Privacy Policy
StudentAid.com, Inc.
Effective Date:
01/11/2010
If you wish to opt out of any continued communication (direct mail, phone, fax,
or e-mail communications), please e-mail your request to
privacypolicy@studentaid.com
1. Our Commitment to Privacy
StudentAid.com, Inc.
("SA.COM") respects the privacy of our clients. As an individual who is a user
of our website,
fpa.studentaid.com, ("Site") or otherwise as a user of the Services provided by
SA.COM, you should know what information we collect from you, as well as how
that information is used, disclosed, and protected. For the purposes of this Agreement,
"Services" means the services provided by
SA.COM, or third parties designated by
SA.COM, through use of the Site or by phone, e-mail, or chat, in connection
with the provision of student aid advisory or preparation services, including the
preparation and completion of
SA.COM's
College Cost & Planning Report®
and the use of the College Suggestor™. This policy statement (the "Privacy
Policy") explains our privacy practices and policies.
We encourage you to read this Privacy Policy carefully when using the Site and/or
our Services. By using the Site, you are accepting the practices described in this
Privacy Policy. If you have any questions about our privacy practices, please refer
to the end of this Privacy Policy for information on how to contact us.
2. The Information We Collect and How We Collect It
We collect various types of information from our clients and users of the Site.
We may collect personal information that can identify you, including, but not limited
to, your name, e-mail address, address, phone number, and Social Security number.
We also collect other personal information that you provide, such as date of birth,
date you became a resident of your state, number of family members, number of family
members in college, veteran status, equity, income, and other financial information
(such as credit card number or bank routing and account number),
as well as other information that does not identify you. Some of this information
is collected when you register for and opt to use one of our Services, while other
information is collected automatically.
- Information You Provide.
We may collect and store any personal information you enter on the Site or provide
to us in some other manner, including information provided to us when you request
to use any of our Services directly via the Site or through phone, or e-mail. On the Site, you may register for our Services for the purposes of creating
an account within our database, as required for the Services you select, that may
include such personal information as your name, e-mail address, Social Security
number, income, and other financial information.
- Information About Others.
We may also collect and store personal information that you provide to us about
other people, including their name, address, phone number, Social Security number,
financial information, or other personal information as required to carry out
transactions and services you have requested..
- Information Collected Automatically.
We automatically collect certain types of information from your browser when you
visit the Site. For example, when you visit
fpa.studentaid.com, our systems automatically collect your IP address and the
type of browser you use, as well as the page or address that you may have clicked
through to the Site. When you visit the Site, we may also assign your computer one
or more cookies to facilitate access to the Site, to personalize your online experience,
to record and analyze information about your visit to the Site, and to otherwise
administer and improve the Site for your use.
SA.COM
also contracts with third-party service providers who use cookie technology to track
and analyze usage, to compile statistical information, and to monitor responses
to e-mail and advertising campaigns on behalf of
SA.COM.
A cookie is a small piece of information that is sent to your browser and stored
in your computer's hard drive. The purpose of a cookie is to remember certain user
inputs on the Site. Through the use of a cookie, we collect information about your
online activity on the Site, such as the web pages you visit, the links or advertisements
you click, or the other actions you take while on the Site.
SA.COM
uses both "session" and "persistent" cookies on this Site. Session cookies are temporary
bits of information that are erased once you exit your web browser or turn off your
computer. Persistent cookies are more permanent bits of information that are placed
on the hard drive of your computer and stay there unless you delete the cookie.
They store information on your computer for a number of reasons, such as retrieving
certain information you have previously provided (e.g., username and password),
helping to determine what areas of the Site you find most valuable, and customizing
the Site based on your preferences. Persistent or session cookies placed on your computer by
this Site do not store any personal information.
Most browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser
setting to decline cookies. If you choose to decline cookies, please note that you
may not be able to sign in or use some of the interactive features offered on the
Site.
- Information Collected by Third Parties.
We may allow third parties to display advertisements on our site.
SA.COM
and these companies may use tracking technologies, such as cookies, to collect information
about users who view or interact with these advertisements and connect to the Site.
