Privacy Policy

Effective as of September 3, 2024

Student Veterans of America’s (SVA) privacy policy has been compiled to better serve those who are concerned with how their ‘Personally Identifiable information’ (PII) is being used online. PII, as used in US privacy law and information security, is information that can be used on its own or with other information to identify, contact, or locate a single person, or to identify an individual in context. This document describes SVA’s use of information regarding the veterans and their dependents we serve, financial supporters of our mission, and general visitors to our website. Please read our privacy policy carefully to get a clear understanding of how we collect, use, protect or otherwise handle your Personally Identifiable Information in accordance with our website. Our website address is: studentveterans.org.

General User Privacy Policy

This privacy policy applies to general users of the SVA website and describes how SVA protects information you provide when you use this website.

Although elements of this policy may apply to student veterans, chapter leaders, and our donors who visit our website, we do collect additional information from these groups of people. Student veterans who apply for SVA’s programs and services can find additional information about how SVA uses their information on our SVA Programs and Services Privacy Policy. Donors and supporters of SVA can find additional information about how SVA uses their information on our SVA Donor Privacy Policy. Both policies may be found below.

Our goal is that you fully understand how we collect and use information you provide us and the steps we take to protect that information. We will update this policy from time to time, so make sure to check this page periodically. If you have any questions about this policy, please email us at [email protected].

What Types of Information do we Collect?
SVA might collect two types of information: personal information and non-personal information.

As you browse the SVA website, you may volunteer to provide SVA with personal information through program applications, signing up for the SVA Newsletter, etc. Personal information is information that contains identifiers such as your name, address, phone number, or email address.

As is common with most websites, SVA may automatically receive and record information in our server logs from your browser when you visit “studentveterans.org.” This non-personal information collected by these automated methods may include your IP address (An IP address is a unique numerical label assigned to each computer, phone, tablet, etc. connected to the internet.), your web browser, referral links, or how much time you spent at our website. Although this information may on rare occasion be used to identify you, SVA typically uses this information to improve your experience and the experience of other visitors to our website and on occasion to investigate or maintain the stability and security of our site.

SVA may use cookies to collect this type of non-personal information. A cookie is a small piece of information stored on your computer’s hard drive by the web browser while browsing a website, if your web browser permits. The website can later retrieve that cookie to let us know you’ve been to our site before. Cookies typically make your use of the site easier, helps the site run smoothly, and helps ensure our site is secure. Many websites use cookies. Depending on your browser, you are free to decline our cookies, however disabling cookies may result in some parts of our site not working properly.

When do we Collect Information?
Non-personal information is collected from you as you use any of the pages on the SVA website. We collect personal information from you only when you specifically provide it to us, such as completing an application for an SVA Program, registering for an event, and/or making a donation.

How do we use Your Information?
SVA use of collected information depends on the type of site visitors. We use information provided to us through the donation process in accordance with the SVA Donor Privacy Policy. We use program application information provided to us by in accordance with the SVA Programs and Services Privacy Policy. Both policies may be found below.

We may also use your personal and non-personal information in the following ways:

• Inclusion of collected information into our databases for internal record keeping, reporting, and data analysis;
• Communicating with you to obtain your input, provide information about our programs, services, and events, or donor opportunities (provided you have opted-in to receive such communications);
• Personalize your experience and to allow us to deliver the type of content in which you are most interested;
• Responding to user inquiries and customer service tickets;
• Improving our programs and services;
• Customizing our website according to your interests;
• Sharing information with third parties as required by law, or a part of a legal process.

We also reserve the right to use non-personal information, such as an IP address, to identify a user when we believe it is necessary to protect the interests of our websites, the veterans we serve, our donors, our employees, or others, or to comply with laws, court orders, or law enforcement requests.

Do we Share Your Information?
SVA may share your personal and non-personal information as discussed in section below. We do not, however, sell, share, or rent the personal information of our general website users for financial profit.

Do we use “Cookies”?
Cookies and other technology may be used to track non-personal information about your web-browsing habits. This information may be used to help improve your experience at our site.

SVA respects web browser “do not track” signals and other mechanisms that provide you the ability to opt out of having your personal information or online activities collected. But remember, unless you have selected the “do not track” function in your web browser, third parties (not just SVA) may collect personal information about your online activities over time and across different websites.

How do we Protect Your Information?
SVA is committed to ensuring that your personal information is secure. Several security barriers are in place to keep information securely stored. Information is securely stored using both physical (locks) and electronic barriers (passwords) with managerial procedures in place to secure the information we collect. access being restricted to SVA personnel directly associated with the project. Our websites use SSL (a tool used to verify the legitimacy of a website); and our employees are provided training on how to treat your information securely.

