StudentAidGuard • Student Aid Guard

Privacy Policy

Effective date: 15 July, 2026 Last updated: [Insert date]

StudentAidGuard.com (“StudentAidGuard,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy of every person who visits this website — especially the students, parents, and education professionals who rely on us during sensitive financial decisions.

This Privacy Policy explains what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and protect it, and what rights you have over your data. We have written this policy in plain English because our audience deserves to understand it — not decode it.

If you have questions about anything in this policy, contact us at: [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com]

1. Who This Policy Applies To

This policy applies to all visitors and users of StudentAidGuard.com, including:

  • Community college students using our free Aid Impact Simulator or reading our guides
  • Parents, guardians, and family members visiting our college planning content
  • Financial aid advisors and academic professionals accessing our resource library
  • Anyone who submits their name and email address through any form on this website

This policy does not apply to third-party websites we link to. When you click an external link on StudentAidGuard — including links to studentaid.gov, affiliate partner sites, or tool recommendations — you leave our site and are subject to that site’s own privacy policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect two categories of information: information you give us directly, and information collected automatically when you use our site.

2a. Information You Provide Directly

Name and email address via the Aid Impact Simulator email gate. Before you receive your Aid Impact Simulator results, we ask for your first name and email address. This information is submitted through a form connected to our email marketing platform (hosted on our own WordPress installation at webincomejournal.com). Providing this information is required to access your results. We use it to send your results, to provide follow-up financial aid guidance by email, and to notify you of new tools and content relevant to your situation.

Name and email address via any other opt-in form on the site. If you sign up for our email list through any other form — a content upgrade, a lead magnet download, or a newsletter signup — we collect your first name and email address for the same purposes described above.

Messages submitted through our contact form. If you contact us through our website contact form, we collect your name, email address, and the content of your message. We use this information solely to respond to your inquiry.

We do not collect Social Security numbers, FAFSA information, student ID numbers, school enrollment records, income information, or any other sensitive financial or academic data. The Aid Impact Simulator operates entirely on information you enter and applies publicly available federal rules — it does not access, connect to, or store data from your school’s student information system or your Federal Student Aid account.

2b. Information Collected Automatically

When you visit StudentAidGuard.com, certain technical information is collected automatically by our web server and analytics tools:

  • IP address and general location. Your IP address is logged by our web server when you visit the site. We use general location data (country and region level only — not street address or precise location) to understand where our audience is located and to comply with applicable laws.
  • Browser and device information. We collect information about the browser type, operating system, screen size, and device type you use to access the site. We use this to ensure the site functions correctly across devices — particularly important given that a significant portion of our audience accesses the site on mobile phones.
  • Pages visited and time spent. We collect data on which pages you visit, how long you spend on each page, what you clicked, and how you navigated through the site. We use this to understand which content is most useful to students and to improve the site’s structure and navigation.
  • Referring source. We collect information about how you arrived at StudentAidGuard.com — for example, whether you came from a Google search, a social media link, or another website. This helps us understand which channels are sending students to our content.

This automatic data is collected through the tools described in Section 4 (Third-Party Services) below.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect for the following purposes:

  • To deliver your Aid Impact Simulator results. When you complete the simulator and submit your email address, we process your results and make them available to you on screen. We may also send your results to the email address you provided.
  • To send financial aid guidance by email. Once you subscribe — either through the simulator email gate or any other opt-in form — we add your email address to our mailing list and send you relevant content: financial aid guides, updates to federal aid rules, tool announcements, and educational resources directly related to protecting your financial aid. You can unsubscribe from these emails at any time using the unsubscribe link in every email we send.
  • To improve our content and tools. We use aggregated, anonymized analytics data to understand which guides students are reading, which parts of the simulator they complete or abandon, and which content is most effective at helping students make better financial aid decisions. This data is never sold and is used solely to improve StudentAidGuard.
  • To respond to your inquiries. If you contact us, we use your contact information to reply to your message.
  • To comply with legal obligations. We may use or retain your information as required by applicable law, regulation, or legal process.

We do not use your information to make automated decisions that affect your financial aid eligibility. StudentAidGuard is an educational tool. The Aid Impact Simulator produces informational estimates only — it does not submit information to your school, to Federal Student Aid, or to any government agency.

