PRIVACY STATEMENT

FOR ONLINE USERS.

 

WHAT INFORMATION DO WE COLLECT

Protecting your privacy is important to us. We want you to understand what information we collect and how we use it. This policy explains our standard for collecting, using, retaining, and securing information about you. Any material changes to RISLA’s privacy policy are posted to this page upon the effective date.

Effective Date:  11/30/2022

CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION
PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION (PII)

In order to be able to apply for a loan, register for a scholarship, or have access to other website features, it is necessary to provide PII about yourself as needed.  The categories of PII needed to vary with the website process or benefit requested.  The categories of PII include, but may not be limited to, your name, date of birth, social security number, postal address, email address, telephone number, fax numbers, mobile phone numbers, or other information about yourself or your cosigner as needed.

ONLINE ACTIVITY

You may, at any time, explore the content available on our websites without ever submitting PII about yourself. However, we may collect information about your online activity including, but not limited to, your IP address, location, device type, browser type, referral source, time spent on the site, and pages viewed.

This website uses the Google AdWords remarketing service to advertise on third party websites (including Google) to previous visitors to our site. AdWords is a remarketing and behavioral targeting service provided by Google that collects the cookie and usage data of visitors to this website. It connects the activity of users on this website with the AdWords advertising network and the Doubleclick Cookie. Third-party vendors, including Google, use cookies to serve ads based on someone’s past browsing activity. You could be shown an advertisement on the Google search results page or a site in the Google Display Network based on your visit to this website. You can opt-out of Google’s cookie tracking service here. Place of Processing: USA. Read the Google AdWords Privacy Policy for more information.

MOBILE APPLICATION USEAGE

We use mobile application tracking software that helps us monitor the uses of our mobile applications so we can continually improve user experience. This software may collect information such as how often you use the application, how much time you spend on the application, pages that you have viewed within the application, and events that occurred within the application.

PERSONAL INFORMATION & HOW WE USE IT

HOW RISLA USES YOUR INFORMATION

  • Responding to inquiries and fulfilling requests

  • Maintaining and servicing loan accounts to contact you about loan account

  • Verifying identity with non-affiliated third parties and to pre-fill loan applications

  • Accurate credit bureau reporting

  • Email, direct mail, or telephone communications

  • Personalizing website and communication experience by presenting products and offers tailored to you

  • To pre-qualify for a loan and evaluate eligibility for such a product and evaluate your eligibility for such a product

  • Processing loan applications

  • Verifying identity and/or location to access account information, conduct transactions, and maintain measures aimed at preventing fraud and protecting the security of your account and Personally Identifiable Information

  • Data analysis audits, developing new products, enhancing the site, improving services, collecting customer reviews, identifying usage trends, and determining the effectiveness of promotional campaigns

  • To comply with laws and regulations, and to comply with other legal processes and law enforcement requirements

  • for risk control, to comply with laws and regulations, and to comply with other legal processes and law enforcement requirements

WHAT INFORMATION WE SHARE

We will only share information as allowed by law and described in this policy. We will not sell your personal data to any third party. In some circumstances, however, we may share your information with companies outside our organization, such as:

FINANCIAL SERVICE PROVIDERS

This includes companies that assist in all aspects of loan servicing including, processing payments, printing and sending statements or other materials physically or electronically, and conducting collection work as needed This information may include:

  • Personal information, such as name, address, and birth date, that you include on a loan application
  • Loan Information about your loan with us, such as your monthly payment amount and loan balance
  • Credit bureaus information such as your creditworthiness and your payment history in case your loan defaults and we are required to enlist a third-party agency to assist in the collection of funds.
YOUR SCHOOL

We may share information with your school, including your personal information and information that you provide on your loan application, in order to obtain certification of your loan amount and verify the student’s enrollment status.

CREDIT BUREAUS

Your personal information may be shared with credit bureaus to determine your creditworthiness or to occasionally review your credit.

NATIONAL STUDENT CLEARINGHOUSE

Your information may be shared with the National Student Clearinghouse in order to verify your college enrollment information.

FRAUD PREVENTION SERVICE PROVIDERS

RISLA may share information with third parties in order to verify the applicant's identity, pre-fill loan applications, and facilitate the applicant's pre-qualification for a loan. 

OTHER SERVICE PROVIDERS

Such companies may be used to help us make you aware of our products and services or to assist us in collecting customer feedback.  These service providers will not receive your SSN, income information, credit information, or other personal financial information.

Our service providers receive limited contact information about you as necessary to perform their functions.

RISLA and its service providers use cookies to administer the website, personalize your online experience and save you time, track user online activity and gather demographic information about our users. Cookies help us recall certain information about you when you make subsequent visits.

You can turn off cookie tracking in your web browser's privacy settings. See the below links for instructions on enabling or disabling cookies on your browser. 

Sometimes the law or other circumstances requires us to disclose information about you to non-affiliated third parties. Some examples are: when you ask that we do so; when a guaranty agency, a school, or the U.S. Department of Education needs the information in connection with your account; in response to subpoenas or court orders; with credit bureaus; or when we suspect fraud or criminal activity. The OPT-OUT procedure does not apply to such disclosures.

We take careful steps to safeguard customer information. We restrict access to your personal and account information to those employees who need to know that information to perform their jobs, and we provide regular training to our employees on privacy, information security, and their obligation to safeguard your information. We maintain physical, electronic, and procedural safeguards that comply with industry standards to protect your personal information and we regularly test those safeguards.

 

Users can unsubscribe from receiving digital marketing communication offers from RISLA and/or the RISLA College Planning Center. Click to unsubscribe and no longer receive marketing communications and updates.

 

To opt-out of posted mail marketing communications, please write to customerservice@risla.com and include your name and mailing address or send your request to Rhode Island Student Loan Authority, PO Box 81071, Warwick, R.I. 02888-0089.

If you feel that we are not abiding by this Privacy Policy you should contact us immediately at the below address or toll-free number. 

 

RISLA | Rhode Island Student Loan Authority

PO Box 81071

Warwick RI 02888-0089

Toll-free: 1-800-758-7562