Will SVA be contacting me?
If you provide us with your contact information, we may provide you with information about SVA programs, services, events, and general information. It may be necessary for SVA staff to contact you to confirm or update your contact information and get feedback on your experiences participating in one of our many programs and events. We will also send you routine emails informing you of new SVA programs, services, and events.

Updating your Information: Please use this form to update your contact information: CONTACT UPDATE FORM

Customizing your Communication Preferences: Please use this form to update the type of messages you receive from us: COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES.

Opting Out: We provide you with the opportunity to opt out of having your personal information used for certain purposes when you provide your contact information.

If you are already receiving those messages and would like to stop receiving them, you may opt out by following the instructions included in the message. If you would like to immediately opt out of all communications, please complete this FORM.

External Websites and Third-Party Services
In our communications, we may sometimes provide you with a link to another website or service. We typically do this to provide you additional information about a topic or issue of concern to the veteran community or one of our sponsors who support SVA’s mission.

SVA may also include other electronic services on our website. These services are typically provided by third parties external to SVA and may require you to agree to the external service provider’s own privacy statement and terms of use. This policy does not cover any external services or how those third parties may use the information you provide them. We encourage you to review those privacy policies and terms of use.

MySVA
The MySVA application uses location data to provide participants with new messages and relevant notifications and camera data to personalize user experience. This data follows the data protection measures outlined in this policy.

Does the privacy policy apply to SVA’s research projects?
SVA often conducts data collection for research purposes. The laws and regulations for informed consent for human subjects research is defined and regulated by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP). While many of the privacy protections for human subjects research overlap with SVA’s privacy policy, the informed consent for each research project contains SVA’s information and privacy policies for research. For more questions about SVA’s research policies, please send an email to: [email protected].

What if I have a Question About SVA’s Privacy Policy?
Please email us at [email protected] with any questions about this policy. You can also mail us a letter at Student Veterans of America, Attention: 655 15th Street NW, Suite 320; Washington, D.C. 20005.

SVA Programs and Services Privacy Policy

This SVA Programs and Services Privacy Policy applies to chapter leaders, student veterans, military and veterans’ dependents, and others who apply for SVA’s programs and/or receive services from SVA. Several barriers are in place to keep application information, including personal information, securely stored. SVA uses both physical (locks) and electronic barriers (passwords) along with managerial procedures to secure program and service application information we collect. Our online application forms use SSL (a tool used to verify the legitimacy of a website); and our employees are provided training on how to treat your information securely.

This policy describes how Student Veterans of America protects information which program applicants provide in conjunction with their program application. Throughout this privacy policy (“policy”), SVA program applicants may be referred to as “Applicants” or “you.”

This policy may supplement the Student Veterans of America General User Privacy Policy (above), which covers all users of the SVA website. Although this policy is intended to compliment that Student Veterans of America General User Privacy Policy, this policy applies specifically to information you provide us in conjunction with your program application. This policy also supplements the SVA Donor Privacy Policy (below), which applies to any information you provide in conjunction with a donation to SVA. For example: if you navigate to a donation page on our website and make a contribution to SVA, the information you provide during your donation will be stored in accordance with the SVA Donor Privacy Policy. If you navigate to the Programs page and apply for a program or service, that information will be used in accordance with this policy. If you provide us additional information relating to your program application, that information will also be governed by this policy.

Our goal is that you fully understand how we collect and use information you provide us and the steps we take to protect that information. We will update this policy from time to time, so make sure to check this page periodically. If you have any questions about this policy, please email us at [email protected].

What Information is Collected for SVA Programs, Services, and Events?
SVA collects different information depending on the application.

Standard Program Application: We ask for your contact information, such as name, email address, and mobile number. Another section of the application asks for your current academic information, such as school name, class rank, major(s), and degree you are pursuing. We will also ask your service information, if applicable, such as branch, rank, service dates, and current military status. Also, current and past involvement with SVA chapters, such as chapter role(s), are also asked. Demographic questions, such as gender identity, ethnicity, and parent’s education levels are optional questions used to help determine the impact of our outreach efforts on applicant demographics and diversity.

Scholarships Applications: Information asked on scholarship applications depends on the specific scope and focus of the individual scholarship’s sponsors. Common questions on scholarship applications include proof of enrollment (e.g. transcripts, class schedule), current resume, proof of service (e.g. DD Form 214) and essay questions submitted either as a word document or video.

