PRIVACY POLICY MENU
Brazos’ Commitment To Privacy Protection For Users Of Its Website
Notice and Disclosure
Choice and Consent
Data Quality and Access
Data Security
Changes to Brazos’ Privacy Policy
Contact Information
Disclaimer

Brazos’ Commitment To Privacy Protection For Users Of Its Website

The Brazos Group (BRAZOS) is committed to preserving the individual privacy rights of all of the users of its websites. Brazos strongly believes that it has a responsibility to protect from disclosure to unauthorized parties the personally identifying information (name, address, date of birth, social security number, etc.) of its website users. Therefore, Brazos has adopted and implemented a privacy policy to protect the individually identifying account and personal information of its website users.

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

Notice And Disclosure

Brazos will not sell, trade, nor disclose the personally identifying information of its website users to any unauthorized third parties. Because of the many different relationships Brazos has with the users of its websites, it is possible that disclosure of information provided by website users might be required in the delivery of Brazos’ services to users in the following circumstances:

• When users have authorized the disclosure of information through certifications on loan applications and promissory notes, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA), and documents held by Brazos and its partners such as schools, lenders, servicing agents, United States Department of Education, and guarantors of users’ financial aid.
• When Brazos needs to share user information to provide services a user has requested.
• When Brazos needs to provide the information to its business partners that perform services for users.
• When Brazos is required by law to disclose user information by order of court, pursuant to state, local, federal, or international statute, regulation or mandate, and in cooperation with law enforcement agencies.

Additionally, Brazos may use information provided by users for the following internal purposes: providing services to users, complying with local, state, or federal financial aid statutes and regulations, ensuring accurate contact and billing information for users, and analyzing the efficiency of its websites. Under Brazos administration of the Federal Family Education Loan Program (FFELP), Brazos requires the disclosure of Social Security numbers by applicants for loans under FFELP. The primary use of this information is to verify user identity, to determine user program eligibility and benefits, to permit the servicing of user financial aid, to certify user attendance and status at an approved higher educational institution, and in the event necessary, to locate users. The disclosure of a user’s Social Security number by a user is mandatory for the user to participate in the FFELP.
The United States Department of Education has for several years required the disclosure of individuals’ Social Security numbers on applications and other FFELP requisite documents pursuant to published regulations.

Brazos does not use “cookies” to enhance its website users’ experiences on the Brazos Websites. A cookie is a small file that transfers to users’ computer hard drives. Most web browsers are initially set to accept cookies. Additionally, some web browsers may be set to prompt users before it accepts a cookie.

Users should be aware that other websites to which a user links from the Brazos website may contain privacy policies, statements, promises, or provisions that differ from the Brazos Website Privacy Policy and as such users are encouraged to review the applicable privacy policy of any site other than the Brazos website. Users are encouraged to fully review the privacy statements of other websites to determine whether or not the user’s use of the site comports with the user’s desire to maintain the privacy of his/her personally identifying information.

BRAZOS will not knowingly collect or retain information submitted to it by children under the age of thirteen. If, BRAZOS learns that it unknowingly collected personally identifying information from children under 13 years of age, it will immediately take all reasonable measures to delete the information from its computer systems.
BRAZOS will closely monitor and restrict its employees’ access to user account and personal information to only instances of business necessity.

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

Choice and Consent

Brazos may provide users access on its website to users’ individual account, eligibility for financial aid status, and much more personal user level information. Brazos fully understands and wishes to fully serve its website users that do not desire to have personally identifying account and status information available on the Brazos website. Users may request the deletion of their Brazos account information available to them on the Brazos website by using the secure e-mail option provided on the “View My Account” page or calling 1-800-375-9208 ext. 7500. Upon receipt of an email or phone call from a user, Brazos will remove the user’s account information from its website but will continue to retain all of the information on its computer systems as required by state and federal laws and regulations governing financial aid.

Unless specifically notified by the user, Brazos will operate as though the user consents to the user’s account information being available on its websites. Please review the sections on data security and Brazos’ privacy commitment for explanations of the security utilized by Brazos in protecting personal account information from unauthorized disclosure.

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

Data Quality and Access

BRAZOS will take all reasonable steps to assure that information about users is accurate, complete, and timely for the intended purposes. BRAZOS will take every measure to establish appropriate processes or mechanisms so that inaccuracies or errors in users’ information may be timely corrected by the user. BRAZOS will try to make these processes and mechanisms as simple and easy to use as possible while providing assurances that the erroneous and inaccurate information has been corrected. The information contained on the BRAZOS website is subject to change without prior advance notice.

When users browse the BRAZOS website and have not registered as a user for any of BRAZOS’ online services, the browsing is anonymous. Anonymous browsing includes reading pages and downloading certain information. Personal information such as name, address, phone number, and email address are not collected from anonymous browsers.

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

Data Security

Securing users’ personal information is very important to BRAZOS. Therefore, BRAZOS has implemented several security measures to protect users’ personally identifying information from loss, misuse, or alteration. When users send confidential personal information to BRAZOS via the BRAZOS website, BRAZOS requires that a secure session first be established using Secure Socket Layer (SSL) technology. During a secure SSL session, data passed back and forth between the user’s computer and BRAZOS’ servers is secured through the use of public key cryptography. The user’s computer exchanges key information with BRAZOS computers to create a private conversation that only the user’s computer and BRAZOS systems may understand. To benefit from SSL technology, users must use a browser with SSL capabilities.

