Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to VestedGrad ("we," "our," or "us"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our college value analysis platform.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: Email address, password, and profile preferences
• Financial Information: Estimated household income, college savings, state of residence (used solely for net price calculations)
• Simulation Data: College programs you research, scholarship amounts, loan scenarios, and value scenarios you create

2.2 Automatically Collected Information

• Usage Data: Pages viewed, features used, search queries, and time spent on the platform
• Device Information: Browser type, operating system, IP address, and device identifiers
• Cookies: Session cookies for authentication and localStorage for user preferences (e.g., onboarding tour completion)

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide accurate net price calculations based on your household income
• Calculate personalized value ratings for college programs
• Save and manage your college comparison simulations
• Improve our platform features and user experience
• Send important updates about your account or service changes
• Comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud

4. Data Sources

VestedGrad uses publicly available data from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard API. This includes:

• Institution names, locations, and admission rates
• Net price data by income bracket
• Median earnings for graduates by academic program
• Student debt information
• Completion rates and student demographics

We do not sell, share, or distribute this public data. It is used solely to provide college value analysis to our users.

5. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We Do NOT:

• Sell your personal information to third parties
• Share your financial data (income, savings) with colleges or advertisers
• Use your simulation data for marketing purposes

We May Share Information:

• Service Providers: With trusted vendors who help us operate our platform (e.g., hosting providers, error tracking services like Sentry)
• Legal Compliance: When required by law, subpoena, or court order
• Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with notice to you)

6. Data Security

We implement industry-standard security measures to protect your information:

• Encryption: Passwords are hashed using BCrypt; sensitive credentials are stored in encrypted Rails credentials
• Secure Transmission: All data transmitted over HTTPS
• Access Controls: Limited employee access to personal data
• Regular Audits: Periodic security reviews and vulnerability scanning

However, no method of transmission over the internet is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security but will notify you of any data breaches as required by law.

7. Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
• Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information via your profile settings
• Deletion: Request deletion of your account and all associated data
• Portability: Request an export of your simulation data
• Opt-Out: Unsubscribe from marketing emails (account-related emails may still be sent)

To exercise these rights, please contact us at [email protected].

8. Cookies and Tracking

We use the following types of cookies and storage:

• Session Cookies: Required for authentication (cannot be disabled)
• localStorage: Stores onboarding tour completion state (browser-local only)
• Analytics: We use Google Analytics and Microsoft Clarity to understand how visitors use our site and improve our services

We do not use third-party advertising cookies or cross-site tracking.

9. Children's Privacy

VestedGrad is intended for use by parents and guardians making college decisions. Our service is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

10. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide services. If you delete your account:

• Personal data (email, income, simulations) is permanently deleted within 30 days
• Aggregated, anonymized usage data may be retained for analytics
• Legal compliance may require retention of certain records (e.g., transaction logs)

11. Third-Party Links

Our platform may contain links to college websites and other third-party resources. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these external sites. Please review their privacy policies before providing any information.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Material changes will be communicated via email to registered users. Continued use of VestedGrad after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us:

14. State-Specific Rights

California Residents (CCPA/CPRA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to know what personal information is collected and how it's used
• Right to delete personal information (with certain exceptions)
• Right to opt-out of the "sale" of personal information (we do not sell your data)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

European Residents (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation, including the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority.