Terms and Conditions

Introduction: Brightly Institute is an independent Educational Institute with its Headquarters in Sterling, Virginia. It is a privately owned institute that serves the local community as well as the extended community of the Washington DC Metro area. 

Brightly Institute is not affiliated with or sponsored by any governmental institutions, political parties, domestic or foreign organization, other schools or universities.  

The sole mission of Brightly Institute is to serve the community by providing faith based educational courses and programs as well as Standard Education (KG to 12th Grade).  

Brightly Institue’s goal is the pursuit of knowledge and truth, developing students, unveiling bright minds (TM) and the overall well-being of the community.  

Scope: This policy applies to all Students, Parents and all staff, including: Teachers, Coaches, Principle, Administrative Staff, Management; full-time, part-time or casual, temporary or permanent staff; job candidates; student placements, apprentices, contractors, sub-contractors and volunteers.

Brightly Institute may unilaterally introduce, amend, remove or replace this policy at any time. 

Terms and Conditions: All current staff members, enrolled students and parents of enrolled students are obligated to agree to our Terms and Conditions stated under this section.   

Anti-Discrimination-Policy: Brightly Institute is committed to providing a safe, flexible and respectful environment for staff, parents and students, free from all forms of discrimination, bullying and harassment.
All staff are required to treat others with dignity, courtesy and respect.
 

Discrimination: Discrimination is treating (or proposing to treat) someone unfavorably because of a personal characteristic protected by the law, such as race, age, gender or disability. 

Discrimination can occur A) Directly, when a person or group is treated less favorably than another person or group in a similar situation because of a personal characteristic protected by law. For example, a worker is harassed and humiliated because of their race, or a worker is refused promotion because of their age.  

Or B) Indirectly, when an unreasonable requirement, condition or practice is imposed that has, or is likely to have, the effect of disadvantaging people with a personal characteristic protected by law.  

Staff Hiring: Brightly Institute is committed to employ staff members (Teachers, Coaches, Administration, Accountants etc.) regardless of their race, color, nationality or ethnic origin. Selection of candidates is purely based on their proficiency, experience and skills.   

Students Admission:  Students will be admitted to school regardless of their race, color, nationality or ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its education policies, admissions policies, financial aid programs and other school administrated programs. 

BULLYING: Any form of bullying is unacceptable at Brightly Institute and may also be against workplace health and safety laws. Bullying can take many forms, including jokes, teasing, nicknames, emails, pictures, text messages, social isolation or ignoring people, or unfair practices. 

This behavior does not have to be repeated to be discrimination – it may be a one-off event. 

Behaviors that may constitute bullying include; 

• Sarcasm and other forms of demeaning language; Threats, abuse or shouting; 
• Coercion; Isolation; 
• Inappropriate blaming; Ganging up; 
• Constant unconstructive criticism; 
• Deliberately withholding information or equipment that a person needs to do their work or access their entitlements. 

Unacceptable Conduct: All types of discrimination (racial, disability, gender, age etc.), bullying and harassment are unacceptable at Brightly Institute and will not be tolerated.  

All Staff and Students (including Management) found to have engaged in such conduct might be counselled, warned or disciplined. Severe or repeated breaches can lead to formal discipline up to and including dismissal/termination and further legal actions. 

Under the law, students and staff can be held personally liable for certain breaches of the discrimination law.

Sexual Harassment: Sexual harassment is a specific and serious form of harassment. It is unwelcome sexual behavior, which could be expected to make a person feel offended, humiliated or intimidated. Sexual harassment can be physical, spoken or written. It can include: 

• Comments about a person’s private life or the way they look; Sexually suggestive behavior, such as leering or staring; Brushing up against someone, touching, fondling or hugging; Sexually suggestive comments or jokes.

Just because someone does not object to inappropriate behavior at school at the time, it does not mean that they are consenting to the behavior. Sexual harassment occurs at the school premises, on school-related events, between people sharing the same space, or between students outside of school. 

All staff members, clients, parents, students and volunteers have the same rights and responsibilities in relation to sexual harassment. A single incident is enough to constitute sexual harassment – it doesn’t have to be repeated. 

All incidents of sexual harassment – no matter how large or small or who is involved – require staff members and managers to respond quickly and appropriately. 

Brightly Institute recognizes that comments and behavior that do not offend one person can offend another. This policy requires all students, staff and volunteers to respect other people’s limits. 

Brightly Institute will not tolerate or accept any form of sexual harassment at school or in any school-related context such as field trips, outdoor sports activities, summer camp, etc. All students and staff members are responsible for their own behavior, and under the law may be held personally liable if they engage in sexual harassment.  

Victimization: Victimization is subjecting or threatening to subject someone to a detriment because they have asserted their rights under equal opportunity law, made a complaint, helped someone else make a complaint, or refused to do something because it would be discrimination, sexual harassment or victimization. Victimization is against the law.
It is also victimization to threaten someone (such as a witness) who may be involved in investigating an incident or complaint.
Victimization is a very serious breach of this policy and is likely (depending on the severity and circumstances) to result in formal discipline against the perpetrator.
Brightly Institute has a zero-tolerance approach to victimization. 

RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES of Students and Staff 

All Students and Staff must: 

• Follow the standards of behavior outlined in this policy; 
• Offer support to those who experience discrimination, bullying or any types of harassment, including providing information about how to make a complaint. 
• Avoid gossip and respect the confidentiality of complaint resolution procedures; Treat everyone with dignity, courtesy and respect. 
• Report any suspicious activities to the School Management Team.  

Confidentiality: It is unacceptable for staff members, students and parents at Brightly Institute to talk with one another about complaints from other students, parents or staff members related to discrimination or harassment. 

Breaching the confidentiality of a formal complaint investigation or inappropriately disclosing personal information obtained in a professional role (for example, as a manager) is a serious breach of this policy and may lead to formal discipline. 

Issue Resolution: Brightly Institute strongly encourages any staff member or students who believe they have been discriminated against, bullied, harassed, vilified or victimized to take appropriate action by reporting the issue and submitting the complaint to the School Management (via HR and Students’ Affair Department).  

Any staff member or student who has witnessed any discrimination, bullying, harassment, vilification or victimization should report this to the School Management (via HR and Students’ Affair Department)  

PARENTS AND STUDENTS***

Brightly Institute Liability Waiver: All applicants (parents, legal guardians of the student), hereby grant permission for the student(s) they wish to enroll at Brightly Institute to participate in all the activities and programs of Brightly Institute.  All applicants assume full responsibility for any injuries or damages which may occur to their enrolled student(s), in, on or about the premises of Brightly Institute, or arising out of its activities, and do hereby fully and forever release and discharge Brightly Institute, its employees, staff, and volunteers, from any and all claims, demands, rights of action, or causes of action, present or future, whether same, be known, anticipated or unanticipated, resulting from or arising out of the student(s) participation in the programs and activities of the Brightly Institute.  All applicants further grant permission to provide emergency first-aid and/or hospitalization to the enrolled student(s) in case of injury or illness as deemed appropriate by the school or a physician.  Any medical expenses incurred for medical treatment shall be the responsibility of the Applicants (Parents, Legal Guardians). Furthermore, it is the responsibility of the applicants to inform Brightly Institute in writing about any medication the enrolled Student is taking at any given time during the enrollment period.

Enrollment/Admission Agreement 

• All Applicants understand that their application will make their student(s) eligible for an available space or the student will be placed on the waiting list.  

• All Applicants agree to make a one-time application processing fee as per our fee schedules and as outlined in our program details. The one-time fee will be refunded in case the student is not offered a seat at Brightly Institute or if the program is cancelled.    

• All Applicants understand that their obligation is to pay the monthly tuition fees for each academic month during the entire enrollment period and that no portion of the fees paid or outstanding will be refunded or cancelled in the event of absence, withdrawal, or dismissal from Brightly Institute due to Student's misconduct. 

• All Applicants acknowledge and agree that in the event of volunteer early withdrawal or dismissals due to misconduct, they will still be responsible for any 3rd-party payment balances and fees if   Brightly Institute is not able to get a fee waiver from the 3rd-party provider. 

• All Applicants also understand that they are still responsible for the registration fees, school supply, and book fees. 

• All Applicants understand that there will be a $35 bounced check fee applied to their account if a check bounces for any reason. There will also be a 3.5% credit card processing fee if the applicant chooses to pay with the credit card.  

• All parents/guardians understand and acknowledge that for Dual Education Program Enrollments, there will be a total of 10 payments for 10 consecutive months during the Academic Year, even if the program finishes in the middle of the last month (e.g. middle of June) or if the student finishes the work earlier than expected.  

• All Applicants agree to accept the rules and regulations of Brightly Institute as stated in the published Parent Handbook on our portal. Applicants also understand that the Parent Handbook may be subject to revision at any time. All changes will be communicated to the Parents and Legal Guardians. 

• All Applicants give permission to Brightly Institute to seek emergency medical treatment for their enrolled student(s) in case they cannot be contacted by phone. The parents/legal guardians will be responsible for all expenses incurred for any treatment. 

• All Applicants understand that Brightly Institute is providing K12 curriculum (in cooperation with 3rd party vendors) and in-house coaching and Tutoring services to students at school and that the parents/legal guardians are ultimately responsible for their student(s) overall success by ensuring that their enrolled student(s) commit to work on their course materials and complete their daily/weekly assignments and Homeworks in a timely manner. 

• Parents/Guardians understood and acknowledge that students enrolled in our Standard Education Program / Dual Education may have to work additional hours at home in addition to the 2.5 hours at school in order to catch up or compensate for their missed days or if they are progressing slower than expected. Furthermore, parents and legal guardians should be providing adequate support to their children at all times at home during the academic year, especially during the absence of their child(ren).  

• All parents/legal guardians understand that it is their responsibility to ensure that their enrolled student(s) attend school regularly and that any planned or unplanned absence will have to be reported to the school management in writing.  

• All parents/legal guardians understand that Brightly Institute will release students to both parents unless a court custody/visitation order is presented. 

