Privacy Policy

American Colleges Finder (accessible at americancolleges.io) is operated with a strong commitment to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, and safeguard data when you use our free college search tool. This site is owned and managed by Smart Freelance Solutions, and this policy applies to all users, whether you are a student, parent, counselor, or visitor from Kenya or any other region.

1. Information We Collect

Because AmericanColleges.io is designed as a free, account-free resource, we collect minimal personal data. However, certain standard interactions may involve the following:

• Usage Data: When you visit the site, our servers automatically record technical information sent by your browser (e.g., referring site, pages visited, date/time, browser type, device information). This helps us understand general usage patterns and improve performance.
• Cookies & Similar Technologies: We use essential cookies to enable core functionality (such as remembering your filter preferences during a session). No third-party advertising or tracking cookies are used for marketing purposes. You may disable cookies via browser settings, but some interactive features may be affected.
• Optional Contact Inquiries: If you email us at info@americancolleges.io or use any future contact form, we will collect your name, email address, and any details you provide, solely to respond to your inquiry. We never add you to marketing lists.
• No Account Registration: We do not require you to create an account, provide a password, or submit any personal identifiers to perform college searches or view data.

2. How We Use Your Information

The limited information we collect is used only for legitimate operational purposes:

• To operate, maintain, and enhance the performance of the American College Finder tool.
• To analyze aggregate trends and track volume of searches (without identifying individuals) to ensure service reliability and improve user experience.
• To respond to user support requests, feedback, or technical inquiries sent to our contact email.
• To comply with legal obligations or enforce our terms when necessary to protect the rights of Smart Freelance Solutions or our users.

We never use your data for any form of automated decision-making, profiling, or behavioral advertising.

3. Data Sharing & Disclosure

We respect your privacy and do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. Limited sharing may occur only in the following circumstances:

• Service Providers: We may use trusted third-party services (e.g., hosting infrastructure, analytics platforms that respect privacy, such as privacy-forward frameworks) that process data only under strict confidentiality agreements and solely to assist with site operations. These providers cannot use your data for any other purpose.
• Legal Compliance: If required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request (Kenya’s Data Protection Act or other relevant jurisdictions), we may disclose information where necessary to protect our rights, safety, or property.
• Business Transfers: In the unlikely event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale involving Smart Freelance Solutions, user data (de-identified where possible) may be transferred. We will provide notice before any such transfer becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

All college data displayed (tuition, acceptance rate, graduation metrics, etc.) is sourced from public U.S. government data and does not contain personally identifiable information.

4. International Users & Geo-Kenya Compliance

Our parent company Smart Freelance Solutions operates from and adheres to Kenyan data protection principles under the Data Protection Act, 2019. Although our service is focused on U.S. higher education data, we extend strong privacy protections to all users regardless of location. If you are accessing the site from Kenya or other regions, your data is processed with due regard for international standards, including data minimization and purpose limitation. We do not store any personal data on Kenyan soil unless explicitly required for support correspondence, and all third-party processors are carefully vetted for data security.

By using this website, you acknowledge that data (such as anonymized usage logs) may be transferred to and processed on servers located in secure cloud environments (USA/EU zones) with strict data protection agreements. If you have concerns, you may contact us to understand applicable safeguards.

5. Cookies & Tracking Technologies — Transparency

AmericanColleges.io uses only strictly necessary cookies to enable navigation and essential features (e.g., to remember filter selections or state browsing). No advertising or analytics trackers are deployed without your explicit consent. We do not incorporate Google Analytics or similar services that build long-term profiles. Any anonymized performance measurement is done internally via server logs that are automatically purged every 30 days.

You may disable cookies in your browser settings; however, some interactive aspects (sorting, saving preferences) may not work as seamlessly.

6. Data Retention

We retain usage logs for no longer than 30 days for security and debugging purposes. Any personal information you voluntarily provide via email correspondence is retained only as long as necessary to address your request, and no longer than 24 months after the last communication, unless required by law. If you would like us to delete any stored correspondence, send a request via info@americancolleges.io and we will honor it promptly.

7. Children’s Privacy

Our service is intended for general audiences, including high school students (typically ages 14+). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. No part of our website is structured to attract anyone under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately so we can delete such data.

8. Third-Party Links & External Resources

The American College Finder may contain links to individual college websites or official government resources (e.g., College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education). This Privacy Policy does not apply to those third-party platforms. We encourage you to review the privacy policies of any external sites you visit. We are not responsible for the content or data practices of linked websites.

9. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on your location (including Kenya’s Data Protection Act, GDPR for EU users, or similar laws), you may have rights regarding your personal data, including:

• Right to access – request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to rectification – correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Right to deletion – request erasure of your data, subject to legal exceptions.
• Right to object – opt out of any non-essential processing activities.

Because we collect minimal data, these requests can usually be resolved quickly. To exercise any of these rights, please email info@americancolleges.io with subject “Privacy Request”. We will respond within 30 days.

10. Security Measures

We implement industry-standard security protocols including encrypted connections (SSL/TLS), regular vulnerability scans, and restricted access to any raw log data. While no internet transmission is completely secure, we continuously work to protect your information from unauthorized access, alteration, or destruction. In the unlikely event of a data breach that affects user privacy, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required under applicable law.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. The “Effective date” at the top indicates when the latest version was issued. Material changes will be highlighted via a clear notice on the website at least 14 days in advance when possible. Your continued use of AmericanColleges.io after any modifications indicates acceptance of the updated policy.