4. Third-Party Services We Use

StudentAidGuard uses the following third-party tools and services, each of which may collect or process data as described:

4a. FluentCRM (Email Marketing) (H3)

We use FluentCRM, a self-hosted email marketing plugin installed on our own WordPress server, to manage our email subscriber list and send email communications. When you submit your name and email address through any form on StudentAidGuard, that information is stored in our FluentCRM installation.

FluentCRM is self-hosted, meaning your subscriber data is stored on our own server rather than on a third-party cloud platform. This gives us direct control over your data. FluentCRM’s privacy documentation is available at fluentcrm.com.

4b. Google Analytics (Website Analytics)

We use Google Analytics to collect anonymized data about how visitors use our website. Google Analytics uses cookies to track sessions and page visits. The data collected is aggregated and does not identify you personally.

You can opt out of Google Analytics tracking by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on, available at tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout.

Google’s privacy policy is available at policies.google.com/privacy.

4c. WordPress and Web Hosting

StudentAidGuard.com is built on WordPress and hosted on a third-party web hosting provider. Our hosting provider collects server logs that include IP addresses and access timestamps as part of standard server operations. These logs are used for security and operational purposes only.

4d. Affiliate Partner Networks

StudentAidGuard participates in affiliate marketing programs. Some links on our site — including links to tutoring platforms, scholarship tools, 529 plan comparison services, and student loan tools — are affiliate links. If you click one of these links and make a purchase or sign up for a service, we may receive a commission at no additional cost to you.

When you click an affiliate link, you are redirected to a third-party website. That website may set its own cookies, collect its own data, and operate under its own privacy policy. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of affiliate partner websites. All affiliate relationships are disclosed in accordance with FTC guidelines.

We do not share your personal information (name, email address) with affiliate partners.

4e. YouTube (Embedded Video)

Some pages on StudentAidGuard may include embedded YouTube videos. When a YouTube video is embedded and you interact with it, YouTube (owned by Google) may collect data about your interaction. This is subject to Google’s privacy policy at policies.google.com/privacy. Where possible, we embed YouTube videos using YouTube’s privacy-enhanced mode to limit data collection until you choose to play the video.

5. Cookies

Cookies are small text files that websites store on your device to remember information about your visit.

StudentAidGuard uses the following types of cookies:

  • Essential cookies. Required for the website to function. These include session cookies that keep you on the correct page as you navigate the site, and security cookies that protect form submissions from spam.
  • Analytics cookies. Set by Google Analytics to collect anonymized data about your visit. These cookies track which pages you visit and how long you spend on them. They do not identify you personally.
  • Preference cookies. If our site saves any display preferences you have selected (such as a cookie consent choice), these are stored in a preference cookie.
  • Third-party cookies. Set by embedded third-party content such as YouTube videos or affiliate partner redirects when you interact with that content.
  • Your cookie choices. When you first visit StudentAidGuard, you will be presented with a cookie consent notice in accordance with applicable privacy law. You can choose to accept or decline non-essential cookies. You can also manage cookies through your browser settings at any time — most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Note that blocking essential cookies may affect the functionality of the site.

6. Data Retention

  • Email subscriber data. We retain your name and email address on our subscriber list for as long as you remain subscribed. If you unsubscribe, your email address is removed from our active mailing list within 10 business days. We may retain a record of your unsubscribe request to honor it going forward and to comply with anti-spam regulations.
  • Contact form submissions. Messages submitted through our contact form are retained for up to 12 months and then deleted, unless an ongoing correspondence requires longer retention.
  • Analytics data. Anonymized analytics data collected through Google Analytics is retained according to the retention period set in our Google Analytics account (typically 14 months) and is then automatically deleted.
  • Server logs. Server access logs are retained for up to 90 days for security and operational purposes and then deleted.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the personal information you share with us.

These measures include:

  • Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) encryption on all pages of StudentAidGuard.com — indicated by “https” in the URL and a lock icon in your browser
  • Regular software and plugin updates to address known security vulnerabilities
  • Limited access to subscriber data — only authorized administrators of StudentAidGuard can access your email subscriber information

No method of data transmission over the internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. While we implement strong security practices, we cannot guarantee absolute security of your information. In the event of a data breach that affects your personal information, we will notify affected users as required by applicable law.

8. Children’s Privacy

StudentAidGuard.com is intended for use by college students, parents, and education professionals. College students are generally 18 years of age or older.

We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you are under 13, please do not submit your name or email address through any form on this site.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has submitted personal information to StudentAidGuard, please contact us immediately at [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com] and we will delete that information from our records promptly.

