Privacy Policy

ScholarshipsGateway ("we", "us", "our") operates scholarshipsgateway.com as an international student admission consultancy. This Privacy Policy explains what personal data we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

By using our website or submitting an inquiry you agree to the practices described here.

1. Information We Collect

Information You Provide Directly

• Inquiry & contact forms — name, email address, phone/WhatsApp number, nationality, and your message.
• Account registration — name, email, and password (stored as a one-way secure hash).
• Document uploads — academic transcripts or identity documents you voluntarily upload in the student dashboard for application assistance.
• Newsletter — email address and language preference.

Information Collected Automatically

• Log data — IP address, browser type, referring URL, pages visited, and timestamps.
• Cookies & local storage — session identifiers, language preference, consent status, and saved comparison lists. See Section 4 for details.
• Analytics — anonymised usage statistics via Google Analytics (if you have not opted out).

2. How We Use Your Information

• Respond to inquiries and provide personalised university admission guidance.
• Match you with relevant universities, scholarship programmes, and visa services in Turkey.
• Send newsletters, application reminders, and important updates (unsubscribe at any time).
• Improve website content, tools, and user experience through aggregate analytics.
• Comply with legal obligations and prevent fraud or abuse.

3. Sharing Your Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data. We share it only in these limited circumstances:

• Universities & partner institutions — only when you explicitly ask us to submit an application on your behalf.
• Service providers — trusted vendors (hosting, email delivery) under strict confidentiality agreements.
• Legal requirements — when required by Turkish law or a valid court order.
• Business transfers — if ScholarshipsGateway is acquired, data is transferred under equivalent protections.

4. Cookies & Tracking

Full details are in our Cookie Policy. You can manage preferences via your browser settings at any time.

5. Data Retention

• Inquiry & contact data — up to 3 years after last contact, or earlier on request.
• Account data — until account deletion plus 1 year.
• Uploaded documents — deleted within 12 months of upload or immediately on request.
• Newsletter subscribers — until you unsubscribe.
• Server logs — up to 90 days.

6. Your Rights

You may have the right to:

• Access — request a copy of personal data we hold about you.
• Rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate data.
• Erasure — request deletion of your data.
• Restriction — ask us to limit processing.
• Portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format.
• Objection — object to processing for direct marketing at any time.
• Withdraw consent — without affecting prior lawful processing.

To exercise any right, email privacy@scholarshipsgateway.com. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Security

We use HTTPS encryption, bcrypt password hashing, database access controls, and periodic security reviews. No internet transmission is 100% secure. If you suspect your account is compromised, contact us immediately.

8. International Data Transfers

Our servers are located in Turkey. Accessing our website from abroad means your data is transferred to and processed in Turkey. By using our services you consent to this. We apply appropriate safeguards to protect your data across borders.

9. Children's Privacy

Our services are intended for individuals aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 16. If you believe a child has submitted data to us, contact us immediately and we will delete it.

10. Policy Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be announced on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. Continued use of our services after changes constitutes acceptance.

11. Contact Us