Privacy Policy
Our Commitment to Your Privacy
AccessLex Institute d/b/a Access Group and Access Group Education Lending®, (“Access Group” or, the “Company”), a non-profit corporation, maintains this website, www.accessgroup.org (the “Site”), to provide individuals who have Access Group student loans, and Access Group loan investors, with general information about Access Group, with information on third-party loan servicing and collections, and with investor reporting information. Access Group is committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your information and does not sell your personal information to anyone.
Privacy Notice
The Privacy Disclosure Form linked below describes what Access Group does with personal information of individuals whose loans are owned by Access Group or its affiliates.
Website Privacy Notice
The following sections describe Access Group’s privacy practices with regard to personal information that may be collected from or about Site users.
Information That We Collect – Information You Provide
The Company collects personal information about you when you provide it through this Site, or when you contact the Company by means specified on the Site or in the Privacy Disclosure Form linked above. Personal information is any information about an individual from which that individual can be identified. Your name, address, phone number and location are examples of personal information. Personal information also includes information about your engagement with the Site.
How We Use Your Information
The Company, along with our loan-related business partners, will use your personal information to manage the Company’s loan portfolio and maintain the Site.
Your personal information may be used by the Company in the following ways:
- Conducting general day-to-day business activities relating to the management of the Company’s loan portfolio;
- Responding to your inquiries or requests;
- Managing investor and/or bondholder relations;
- Monitoring compliance with and enforcing the Site's Terms of Use, and otherwise protecting the safety of Site users and the integrity of the Site;
- Preventing fraud or potentially illegal activities (such as copyright infringement);
- Providing Site technical support or similar assistance; and
- Aggregating information about you, and others like you, to utilize for analysis, research and similar purposes, consistent with the Company's nonprofit mission.
It is possible that the Company's corporate structure might change, or that portions of our nonprofit business might be acquired by another entity. In such transactions, customer information generally is a shared and transferred business asset.
By providing your personal information to us, you authorize the Company and its business partners to contact you, including through the use of automated technology. If we receive a Court Order or a subpoena for your personal information, we will disclose it as required by law. We may disclose your personal information as otherwise required by other legal mandates, or for the prevention or detection of a crime. We also may share your information with third parties that you have specifically designated as authorized to receive information from us. Finally, we may anonymize your information for research and analytical purposes, in which case the information will cease to be personal. We may share anonymized information with third parties for research purposes.
We do not disclose your personal information for profit to anyone. Similarly, we do not host third-party advertising on the Site. If you do not want your information to be used as described herein, you should not use this Site. Additionally, in light of the US-based focus of our Mission, if you are a resident of Canada or the European Union, you should not use this Site or provide any personal information through this Site.
Web Providers; Website Usage Information; IP Addresses, Cookies and Metadata
The Company offers certain programs and services through third-party website or app providers, website operators, and website service providers (collectively, “Web Providers”; e.g., Google,) which host or otherwise operationalize the Company’s online content and/or log-in experience.
While the Company makes reasonable efforts to minimize data collection by and through these Web Providers, the Company does not exercise control over the privacy practices of such entities in every instance. Because of this, the Company encourages you to review the privacy policies of each of these entities for additional information regarding how your personal information may be collected and used by them.
As with many other websites, the Web Providers used to operate the Site may collect certain data pertaining to you and the equipment and communications methods that you use to access the internet and the Site. The Company, (along with Web Providers), may also collect general Site usage information, including, but not limited to IP addresses (or similar identifiers) of the devices used to access the Site, or geotracking information about your location. Generally, such information is used for Site maintenance and security. However, some website services like Google’s “captcha” service, impose their own privacy practices, and we encourage you to review them.
The Company or its Web Providers may also use "cookies" or other similar technologies when you visit the Site. Cookies are data files stored on your computer or device for a variety of reasons, including to track information about you, such as when you are logged on to the Site or to identify your preferences. Where possible, you may have the option to set cookie preferences. Otherwise, by using the Site, you consent to the use of cookies and similar tracking methods. At this time, the Site does not recognize automated browser signals regarding tracking mechanisms, which may include "do not track" instructions.
In addition, the Company (including its Web Providers) may retain the content of, and the metadata regarding, any correspondence you may exchange with us, regardless of the mode of communication by which such correspondence was made. This information helps us to improve the Site and the online media, content, materials, opportunities, and services that we feature or describe on the Site, and to more effectively and efficiently respond to both current and future inquiries.
Your continued access to and use of the Site represents your consent to the provisions of this Privacy Policy, and to the provisions of the privacy policies of each respective Web Provider, to the extent applicable.
Third-party Links
The Site may contain links to third-party websites as a convenience, or to provide you with additional information and functionality. By offering hyperlinks to third-party websites, the Company does not represent or imply that there is any relationship between it and any third-party, or that the Company is endorsing these third parties, or their products or services. The Company makes no representations about, and is not responsible for, the privacy policies, if any, of any such third parties. Finally, the Company does not represent or promise that third-party sites accessed through hyperlinks on this Site are free of viruses, worms, Trojan Horses or other code with destructive properties.
How to Contact Us
You may contact us regarding this Privacy Policy at the address/email address below.
Access Group
Attn: Legal – Access Group Site Services
10 North High Street
Suite 400
West Chester, PA 19380
Email: General@accessgroup.org
A Special Note About Children's Privacy
You must be at least 18 years old to use this Site. The Company does not knowingly collect, use or disclose any information about visitors under the age of 13. If you are a parent or a guardian of a child under the age of 13 and believe that your child has disclosed personally identifiable information through this Site, please contact us at General@accessgroup.org.
Changes to Privacy Policy
We expressly reserve the right to update or amend this Privacy Policy from time to time. All such updates and amendments are effective immediately. We will provide you with notice of any amendments/updates by any reasonable means, such as posting a revised version of the Privacy Policy on the Site. You should view this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed of changes that may affect you, as your continued use of Access Group Content (as defined in the Terms of Use) signifies your continuing consent to be bound by this Privacy Policy, including any updates and amendments as noted above.
This Privacy Policy was updated December 2023.
Acknowledgement
BY ACCESSING OR USING THIS SITE, YOU ACKNOWLEDGE THAT YOU HAVE READ, UNDERSTAND, AND CONSENT TO THE PRIVACY PRACTICES DESCRIBED HEREIN, AND TO THE USE AND DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION AS DESCRIBED, AND YOU AGREE TO BE BOUND BY THIS PRIVACY POLICY AND ALSO BY THE TERMS OF USE APPLICABLE TO YOUR USE OF THIS SITE AND ACCESS GROUP CONTENT AS DEFINED IN THE TERMS OF USE.