We do not provide any personal information to these third parties unless you have
provided consent. This information allows
SA.COM
and these companies to deliver targeted advertisements and gauge their effectiveness.
Some of these third-party advertising companies may be advertising networks that
are members of the Network Advertising Initiative, which offers a single location
to opt out of advertisements targeting from member companies.
3. The Way We Use Information
We use the information you provide about yourself and others when subscribing to our Services
to carry out any additional transactions you have requested and to provide you with
our Services and support. We use the information collected to send communications
to you, such as your account and transaction status. We may also use the information
to provide you with information about other services available from
SA.COM, as well as promotional offers from third parties that we think will
be of interest to you, and to request that you respond to a survey or fulfill certain
other requests. We use e-mail addresses to (a) answer the e-mail we receive from
you; (b) provide helpful reminder notices about the process of planning and paying
for college; and (c) send you additional information about our and others' Services
and other communications, as described below; (d) to bill you for goods and
services. We may also use your home or business
address or phone numbers provided by you to make similar notifications. We also
use information we collect to customize, analyze, adjust, and improve the Site and
Services (including any communications with you) to meet our users' needs and expectations.
We use the information to enforce our Terms of Use and/or separate contracts (if
applicable) with you. We use the information to prevent fraud and other prohibited
or illegal activities. We may use the information for other legally permissible
purposes.
Customer Testimonials
We post video testimonials that may contain personal information, such as your name. We do obtain the customer’s consent prior to posting their video testimonial along with their name.
AddThis Widget
We use the AddThis widget to allow you to e-mail a friend about our site as well
as to post a link to our site from other sites. We do not store any of the
information that is collected within this widget. The AddThis privacy policy
governs the collection and use of the information that is collected. Your
friends' personal information is not stored in our database for any purpose.
4. With Whom We Share Your Information
We want you to understand when and with whom we may share personal or other information
we have collected about you or your activities on the Site or while using our Services.
We will not sell, share, rent, or otherwise transfer your information, other than
in accordance with the terms set forth in this Privacy Policy.
- Personal Information.
We understand how important your personal information is to you and, except as otherwise
expressly provided below, will not share any personal information without your consent.
In connection with our Services, we request your consent to provide your personal
information to third parties who have products, services, and opportunities that
we believe may be of interest to you. In the event that you provide such consent,
your personal information may be shared with colleges, universities, lenders, data
aggregators, marketers, and other organizations, and
SA.COM
may receive a fee for providing such personal information.
Notwithstanding the foregoing, we may share all types of personal information, without
your consent, as necessary:
- with our lawyers, accountants, auditors, and regulators.
- in response to a subpoena or similar investigative demand, a court order, or
a request for cooperation from a law enforcement or other government agency; to
establish or exercise our legal rights; to defend against legal claims; or as otherwise
required by law. In such cases, we may raise or waive any legal objection or right
available to us.
- when we believe disclosure is appropriate in connection with efforts to investigate,
prevent, or take other action regarding illegal activity, suspected fraud, or other
wrongdoing; to protect and defend the rights, property, or safety of our company,
our users, our employees, or others, and to preserve the security of our systems;
to comply with applicable law or cooperate with law enforcement; to enforce the
terms and conditions or other agreements or policies for the Site; or to collect
payments you owe to us.
- in connection with a substantial corporate transaction, such as the sale of
our business, a divestiture, merger, consolidation, or asset sale, or in the event
of bankruptcy.
- with third parties or corporate affiliates (e.g., credit card processing, billing,
shipping, marketing, web analytics, and web hosting services), which are required
by contract to comply with this Privacy Policy, so that such third parties may assist
us in providing Services to you, carrying out any transactions that you may request,
and making our business more responsive to your needs.
- Anonymous, Aggregated, and Non-Personal Information.
Regardless of your decision regarding the sharing of your personal information,
we may share anonymous and aggregated information (i.e., information about you and
other clients collectively, but not specifically identifiable to you) and other
non-personal information we collect under any of the above circumstances. We may
also share it with third parties to develop and deliver targeted advertising on
the Site and on websites of third parties. We may combine non-personal information
we collect with additional non-personal information collected from other sources.
We may also share aggregated information with third parties, including advisors,
advertisers, and investors, for the purpose of conducting general business analysis.
For example, we may tell our advertisers the number of visitors to the Site and
the most popular features or Services accessed. This information does not contain
any personal information and may be used to target advertising and to develop content
for the Site and Services that we hope you and other users will find of interest.
5. Third-Party Websites
There are a number of places on the Site where you may click on a link to access
other websites that do not operate under this Privacy Policy. For example, if you
click on an advertisement or a search result on the Site, you may be taken to a
website that we do not control. These third-party websites may independently solicit
and collect information, including personal information, from you and, in some instances,
provide us with information about your activities on those websites. We recommend
that you review the privacy statements of all third-party websites you visit by
clicking on the "privacy" link, which is typically located at the bottom of the
webpage you are visiting.
6. Your Rights, Our Obligations
Our company respects the privacy of your personal information. If you tell us that
you do not wish to have this information used as a basis for further contact with
you, we will respect your wishes (except to the extent that we need to communicate
with you about closing or settling your account with us). You can also choose not
to provide us with certain information, but that may result in your being unable
to use certain features of the Site, or our Services, because such information may
be required in order for you to obtain Services from
SA.COM.
You may instruct
SA.COM
to stop sending you certain promotional materials (e.g., e-mail messages, catalogues,
postcards, and letters) by following the unsubscribe instructions provided in those
materials. However, we may continue to contact you to provide service to your account.
If you wish to opt out of any continued communication (direct mail, phone, fax,
or e-mail communications), please e-mail your request to
privacypolicy@studentaid.com. We will process an opt-out request as soon as reasonably
practicable. If you choose to opt out of further communications, we will keep your
e-mail address, phone number, name, and physical address on file for the purpose
of honoring your opt-out request.
If you wish to opt-out from having your information used by other third parties
you must contact that third party directly.
If you wish to speak to a representative about your privacy choices, please call
1.877.987.6699.
You may also write to us at:
StudentAid.com, Inc.
Attention: Privacy Administrator
9738 Lincoln Village Drive, Suite 130
Sacramento,
CA
95827
7. Data Security
We maintain a variety of physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards designed
to protect your personal information from unauthorized access and disclosure. For
example, we use accepted tools and techniques to protect against unauthorized access
to our systems. In addition, we work to protect the security of your personal information
and sensitive information (such as credit card number and banking information) when utilizing a Service via the Site by using well-known Internet encryption technologies,
such as Secure Sockets Layer (SSL). If you contact us by phone, we will endeavor
to validate your identity prior to sharing any personal information about you. You
should be aware that
SA.COM
has no control over the security of other sites on the Internet that you might visit
or interact with, or from which you may buy services, even when there is a link
to said site from ours.
SA.COM
is a licensee of the TRUSTe Web Privacy Seal Program. TRUSTe is an independent organization whose mission is to build users' trust and confidence in the Internet
by promoting the use of fair information practices. This privacy statement covers
SA.COM's website,
fpa.studentaid.com. Because
SA.COM
wants to demonstrate its commitment to your privacy, it has agreed to disclose its
information practices and have its privacy practices reviewed for compliance by
TRUSTe.
If you have questions or concerns regarding this statement, you should first contact
SA.COM
by calling us at
1.877.987.6699
or sending an e-mail to
clientsupport@studentaid.com. If you do not receive acknowledgement of your
inquiry or if your inquiry has not been satisfactorily addressed, you should contact
TRUSTe at http://watchdog.truste.com/pvr.php?Page=complaint. TRUSTe will then
serve as a liaison with
SA.COM
to resolve your concerns.
