PRIVACY POLICY
Last updated: November 29, 2022
This Privacy Policy describes app policies and procedures for the collection, use, processing and disclosure of Your information when You use the Student Accommodation Portal and tells You about Your privacy rights and how the law protects You.
We use personal data to provide and improve our Student Accommodation Portals. By using the Student Accommodation Portal, you agree to the collection and use of information under this Privacy Policy.
Interpretation and Definitions
Interpretation
The words of which the initial letter is capitalised have meanings defined under the following conditions. The following definitions shall have the same meaning regardless of whether they appear singular or plural.
Definitions
In this Privacy Policy:
- Account means a unique account created for You to access our Student Accommodation Portal or parts of our Student Accommodation Portal.
- NATIONAL STUDENT FINANCIAL AID SCHEME (referred to as either " NSFAS ", "We", "Us" or "Our" in this Agreement) refers to NSFAS, with offices located at The Halyard, 4 Christiaan Barnard St, Cape Town City Centre, Cape Town, 8001.
- Cookies refer to files placed on Your computer, mobile device or any other device by a website containing the details of Your browsing history on that website among its many uses.
- Country refers to South Africa
- Device means any electronic device that may be used to access the Student Accommodation Portal, such as a computer, mobile phone or digital tablet.
- Personal Data is any information related to an identified or identifiable individual.
- Student Accommodation Portal refers to the website or Student Accommodation Portal app.
- Student Accommodation Portal Provider means any natural or legal person who processes the data on behalf of NSFAS. It refers to third-party companies or individuals employed by NSFAS to facilitate the Student Accommodation Portal, to provide the Student Accommodation Portal on behalf of NSFAS, to perform Student Accommodation Portals related to the users or to assist NSFAS in analysing how the Student Accommodation Portal is used.
- Third-party social media on Student Accommodation Portal refers to any website or social network website through which a user can log in or create an account to gain access or use the Student Accommodation Portal.
- Usage Data refers to data collected automatically, either generated by the use of the Student Accommodation Portal or from the Student Accommodation Portal infrastructure itself (for example, the duration or number of a page visit).
- Website refers to the system, accessible from the website or mobile app.
- “You” means the individual accessing or using the Student Accommodation Portal, NSFAS, or other legal entity on behalf of which such individual is accessing or using the Student Accommodation Portal as applicable.
Collecting and Use of Personal Data
Types of Data Collected
Personal Data
While using our Student Accommodation Portal, we may ask the user to provide certain personally identifiable information that can be used to contact or identify You. Personally, identifiable information may include but is not limited to email address, first name and last name, phone number and usage data.
Usage Data
Usage Data has collected automatically when using the Student Accommodation Portal.
Usage Data may include information such as Your device’s Internet Protocol address (e.g., IP address), browser type, browser version, the pages of our Student Accommodation Portal that You visit, the time and date of Your visit, the time spent on those pages, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data. When You access the Accommodation Portal by or through a mobile device, we may collect certain information automatically, including but not limited to the type of mobile device You use, your mobile device’s unique ID, the IP address of Your mobile device, your mobile operating system, the type of mobile Internet browser You use, unique device identifiers and other diagnostic data. We may also collect information that Your browser sends whenever You visit our Student Accommodation Portal or when You access the Student Accommodation Portal by or through a mobile device.
Tracking Technologies and Cookies
We use Cookies and similar tracking technologies to track the activity on Our Student Accommodation Portal and store certain information. Tracking technologies used are beacons, tags, and scripts to collect and track information and to improve and analyse Our Student Accommodation Portal. The technologies We use may include:
a) Cookies or Browser Cookies: a cookie is a small file placed on Your Device. You can instruct Your browser to refuse all Cookies or to indicate when a cookie is being sent. However, if You do not accept Cookies, you may not be able to use some parts of our Student Accommodation Portal. Unless You have adjusted your browser setting so that it will refuse cookies, our Student Accommodation Portal may use Cookies.
b) Web Beacons: Certain sections of our Student Accommodation Portal and our emails may contain small electronic files known as web beacons (also referred to as clear gifs, pixel tags, and single-pixel gifs) that permit NSFAS, for example, to count users who have visited those pages or opened an email and for other related website statistics (for example, recording the popularity of a certain section and verifying system and server integrity).
