Privacy Policy

Last Updated: March 5, 2025

1. Introduction

Scholarships360, Inc. (“Scholarships360”, “We”, “Us”, “Our” or “Ours”)  respects your privacy and this privacy policy (“Privacy Policy”) describes how we use, collect, share, and store your personal information. The terms “Personal Information” and “Sensitive Personal Information” encompass the terms “personal data” and “sensitive data” and have the meaning provided under U.S. state privacy laws that are inclusive of but not limited to: the California Consumer Privacy Act, California Privacy Rights Act, Colorado Privacy Act, Connecticut Data Privacy Act, New Hampshire Data Privacy Act, New Jersey Data Privacy Law, Oregon Consumer Privacy Act, and Virginia Consumer Data Privacy Act.

Scholarships360 is the owner and operator of the website www.scholarships360.org (“Site”) and the associated web application (“App”) (collectively “Platform”) and collects information from you (“you”, “your”, “yours”, or “user”), a user of the Platform.  This Privacy Policy should be read in conjunction with the Terms of Service and is integrated into the Terms of Service as one agreement.

All capitalized proper nouns not defined in this Privacy Policy will have the same definitions and meanings as defined by the Terms of Service. Please review this Privacy Policy periodically as we may revise it from time to time. If you do not agree with or accept our Privacy Policy in its entirety, you must not access or use the Platform. If you use the Platform following a change to the terms of this Privacy Policy, you agree to accept the revised policies.

2. Applicability of Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to information we collect:

• On this Platform;
• Through your submission of any written or video content that is uploaded to our Platform by you (“User Content”) or other communications between you and us; or
• Through third parties, offline or through any other means.

3. Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It

We collect several types of Personal Information about users of our Platform.

a. Information we collect from you directly when you register with us:

• Personal Information. Personal Information that you submit directly to us such as: names, email addresses, home addresses, dates of birth, academic information, financial profiles, passwords, contact preferences, contact data, education information.
• Sensitive Personal Information. In addition, we may collect information that is deemed sensitive including: student data, information revealing race or ethnic origin, information related to your health, such as any disabilities, data about a person’s sex life or sexual orientation, information revealing religious or philosophical beliefs, and citizenship data.
• Messages and Content. We collect personal information when you upload your content to the Platform, such as your scholarship essays and applications. We may also collect information when you communicate with us.

b. Automatically Collected Information:

Our systems gather certain information automatically. This information helps maintain the Platform’s functionality, security, and performance, enabling us to troubleshoot issues and improve user experience. The information we collect may include Personal Information, or we may maintain it or associate it with Personal Information we collect in other ways or receive from third parties. It helps us to improve our Platform and provide specific services to you.

• Device and Usage Information. Information that is automatically collected through third parties or through your Platform usage includes IP address, device ID, first and third-party cookies, local browser storage information, connection information, operating system information, and other information about your internet connection, the equipment you use to access our Platform, and your Platform usage details.
• Location Data. We collect general location data (such as your city) through Google Analytics. This information helps us understand our audience demographics and market our services. But we do not collect or store your precise geolocation. You may be able to opt out of certain location data collection by altering your device settings or using Google Analytics’ opt-out features.

c. Information we may receive from third parties:

• Third Party Integrations. You may connect third-party integrations to your Scholarships360 account (e.g. Google SSO), which allows for a seamless account creation process. By doing so, you grant us permission to collect or process information from such third-party services, including your name and email address, metadata, and other information. This information is not end-to-end encrypted by Scholarships360, but our employees do not access the contents of third-party email, files or other information, unless authorized to, or required for legal, safety, or security reasons. Scholarships360’s use and transfer of information from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy. You have the right to revoke access at any time through your account settings or by contacting us directly.

4. Cookies and Other Tracking

A cookie is a small file placed on the hard drive of your computer. We use cookies to remember and identify you and to help us understand how you interact with the Platform or our websites or emails. You may refuse to accept browser cookies by activating the appropriate setting on your browser. However, if you select this setting some portions of the Platform or services provided may not function properly.  Some of our cookies are accessible to third parties and our service providers, they may use these cookies to tailor advertising or to provide you information about their products. Unless you have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our system will issue cookies when you direct your browser to our Platform. You may also opt out of interest-based advertising by advertisers http://www.aboutads.info/choices/.

