Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Price of Freedom Scholarship (POFS) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit our website and submit a scholarship application.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. If you do not agree with the terms of this privacy policy, please do not access the site.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

When you submit a scholarship application, we may collect:

• Name and contact information (email, phone, address)
• Educational information (school, grade, GPA)
• Extracurricular activities and honors/awards
• Parent/guardian information
• Essay documents you upload

Automatically Collected Information

• IP address for security and rate limiting purposes
• Browser type and version
• Pages visited and time spent on our site
• Session information for authentication

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

• To process and evaluate scholarship applications
• To communicate with applicants about their application status
• To prevent fraud and ensure application integrity
• To comply with legal obligations
• To improve our website and services

4. Information Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your personal information to third parties, except in the following circumstances:

• With your explicit consent
• To comply with legal obligations or court orders
• To protect our rights, property, or safety
• In connection with a business transfer or merger

Scholarship applications are reviewed by our volunteer committee members who are bound by confidentiality agreements.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. These measures include:

• SSL/TLS encryption for data transmission
• Secure database storage with access controls
• Regular security audits and updates
• Limited access to personal data on a need-to-know basis

6. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in this privacy policy, unless a longer retention period is required by law. Scholarship application data is typically retained for 7 years for tax and legal purposes.

7. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website uses cookies and similar technologies to enhance your experience and ensure security:

Essential Cookies

• PHPSESSID: Used to maintain your session while using the website and for security purposes
• CSRF Protection: Security tokens to prevent cross-site request forgery attacks

These cookies are necessary for the website to function properly and cannot be disabled.

8. Your Rights

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you
• Correction: Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information
• Deletion: Request deletion of your personal information (subject to legal requirements)
• Portability: Request transfer of your data in a structured format
• Objection: Object to processing of your personal information

To exercise these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

9. Children's Privacy

Our scholarship program is intended for high school students. We are committed to protecting children's privacy and comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Parent/guardian consent is obtained through the application process.

10. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices or content of these external sites. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any third-party websites you visit.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new privacy policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or our privacy practices, please contact us: