Terms and Conditions
Terms of Participation
I.Eligibility Criteria
The information provided by you regarding your education, training and experience is true and accurate.
You have performed your own research to determine whether there is an existing market for Functional Medicine coaches and understand that we do not provide market research, lead generation services or business referral services.
II.Program Overview:
FMCA Health Coach Training Program
While enrolled in FMCA, you shall conduct yourself in strict compliance with the FMCA Code of Conduct for Students (Exhibit A).
By being accepted as a candidate for certification and successfully completing the FMCA Health Coach training program, you will, subject to the terms of this Agreement, be:
1.Certified as a “Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach”
2.Licensed to use the FMCA trademarks and copyrighted materials within the strict guidelines set forth belowAs a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach you may:
Advertise yourself as a “Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach,” ‘FMCA Certified Health Coach’ or ‘Certified by FMCA’ (within FMCA’s strict guidelines as to brand / logo use as may be communicated by FMCA from time-to-time).
While a student of FMCA, you may use the credential, “Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (Candidate) or FMCHC (Candidate). You may not refer to yourself as a “FMCA Certified Health Coach,” “Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach,” “FMCA approved coach.”
FMCA Functional Nutrition Training Program
By being accepted as a candidate for certification and successfully completing the FMCA Functional Nutrition training program, you will, subject to the terms of this Agreement, be:
Certified as a “Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach - Functional Nutrition Specialist” (FMCHC-FNS), provided you are a graduate of FMCA’s Health Coach certification program.
If you are not a graduate of FMCA’s Health Coach certification program, you will be provided a badge demonstrating completion of the Functional Medicine course. You may not represent yourself as a Functional Nutrition Specialist.
Licensed to use the FMCA trademarks and copyrighted materials within the strict guidelines set forth below
As a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach, Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach – Functional Nutrition Specialist, Functional Nutrition graduate or as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach (Candidate) you may not:
Advertise or define yourself as “IFM Certified,” Institute for Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach,” “IFM Practitioner,” “Functional Medicine Practitioner,” or “Trained in Functional Medicine.”
Advertise or define yourself or your services as ‘FMCA Approved, or as a ‘partner' of FMCA or IFM.
Deliver programs or classes described as 'FMCA programs” that have been altered or changed in any significant way.
Use FMCA trademarks, logos or other intellectual property in any way at all other than as specified by FMCA.
Use IFM materials contained in the FMCA curriculum. IFM materials are only for use in your training by FMCA.
Engage in any activities, which are outside the scope of your education, credentials, qualifications or state and local licensure requirements.
III.License:
1.Subject to the terms and conditions in this Agreement, while you are an active student or a graduate, FMCA hereby grants to you a non-exclusive right, license and privilege use (but not to sublicense) FMCA’s designated trademarks, copyrighted materials and FMCA program materials (The “Licensed Marks & Content”) It is specifically acknowledged and agreed that FMCA remains unrestricted with regards to its use and/or licensing of its marks, content and programs to others in any location.
2.You agree:
You will constantly use your best efforts in the use of the Licensed Marks & Content in a manner that protects the good name and goodwill associated with the Licensed Marks & Content and FMCA.
You will not attack the title of FMCA in and to the Licensed Marks & Content or any copyrights or trademarks pertaining thereto, nor will it attack the validity of the license granted hereunder;
You will use the Licensed Marks & Content in an ethical manner and in accordance with the terms and intent of this Agreement, and in compliance with all applicable material government laws, regulations and industry standards;
FMCA shall have the right to approve all uses of the Licensed Marks & Content or derivative uses thereof.
For FMCA’s Health Coach Certification, you have confirmed that you can access Zoom, a video-conference platform, for required Live Training Sessions. Live training sessions occur approximately three times per month and attendance via Zoom is required. Some countries legally restrict or block access to Zoom which could interfere with your ability to successfully complete the FMCA program. It is each student's responsibility to research the laws that apply to them. More information may be found atsupport.zoom.us. Countries that allow or block Zoom (and other platforms used such as Canvas) can change at any time. Please take note of the FMCA Refund and Deferment Policy as they would apply per usual.
For FMCA’s Health Coach Certification, You agree to make every reasonable effort to attend your live training sessions within the parameters of FMCA’s attendance policy (7 absences). Please note that missing 10 or more minutes of a live training session will constitute an absence. You may request to switch to a different live training session within the first 30 days of the program. Requests will be granted based on availability. Requests outside this time frame will be reviewed at FMCA’s discretion.
The courses will be administered in the “LearnWorlds” learning management system. You agree to the terms of the attached Addendum relating to the LearnWorlds.
