Terms of Participation
Please read the following points carefully as they contain important information that you need to know and which will apply to your entry!
The promoter of this competition “Gap Year scholarship” is EF Education (Deutschland) GmbH in Carl-Theodor-Straße 1, 40213 Düsseldorf (the “Promoter”, “us”, “we”). Operator of thelanguage courses abroad (prizes) will either be EF International Language Schools Ltd or EF Education First Ltd Selnaustrasse 30, 8001 Zürich, Switzerland
2. Information on how to enter and the prizes form part of these conditions of entry (the “Terms of Participation”).
Eligibility
3. Entry is free and open to residents of Germany aged 16 years or over. If you are a minor over the age of 16 but under the age of 18, you should review these Terms of Participation with your parent or guardian to make sure you both understand them. We require parental consent to award the prize to participants under 18 who are selected as winners of any of the prizes. If we learn that we have collected information from an individual under the age of 16 without parental consent, then we will delete that information as soon as possible. If you are a minor when the trip takes place, you must travel with a chaperone if selected as winner. You are in such case solely responsible for the chaperone’s costs for travelling with you
4. We may ask you to provide proof of identity, residency and age, to confirm that you are eligible to participate.
5. You may only enter once.
6. If you (or your immediate family or housemates) are employees or contractors of the Promoter, or its subsidiaries or parent or affiliated companies, then you’re not eligible to participate.
7. The laws in some places may not allow the Promoter to run such promotions, so this competition and these Terms of Participation are void in those places.
How to enter
8. To enter go to www.ef.com/gapyearstipendium, complete the entry form there truthfully and answer all qualifying questions. You don’t have to buy anything to enter
9. By entering, you confirm that all of your entry is your own work. It’s your responsibility to make sure that your entry doesn’t infringe on any third party rights.
10. Facebook and Instagram: This competition is in no way sponsored, endorsed or administered by, or associated with Facebook or Instagram. You understand that you are providing your information to the Promoter and not to Facebook or Instagram, and you completely release Facebook and Instagram from any claims in relation to this competition.
Competition period
11. The competition starts on 01.02.2025 (“Opening Date”) and closes on 31.07.2025 (“Closing Date”). Your entry is received at the time we receive it. If your entry gets lost in cyberspace or doesn’t arrive for any other reason, you won’t hold us responsible
12. Any changes to these Terms of Participation (which may include changing the Closing Date) will be published on the competition page www.ef.de/gapyearstipendium in the terms and conditions document, so you should check this regularly.
The prize
13. The prize consists of one (1) EF language semester abroad in the value of 8.500 EUR. The winner can choose one (1) general language course (26 lessons per week) of max. twenty two (22) weeks duration to an EF destination of his or her choice, including accommodation (host family twin room) and half board. If the winner selects a destination in which the general course price exceeds the value of 8.500 EUR, the costs need to be paid by the winner. We’ll use reasonable efforts to award the prize as described, but if we can’t due to unforeseen circumstances, we’ll substitute it for another prize of a similar value. The operator reserves the right to exclude specific travel dates.
14. You’ll be fully responsible to pay any taxes, fees and additional costs associated with the prize (other than those expressly included in the prize description) such as flight and transportation costs, course literature, travel insurance and pocket money.
15. The prize is not transferable or refundable. The prize, or any unused portion of the prize, can’t be taken as cash. If you are unable to take or use the prize, you will forfeit it and it will be awarded to the next best entry.
16. If the prize includes travel, you are responsible for ensuring you have all valid travel documentation such as passport and visas.
17. The language course must be booked until 01.09.2025 - independent of the actual travel date. Departure must happen until 31.01.2026. The winner will start their gap year with EF during the intake in September.
