reading room, in a mentor conversation, in correspondence with the desk or online. A person may not bring a weapon into the hall or attend under the influence of alcohol or an unlawful substance.

A person may not attempt to gain unauthorized access to the digital register, to another learner record or to a staff account. A person may not interfere with the website, introduce malicious code or use automated tools to scrape the site or to send bulk messages.

A person may not copy, resell or redistribute licensed exam material, funded books or any other material provided through the hall where the license or these terms do not allow it.

A breach of this section may lead to suspension or termination of a place, a report to a partner institution and, where the law requires it, a report to law enforcement.

13. Withdrawal and suspension

A learner may withdraw from a funded place at any time by telling the desk in writing or by telephone. Withdrawal does not create a debt and does not require repayment of funds already spent on the learner behalf. The desk closes the register entry and records the reason only if the learner chooses to give one.

The foundation may suspend a place where a learner repeatedly fails to attend without notice, where a learner breaches the prohibited conduct section or where a safety concern requires immediate action. The desk gives written notice of a suspension, the reason and the route to ask for a review.

The director reviews a suspension within ten business days. The review considers the learner account, the staff record and any mitigating circumstances. The outcome may be reinstatement, reinstatement with conditions or termination of the place.

A learner who withdraws may reapply in a later term. A learner who was terminated for conduct may reapply after twelve months, and the director decides whether a return is appropriate.

14. No repayment obligation and cancellation

The foundation does not charge learners a fee and does not lend money. There is therefore nothing to refund to a learner and nothing for a learner to repay. Funds already settled with a school, a testing center or a seller belong to the transaction and are not recoverable by the learner as cash.

A learner may cancel a study hall reservation without penalty by giving notice before the block begins. A cancelled reservation returns to the pool and may be offered to another learner.

A learner may cancel attendance at an exam prep circle or a coaching day without penalty. Where the foundation has already paid an exam fee, a cancellation of the test is handled with the testing center under that center refund rules, and the desk will help with the request.

A supporter who makes a donation may request a cancellation of a recurring gift at any time. A one time gift that has already been settled to a program cannot be reversed, but a supporter may ask that a future gift be directed to a different hall service.

15. Use of this website

This website is provided to describe the hall and to let a person contact the desk. You may read the pages, print them for personal reference and share a link with another person. You may not copy the site wholesale, mirror it on another domain or present its content as your own.

The contact form in its default configuration does not store your message on a server. It opens a message in your own email application and sends it to access@hongkikim.buzz. If your device has no email application configured, use the published email address or telephone number instead.

The website is provided as a static site and is not a transactional system. It does not accept payment, does not create an account and does not display another learner information. Do not attempt to use it as a portal for submitting sensitive documents.

We may change, suspend or withdraw any part of the website at any time. We aim to keep the address of every page stable, and where a page is retired we will redirect its address to the most relevant remaining page.

16. Donations and supporter terms

A donation supports the work of the foundation and is not a purchase of a service. A donor may designate a gift for a specific hall service, such as a book fund round or a study seat, and the foundation applies a designated gift to that purpose where the amount allows. Where a designation cannot be honored in full, the desk contacts the donor before redirecting the gift.

Donations are acknowledged in writing. A donor who prefers anonymity is listed as an anonymous supporter in public material. The foundation does not sell, rent or exchange a supporter list with any other organization.

The foundation reserves the right to decline a donation that would create a conflict of interest, that carries a condition that conflicts with these terms or that would compromise the independence of the hall. A declined gift is returned to the donor without deduction.

A supporter receives an annual summary of how gifts were used. The summary reports aggregate figures and does not identify learners.

17. Volunteers and mentors

A volunteer applies through the desk and provides the information needed for screening. Screening includes an identity check and the references the foundation requires. A volunteer who does not complete screening may not begin a pairing.

A volunteer agrees to follow the conduct rules of the hall, to keep learner information confidential, to record pairing notes for the desk and to avoid giving legal, medical or financial advice outside their professional competence.

Volunteers are not employees and receive no wages. The foundation provides orientation, a written guide to the hall and a named staff contact for any question or concern. Travel costs for a volunteer are not reimbursed unless the foundation agrees in writing before the journey.

The foundation may end a volunteer arrangement at any time where screening, conduct or fit makes it necessary. A volunteer may end the arrangement at any time with notice to the desk so that the pairing can be closed properly.

18. Content and intellectual property

The text, layout and visual design of this website belong to Hongkikim Foundation unless another owner is credited. The name Hongkikim Foundation and the hall identity are used by the foundation in its charitable work and may not be used by another organization in a way that suggests a connection.

The foundation grants you a limited, personal, non transferable permission to view the site and to print pages for your own reference. That permission does not extend to commercial republication, to inclusion in a paid product or to use of the content to train a competing service.

Learner materials, mentor notes and register records are confidential and are not published. A learner retains ownership of any work the learner creates during study. A learner who wishes to share a story publicly may do so, and the foundation will only publish a learner story with written permission.

Third party trademarks, textbook titles and examination names mentioned on the site belong to their respective owners and are used descriptively.