We want you to feel confident using the Site. However, no system can be completely
secure. Therefore, although we take steps to secure your information, we do not
promise, and you should not expect, that your personal information, searches, or
other communications will always remain secure. In the event of a breach of the
confidentiality or security of your personal information, we will notify you as
necessary so you can take appropriate protective steps. We may notify you under
such circumstances using the e-mail address(es) we have on record for you, or if
you did not provide an e-mail address, by regular mail. Users should also take care
with how they handle and disclose their personal information. Please refer to the
Federal Trade Commission's website at
http://www.ftc.gov/bcp/menus/consumer/data.shtm for information about how
to protect yourself against identity theft. If you elect to have any personal information,
including your
College Cost & Planning Report® , sent to you by us via the United States Postal Service
or a private package delivery service, instead of through a password-protected account
on the Site, you do so at your own risk.
8. Our Services Are Not for Use by Children
The Site is a general audience site, and we do not knowingly market to, solicit
information from or about, or accept service from children under the age of 13.
If a child under 13 submits personal information to us through any part of our Site
or Services, and we become aware that the person submitting the information is a
child, we will attempt to delete this information as soon as possible. We require
that only persons 18 years of age and older use our Site or our Services. If you
are a person under the age of 18, please have your parent or guardian assist you
in accessing our Site or using our Services.
9. How You Can Access or Correct Your Information
If you elect to purchase a
College Cost & Planning Report® , you will receive a copy of the information submitted
by you in connection with our preparation and completion of said document. You may
correct factual errors in your personally identifiable information contained therein,
or otherwise maintained by us in connection with the Services provided, by calling
us at
1.877.987.6699
or sending an e-mail to
clientsupport@studentaid.com. For more information about making changes to your
personal information, please visit our Site.
We will take reasonable steps to verify your identity before granting access or
making corrections. This may be done by verifying your Social Security number and/or
date of birth, or by other means.
10. How Long We Keep Your Information
One feature of our service is that after submitting the requisite information the
first time, we keep this information in our files, which speeds up the process for
making subsequent requests for our Services.
SA.COM
will maintain a client's records, including confidential Information, for a period
of five (5) years following completion of the initial Services provided, or as otherwise
required by law. If you have questions about the length of time your file is kept,
please contact us by calling
1.877.987.6699
or sending an e-mail to
clientsupport@studentaid.com.
If you would like us to delete the information you have provided to us for use in
connection with the Services, please contact us by calling
1.877.987.6699
or sending an e-mail to
clientsupport@studentaid.com. If you request that this information be deleted,
we will require that you sign a waiver of liability in connection with your request,
and we will keep your e-mail address, phone number, name, and physical address on
file for the purpose of honoring your deletion request. We will process your request
as soon as reasonable practicable.
11. Other Information About Our Privacy Practices
- California Residents.
If you are a resident of California, in addition to the rights set forth in this
Privacy Policy, you have the right to request information from us regarding the
manner in which we share certain categories of personal information with third parties
for their direct marketing purposes. As stated above, we do not share such information
with such parties unless you have requested us to do so or have otherwise consented,
and you retain the right to opt out of sharing your personal information for third-party
marketing purposes.
- Visiting Our Website from Outside the United States.
Our Site is hosted in the United States. Our Site and our Services are therefore
governed by United States law. If you are visiting the Site from outside the United
States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and
processed in the United States, where our servers are located and our central database
is operated. The data protection and other laws of the United States and other countries
might not be as comprehensive as those in your country. By using our Services, you
consent to your information being transferred to our facilities and to the facilities
of those third parties with whom we share it, as described in this Privacy Policy.
- No Rights of Third Parties.
This Privacy Policy does not create rights enforceable by third parties.
- Changes to this Privacy Policy.
We will occasionally update this Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices
and Services. When we post changes to this Privacy Policy, we will revise the Effective
Date set forth above. If we make any material changes to our Privacy Policy, we
will notify you by sending an e-mail to the e-mail address(es) provided to us in
your account profile, by sending a notice via regular mail if you did not provide
us with an e-mail address, and/or by prominently posting notice of the changes on
the Site. We recommend that you check the Site from time to time to inform yourself
of any changes in this Privacy Policy or any of our other policies.
StudentAid.com, Inc.
9738 Lincoln Village Drive, Suite 130
Sacramento, CA 95827
fpa.studentaid.com