Winner selection
18. The winner will be selected from eligible entries. They will be chosen by means of lottery throughout the whole duration of the competition
19. The winners will be notified by e-mail. Their first names, last names and city might be published on EF websites, communicated via e-mail and via EF Deutschland social media accounts as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Names of the winners (first name, last name and city) may also be announced in further promotional communication from the Promoter. The winner must claim its prize within seventy-two (72) hours from the time the prize notification email was sent, by contacting the Promoter via the contact details in the prize notification email. If the prize notification email is returned as undeliverable, or if the prize remains unclaimed seventy-two (72) hours after the prize notification email was sent, the prize will be forfeited, and an alternate winner will be selected from all remaining (nonwinning) eligible entries. You may not hold us liable if you don’t receive the prize notification email due to spam, junk e-mail or other security settings or if you provided incorrect or otherwise non-functioning contact information.
20. If the prize is claimed, we will need / take a photo of the winner which will be published on EF websites or on EF SocialMedia Accounts
21. The winner agrees to write and send us reviews and testimonials before, during and after their semester abroad including photos and / or videos of their experience with EF which we may use for marketing purposes and on EF Deutschland social media accounts.
Intellectual Property
22. By submitting your entry, you understand that the Promoter, anyone acting on behalf of the Promoter, or its respective licensees, successors and assignees will have the worldwide irrevocable right to review, print, publish, broadcast, distribute, and use, in any media, in perpetuity, your entry, including without limitation, the entry and the your name, portrait, picture, voice, likeness, image or information for trade, advertising, public relations and promotional purposes, without any further compensation.
Limitation of liability
23. TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW THE PROMOTER WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY LOSS OR DAMAGE WHATSOEVER WHICH IS SUFFERED (INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO INDIRECT OR CONSEQUENTIAL LOSS) OR FOR ANY PERSONAL INJURY (INCLUDING DEATH) SUFFERED OR SUSTAINED IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR PARTICIPATION IN THE COMPETITION AND/OR RELATED TO THE PRIZE EXCEPT FOR ANY LIABILITY, WHICH CANNOT BE EXCLUDED BY LAW (IN WHICH CASE SUCH LIABILITY IS LIMITED TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT ALLOWABLE BY LAW). THE PROMOTER WILL NOT BE RESPONSIBLE FOR ANY INCORRECT, INACCURATE OR INCOMPLETE INFORMATION COMMUNICATED IN THE COURSE OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH THIS COMPETITION IF THE DEFICIENCY IS OCCASIONED BY ANY CAUSE OUTSIDE THE REASONABLE CONTROL OF THE PROMOTER INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION TECHNICAL MALFUNCTIONS OR FAILURES. TAX IMPLICATIONS MAY ARISE FROM THE RECEIPT OR USE OF A PRIZE. INDEPENDENT FINANCIAL ADVICE SHOULD BE SOUGHT.
24. You agree to release and hold harmless the Promoter and its subsidiaries, affiliates, advertising and promotion agencies, partners, representatives, agents, successors, assigns, employees, officers and directors from any liability, illness, injury, death, loss, litigation, claim or damage that may occur, directly or indirectly, whether caused by negligence or not, from (i) your participation in the competition, and/or your acceptance, possession, use, or misuse of the prize or any portion thereof, (ii) technical failures of any kind, including but not limited to the malfunctioning of any computer, cable, network, hardware or software; (iii) the unavailability or inaccessibility of any transmissions or telephone or Internet service; (iv) unauthorized human intervention in any part of the entry process or the competition; (v) electronic or human error which may occur in the administration of the competition or the processing of entries.
25. In the event of war, terrorism, state of emergency, disaster or any other circumstance beyond the control of the Promoter, the Promoter may cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition.
Personal data
26. Any personal information or other information about you collected by the Promoter through, or in connection with, the competition is subject to our Privacy Policy at https://www.ef.de/legal/privacy-policy/.
Dispute resolution
27. Unless otherwise agreed or required by a mandatory law, these Terms of Participation are subject to the laws of Switzerland, without regard to choice or conflicts of law principles. Further, you and the Promoter agree that any dispute, controversy or claim arising out of or in connection with this competition and these Terms of Participation, or the breach, termination or invalidity thereof, shall be finally settled by arbitration in accordance with the Arbitration Rules of the Arbitration Institute of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. The place of arbitration shall be in Zurich, Switzerland, and the arbitration proceedings shall be conducted in English.
If you have any questions or concerns regarding the competition and website, please contact us at [email protected]