Privacy policy

Educational Credit Management Corporation ("ECMC") respects the privacy of our Website users and the importance of the information they entrust to us. By using this Website, you are agreeing to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree with the information and practices described in this Privacy Policy or our Terms of Use, please exit from this Website.

Privacy Policy
Educational Credit Management Corporation (“ECMC”) respects the privacy of our Website users and the importance of the information they entrust to us. Summarized in this Privacy Policy (“Policy”) is our policies and processes for protecting the privacy of all personal information gathered from consumers, prospective consumers, customers, potential customers, clients, potential clients and visitors to our Website. This Policy explains when and how such information is collected, used and safeguarded. This Policy also explains how you can update your personal contact information and specify what information, if any, you would like to receive from ECMC on an on-going basis.

Introduction
ECMC and the Website www.asa-borroweraccess.org is owned by ECMC Group, Inc. (for more information, please visit www.ecmcgroup.org). ECMC is committed to protecting the privacy and security of your Personal Information. This Policy covers the ECMC Website – www.asa-borroweraccess.org and all online forms on this website used to collect personal information; it does not cover third party sites that are linked to or from the Website (“Website”). This Policy does not apply to other entities that we do not own or control or persons who are not our employees, agents or within our control. By using this Website, you are agreeing to the terms of this Policy. If you do not agree with the information and practices described in this Policy or our Terms of Use, please exit from this Website.

Collecting Personal Information
You can access our Website without providing us with any Personal Information. However, ECMC does collect Personal Information in various locations on our Website when you request specific information. We may collect information that can identify you; such information includes your name, address, telephone number(s), personal identification (“PID”) number, date of birth and Social Security number or other identifying information (“Personal Information”). You can access our Notice of Privacy Practices by clicking here.

Information We Collect
When you request information from our Website, such as detail or information about your account, we ask you to provide Personal Information to verify that you are a person to whom we are authorized to provide such detail.

In addition to the information you volunteer when you log in to our Website, we may also collect additional information as follows. Our server logs automatically collect information, such as your IP address, your browser type and language and the date and time of your visit. This helps us to track users' movements around our Website and understand trends. We may assign your computer one or more cookies, which collect information that tracks your use of our Website and enables us to customize our services. We may use this data in aggregate to better understand the needs and interests of visitors to our Website. This information is collected on an aggregated and anonymous basis.

Our primary goal in collecting the information described above is to provide you, the user, with a customized experience on our Website. By knowing a little about each user, we are able to deliver better service and more relevant content to our Website users and visitors.

We do not currently respond to or otherwise take any action with regard to Do Not Track requests.

Cookies
A “cookie” is a small amount of data that is sent to your browser from a web server and stored on your computer’s hard drive. We may use cookies to track general, non-personal information about our users (e.g., pages viewed, time spent our Website, and the websites visited just before and just after our Website) for statistical and market research purposes. The information is collected on an aggregated and anonymous basis.

We use cookies to gather information about our Website users’ browser activities to improve our Website and better serve our Website users. We may use standard Internet tools, which collect information that tracks your use of our Website and enables us to customize our services. This information assists us in designing and arranging our Website in a more user-friendly manner and to improve our Website to better meet the needs of our Website users and visitors.

You have choices with respect to cookies. By modifying your browser preferences, you have the option to reject all cookies, which may, in limited instances, prevent you from accessing certain features on our Website.

Use of Personal Information
We will not disclose any Personal Information collected, except as described below and in our Notice of Privacy Practices, available by clicking here. Otherwise, the provisions of this Policy are limited only by legal process, negotiated contract and the technical operation of the Website.

Use by ECMC Group
We use the information you provide so that we may provide you with information that you requested or that we believe will be beneficial to you. We may use your Personal Information to customize the content you see on our Website, facilitate your use of our Website, manage your account and your preferences, analyze use of and improve our Website and services, identify and protect against fraudulent transactions and other misuses of our Website and enforce our Terms of Use. We may periodically send you news or information about ECMC and the solutions we offer. This could include notices, settlement offers and payment receipts.

Disclosures Required by Law
We may disclose Personal Information when required by law or in the good faith belief that such action is necessary to conform to the requirements of the law or comply with and respond to legal process served on us.

Information Others May Collect
We do not allow third-party advertising companies or ad networks to display advertisements on our Website. We DO NOT provide any Personal Information to unauthorized third parties.

