Privacy Policy
Your privacy is very important and we created this Privacy Notice to explain how we collect, use, and share your information.
Last Updated January 10, 2021
Our Commitment To Privacy
Your privacy is important to us. To better protect your privacy we provide this notice explaining our online information practices and the choices you can make about the way your information is collected and used. To make this notice easy to find, we make it available on our home page and at every point where personally identifiable information may be requested.
The Information / Data We Collect
We collect data that you provide to us when you interact with our site or sites owned by third-parties with whom we have contractual relationships. In most cases when you come to our site we will gather or receive technical data about your device and how you interact with our Site ("Technical Data"). Technical Data may include browser type, referrer URL, date and time of your visit, IP address, MAC address, device type, screen resolution, and OS version. Technical Data also includes "Cookie and Similar Data" described below.
On some pages, you can subscribe to services, make requests, and register to use services or receive educational materials. The types of personal information collected at these pages typically include: your name, address, phone number, gender, student status, birthday and email address.
We gather additional data if you elect to engage with our sites or certain sites owned by our Media Partners. This includes contact information you elect to provide (e.g., name, address, email address, telephone number) about yourself or third parties to us and our Media Partners. For example, if you elect to click on one of our advertisements on a Media Partner’s site that Media Partner may pass your contact information to us. In addition to contact information other types of information may include age, gender, occupation, and education level. The type and scope of the information we collect are based upon the services you are using or requesting.
When you use our site, we may recognize you or your device through use of a "cookie" or other tracking technology. These technologies act as unique identifiers and allow us to tailor our site and services to your specified interests and track your activity on our sites. This information may be added to your user profile and used to deliver offers and advertisements that we believe are relevant to your interests.
As an ad supported site, we may include or offer third party products or services on our site. These third party sites have separate and independent privacy policies. We therefore have no responsibility or liability for the content and activities of these linked sites. Nonetheless, we seek to protect the integrity of our site and welcome any feedback about these sites. We may have contractual relationships with advertisers, advertising agencies and other intermediaries that have advertisers as clients. These Media and Advertising Partners ("Partners") may also utilize third-party cookies and other tracking technologies like clear pixel GIFs to identify you. We and our Partners may use these technologies to measure responses to emails and page views on this site and our Partners’ websites. These technologies are used to enhance this site, to make this site more relevant to you, and to measure the effectiveness of our email and other advertising campaigns and those of our Partners.
Tracking Options and California Do Not Track Disclosures: Certain sites require cookies to function efficiently. We may use cookies to deliver advertising we believe is relevant to you and to link data collected across other devices you use. You can adjust your setting to limit tracking or decline cookies, but, as a result, you may not be able to use certain features of our site or take full advantage of all of our offerings. Please refer to your device or browser settings for more information on how to delete or decline cookies and control your tracking preferences.
Data Usage
We use the data we collect from and about you through this site to connect you with Advertising Partners who can provide you with information about the products and services you are seeking. We generally do this using Technical Data and the data you provide.
We may also use the data we collect from and about you to (i) respond to your requests (e.g., email, phone calls or texts); (ii) to keep you informed of our products and services (and those of our Partners); (iii) to allow you to send message through this site; (iv) to improve our sites and business; and (v) to use your data in an aggregated, non-specific format for analytic and demographic purposes. We use Technical Data to monitor our site's performance, analyze traffic patterns and usage, ensure that this Site and any transactions function properly, and gather demographic information about our user base as a whole. We may use automated decision-making in segmentation and matching.
Data Sharing
In addition to the primary Data Use described above (i.e., sharing your data with Advertising Partners and third parties for the purpose of providing you with information about the products and services you are seeking), we may share your data as follows: (i) with other partner sites and businesses; (ii) with service providers who assist us in compliance and verification activities; (iii) if you choose to send a message through, or contribute to public areas of, this site (e.g., message boards, blogs); and (iv) with a third party in the event of a sale or transfer of all or part of our business.
We may also disclose the data we collect from and about you to (i) comply with legal processes; (ii) to respond to lawful requests from authorities (including public and government authorities outside your country of residence, and including to meet national security or law enforcement requirements); (iii) to enforce our Terms of Service and this Privacy Policy; (iv) to protect our business, rights, privacy, safety, or property or that of others; and (v) as necessary under applicable law (including laws outside your country of residence).
External Websites
We often link to websites that are not owned and operated by us. We are not responsible for the content or practices of such websites, including their practices with respect to your data. We have no responsibility or liability for such practices, and such practices govern your use of those websites. If this site includes any mapping features, these mapping features are powered by Google, Inc. and governed by Google’s privacy policy, as amended from time to time.
Our Commitment To Data Security
To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and ensure the correct use of information, we have put in place appropriate physical, electronic, and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online. However, no electronic data transmission or storage of information can be guaranteed to be 100% secure. Please note that we cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to us. You use this site and provide us with your data at your own risk.
Our Commitment To Children's Privacy
Protecting the privacy of the very young is especially important. For that reason, we never collect or maintain information at our website from those we actually know are under 13, and no part of our website is structured to attract anyone under 13.
Choices and Access
Residents of certain countries, including European Union member states (and the United Kingdom), may have additional rights listed under "Information for European Consumers" below.
