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updated: May 2009
Our Internet Privacy Policy provides information regarding
how we collect, use, and disclose personal information provided
to us when you visit us online at www.SayStart.com and our
affiliated web sites within the SayStart.com network.
Items you would like to know about our privacy policy governing
our Internet sites:
We use various tools in order to service your needs while
visiting our web sites at www.SayStart.com and our affiliated
college financing web sites. We use these tools to process
your requests, improve our web site offerings and navigation,
respond to questions, and personalize your online services.
Some of the tools that we may use include:
Web Site Tracking Software
Our web servers utilize a tracking software to capture your
domain name address (the address of your Internet service
provider, not your email address) for purposes of tracking
web site statistics. Note that we only collect information
about you when you voluntarily provide that information
through an application, request form, or some other sponsored
web site activity. The capture of your domain name is a
common practice among all web sites for measuring the number
of hits, pages visited, and length of user session. We use
this information to measure the effectiveness of our web
site offerings in order to service you better.
Cookies
A Cookie is a bit of text code that we develop and store
on your computer's hard drive. It helps us to identify your
computer when you visit us again. An example of an assigned
Cookie is when you register for a contest or other web site
activity. After you register with our web site for the first
time, we assign a Cookie to your computer's hard drive so
that upon returning to our web site, we identify you as
a registered user and link you directly to the page for
registered users. The Cookie prevents you from having to
reregister each time you visit our web site.
The Cookie is uniquely yours, and it can only be read by
the web site that issued the Cookie. The Cookies are used
to collect information from your computer. Some Cookies
we may use are temporary, meaning that they expire once
you close your browser. Some Cookies we may issue remain
on your computer's hard drive so that when you return to
our web site, we can identify your computer as a previous
user and customize your unique web experience.
You can delete the Cookies from your computer's hard drive
if you wish. If you delete our cookie from your computer's
hard drive, however, and then visit our web site again,
you will be treated as a first-time visitor since we will
not be able to identify your computer.
Online Application Forms
You can apply for college financing through an application
form maintained by TERI.ORG. This application form will
require personal information that will be used to review,
approve and fund your college financing request. Our online
application form is secured behind state-of-the-art technology
that protects all information that you submit to TERI.ORG.
The protection of your submitted information is governed
by the Privacy Policy of TERI.ORG. View
TERI.ORG privacy policy.
At no time are we at SayStart.com and our affiliated
web sites within college financing network given access
to your submitted information. We do not nor will
we be given permission to view personal information that
has been submitted. All information is the property of TERI.ORG
and will be protected under their privacy policy.
Email Address
You may supply us your email address that authorizes us
to:
- contact you either by phone and/or by email
- provide information during the interview process on
steps to complete your qualification request form
- inform you about new product services and product enhancements
that may be of interest to you
- update you on all other information that may require
your attention
Email addresses or other contact information will not be
sold to or used by third-party marketing organizations.
Online Registrations for Scholarships,
Contests, and Other Online Activities
SayStart.com may sponsor web site activities that require
registration in order to participate in our online activity.
The most common use for registrations is for scholarships,
contests, and other online activities.
All scholarships, contests, and other online activities
are strictly voluntary and are not required to visit other
areas of our site or to enter into a transaction with SayStart.com.
Information that we collect during registration may include
your name, address, date of birth, gender, e-mail address,
telephone number, name of school, and other information.
It is up to you to decide whether to participate in these
activities and provide the required information.
Surveys
At times we may sponsor online surveys or other data profile
collections to measure our performance or product offerings.
All surveys are strictly voluntary and are not required
to visit or use other areas of our site or to enter into
a transaction with SayStart.com.
Some of our online surveys may be marketing oriented surveys,
collecting information about your likes, dislikes, purchasing
habits, and web site activities. This information helps
us deliver content and activities that are customized and
relevant to your preferences.
Other Activities
At times, we may make chat rooms, forums, message boards,
and/or news groups available to our web site visitors. Again,
your participation in these activities are strictly voluntary.
You may choose to provide information to participate in
these activities. Please be aware that any information that
you disclose in these areas becomes public information,
so you should exercise caution in disclosing personal information.
Information from Minors
We understand that the use of minors of the Internet cannot
be controlled by us. Minors may visit our site and attempt
to enter into a transaction by submitting information or
participating in some online activity. We understand that
children have unique privacy needs. Therefore, we will not
knowingly collect without verifiable parental consent any
information from children we know to be under 18 years of
age, nor will we send them any direct e-mail offers.
Personal information that you submit to us that includes
your social security number and other identity information
will be behind our secured firewalls. In order to submit your
information, you must use Secured Socket Layer (SSL) enabled
browsers. This ensures that the information you submit through
our secured firewalls will be protected from unauthorized
use.
In addition, we maintain safeguards to keep information confidential
and secure. These include:
- We protect our systems and networks from the Internet
with Firewall systems which can be thought of as selective
barriers that only permit specific types of traffic through
our systems.
- We employ Intrusion Detection software and monitor for
unauthorized access.
- We use encryption technology to protect certain sensitive
information that is transmitted over the Internet.
In order for SayStart.com and its subsidiary sites to service
your requests, process your qualification request forms, and
conduct business from day-to-day, we must share submitted
online information with lending partners. These lenders partners
may include credit reporting agencies for approving loan requests,
lenders who will underwrite your loan and service your loan
requests, and other companies that allow us to service your
needs. At no time will these companies use your data for purposes
other than the required processes to conduct business.
At times, we may aggregate data that has been collected online
for statistical modeling purposes. Customer data may be shared
with modeling companies that help us analyze and profile the
data. At no time are these companies authorized to use customer
data for purposes other than performing the work that we hired
them to do.
At times, we may aggregate contact data for purposes of sending
you information on additional product and service offerings
that may be of interest to you. Customer data may be shared
with mail companies and other direct marketing companies for
the purpose of preparing mail forms and other contact media.
At no time are these companies authorized to use customer
data for purposes other than performing the work that we hired
them to do.
SayStart.com is a content provider that links to third-party
web sites. We do not control these third-party sites nor do
we control how they collect or use information. We also do
not warrant the information supplied by these third-party
web sites. It is important that you review the privacy policy
of each web site you visit to understand how they collect,
use, and disclose information.
You may come across our sites through a marketing relationship
with another company. We will try to show clearly our logo
or other information that identifies us as the provider of
services. Please note that information submitted to us through
these marketing programs may be collected and shared with
our marketing partner.
Sometimes we may provide third-party links that allow us
to collect a fee for certain actions completed by you. These
fees allow us to cover the costs of providing online services.
At no time will we engage in web site fee exchanges for purposes
of sharing customer date without the express notification
and permission from you. |
