1. Who we are and what these terms cover
The Economic Reasoning Initiative (“ERI”, “we”) is a student organization that runs competitive events, school chapters, a research competition, and educational programs (seminars, a summer program, tutoring sessions, and a resource library). These terms apply to anyone who participates in those services or uses this website. There are no user accounts on this site; participation happens through forms and email.
2. Eligibility and guardians
A student can enter ERI Competitive Events if, on February 22, 2027 (the day of Regionals), the student is 13 to 18 years old or is enrolled in high school (grades 9–12, homeschool included), and lives in the United States, the District of Columbia, or a U.S. territory. A registration that does not meet these rules is not valid and will be removed. ERI may ask for proof of age, enrollment, or residence. The research competition is for secondary-school students under its own handbook; the summer program is for ages 9–13.
For a student under 18, a parent or legal guardian must consent to the registration and to these terms, and is responsible for the student’s participation. A parent or guardian may withdraw a student or ask us to delete the student’s data at any time by contacting us. We do not enter into payment agreements with minors; fees are paid by a parent, guardian, school, or chapter, or by a student who is 18 or older.
3. Registration and competition entries
To register, you complete the registration form on the registration page and pay the entry fee. You are registered only when both are done. The information on the form must be true and complete, and each student registers separately. False information, such as a wrong date of birth or someone else’s identity, makes the entry invalid, and the fee is not refunded.
Entry to ERI Competitive Events is governed by these terms and by the Competitive Events Handbook for the season, which is authoritative on eligibility, event limits, formats, scoring, advancement, and appeals. By registering you agree to the handbook and to the Competition Integrity Policy. If a page on this site conflicts with the published handbook, the handbook controls. Now that registration is open, ERI may clarify language but will not raise fees, narrow eligibility, or make advancement more restrictive for the current season; material changes are dated and announced directly to registered participants. Competition results are published as described on the competition details page; a competitor or guardian may ask for a name to be withheld.
4. Fees, payment, and nonrefundability
Competition entry costs $25 per student. Each student may enter one event. Payments are processed by Stripe; card details go to Stripe and are never seen or stored by ERI. All paid Competition Event entry fees are nonrefundable, including when a student withdraws, misses a round, is found ineligible, or is disqualified. If a payment is reversed or disputed, the entry is withdrawn. The Research Competition has a separate $25 entry fee. Chapter chartering and renewal are free. Seminars are free. Summer program fees, if any, are stated on the program page before registration opens, with the applicable terms alongside.
5. Chapters
An ERI chapter is a club of its school, operating under the school's rules. ERI charters chapters against the published requirements, may mark a chapter inactive for non-renewal, and may withdraw a charter for misrepresentation or integrity violations. Chapters use the ERI name and identity under the brand rules and may not represent ERI as endorsing a school, product, or political position.
6. Research submissions and publication
Authors keep copyright in work submitted to the research competition. By submitting, authors grant ERI a non-exclusive licence to review the work, to publish selected work in the ERI Review with attribution, and to quote from it in results and announcements. Authors attest that the work is original, properly cited, and that any AI assistance is disclosed. ERI may remove or correct a published paper as described on the ERI Review page.
7. Integrity and conduct
Participants must follow the Competition Integrity Policy and the rules of the event or program they are in. ERI may disqualify entries, void results, or end participation for cheating, impersonation, sharing competition items, harassment, or misrepresentation. Decisions on judgment calls in scoring are final; scoring errors and verified technical failures can be appealed as the handbook describes.
8. Intellectual property
Competition questions, cases, study guides, handbooks, and this website are ERI's. You may use study material for your own preparation and for chapter preparation; you may not republish, sell, or share live competition items. The ERI name, logo, and identity may be used only by chartered chapters under the brand rules.
9. Events and programs
Seminars, the summer program, and tutoring sessions are provided as described on their pages. Schedules may change; we tell registered participants by email. Online sessions are not recorded without notice.
10. Our responsibility
ERI provides its services with care but without warranties about outcomes. To the extent permitted by law, ERI's liability to any participant is limited to the fees that participant paid to ERI for the service concerned.
11. Changes and contact
We update these terms when our services change and note the date at the top. Questions go to viyan@econstax.net or the contact page.