Cookies can be "Persistent" or "Session" Cookies. Persistent Cookies remain on Your personal computer or mobile device when You go offline, while Session Cookies are deleted as soon as You close Your web browser.
We use both Session Cookies, and Persistent Cookies for the purposes set out below:
- Necessary / Essential Cookies
Type: Session Cookies
Administered by: Us
Purpose: These Cookies are essential to provide You with Student Accommodation Portals available through the Website and to enable You to use some of its features. They help to authenticate users and prevent fraudulent use of user accounts. Without these Cookies, the Student Accommodation Portals you have requested cannot be provided, and We only use these Cookies to provide You with those Student Accommodation Portals.
- Cookies Policy / Notice Acceptance Cookies
Type: Persistent Cookies
Administered by: Us
Purpose: These Cookies identify if users have accepted cookies on the Website.
- Functionality Cookies
Type: Persistent Cookies
Administered by: Us
Purpose: These Cookies allow us to remember the choices You have made when You use the Website, such as remembering Your login details or language preference. The purpose of these Cookies is to provide You with a more personal experience and to avoid You having to re-enter Your preferences every time you use the Website. For more information about the cookies, we use and Your choices regarding cookies, please visit our Cookies Policy or the Cookies section of our Privacy Policy.
Use of Personal Data
NSFAS may use Personal Data for the following purposes:
a. To provide and maintain our Student Accommodation Portal, including monitoring the usage of the portal.
b. To manage Your Account Registration as a user of the Student Accommodation Portal. The Personal Data You provide can give You access to different portal functionalities available to registered users.
c. For the performance of a contract: the development, compliance and undertaking of the purchase contract for the products, items or Student Accommodation Portals You have purchased or any other contract with Us through the portal.
d. To Contact You: To contact You by email, telephone calls, SMS, or other equivalent forms of electronic communication, such as a mobile application's push notifications regarding updates or informative communications related to the functionalities, products or contracted Student Accommodation Portals, including security updates, when necessary or reasonable for their implementation.
e. To provide You with news, special offers and general information about other goods, Student Accommodation Portals and events which we offer that are similar to those that You have already subscribed to or enquired about unless You have opted not to receive such information.
f. To manage Your requests: To attend and manage Your requests with Us.
g. For business transfers: We may use Your information to evaluate or conduct a merger, divestiture, restructuring, reorganisation, dissolution, or other sale or transfer of some or all of Our assets, whether as a going concern or as part of bankruptcy, liquidation, or similar proceeding, in which Personal Data held by Us about the portal users is among the assets transferred.
For other purposes: We may use Your information for other purposes, such as data analysis, identifying usage trends, determining the effectiveness of our promotional campaigns and evaluating and improving the portal, products, services, marketing and Your experience.
We may share Your personal information in the following situations:
- With Student Accommodation Portal Providers: We may share Your personal information with Student Accommodation Portal Providers to monitor and analyse the use of the portal to contact You.
- For business transfers: We may share or transfer Your personal information in connection with, or during negotiations of, any merger, sale of NSFAS assets, financing, or acquisition of all or a portion of Our business to another NSFAS.
- With Affiliates: We may share Your information with Our affiliates, which will require those affiliates to honour this Privacy Policy. Affiliates include Our parent NSFAS and any other subsidiaries, joint venture partners or other companies that We control or that are under common control with Us.
- With business partners: We may share Your information with Our business partners to offer You certain products, services or promotions.
- With other users: when You share personal information or otherwise interact in public areas with other users, such information may be viewed by all users and may be publicly distributed outside. If You interact with other users or register through a Third-Party Social Media service, your contacts on the Third-Party Social Media service may see Your name, profile, pictures and description of Your activity. Similarly, other users will be able to view descriptions of Your activity, communicate with You and view Your profile.
