Privacy Policy

Effective date: · Last updated:

The short version

  • Your plan (FAFSA checklist progress, college and scholarship deadlines, documents, notes) is stored only in your own browser on your own device. It is never uploaded to us.
  • There are no accounts, no login, no profiles, and no personal information collected through the site.
  • We use Google Analytics (GA4) only on public pages (homepage, FAFSA checklist, Resources, About, Contact, Terms, Disclaimer, Privacy). Analytics isdisabled on the planner (/plan) and print view (/print) where your plan data lives. No plan data is ever sent to analytics.
  • We use no advertising, no tracking scripts beyond GA4 on public pages, and no cookies beyond those set by GA4 on public pages.
  • We do not sell, rent, or share personal information. We don't have any to share.
  • If you email us, we use your message only to respond.

Information we collect

Information you provide voluntarily

The site has no forms that collect personal information, and we don't ask for your name, email, phone, address, age, or any profile data. The only way we receive information from you is if you email us at the addresses on our Contact page. We use your message only to respond to you.

Your plan stays on your device

Everything you enter into your plan (tasks, deadlines, documents, notes, and your FAFSA checklist progress) is saved in your browser's local storage under a single namespaced key on your device. It is never transmitted to us, never stored on any server, and never appears in URLs, page titles, or metadata. You can remove it at any time with the Clear my local plan control, or by clearing your browser data.

Automatically collected technical information

The site is served by a static hosting provider. Like virtually all websites, the host may automatically record standard technical data in short-lived operational logs, for example IP address, browser type, date and time, and the page requested, to operate and secure the service. These logs are kept briefly, never contain your plan (plan data is never in a URL or request), and are not used to build profiles or track you.Before launch: confirm your hosting provider's actual log retention and practices, and keep this section accurate.

Cookies and similar technologies

The site does not set first-party cookies. Google Analytics (GA4) sets first-party cookies on public pages only (e.g., _ga, _ga_XXXXXXXXXX) to distinguish users and sessions. These cookies are not set on the planner (/plan) or print view (/print) because analytics is disabled on those routes. We do not use third-party cookies, tracking pixels, or fingerprinting beyond GA4 on public pages. If this ever changes, we will update this policy first.

Analytics and advertising

We use Google Analytics 4 (GA4) on public content pages only to understand aggregate site usage (page views, popular resources, referral sources). Analytics isexplicitly disabled on the planner (/plan) and print view (/print) where your plan data is entered and displayed. No plan content, identifiers, or personal information is sent to Google Analytics.

What GA4 collects on public pages

  • Page views and navigation paths (which public pages you visit)
  • Referrer source (how you found the site: search, direct, link from another site)
  • Device and browser type (e.g., Chrome on Windows, Safari on iOS)
  • Approximate geographic region (based on IP address, not precise location)
  • Engagement metrics (scrolls, video plays, file downloads, time on page)

What GA4 does NOT collect

  • Any data from the planner (/plan) or print view (/print)
  • Your plan content (FAFSA tasks, college deadlines, scholarships, documents, notes)
  • Personally identifiable information (name, email, SSN, FSA ID, financial data)
  • Cross-site tracking or advertising identifiers (Google signals disabled)

GA4 configuration

  • Data retention: 14 months
  • Google signals (cross-device tracking): Disabled
  • Ads personalization: Disabled
  • IP anonymization: Enabled (GA4 default)
  • Enhanced measurement form interactions: Disabled (prevents plan form capture)

If you prefer not to be measured by GA4, you may install a browser extension such asGoogle Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, use a privacy-focused browser, or enable "Do Not Track" (though GA4 does not currently honor DNT).

How we use information

  • To respond to messages you send us.
  • To operate, secure, and improve the site.

We do not use any information for marketing, advertising, or profiling.

How we share information

We do not sell, rent, trade, or share personal information with anyone. We have no personal data to share. The only disclosures are:

  • Service providers that operate the site for us (for example, the static hosting provider), limited to what is needed to serve the site, under their own terms.
  • Legal obligations: if required by law, subpoena, or legal process, or to protect the safety and legal rights of users or others.

Third-party websites and links

The site links to official external resources (for example, StudentAid.gov and consumer.ftc.gov). These are separate websites with their own terms and privacy policies. We don't control them, and their practices apply once you leave our site. A link is not an endorsement.

Data retention

  • Your plan: stored on your device until you clear it or your browser data is removed. We never hold a copy.
  • Emails you send us: kept only as long as needed to respond to you, then deleted.
  • Hosting logs: retained per the hosting provider's standard practice (confirm and document the exact period before launch).
  • Google Analytics data: retained for 14 months per GA4 configuration, then automatically deleted by Google. No plan data is included in this retention.

Data security

Because your plan never leaves your device, the most important security measures are yours: keep your device and browser profile protected. The site is served over HTTPS, uses restrictive security headers, and carries no runtime third-party scripts. We treat the privacy of planning data as a security requirement even though it stays local (best-effort controls; no system is perfectly secure).

Your choices and rights

  • Your plan: view, edit, delete, or clear it at any time in the planner (Clear my local plan clears all plan storage).
  • Browser storage: you can also remove site data through your browser's settings.
  • Emails: you choose what to send us; you can ask us to delete your message at any time.
  • California residents (CCPA/CPRA): we do not collect or sell personal information and do not engage in cross-context behavioral advertising, so the CCPA's sale/sharing opt-outs and deletion rights do not currently apply to data we hold. If we ever begin collecting personal information, we will honor applicable rights (know, delete, correct, opt-out) and update this policy.
  • Do-not-track / opt-out signals: because we use no tracking, no special handling is needed; we will update this section if that changes.

Children's privacy

StudentAidTracker is a planning tool for U.S. students, typically high school age and older. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use the site or send us any information. If we learn we have received personal information from a child under 13 (for example, in an email), we will delete it promptly. We are not a school service and we do not hold education records (FERPA applies to schools, not to us).

International visitors

The site is hosted and operated in the United States and is intended for U.S. users. If you access it from outside the U.S., your use is still covered by this policy; we collect no personal information regardless of where you are.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle information, we will update this page, change the "Last updated" date and, for material changes, call the change out clearly on this page and in the site footer. Continued use of the site after changes means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

Questions about this policy or privacy requests: gnkbros57@gmail.com. Please don't include sensitive information in email.

StudentAidTracker is an independent organizer. It is not operated by, endorsed by, or affiliated with the U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, colleges, scholarship sponsors, lenders, or any linked organization.

StudentAidTracker does not provide legal, tax, admissions, eligibility, or personalized financial advice.