Some community college students may be between the ages of 13 and 17 (for example, dual-enrollment high school students). We do not specifically target minors in our marketing. However, if you are between 13 and 17 and use our site, we encourage you to review this policy with a parent or guardian. Parents or guardians of students in this age range who have concerns about their child’s use of StudentAidGuard are welcome to contact us.

9. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you are located, you may have specific legal rights over your personal information. We honor the following rights for all users regardless of location:

  • Right to access. You can request a copy of the personal information we hold about you — specifically, your name, email address, and subscription status.
  • Right to correction. If your name or email address on file is incorrect, you can ask us to correct it.
  • Right to deletion. You can request that we delete your personal information from our records. We will honor deletion requests within 30 days, subject to any legal retention obligations. Note that deleting your information will remove you from our email list and may limit our ability to respond to any ongoing inquiry you have submitted.
  • Right to unsubscribe. Every marketing email we send contains an unsubscribe link. Clicking it removes you from future marketing emails immediately. You may continue to receive transactional messages (such as a direct reply to a contact form submission) after unsubscribing from marketing.
  • California residents (CCPA). If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, including the right to know what personal information is collected, the right to know whether your personal information is sold or disclosed, the right to opt out of the sale of your personal information, and the right to non-discrimination for exercising your CCPA rights. We do not sell your personal information. To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com].
  • European residents (GDPR). If you are located in the European Economic Area, you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, and port your data, as well as the right to object to processing and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. Our lawful basis for processing your personal information is your consent (given when you submit an opt-in form) and our legitimate interest in providing educational content to students who seek it. To exercise your GDPR rights, contact us at [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com].

To submit any privacy rights request, email us at [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com] with the subject line “Privacy Request” and a description of your request. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Do Not Track

Some browsers send a “Do Not Track” (DNT) signal to websites requesting that your browsing not be tracked. At this time, there is no universal standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. StudentAidGuard does not currently alter its data collection practices in response to DNT signals. If a standard is established and adopted, we will update this policy accordingly.

11. Links to External Websites

StudentAidGuard contains links to external websites, including:

  • Government resources (studentaid.gov, ecfr.gov)
  • Affiliate partner sites (tutoring platforms, scholarship tools, financial planning services)
  • Reference sources (academic and policy publications)

When you click an external link, you leave StudentAidGuard.com and your activity is governed by the privacy policy of the site you visit. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of external websites, even those we recommend or link to. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of any site you visit that collects personal information.

12. Affiliate Disclosure and FTC Compliance

In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s guidelines on endorsements and testimonials (16 CFR Part 255), StudentAidGuard discloses that this site participates in affiliate marketing programs.

Some links on StudentAidGuard — including links to tutoring services, financial planning tools, scholarship databases, and student loan resources — are affiliate links. If you click through and make a purchase or complete a registration, StudentAidGuard may earn a commission. This commission comes from the affiliate partner at no additional cost to you.

Affiliate relationships do not influence our editorial recommendations. We only recommend services and tools that we believe are genuinely useful to community college students navigating financial aid decisions. Our content and tool ratings are based on independent evaluation, not on commission rates.

Affiliate disclosures are also included in individual articles and pages where affiliate links appear.

13. Email Communications

By submitting your name and email address through any form on StudentAidGuard.com, you consent to receive email communications from us. These communications may include:

  • Your Aid Impact Simulator results
  • Financial aid guides and educational content
  • Updates to federal financial aid rules that may affect your aid eligibility
  • Announcements of new tools and resources on StudentAidGuard
  • Occasional offers for paid resources such as our Financial Aid Appeal Letter Templates

We do not send unsolicited commercial email. Every marketing email we send is sent only to users who have explicitly opted in. Every email we send includes a clear unsubscribe link. We honor unsubscribe requests within 10 business days.

We do not sell, rent, or trade your email address to third parties for their marketing purposes.

14. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, in applicable law, or in the tools and services we use. When we make changes, we will update the “Last updated” date at the top of this page.

For material changes — changes that significantly affect how we collect, use, or share your personal information — we will notify active email subscribers by sending a notice to the email address on file before the changes take effect.

Your continued use of StudentAidGuard.com after a policy update constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy. If you do not agree with the updated policy, please discontinue use of the site and contact us at [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com] to request deletion of your data.

We recommend bookmarking this page and reviewing it periodically.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

StudentAidGuard.com Email: [privacy@StudentAidGuard.com] Website: https://StudentAidGuard.com/contact/

We will respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.