1. Information we collect
We collect information you provide directly, information generated as you use the service, and information from the third-party providers that power CollegeDI.
Account information
When you create an account, our authentication provider (Clerk) collects your name, email address, and login credentials. We do not store your password ourselves.
Financial and planning information
To produce affordability assessments and recommendations, we collect the financial details you choose to enter, which may include:
- College savings details, such as 529 plan balances and monthly savings goals;
- Expected merit and outside scholarships and other anticipated aid;
- Income, household, and expense information used to estimate your Student Aid Index (SAI) and True Affordability Index (TAI);
- Financial aid award letters and related documents you upload, stored using Amazon Web Services (AWS);
- Net price calculator PDFs or screenshots you submit for extraction, and the calculator totals and assumptions you choose to save;
- Your college lists, scheduled meetings, applications, and notes you create within the service.
Communications and AI assistant content
If you subscribe to our newsletter, we collect your email address. If you use the in-app AI assistant, we process the messages and questions you submit in order to generate responses.
Usage and device information
As you use the service, we and our analytics and monitoring providers automatically collect information such as pages viewed, features used, approximate location, device and browser type, and error diagnostics.
2. How we use your information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide, personalize, and improve our affordability assessments, college list guidance, award-letter analysis, and recommendations;
- Operate the AI assistant and respond to your questions;
- Process subscriptions and payments and manage your account and plan;
- Schedule and deliver consultations and other support you request;
- Communicate with you about your account, updates, and (where you have opted in) educational content and newsletters;
- Monitor, secure, debug, and improve the service and develop new features;
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms.
We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use your financial information for advertising.
3. Service providers we share information with
We share information with trusted third-party providers only as needed to operate the service. These include:
- Clerk — authentication and account management;
- Stripe — payment processing for paid plans. Stripe handles your card details directly; we do not store full payment card numbers;
- OpenAI — powers AI assistant features and document extraction by processing the prompts and documents you submit;
- Amazon Web Services (AWS) — secure storage of uploaded documents such as award letters;
- Neon — managed database hosting for your account data;
- PostHog — product analytics;
- Sentry — error monitoring and performance diagnostics;
- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and logo.dev — sources of public college data and institution logos.
We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect our rights or users' safety, or in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets.
4. How we protect your information
We use technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect your information, including encryption of sensitive data fields, access controls, and reputable infrastructure providers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, however, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
6. Data retention
We retain your information for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide the service, comply with our legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. When information is no longer needed, we take steps to delete or de-identify it.
Calculator uploads are processed in memory and sent to OpenAI for extraction; CollegeDI does not save the original calculator file. Saved drafts and reviewed totals remain with your saved school until you remove them or delete that school or account. Downgrading your subscription does not delete them. Provider retention policies and database backup retention may differ from live application storage.
7. Your choices and rights
You may:
- Access, correct, or update much of your information directly in your account settings;
- Unsubscribe from marketing emails using the link in any message;
- Request a copy of your information, or ask us to delete your account and associated data, by contacting us;
- Exercise additional rights that may be available to you under applicable state or local privacy laws.
To make a request, email us at info@collegedi.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request.
8. Children's privacy
CollegeDI is intended for use by parents, guardians, and prospective college students, and is directed to a general adult audience. It is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can remove it.
9. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice. Your continued use of the service after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.
10. Contact us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, contact us at info@collegedi.com or visit our contact page. CollegeDI is based in Portland, Maine.