Privacy Policy
Nelnet wants you
to understand how we collect, protect and use your personal information and the
choices you have about how that information is used. This notice covers all of
the information handling practices for the Nelnet companies listed at the end
of this notice.
Cookies and Web Site Information
Like most other commercial websites, we use standard "cookie"
technology and web server logs to collect information about how our web site is
used. Cookies are small pieces of data that are stored by your web browser on
your hard drive. The cookies allow our web servers to recognize the computers
used to access our websites. Cookies allow you to move from page to page on the
website, by remembering the information about the entire session.
Information gathered through cookies and by our web server logs may include the
date and time of visits, the pages viewed, time spent at our Web site, and the
Web sites visited just before and just after our Web site. This information is
collected on an aggregate basis. None of this
information is associated with you as an individual.
Children's Data
The Peterson's websites are designed for high school students, their parents,
and adults seeking information on higher education. Children under 13 years of
age may use these websites to get general information about higher education.
However, we do not collect personal information from anyone under 13, and children under 13 may not register or conduct
personalized searches.
How Do We Secure Information
Transmissions?
If you purchase a product from us, we will ask for a credit card number. These
transactions are secured using licensed secure server software which encrypts
the information you provide.
Additionally, we periodically review our operations and business practices for
compliance with corporate policies and procedures governing the security,
confidentiality and quality of our information.
Information we collect and why
In order to provide you with products and services, we collect information
about you from different sources:
-
Information you provide to us on forms (such as
applications), in writing, by telephone or through one of our Web sites.
- Information collected from your transactions with us
or others, such as account activity.
- Information from unaffiliated third parties such as
credit histories from credit reporting agencies.
Information safeguarding practices
Nelnet understands the trust you have placed in us and is committed to the
security and privacy of your personal information.
- Our authorized employees, agents and contractors
receive only the information about you they need to perform their required
work.
- We comply with federally recognized safeguard
standards including: intrusion monitoring, Secure Socket Layer, firewall
monitoring, security audits, and system inspections. We safeguard data
with password encryption technology.
- Companies that assist us in delivering our products
and services are also required to protect your information and use it only
for the services we ask them to perform.
Information
sharing within the Nelnet affiliated companies
Nelnet may share information within our affiliated companies in order to better
understand and provide solutions for your educational and financial needs. This
enables us to selectively contact you about products, services and promotions
that we believe will be of interest to you.
We may share all the information we have collected about you with our
affiliated companies. If you prefer we not share third party consumer report
information collected about you with our affiliated companies, you may instruct
us not to do so via email at custsvc@petersons.com . Please be sure to provide
the following information, and write “Affiliate Opt Out” in the subject line:
your name, address and account number. You may also call us at 1-800-225-0261. We may continue to share other information about you
within these affiliated companies as required or permitted by law.
Information sharing with service
providers and others outside the Nelnet affiliated companies
To the extent required or permitted by law, Nelnet may share the personal
information we have collected with service providers and limited unaffiliated
third parties for the following reasons:
- To service your account and provide you with
products and services you’ve requested.
- To marketing providers that assist us in
communicating additional products, services and special offers to you.
- To comply with a legal requirement, such as a law,
regulation, court order, subpoena or search warrant, or in the course of a
legal proceeding.
- In response to your consent or request.
- To report to a credit bureau.
- In the case of student loans, to report to a
guaranty agency, school, or the U.S. Department of Education.
- We may disclose information about you to outside
sources that offer educational and financial products, services, or
opportunities. Examples of these parties include (but are not limited to):
colleges and universities, scholarship search groups, insurance providers,
security companies, and credit organizations. If you prefer we not share
information collected about you with limited third parties offering
educational and financial products and services, you may instruct us not
to do so via email at custsvc@petersons.com . Please be sure to
provide the following information, and write “Third Party Opt Out” in the
subject line: your name, address and account number. You may also call us
at 1-800-225-0261.
Joint
accounts
Nelnet will accept opt-outs from individuals or joint account holders who may
make privacy choices for each other.
Vermont residents
Nelnet will automatically manage accounts with Vermont addresses as if the
account holder has selected both opt out choices described above, unless we
receive your consent to share information. You may provide your consent by
submitting the necessary information at custsvc@petersons.com .
California residents
Nelnet will automatically handle accounts with California addresses as if the
account holder has selected not to have information shared with limited third
parties offering educational and financial products, services and opportunities
unless we receive your consent to share information with these limited third
parties. You may provide your consent by submitting the necessary information
at custsvc@petersons.com
.
Information about this policy
- This policy is effective January 1, 2007.
- This policy applies to current and former customers.
- In the event of material policy changes to this
policy, a new privacy notice will be sent to you.
- This policy is available at www.petersons.com
.
- This policy does not apply if Nelnet services but
does not own your student loan. Your lender’s privacy policy will apply in
that situation. As your loan servicer, Nelnet complies with your lender’s
privacy policy.
- If you previously made an opt-out request, you do
not need to contact us again. That request still applies and remains in
effect.
You
and your personally identifiable information
You are encouraged to take steps to protect your privacy by keeping passwords
and personal identification numbers confidential, never disclosing personal
information to unknown callers, and ensuring your Internet use is secured and
protected from unauthorized access or use. If you believe you are a victim of
identify theft:
- Call the Federal Social Security Administration fraud
hotline: 800.269.0271
- File a police report with your local authorities,
note the report number and officer’s name
- Call the Federal Trade Commission’s Identity Theft
hotline: 877.IDTHEFT
- Contact the major national credit reporting
agencies:
Experian 888.397.3742
Equifax 800.525.6285
Trans Union 800.680.7289
Innovis 800.540.2505
Nelnet companies covered by this
policy
The Nelnet Inc. privacy policy covers the following companies as well as
subsidiary special purpose entities:
Nelnet, Inc.
LoanStar Funding Group, Inc.
National Education
Loan Network, Inc.
Nelnet Education Loan Funding, Inc.
Nelnet Guarantee
Solutions, LLC
College Bound Loans, Inc.
EMT
Corporation
National Education Loan of New England, Inc./NESLA
EFS
Finance Co.
MELMAC, Inc.
Chela Education
Funding, Inc.
SLAAA Acquisition
Corporation
Petersons Nelnet
LLC
This list may
change at any time without notice. Please visit www.petersons.com
to review the most current list of Nelnet companies covered under this policy.
Contact Us With Any Questions
If you have any questions about this privacy statement, the practices of our
websites, or your dealings with this web site, please contact the proper
address below:
Support Services
Peterson's
2000 Lenox Drive
Lawrenceville , NJ 08648
custsvc@petersons.com
1-800-225-0261