Specific SVA Programs: Information asked on SVA program applications vary based on the focus and goals of the application. The additional questions are designed to assess if the applicant is an appropriate fit for the program.

SVA Events: We ask for your contact information, such as name, email address, mobile number, and current employment or student information.

How do you Handle Sensitive Information on DD Form 214?
Some of program applications require an applicant to provide proof of their military service as part of the application process, most often a Department of Defense DD Form 214 (DD214) statement of service is provided and sufficient for the application needs. However, the DD214 contains several pieces of personal identifying information (PII), such as Social Security Numbers (SSN). SVA takes several special precautions to protect program applicant’s identity and prevent SSNs are not accessible to others. During the application process, applicants are alerted that their DD214s displays their SSN on it and given instructions on how to redact their SSNs. If an unredacted DD214 is submitted, trained SVA staff prints the DD214, redacts the SSN, rescans the document, and destroys the unredacted hard and electronic forms.

When do we Collect Information?
We collect your contact information and application details when you apply for SVA’s programs and services. This is most commonly done online through web forms or portals with additional information, such as edits or supplemental information to applications, through emails or phone conversations. Though you are not required to provide this information, your eligibility for programs or services may be impacted, if we do not have relevant, current information. For example, if you apply for one of our scholarships, we may ask about your current academic progress and goals and supplemental information, such as transcripts or proof of enrollment.

How do we Use Your Information?
Generally, SVA uses this information to evaluate and assess your fit for the program for which you applied. We also use this information to improve our outreach.

We will use your contact information and other information that we collect for the following reasons:

• Inclusion of collected information into our databases for internal record keeping, reporting, and data analysis;
• Communicating with you to obtain your input, provide information about our programs, services, and events, or donor opportunities (provided you have opted-in to receive such communications);
• Responding to your questions, feedback, or suggestions about or programs, services, or events;
• Improving our programs, services, or events;
• Customizing our programs, services, events, or website according to your needs and interests;
• For scholarships, sharing information with program sponsors and funders as part of the final selection process;
• Sharing information with third parties as required by law, or a part of a legal process.

We will use your eligibility documentation to ensure whether you are eligible for SVA’s programs and services.

Does SVA Share my Information?
SVA shares your personal and non-personal information only as discussed above. We will not share your information with third parties that do not provide direct program or event support, nor for purposes of adding you to a mailing list.

We will never sell, share, or rent your personal information for profit.

Third Party Program Support: As mentioned above, SVA may provide your information to third parties who support us in providing programs, services, and events to you. As part of their services, they may ask you for your contact information or other personal information. For example, if SVA sponsors your travel as part of a program or event, you may be contacted by a travel agency working with SVA to coordinate your and other program members’ travel. This Policy does not apply to information that you provide to these third parties, and we encourage you to ask those third parties any questions you may have about their use of your information.

How do we Protect Your Information?
SVA is committed to ensuring that your personal information is secure. Several barriers are in place to keep information securely stored. Information is securely stored using both physical (locks) and electronic barriers (passwords) with managerial procedures in place to secure the information we collect. access being restricted to SVA personnel directly associated with the project. Our websites use SSL (a tool used to verify the legitimacy of a website); and our employees are provided training on how to treat your information securely.

Will SVA be Contacting me?
It may be necessary for SVA staff may reach out to you to confirm or update your contact information and get feedback on your experiences with SVA programs, services, or events. We will also send you routine emails informing you of new programs, services, and events.

Updating your Information: Please use this form to update your contact information: CONTACT UPDATE FORM

Customizing your Communication Preferences: Please use this form to update the type of messages you receive from us: COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES.

Opting Out: If you are already receiving those messages and would like to stop receiving them, you may opt out by following the instructions included in the message. If you would like to immediately opt out of all communications, please complete this FORM.

What if I have a Question About SVA’s Privacy Policy?
Please email us at [email protected] with any questions about this policy or by calling us at (866) 504-4555. You can also send us a letter by post at Student Veterans of America, Attention: 655 15th Street NW, Suite 320; Washington, D.C. 20005.

SVA Donor Privacy Policy

This privacy policy applies to SVA donors and describes how SVA uses information you provide when you make a donation to us or sign up to receive emails (the “Donation Process”). Several barriers are in place to keep application information, including personal information, securely stored. SVA uses both physical (locks) and electronic barriers (passwords) along with managerial procedures to secure program and service application information we collect. Our online application forms use SSL (a tool used to verify the legitimacy of a website); and our employees are provided training on how to treat your information securely.