Please note that while using the BRAZOS website, users will be notified when entering a secure session and when leaving a secure session, unless the setting is turned off on the user’s browser. After leaving a secure session any information transmitted to BRAZOS is not secure.

For security purposes, BRAZOS uses special software programs to monitor traffic on its website and to identify unauthorized attempts to upload or change information, or otherwise to cause damage to the BRAZOS website. These programs do not collect personally identifying information about you but they do collect information that will enable BRAZOS to identify someone attempting to tamper with its website. BRAZOS has a zero tolerance policy for the misuse, misappropriation, unauthorized access, tampering, damage, destruction, or unlawful utilization of its websites and computer systems and will seek the maximum enforcement of state, federal, and international criminal laws against any individual engaging in such activity. Additionally, BRAZOS will seek the maximum amount of civil damages available under the law in such instances of the unauthorized misuse of its websites and computer systems.
Please note that when a user sends electronic mail messages (e-mail) to BRAZOS, the user’s message will usually contain the user’s return email address. Thus, BRAZOS may utilize a user’s e-mail address in responding to a user’s inquiry and the content of the user’s e-mail in formulating a response. BRAZOS will permanently record and store any substantive e-mail received from users. E-mail is not a secure means of transmitting information.

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

Changes to BRAZOS’ Privacy Policy

The BRAZOS Website Privacy Policy may be modified when necessary to conform to federal, state, local, and international laws and regulations, and at other times to conform with technological changes, court decisions, and changes in agency policy. Changes to the BRAZOS Website Privacy Policy will be notated here when made so that you may be fully informed about the privacy protections afforded to you by BRAZOS enabling you to make an informed decision concerning your use of the BRAZOS website. It is recommended that you check the BRAZOS Website Privacy Policy each time that you visit the BRAZOS website.

Originally Adopted: 07/14/2004
Date last Modified: 07/14/2004
Section Modified: This is a newly published policy; therefore there are no modified sections at this time.
Description of Modification: Not applicable at this time.

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

Contact Information

Should you have any questions, concerns or desire additional information concerning the BRAZOS Website Privacy Policy please contact BRAZOS by one of the following methods:
E-mail: compliance@bhesc.org
Phone: 800-375-9208
Mail your inquiry to:
Brazos Electronic Commerce Division
P O Box 14445
Austin , TX 78761-4445
Attn: Compliance/Legal

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

1 - For the purposes of the BRAZOS Website Privacy Policy, any reference to BRAZOS means, The Brazos Group and all of its divisions.
2 - Brazos is a servicing agent, lender, marketing agent and secondary market of student loans. As such, Brazos has very different relationships with the users of its websites. It is important to note that Brazos may be required, dependent upon its relationship with website users, to share information about the users with authorized third parties.

Disclaimer

By using any of the information, materials or functions from the pages on this Website, you agree to and understand the following DISCLAIMER:
BRAZOS and its affiliates want the information, materials and functions contained on this site to be as up-to-date and accurate as possible, but BRAZOS and its affiliates can not represent nor endorse the accuracy or reliability of any of the information, material or functions which are displayed, downloaded, uploaded or distributed through the Website.

Any calculations contained on this site merely provide you with estimates that may be different than the actual, applicable amounts. The reasons for this variation include, but are not limited: (1) loan servicing agents may use different repayment calculations; (2) loan servicing agents may make other calculation assumptions; or (3) loan servicing agents may use different interest rates and processing methods. You and your lender establish the actual repayment terms and amounts.

You agree to use any materials or information provided by BRAZOS and its affiliates at your own risk. BRAZOS and its affiliates cannot guaranty and do not warrant that your access will be uninterrupted or that the information accessible from this site is free of computer viruses. BRAZOS and its affiliates reserve the right to change, modify, add or remove portions of this site at any time for any reason whatsoever.

This Website contains links to other related World Wide Web Internet sites and resources. BRAZOS and its affiliates assume no responsibility and/or liability for any errors or omissions in the materials or information contained in these other links.

This site, including all content, software and information which is made available on this site, is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including, but not limited to, the implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, or non-infringement.

BRAZOS and its affiliates shall not be liable for any special, direct, indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, including, without limitation, loss of revenues, profits or data, whether in an action in contract, negligence, or other tortious action, which may result from the use of this site or the materials and information contained herein.

The use of this site to submit any forms, which may be provided via this site, does not automatically qualify you for financial aid. You must contact the financial aid office at your school or BRAZOS and its affiliates to obtain a student loan and/or grant application to apply for student aid. When indicated, you may print and return a completed form to BRAZOS or one of BRAZOS’ affiliates depending on the type of student aid involved. BRAZOS and its affiliates reserve the right to invalidate requests, which are submitted on, altered forms. Any requests and/or applications, which are submitted, must first be reviewed and approved by BRAZOS and/or its affiliates before becoming effective.

Users shall not transmit any materials or information to this site, which infringes on any copyright or other proprietary rights of any other person or entity. Users are responsible for respecting and adhering to state, federal and international laws. Any attempt to break these laws may result in litigation against the offender by the proper authorities. BRAZOS and its affiliates will fully comply with the authorities to provide any information necessary for the litigation process.

NOTICE: Transmissions to and from this site may not be confidential and your communications may, therefore, be read or intercepted by others. This site contains encryption methods that are not supported by all browsers. If you are not using a browser such as Netscape 4.7 or higher or Microsoft Internet Explorer, you may be unable to view all of the information and materials contained on this site.

Return to Privacy Policy Menu

Copyright © 2004 Brazos