Enrollment Polic
Refund Policy:
For the Health Coach Certification Program, refunds, minus the $500 non-refundable deposit, are available from the point of enrollment until 30 days after the class start date. During this refund window, Students may receive a refund of all tuition paid minus the $500 non-refundable deposit. The $500 deposit is non-refundable at all times.There will be no refunds after the 30-day period following the class start date. After this date, all tuition paid is non-refundable.
For asynchronous or self-paced courses delivered via LearnWorlds, such as FMCA’s Functional Nutrition training program, refunds may be requested within 14 calendar days of purchase, provided that no more than 20% of the course content has been accessed. Refunds will not be granted beyond this window or access threshold.
For Students who purchase a bundle that includes the Health Coach Certification Program, the Health Coach Certification Program refund policy described above shall apply for the entirety of their order.
To request a refund, email support@functionalmedicinecoaching.org with your full name, email address, and course name.
Withdrawal Policy:
Students wishing to cease participation in the program for any reason, whether voluntary or involuntary, after the class has started are required to sign the FMCA Withdrawal Agreement and are encouraged to complete an exit interview with the Director of Student Services to support a smooth transition out of the program.
Payment Plan Obligations
Students who enroll using a payment plan—whether through FMCA or any third-party financing partner—agree to make all scheduled payments on time. If a Student withdraws after the applicable refund window, the full remaining balance of their tuition becomes due and remains payable, regardless of participation or progress in the program. This obligation survives Student withdrawal and termination of this agreement.
Additional Terms for Payment Plans
1. Non-Dispute Agreement
Student acknowledges that all charges made under this agreement are valid and authorized. Student agrees not to initiate a chargeback of any payment with their financial institution except in cases of actual unauthorized use of their payment method. Initiating a chargeback for otherwise valid and authorized charges constitutes a breach of this agreement.
2. Acceleration Clause
If Student fails to make any scheduled payment and does not cure such failure within five (5) days of notice, FMCA may, at its sole discretion, declare the full remaining balance immediately due and payable, regardless of the original payment schedule.
3. Collection Cost Recovery
In the event of default, Student agrees to pay all reasonable costs of collection, including but not limited to attorney fees and collection-agency fees, which may be based on a percentage of the outstanding balance, up to a maximum of 40% or the maximum amount permitted under applicable law.
4. Permission to Contact
Student provides express consent for FMCA, its representatives, and its contracted collection partners to contact Student at any phone number, email address, or physical address provided to FMCA. This consent applies to calls, texts, emails, and automated communications solely for purposes related to billing, payment reminders, or account resolution.
5. Returned/Failed Payment Fees (NSF Fees)
If any payment is returned, declined, or cannot be processed for any reason, including, without limitation, due to insufficient funds or bank-level rejection, Student agrees to pay an NSF fee not to exceed the maximum amount permitted under the Student’s state law. FMCA may reattempt failed payments as permitted by law.
Students on payment plans through Affirm, Klarna, or other third party financiers may be subject to additional terms and conditions. Please refer to their individual policies for more information. In the event of any conflict between FMCA’s terms and the third party financier’s terms, the financier’s terms control with respect to repayment options to that financier.
HEALTH COACH CERTIFICATION DEFERMENT POLICY
Students have the option to defer to a later class with a reinstatement fee (see fee schedule below). This fee will be due 15 days prior to the class start date. Students are allowed to defer up to two times total before being withdrawn from the program and will be responsible for paying the balance of any tuition owed. When choosing to defer, you may select a new enrollment within one year of your current class enrollment. Students who defer are held to the refund period of their original class and are ineligible for a refund.
Deferrals are allowed during the first eight modules of the program. Any tuition paid will be forfeited if the student does not complete the program after deferring up to two times. Students on FMCA payment plans will be given the option to indicate within their deferment agreement if they would like to pause their payment plans until 15 days prior to their new start date. Students with payment plans provided by our financial partners must continue to pay their tuition on the schedule specified by that partner.
In the event of a tuition increase, FMCA reserves the right to require a student to pay the difference from their original tuition at the time of reenrollment.
HEALTH COACH CERTIFICATION REINSTATEMENT FEE SCHEDULE: The reinstatement fee for deferment varies based on the class month you are in when you sign the Deferral Agreement. (E.g., For a student with a September 1 start date, October 1-31st is month two, November 1-30th is month three, etc.)
Between enrollment and module 3: $200
Between modules 4-6: $600
Between modules 7-8: $900
ENROLLMENT POLICY
For the Health Coach Certification, late enrollments are not permitted beyond the first 30 days of class; incoming students must be prepared to start class on time.
If you choose to withdraw from FMCA before completing the program or are expelled from FMCA for unethical conduct, you must promptly discontinue any and all use of the Licensed Marks & Content and are no longer authorized to identify yourself as a Functional Medicine Certified Health Coach.