Sharing Information with Third Parties
We do not sell or trade any Personal Information about our customers, prospects, consumers or visitors to any third parties. We will not share your Personal Information with others, except as indicated below. We may share Personal Information with:

Service providers, such as credit-card payment processors performing services on our behalf;
Our affiliated entities when required by law;
The U.S. Department of Education as reasonably necessary or required by law;
Others, as required by law;
National consumer reporting agencies (aka credit bureaus) regarding your payment history with us; and
Law enforcement authorities in limited circumstances, such as preventing fraud and identity theft, protecting the safety of our users and complying with legal requirements such as the Higher Education Act, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act, and their implementing regulations.

Your Choices
You may choose to:

Not provide Personal Information, although that may result in your inability to obtain certain services or to use certain features of our Website;
Delete or decline cookies by changing your browser settings, although if you do so, some of the features of ours Website services may not function properly; and
Review and update your Personal Information by contacting us at www.ecmc.org/ContactUs or, if you have an online account on our Website, by logging into that account.

Storage of Personal Information and Security
We take reasonable precautions to protect the Personal Information we collect from our Website users and visitors. When users submit Personal Information via the Website, the information is housed in a secure database. To prevent unauthorized access, maintain data accuracy, and appropriately use the information, we have put in place physical, administrative, technological and other security measures to safeguard and secure the Personal Information we maintain from unauthorized access, alteration, use or disclosure. ECMC uses industry-standard technology, such as firewalls, in an effort to protect the confidentiality of your Personal Information. Moreover, only employees who need the information to perform their duties are granted access to Personal Information.
While we strive to protect your Personal Information, you should know that information sent over the Internet, whether by e-mail or by using our online system and Website, is not necessarily secure against interception. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for such interception and cannot guarantee the security of such information.

Security
The Website operates with a secure server, which allows for secured communications and encrypted transactions between you and ECMC through your browser connection. To securely transmit the information, you must be using at least third-generation browsers (e.g., Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher/Firefox) browsers.

Changes to our Privacy Policy
From time-to-time, we may update our Privacy Policy to reflect changes in our practices and services. If we make material changes in the way we collect, use or share Personal Information, we will notify you by prominently posting notice on our Website that the Privacy Policy has changed.

No Guarantees
While this Policy states our standards for maintenance of Personal Information, and we will make efforts to meet them, we are not in a position to guarantee these standards. There may be factors beyond our control that may result in disclosure of Personal Information. As a consequence, we disclaim any warranties or representations relating to maintenance or nondisclosure of any Personal Information collected from Website users or visitors.

Links to Third Party Websites
Please be advised that this Website may contain hyperlinks to other websites. Although these websites may have privacy policies, all of these websites and their privacy policies are independent of our Website and this Policy. We are not responsible for compliance with other websites' privacy policies or data collection practices. You should review the third-parties’ privacy policies and terms of use carefully before providing personal information to those websites.

Protection of Children's Privacy
We understand the importance of protecting children's privacy, particularly in an online environment. This Website is not designed to attract children under the age of thirteen (13). It is our policy never to knowingly collect or maintain personal information about any person under the age of thirteen (13).

How do I opt out of ECMC Account Alert E-Mail and Text Message/Short Message Service (SMS) programs?
Emails you receive from ECMC include an unsubscribe instruction (usually found at the bottom of the email) that you may use to opt out of receiving future emails. You may also request we stop sending you emails by contacting us at (833) 896-1626 or by email at ECMCsmshelp@ecmc.org.

If you select not to receive future e-mail communication the only e-mail communication you will receive from us will be in response to your inquiries or to resolve any customer service issues you may have reported.

You may opt out of receiving or prevent text or short message service (SMS) messages from ECMC by calling (833) 896-1626. Text messages from ECMC also contain an "unsubscribe" feature that you can use to prevent future text messages from us. If you would like to remove yourself from the ECMC Account Alert Text message service, reply STOP to an incoming message or send the word STOP to 32621 (ECMC1).

Contact Us
If you have questions or suggestions about our Website, this Policy, the Terms of Use or our information practices, please contact us at:

Attn: Corporate Compliance
ECMC Group, Inc.
111 Washington Avenue South
Suite 1400
Minneapolis, MN 55401
wbadger@ecmc.org
651-325-3652