This policy may supplement the Student Veterans of America General User Privacy Policy (above), which covers all users of the SVA website. Although this policy is intended to compliment that Student Veterans of America General User Privacy Policy, this policy applies specifically to information you provide us in conjunction with the Donation Process. Applicants who register for our programs and services can find more information at the SVA Programs and Services Privacy Policy, while users of the website should review the Student Veterans of America General User Privacy Policy. (Both policies can be found above.) For example, if you register for SVA’s programs and services and also make a donation to SVA, the information you provide during your registration will be used in accordance with the SVA Programs and Services Privacy Policy, while the information you provide while making your donation will be used in accordance with this policy. Other information may be gathered in accordance with our Student Veterans of America General User Privacy Policy.

It is our goal that you fully understand how we collect information, how we use that information, and the steps we’ve taken to protect that information. We will update this policy from time-to-time, so make sure to check this page periodically. If you have any questions about this policy, please email us at [email protected].

What Information is Collected for Online and Offline Donations?

Online Donations: SVA uses a third-party online fundraising platform (“Classy”) to manage and process financial donations. The platform collects the following information through secure online financial-transaction pages: name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and credit card information. This policy does not cover services Classy provides or how Classy may use the information you provide them. We encourage you to review those privacy policies and terms of use.

SVA receives from Classy personally identifiable information, such as name, address, e-mail address, phone number, and donation information, such as amount of donation, donation method, etc. SVA uses this information to acknowledge receipt of your donation for tax purposes and to include you on SVA’s newsletter list. SVA DOES NOT receive any credit card nor banking information connected to the donation.

Offline Donations: SVA also accepts donations from donors in person, through the mail or other correspondence. Personal identifiable information, such as name, address, address, phone number, and donation information, such as amount of donation, donation method, etc. will be added to our donor database. SVA uses this information to acknowledge receipt of your donation for tax purposes and does not sell, share, or rent this information to others under any circumstances, including third-party fundraising or marketing purposes.

When is my Information Collected?
We collect this information from you during the Donation Process. If you donate online, your donation will not be processed without certain required information. If you donate in person, through the mail or other correspondence, we collect this information from you at the time of donation. We may also collect information as we communicate with you after your donation is made.

How do you Use my Information?
Generally, we use your information to process donations, send you thank you notes, tax information, and share with other parties for the purpose of furthering our mission, as required by law, or as part of a legal process. SVA may use your information in the following ways:

• Inclusion of collected information into our databases for internal record keeping, reporting, and information analysis;
• Communicate with you to obtain your input, provide you with information, or request contributions (provided you have not opted out of receiving such communications);
• Provide you with necessary tax information regarding your donation;
• Responding to your questions, feedback, or suggestions about or programs, services, or events;
• Customizing our programs, services, events, or website according to your needs and interests; and
• Share information with third parties as required by law, or a part of a legal

Do you Share my Information?
We will never sell, share, or rent your personal information for profit.

This Policy does not apply to any information that you provide to third parties, and we encourage you to ask those third parties any questions you may have about their use of your information.

How do you Protect my Information?
SVA is committed to ensuring that your personal information is secure. Several barriers are in place to keep information securely stored. Information is securely stored using both physical (locks) and electronic barriers (passwords) with managerial procedures in place to secure the information we collect. access being restricted to SVA personnel directly associated with the project. Our websites use SSL (a tool used to verify the legitimacy of a website); and our employees are provided training on how to treat your information securely.

Will you be Contacting me?
It may be necessary for SVA staff to contact you to confirm or update your contact information and get feedback on your experiences with the Donation Process. We will also send you routine emails informing you of new programs, services, and events that your donation has helped support.

Updating your Information: Please use this form to update your contact information: CONTACT UPDATE FORM

Customizing your Communication Preferences: Please use this form to update the type of messages you receive from us: COMMUNICATION PREFERENCES.

Opting Out: We provide you with the opportunity to opt out of having your personal information used for certain purposes during the Donation Process.

If you are already receiving those messages and would like to stop receiving them, you may opt out by following the instructions included in the message. If you would like to immediately opt out of all communications, please complete this FORM.

Contact Information of Minors
SVA does not knowingly collect, use, or disclose personal information about Donors who are under 18 years of age.

Questions about SVA Privacy Policy
Please email us at [email protected] with any questions about this policy or by calling us at (866) 504-4555. You can also send us a letter by post at Student Veterans of America, Attention: 655 15th Street NW, Suite 320; Washington, D.C. 20005.