5. How We Use the Personal Information

We process your Personal Information for several purposes based on your interactions with our Platform, including:

• Account Management: We use your information to help create, authenticate, and manage user accounts, ensuring they remain functional and secure.
• Platform Delivery: Your Personal Information enables us to deliver the services you request. Some of your information may be visible or shared with third parties based on the specific reasons for your submission of such Personal Information. For example, we may share your Personal Information with third parties if you are requesting more information or applying to a specific third-party scholarship.
• Authentication, Integrity, Security, and Safety: We use your Personal Information to authenticate accounts and activity, detect, investigate, and prevent malicious conduct, fraudulent activity or unsafe experiences, address security threats, protect public safety, and secure our products and services.
• Customer Support: We process your Personal Information to respond to inquiries, resolve issues, and offer support as needed.
• Administrative Communications: We may use your data to send important updates about our products, Platform changes, or policy updates.
• Feedback Requests: We may reach out for feedback about your experience to improve the Platform.
• Marketing and Promotions: We process the Personal Information you provide to send you marketing materials, according to your preferences. You can opt-out at any time.
• Competitions and Prize Draws: Your Personal Information may be used to manage and administer prize draws or competitions.
• Campaign Effectiveness: We process data to assess and improve the effectiveness of our marketing and promotional efforts.
• Legal Compliance: We may process your information to comply with legal requirements, respond to disputes or court orders, and protect our legal rights or business interests.

Scholarships360 honors the Global Privacy Control (“GPC”) universal opt-out mechanism, where individuals use it to opt-out of targeted advertising, removing them from pixels that may lead to targeted advertising based on the user’s web behavior on our website. For more information about interest-based advertising and how you can opt out from some of it, visit the NAI Consumer Opt-Out page or the Digital Advertising Alliance Your Ad Choices site. You may also be able to limit interest-based advertising through the settings on your mobile device by selecting “limit ad tracking” (iOS) or “opt out of interest-based ads” (Android). You may also be able to opt out of some, but not all, interest-based ads served by mobile ad networks by visiting Your Ad App Choices. Please note that opting out of receiving interest-based advertising through NAI’s and DAA’s online resources will only opt out a user from receiving interest-based ads on that specific browser or device, but they may still receive interest-based ads on their other devices. You must opt out on each browser or device you use.

We will only keep your Personal Information for as long as it is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required or permitted by law (such as tax, accounting, or other legal, business, or investigatory requirements) or is advisable in light of our legal position (such as in regard to the enforcement of our agreements, the resolution of disputes, and applicable statutes of limitations, litigation, or regulatory investigation).

6. How We Share the Personal Information

We may disclose aggregated information about our users, and information that does not identify any individual, without restriction.

We may disclose Personal Information we obtain about you (as described above) with the categories of third parties as follows:

• Contractors, service providers, and other third parties we use to support our business, including but not limited to processing payments, communication and CRM tools, website hosts, advertising networks, diagnostic tools, and/or assisting us with marketing and retargeting services.
• A buyer or other successor in the event of a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganization, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Information held by Scholarships360 is among the assets transferred.
• Third parties with whom you have instructed us to share your information.
• Third parties to market their products or services to you, including educational institutions that may be interested in students like yourself.

The manner in which we obtain your consent for this sharing depends on the legal requirements applicable to you:

• If you are in a jurisdiction that requires opt-in consent: We will only share your Personal Information if you have explicitly opted in to such sharing.
• If you are in a jurisdiction that allows for opt-out consent: We will share your Personal Information unless you have opted out of such sharing.

In either case, you can change your preferences at any time through your account settings or by contacting us directly. We will always respect your choice and the applicable laws governing data sharing in your jurisdiction.

Further, we reserve the right to use your Personal Information, where necessary:

• To comply with any court order, law, or legal process, including to respond to any government or regulatory request.
• To enforce or apply our Terms of Use and other agreements.
• If we believe disclosure is necessary or appropriate to protect the rights, property, or safety of Scholarships360, our partners, our customers, or others. This includes exchanging information with other companies and organizations for the purposes of fraud protection and credit risk reduction.

We sell Personal Information to our college and scholarship provider partners for their business and commercial purposes. We do not sell personal information to individual consumers.

We do not engage in profiling or automated decision-making in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects.

7. Collection and Use of Deidentified Data

We collect deidentified information (as that term is defined in applicable US statutes) that are used for our marketing purposes.  We commit to maintain and use such information in its deidentified form and not attempt to reidentify the information.