Failure to complete requirements of the Health Coach Certification program through lack of communication will suspend your graduation and require an obligatory withdrawal from the program. If this should occur or if you have requested to withdraw and you wish to resume the program, you will be required to apply, pay tuition and start the program from the beginning, and all prior time (Live Training Sessions) and assignments will need to be repeated.
I understand that Enrollment is non-transferable under any circumstances.
IV.Content:
Program education and information is intended for a general audience and does not purport to be, nor should it be construed as, specific advice or counseling tailored to any individual.
All materials, procedures, policies, and standards, all manuals, all teaching aids, and the like that have been or will be made available by FMCA or its designated facilitators, or any other source, oral or written, are for personal use in or in conjunction with this training program only.
Program content is for personal use only, and may not be sold, tape recorded, videotaped, shared, taught, given away, or otherwise divulged without the express written consent of FMCA, or its designated agent.
Handouts and resource tools that have been specifically designated as appropriate for distribution to clients and/or students may be used for educational purposes. FMCA coaches who wish to give these materials to their clients and/or students agree to preserve both FMCA and IFM trademarks and copyright protections. IFM materials are only useable during your training by FMCA.
The information contained in program material is strictly for educational purposes. Therefore, if you wish to apply ideas contained in this material, you are taking full responsibility for your actions.
We assume no responsibility for errors or omissions that may appear in any program materials.
Continued access to materials in our learning management system is provided at FMCA’s sole discretion. Please download all materials to ensure continued access.
V.Privacy & Confidentiality:
We respect your privacy and must insist that you respect the privacy of fellow program participants.
Thus, you agree:
not to infringe any FMCA program participants or FMCA's copyright, patent, trademark, trade secret or other intellectual property rights;
that any Confidential Information shared by program participants or any representative of FMCA is confidential and proprietary, and belongs solely and exclusively to the Participant who discloses it or FMCA;
not to disclose such information to any other person or use it in any manner other than in discussion with other program participants during program sessions;
that all materials and information provided to you by FMCA are its confidential and proprietary intellectual property belong solely and exclusively to FMCA, and may only be used by you as authorized by FMCA;
the reproduction, distribution and/or sale of these materials by anyone but FMCA is strictly prohibited;
that if you violate, or display any likelihood of violating, any of these provisions, FMCA will be entitled to injunctive relief to prohibit any such violations to protect against the harm of such violations
understand that in the case of harm to yourself, harm to others or risk of someone doing harm to you a break in confidentiality will be required as FMCA staff and faculty and your fellow classmates are considered mandated reporters. This includes, but is not limited to, the Live Training Sessions, Breakout rooms, discussion boards, and any other portion of the Program in which we may come to find this information out about you or another student.
For Health Coach Certification students, to participate as a client in the Live Training Sessions and during your PSD/PSA sessions. As a learning experience, you do not have to use real details of your life and may make up scenarios to be coached about. Being an active participant in the coaching and learning process is essential to your growth as a future coach. You consent to these sessions being recorded for grading and review purposes. FMCA maintains the rights to all PSA/PSD recordings. You consent to email communication with your PSA partner via the email address provided to FMCA.
During your training with FMCA not to directly or indirectly, for yourself or on behalf of any other person or entity: contact, solicit or communicate with any active student of FMCA, (or its affiliates) unless part of a previously approved joint-venture arrangement or with the prior approval of FMCA; or, solicit, divert, employ, engage or hire any active employees of FMCA; or, or, engage in the rendering or sale of any services, for yourself (including the establishment of a new company) or for others using the work product prepared by you for FMCA in competition with FMCA.
VI. The occurrence of any of the following events shall constitute an event of default and shall afford FMCA the right to terminate this Agreement: a. if you default in the performance of any of your material obligations provided for in this Agreement and such failure continues uncured for a period of ten (10) days after receipt of written notice thereof from FMCA; or, b. if you shall materially fail to comply with any laws, regulations or voluntary industry standards.
VII.Governing Law and Jurisdiction. Any dispute or claim arising out of or in connection to this Agreement will be governed by Illinois Law in Chicago, Illinois.
VII.Nothing in this Agreement shall constitute either party, as the general or special agent, legal representative, subsidiary, joint venturer, partner, employee or servant of the other for any purpose, nor shall anything in this Agreement cause the employees of either party to be employees of the other.
IX.We agree to act in good faith and use our best efforts to comply with our obligations under this Agreement, and shall cooperate in accomplishing the purposes of this Agreement. Further, neither of us shall directly or indirectly engage in any activities which would be detrimental to or interfere with the operation or reputation of the other party.
I HAVE READ THE FOREGOING AGREEMENT AND HEREBY AGREE TO AND ACCEPT EACH AND ALL OF THE FMCA CERTIFIED COACH PROVISIONS.