Marketing Emails: To stop receiving marketing emails from us, please follow the instructions at the bottom of any email message to unsubscribe. Even if you unsubscribe, we may still send administrative (i.e., non-marketing) messages. To unsubscribe from a third party’s communications, contact that third party directly or follow the instructions to unsubscribe in the applicable marketing email.
Please note that we will not be able to remove your data from third parties’ databases, and you will need to contact them directly and/or use any available opt-out mechanisms.
Retention Period
In general, we will retain your data for as long as is needed to connect you with Advertising Partners who can provide you with information about the products and services you are seeking, which is typically 30-180 days. We will typically retain an archived copy of your data for six years as required or permitted by law for legal and compliance purposes.
Information for California Consumers
The California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA") affords certain rights and protections to California residents. This section is intended to further describe (i) the categories and sources of data that we collect, sell or share; (ii) the purpose for collection; (iii) the types of third parties to whom we disclose that information; and (iv) details about how California residents can exercise their rights under the CCPA.
Categories of Data Collected. We may collect the following CCPA categories of data: (i) identifiers, such as a name, email address, telephone number, postal address, unique personal identifier, online identifier, IP address; (ii) protected classification characteristics under California law, such as age, marital status, medical condition, gender, veteran or military status; (iii) commercial information, such as products or services obtained, or considered, or other purchasing or consuming histories or tendencies; (iv) geolocation data; (v) professional or employment information, such as consumer-reported current or past job history; (vi) inferences drawn from some of the information above (e.g., email open rates and time).
We collect Technical Data and personal information from users who land on or engage with our sites or other Verified Scholarships owned-properties (e.g., in response to emails from or on behalf of Verified Scholarships).
Partners and Third Parties: Consumers who visit websites owned by our Media Partners may be redirected to our sites. In some cases, we may gather data directly from Media Partner websites, or Media Partners or other third parties may post data to our Sites or otherwise transfer data to us. This may occur via display ads, click listings, or inquiry forms. Our Advertising Partners may also provide us with data.
Authorization: We require all parties from whom we receive data, whether they are Partners, Service Providers or other third parties, to represent and warrant to us that they have appropriately obtained the data provided to us and have the authority to share the data with us.
Purpose for Data Collection. As described above we primarily uses the data we collects to connect consumers with Advertising Partners who can provide information about the products and services those consumers are seeking.
Categories of Third Parties with Whom Verified Scholarships Discloses Personal Data. In addition to the sharing for the primary use described above, we may share your data with other businesses, service providers, and third party websites.
Categories of Data Sold. As described above, Verified Scholarships may transfer Technical Data, personal information provided by users, and Third Party Data to Advertising Partners who can provide the consumer with information about the products and services they are seeking. We may receive a fee for the transfer of that data or when the consumer purchases a product or service.
CCPA Rights. The CCPA affords certain rights and protections to California residents including: (i) the right to request that we delete any "personal information" that we have collected from you ("Right to Delete:); (ii) the right to request that we disclose the categories and/or specific pieces of personal information collected and sold ("Right to Know""); and (iii) the right to direct us not to sell their personal information ("Right to Opt-Out"). Personal information is defined under the CCPA as "information that identifies, relates to, describes, is reasonably capable of being associated with, or could reasonably be linked, directly or indirectly, with a particular consumer or household."
California residents who would like to submit a Request to Know, Delete, or Opt-Out should use the CA opt-out form located at the bottom of any page. Upon submission, you will be asked to verify your email address. If we are able to verify your Request to Know or Delete, (e.g., that you are a California resident and that we have or have sold, as the case may be, your "personal information"), we will respond within 45 days of your submission (or such additional time period as the law allows us).
Information for European Consumers
Our Site and business are operated in the United States. If you are located outside of the United States any data you provide will be transferred to and processed in the United States. For residents of the European Union (and the United Kingdom), Verified Scholarships, is the data controller for your data collected under this Privacy Notice. We process your data pursuant to your consent, where legally required to do so, or where we have a legitimate interest, such as using your data for fraud prevention, analytics or to improve our Sites and business, and for our marketing purposes.
In addition, you have the following rights with respect to the data collected from and about you on this site: (i) the right to request access to such data; (ii) the right to request the correction, erasure, and restriction of processing of such data; (iii) in some instances, the right to object to the processing of such data; (iv) in some instances, the right to request that Verified Scholarships export, in a structured, commonly used, and machine readable format, and transmit to another controller, such personal data; (v) the right to withdraw, at any time, any consent to the processing of such personal data. To exercise these rights please use the "Contact Us" page which is linked at the bottom of every webpage.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may amend this Privacy Notice from time to time. When we do, we will post an updated version of the Privacy Policy and revise the "LAST UPDATED" date at the top. We will provide appropriate notice to you if we change the Privacy Policy in any material way. Using this site after any changes are made means you accept those changes and the revised Privacy Policy.
Dispute Resolution
You have the right to submit feedback about this Privacy Policy, or the practices described in it, to the applicable supervisory authority in your jurisdiction of residence. For U.S. residents this includes the Federal Trade Commission and your state Attorney General. For Non-U.S. residents this includes the Data Protection Authority in your country of residence.
How To Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Notice please submit an inquiry using the Contact Us page a link to which is located at the bottom of most pages.
Verified Scholarships
Attn: Privacy Policy
2713 Newlands Ave.
Belmont, CA 94002