8. Target Audience and Data Storage

Our Platform is intended solely for U.S. consumers and does not actively target or market to individuals outside of the United States. Users outside the U.S. may not provide any Personal Information to or on the Platform. We handle your personal information in accordance with applicable U.S. laws. Please be aware that your data may be stored or processed in countries outside of the United States. By using our services, you consent to the transfer of your information to such countries.

9. Choices About Your Information

We strive to provide you with choices regarding the Personal Information you provide to us. We have created mechanisms to provide you with the following control over your information:

• Tracking Technologies. You can set your browser to refuse all or some browser cookies, or to alert you when cookies are being sent. If you disable or refuse cookies, please note that some parts of this site may then be inaccessible or not function properly.
• Updating or Deleting Information. You may be able to edit or remove some information through your account settings. If you have any questions or wish to review, change, delete, or access any of your Personal Information collected by us, please contact us at [email protected]. The rights set forth in this section are subject to applicable law and we may reject requests that are unreasonable or not required by law, including those that would be prohibited by law, could require disproportionate technical effort, or subject us to additional legal or business liability.

10. California Users

To exercise your rights under this section, please send an email to [email protected].

Residents of the State of California may ask us to provide them with a list of the types of personal information that we have disclosed during the preceding year to third parties for their direct marketing purposes, and the identity of those third parties. If you are a California resident and would like such a list, please contact us at [email protected]. You must include your full name, email address, street address, city, state, and zip code.

11. Do Not Track

Some Internet browsers may be configured to send “Do Not Track” signals to the online services that you visit. We currently do not respond to “Do Not Track” as no industry standard has been adopted regarding “Do Not Track”. To find out more about “Do Not Track,” please visit http://www.allaboutdnt.com.

The Platform does support the Global Privacy Control (GPC), a browser signal or extension that facilitates the process for users to indicate their privacy preferences while navigating the internet. You may download a GPC compatible browser and follow the instructions by such browser provider to set your privacy preferences.

12. Data Security

We use industry standard measures designed to secure your Personal Information from accidental loss and from unauthorized access, use, alteration, and disclosure. Unfortunately, the transmission of information via the internet is not completely secure. Although we do our best to protect your Personal Information, we cannot guarantee the security of your Personal Information transmitted to our Platform. Any transmission of Personal Information is at your own risk. We are not responsible for circumvention of any privacy settings or security measures contained on the Platform.

If we become aware of a breach that affects the security of your personal information, we will provide you with notice where required by applicable law. Where permitted by applicable law, Scholarships360 will provide this notice to you through the email address associated with your Scholarships360 account.

13. Online Advertising and Analytics

We use third parties to assist us in providing marketing and usage insights through cookies and other analytics tools.  We use Google Analytics to understand how visitors engage with our site and app. We and our partners use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your use of the website to help create reports and statistics on the performance of the website.

To opt out of Google analytics please visit: https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout or https://adssettings.google.com/ and Ad Settings for mobile apps. You may also opt out of other advertising using http://optout.networkadvertising.org/.  Further, you may disable such tools using your browser setting.  Please be aware that disabling such tools may cause performance issues while using the Platform.

14. Children Under the Age of 13

Our Platform is not intended for users under the age of 13 years of age. No one under age 13 may provide any information to or on the Platform. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13. If you are under 13, do not use or provide any information on this Platform or through any of its features, or provide any information about yourself to us, including any Personal Information. If we learn we have collected or received personal information from a child under 13 without verification of parental consent, we will delete that information. If you believe we might have any information from or about a child under 13, please contact us immediately at [email protected].

15. California & Other U.S. States Notice at Collection

The chart below describes the categories of personal information we may have collected in the past 12 months, listed by category of personal information.

Sources: We receive all of the above Personal Information from sources as described in the “Information We Collect About You and How We Collect It” section.

Scholarships360’s business and commercial purposes for use: Scholarships360 uses Personal Information for the following business and commercial purposes: to provide Scholarships360 services; for product research and development; for marketing and promotions; for authentication, integrity, security, and safety; to communicate with you; and for legal reasons. For more information, please see “How We Use Personal Information?”

In the prior 12 months, we may have disclosed for a business purpose or sold/shared your Personal Information to different third parties, as detailed in the chart below. Please note that Scholarships360 may share your Personal Information for a targeted advertising purpose.

Retention: Scholarships360 retains Personal Information for as long as required to engage in the uses described in this Privacy Policy, unless a longer retention period is required by applicable law or is advisable in light of our legal position (such as in regard to the enforcement of our agreements, the resolution of disputes, and applicable statutes of limitations, litigation, or regulatory investigation).