• All parents/legal guardians acknowledge that it's ultimately their responsibility to submit the Intent Letter of Homeschooling to their respective county's public-school board (e.g. FCPS). Parents/Legal Guardians will have to check the requirements directly with their county's public-school board.   

• All parents/legal guardians also agree that Brightly Institute may use student's pictures on marketing and promotional materials without any monetary compensation. In case parent's do not want the images of their child(ren) to be published then the school management has to be informed in writing to ensure compliance.  

• All parents/legal guardians acknowledge that it's their responsibility to review the Parent Handbook which is published on Brightly Institute's website and I agree to abide by the rules stated therein. 

• All Applicants acknowledge that by submitting their enrollment application, they confirm they have read and understood all above-mentioned Enrollment Agreement, Terms & Conditions and agree with them. 

• Tuition Fee Payment obligations: For the latest fee structure and payment terms, please visit our tuition fee page >> https://brightlyinstitute.com/tuition-fees

• School Start and End Time: For accurate program timing, please navigate to the detail page of the different programs on our website. Parents are responsible to drop off and pick up their children on time according to the specified timing for each relevant program. All parents/legal guardians also understand that a late pick-up fee of $10 may be applied to their account for every 15 minutes of the pick-up delay. 

Refund Policy: Tuition fees are charged either monthly (on a calendar month basis) or annually, depending on the specific program in which the student is enrolled. Upon enrollment, the tuition fees for the first month and a one-time registration fee will be billed.

Please be aware that non-attendance does not exempt parents from tuition fee payments, and no refunds will be issued for fees already paid. If a student can no longer attend classes, guardians must submit an official request via email to unenroll the student, which will take effect in the following calendar month.

In cases of withdrawal due to special circumstances—such as relocation, unemployment, or long-term illness—a prorated refund may be issued for the tuition fees paid for the current month. For instance, if withdrawal occurs on the 7th day after the billing date, approximately 75% of the monthly fee will be refunded. If withdrawal takes place exactly in the middle of the month, a 50% refund will be issued.

Note: A refund can only be processed if the guardian provides evidence of the special circumstances mentioned above.

For courses where 3rd party fees are involved, the refund amount or withdrawal fees/ penalties will depend on the 3rd party and will be calculated on a case-by-case basis. 

In the event of a permanent dismissal by the School Administration due to student’s misconduct (e.g. Integrity/ Rules Violations), the student will not be eligible to receive a refund for the remainder days of the month for which the tuition fees have been paid.  

Processing Refunds will take anytime between 2 and 14 Business Days for Card Payments. Refunds for Cash/Check payments will have to be arranged with the School Administration Office.  

Please feel free to contact us via email (support@brightlyinstitute.com) if you have any questions on our Refund Policy or any other questions.   

Student's Attendance: Brightly Institute records student’s attendance to ensure consistent attendance throughout the year. Parents are responsible to report any planned or unplanned / unexpected absence or delay of their child to the school office via email or through our contact form on the website.  

Three (3) unexcused absences may lead to disciplinary actions and potential dismissal from school. The same ruling applies to frequent unexcused delays in the arrival time of the students.    

Dress-Code: Parents are responsible to ensure their children come to school with appropriate / modest clothing and attire in accordance with the Islamic dress code. Brightly Institute might introduce school uniform at any given time and as per its own discretion.  

Food & Beverages: Currently, Brightly Institute facilitates two breaks during its regular operation from 8 AM to 4 PM. During these breaks, students are expected to eat and drink their breakfast/lunch. Parents are responsible to send nutritious food with their children and should avoid sending unhealth food and beverages.  

Food Allergies: Parents are responsible for informing the school management about any allergies their children may have to food and other substances by providing a written statement mentioning the specifics about the student’s condition in this regard.   

Students will not be permitted to exchange food or snacks with other students without prior permission of the parents.  

Medication: Currently, Brightly Institute does not administer routine medication.  Hence, all medications need to be arranged and administered by the parents. In the event where a student requires routine medication during regular school timing at Brightly Institutes’ premises, then the parents will have to coordinate with the school management in advance.   

Sick Policy: In summary, parents should NOT send their children to school if they are not feeling well. If a student exhibits any signs / symptoms of poor health (such as fever, vomiting, diarrhea, cold etc.), he/she should remain at home until the symptoms have subsided or until advised by the doctor.  

Parents should report any sick absence to the school administration. 

Audio-Visual Content: Parents understand and agree that Brightly Institute might publish audio-visual contents such as images, videos, audio etc. from students on its web and mobile applications as well as on print media at its premises and outside for informational and marketing purposes. Upon written request, parents can opt-out and ask not to publish media on which their children are displayed on. 

Office Hours and Parent’s Visits 

Our regular office hours are currently from 09:00 AM to 3:00 PM from Monday to Thursdays. On Fridays from 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM. If needed, other timings can be scheduled on requests (via email). 

Please feel free to contact us via email (support@brightlyinstitute.com) if you have any questions on our Refund Policy or any other questions.   

Thank you!