- With Your consent: We may disclose Your personal information for any other purpose with Your consent.
Retention of Personal Data
NSFAS will retain Your Personal Data only for as long as is necessary for the purposes set out in this Privacy Policy. We will retain and use Your Data to the extent necessary to comply with our legal obligations (for example, if we are required to retain Your data to comply with applicable laws), resolve disputes, and enforce our legal agreements and policies.
NSFAS will also retain Usage Data for internal analysis purposes. Usage Data is generally retained for a shorter period, except when this data is used to strengthen the security or to improve the functionality of the Student Accommodation Portal or We are legally obligated to retain this data for longer periods.
Transfer of Personal Data
Your information, including Personal Data, is processed at NSFAS's operating offices and other places where the parties involved in the processing are located. It means that this information may be transferred to —and maintained on — computers located outside of Your state, province, country or other governmental jurisdictions where the data protection laws may differ from those from Your jurisdiction.
Your consent to this Privacy Policy, followed by Your submission of such information, represents Your agreement to that transfer.
NSFAS will take all steps reasonably necessary to ensure that Your data is treated securely and following this Privacy Policy, and no transfer of Your Personal Data will take place to an organisation or a country unless there are adequate controls in place, including the security of Your data and other personal information.
Delete Personal Data
You have the right to delete or request that We assist in deleting the Personal Data We have collected about You. The portal may allow You to delete certain information about You from within the Student Accommodation Portal. You may update, amend, or delete Your information at any time by signing in to your Account, if You have one, and visiting the account profile section that allows You to manage Your personal information. You may also contact Us to request access to, correct, or delete any personal information that You have provided to Us. Please note, however, that We may need to retain certain information when we have a legal obligation or lawful basis to do so.
Disclosure of Personal Data
Business Transactions
If NSFAS is involved in a merger, acquisition or asset sale, Your Personal Data may be transferred. We will provide notice before Your Personal Data is transferred and becomes subject to a different Privacy Policy.
Law enforcement
Under certain circumstances, NSFAS may be required to disclose Personal Data if required by law or in response to valid requests by public authorities (e.g., a court or a government agency).
Other legal requirements
NSFAS may disclose Personal Data in good faith and belief that such action is necessary to:
- Comply with a legal obligation
- Protect and defend the rights or property of NSFAS
- Prevent or investigate possible wrongdoing in connection with the Student Accommodation Portal
- Protect the personal safety of Users of the Student Accommodation Portal or the public
- Protect against legal liability
Security of Your Personal Data
The security of Your Personal Data is important to Us, but remember that no method of transmission over the Internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure. While We strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect Your Personal Data, we cannot guarantee its absolute security.
Children's Privacy
Our Student Accommodation Portal does not address anyone under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personally identifiable information from anyone under 13. If You are a parent or guardian and you know that Your child has provided Us with Personal Data, don’t hesitate to get in touch with Us. If We become aware that We have collected Personal Data from anyone under the age of 13 without verification of parental consent, we take steps to remove that information from Our servers. If We need to rely on consent as a legal basis for processing Your information and Your country requires consent from a parent, we may require a parent's consent before We collect and use that information.
Links to Other Websites
Our Student Accommodation Portal may contain links to other websites not operated by Us. If You click on a third-party link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. We strongly advise You to review the Privacy Policy of every site You visit. We have no control over and assume no responsibility for the content, privacy policies or practices of any third-party sites or Student Accommodation Portals.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update Our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify You of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page. We will inform you through email and/or a prominent notice on Our Student Accommodation Portal before the change becomes effective and update the "Last updated" date at the top of this Privacy Policy.
You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes. Changes to this Privacy Policy are effective when they are posted on this page.
Contact Us
If You have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us:
* By email: info@nsfas.org.za
* By phone number: 08000 67327
For more information, visit https://www.nsfas.org.za