16. California & Other U.S. State Privacy Rights

Under some U.S. state laws, including the California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (as amended by the California Consumer Privacy Rights Act) (CCPA), residents may have a right to:

1. Know and access the categories and specific pieces of Personal Information Scholarships360 has collected, the categories of sources from which the Personal Information is collected, the purpose for which we use the Personal Information, the categories of personal information that we disclose and sell about you, the business purpose(s) for collecting the Personal Information, the categories of third parties with whom Scholarships360 has shared Personal Information, and obtain the Personal Information in a portable and, to the extent technically feasible, readily usable format;
2. Delete Personal Information under certain circumstances;
3. Correct Personal Information under certain circumstances; and
4. Opt out of the “sale” of Personal Information or “sharing” of Personal Information for targeted advertising purposes. You may opt-out of our processing of your Personal Information for purposes of targeted advertising or the sale of Personal Information by visiting here. You can get more information and opt out of the use of cookies and other trackers on our website and app by clicking the Cookies Settings Your Privacy Choices, also on our homepage, and setting your preferences. You will need to set your preferences from each device and each web browser from which you wish to opt out. This feature uses a cookie to remember your preference, so if you clear all cookies from your browser, you will need to re-select your preferred settings. Certain state residents may also set the Global Privacy Control (GPC) to opt out of the “sale” or “sharing” of your personal information for targeted advertising for each participating browser system that you use.
5. Appeal a denial of your request. Some states provide additional rights to their residents. If we decline to process your request, you may have the right to appeal our decision. You can do so by replying directly to our denial or emailing [email protected].
6. Limit the use or disclosure of Sensitive Personal Information. You may have the right to limit how we use or disclose your sensitive Personal Information.

Scholarships360 will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights, which is further in line with your rights under state law.

• Sensitive Information. Scholarships360 receives information that may be considered sensitive under some state laws, including citizenship status, race, and religious belief, if you choose to enable certain features and provide the requisite consent. Scholarships360 processes sensitive personal information to provide Scholarships360 products and services, for product research and development, for authentication, integrity, security, and safety reasons, to communicate with you, for legal reasons, and with your consent. Scholarships360 does not use or disclose sensitive personal information (as defined under CCPA) for purposes of inferring characteristics about a consumer.  Under certain laws, you may have the right to limit how we use or disclose your sensitive Personal Information. Under certain laws, residents may also be permitted to opt out of certain profiling relating to automated processing analyzing certain categories of an individual’s information that would produce a legal or similarly significant effect. Scholarships360 does not engage in this type of profiling of individuals.
• To exercise your rights, please click here. To opt out of the use of cookies on our sites for interest-based advertising purposes, follow the instructions as described in the privacy policy.
• These rights are not absolute, are subject to exceptions and limitations, and may not be afforded to residents of all states. In certain cases, we may decline requests to exercise these rights where permitted by law. We will need to verify your identity to process your access, deletion, and correction requests and reserve the right to confirm your state residency. To verify your identity, we may require you to log into your existing account (if applicable), give a declaration as to your identity under penalty of perjury, and/or provide additional information, such as providing at least two pieces of personal information relating to your account (which will be compared to information we have, such as profile information) or as we otherwise may already have in our possession, such as your email address and phone number. We will verify your consumer request by comparing the information you provide to information already in our possession, and take additional steps to minimize the risk of fraud. You may designate an authorized agent to submit your verified consumer request by providing written permission and verifying your identity, or through proof of power of attorney.
• To see our Disclosure of Privacy Rights Requests, please click here.

17. Changes to Our Privacy Policy

From time to time, we may make changes to our Privacy Policy. If we make material changes to how we treat our users’ Personal Information, we will notify you and provide you an opportunity to review before you choose to continue using our products and services. The date the privacy policy was last revised is identified at the top of the page. You are responsible for ensuring we have an up-to-date active and deliverable email address for us to notify you.  Please periodically visit our Platform and this Privacy Policy to check for any changes.

18. Contact Information

To request to review, update, delete, or opt out of the sharing of your personal information, please visit: https://app.scholarships360.org/do-not-sell-my-personal-information. To ask questions or comment about this privacy policy and our privacy practices, contact us at:

Scholarships360, Inc.

510 Meadowmont Village Cir, Unit #117

Chapel Hill, NC 27517

[email protected]