19. Third party services and links

Partners such as schools, testing centers, bookstores and licensing bodies are independent organizations. The foundation is not responsible for their acts, their schedules, their fees or their privacy practices, and a dispute with a partner is resolved with that partner under its own terms.

Where the foundation pays a partner on a learner behalf, the foundation can confirm that payment was made and can help a learner raise a problem with the partner. The foundation cannot compel a partner to change a grade, a test result, an admission decision or a license decision.

Links from this website to another organization are provided for convenience. We check a link before publishing it and remove a link when the destination changes in a way that no longer suits the hall.

This website does not load third party advertising or tracking scripts. If that changes, the change will be described in the Privacy Policy before it takes effect.

20. Disclaimers

The website is provided on an as available basis. We work to keep it accurate and available but we do not promise that it will be free of error or interruption. Service schedules, hall hours and funding rounds described on the site may change, and the desk is the authoritative source for a current date.

Nothing on this website is legal, tax, medical, financial or licensed professional advice. A person who needs advice of that kind should consult a qualified professional. A mentor conversation is guidance from a volunteer and is not professional advice.

The foundation does not guarantee admission to a program, a passing score on an examination, a license, a certification or employment. Those outcomes are decided by a third party, and the foundation role is to fund the cost of trying and to support persistence.

Nothing in these terms excludes a warranty or a right that the law does not allow to be excluded. Where a mandatory rule applies, that rule prevails over any inconsistent sentence in this section.

21. Limitation of liability

To the extent the law allows, the foundation is not liable for indirect, incidental, special or consequential loss arising from use of this website or from participation in hall services. That includes lost opportunity, lost income and loss of data.

Where liability cannot be excluded, the liability of the foundation is limited to the amount the foundation actually spent on the learner in the term in which the event giving rise to the claim occurred. Because learners pay nothing, this limit reflects the actual financial relationship between the parties.

The foundation is not liable for the acts of a partner institution, a testing center, a bookstore, a landlord, a transport provider or any other independent organization.

These limits do not apply to fraud, to willful misconduct, to death or personal injury caused by negligence or to any liability that the law does not allow to be limited.

22. Indemnity

You agree to indemnify the foundation against a claim, loss or expense that arises from your breach of these terms, from your misuse of the website or from your infringement of the rights of another person.

This indemnity does not apply to the extent that a claim arises from the negligence or misconduct of the foundation or from a matter that the foundation controls. The foundation will tell you about a claim that engages this section and will let you participate in the response where the law allows.

A learner who submits false information to obtain funding is responsible for the cost of any loss that follows, including the cost of reversing a payment to a partner where a reversal is possible.

Nothing in this section requires a learner to indemnify the foundation for the ordinary exercise of a statutory right, including a privacy right described in the Privacy Policy.

23. Governing law and disputes

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of Utah and the federal laws of the United States that apply there, without regard to a conflict of laws rule.

If a dispute arises, the parties agree to discuss it in good faith before starting a formal proceeding. A learner may raise a concern with the desk, in writing, and the desk will respond within thirty days. If the concern is not resolved, the learner may ask the director for a review and the director will issue a written decision.

Where a formal proceeding is necessary, the parties consent to the jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Utah. A claim must be brought within the period allowed by law and, where the law permits, within one year of the event giving rise to the claim.

Either party may seek relief in a small claims court for a matter within that court limits. Nothing in this section prevents a person from raising a complaint with a regulator or from exercising a right that cannot be waived.

24. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. A material change is posted on this page with a new effective date and a short note describing what changed. A material change takes effect thirty days after posting, so that a learner has time to read it.

A change that affects a learner who is already enrolled applies from the next term boundary unless the change is required by law or is needed to address a safety matter, in which case it may apply immediately and the desk will explain the reason.

A previous version of these terms is available from the desk on request. The desk keeps each version for seven years so that the terms that applied at a particular time can be confirmed.

Continuing to use the website or hall services after a change takes effect means that the updated terms apply. If you do not accept an updated term, you may withdraw from your place without any repayment obligation.

25. General provisions

If a provision of these terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions continue in force and the invalid provision is read down to the minimum extent needed to make it enforceable.

A failure to enforce a provision on one occasion is not a waiver of the right to enforce it later. A waiver is effective only when it is given in writing by an authorized person at the foundation.

These terms, together with the Privacy Policy, form the entire agreement between you and the foundation about the website and the hall services. They replace any earlier discussion or statement on the same subject.

You may not assign your rights under these terms without the written consent of the foundation. The foundation may assign its rights to a successor charitable organization that continues the work of the hall, subject to the notice described in the Privacy Policy.

Headings are for readability only and do not affect the meaning of a provision. A reference to a statute includes a later amendment or replacement of that statute.

26. Contact information

Questions about these terms may be sent to the desk at access@hongkikim.buzz or asked by telephone at +12679865299 during staffed hours. The hall is at 1790 W 3500 S Ste 1790-A, West Valley - 84119-3434, United States (US).

When you write about a term, quote the section number and describe what you need clarified. The desk will answer in plain language and will not treat a question as an objection.

Return to the hall homepage or read the Privacy Policy for the explanation of how personal information is handled.