Privacy policy of Graduate Study Options Ltd trading as UK Study Options (registered in England and Wales under company number 06951809)
Welcome to the privacy policy of UK STUDY OPTIONS.
Graduate Study Options Ltd trading as UK Study Options (registered in England and Wales under company number 06951809) (“UK STUDY OPTIONS”) provides services including in respect of United Kingdom university home fees status claims. References to the “Services” in this privacy policy are to those services and any services provided by UK STUDY OPTIONS from time to time.
UK STUDY OPTIONS respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal data and the personal data of any other data subjects that you provide. Where you provide UK STUDY OPTIONS with the personal data of any other data subjects, you confirm you have their consent to do so. This privacy policy will inform you as to how UK STUDY OPTIONS looks after such personal data when UK STUDY OPTIONS receives it as a result of your use of the Services. This privacy policy tells you about your privacy rights and how the law protects you.
Purpose of this privacy policy
This privacy policy aims to give you information on how UK STUDY OPTIONS collects and processes your personal data and the personal data of any other data subjects that you provide through your use of the Services, including any data you may provide when you use the Services.
It is important that you read this privacy policy together with any other privacy policy or fair processing policy UK STUDY OPTIONS may provide on specific occasions when UK STUDY OPTIONS is collecting or processing personal data so that you are fully aware of how and why UK STUDY OPTIONS is using your data and the personal data of any other data subjects that you provide. This privacy policy supplements other notices and privacy policies and is not intended to override them.
Controller
UK STUDY OPTIONS is the controller and responsible for your personal data and the personal data of any other data subjects that you provide.
UK STUDY OPTIONS has appointed a data privacy manager who is responsible for overseeing questions in relation to this privacy policy. If you have any questions about this privacy policy, including any requests to exercise your legal rights, please contact the data privacy manager using the details set out below.
Contact details
If you have any questions about this privacy policy or UK STUDY OPTIONS’s privacy practices, please contact UK STUDY OPTIONS’s data privacy manager in the following ways:
Email address: hello@ukstudyoptions.com
Postal address: The Mill Pury Hill Business Park, Alderton Road, Towcester, Northamptonshire, United Kingdom, NN12 7LS
You have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner’s Office (“ICO”), the United Kingdom (“UK”) regulator for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). UK STUDY OPTIONS would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact UK STUDY OPTIONS in the first instance.
Changes to the privacy policy and your duty to inform UK STUDY OPTIONS of changes
UK STUDY OPTIONS keeps its privacy policy under regular review. This version was last updated in June 2024.
It is important that the personal data UK STUDY OPTIONS holds about you and any other data subjects in respect of whom you provide personal data is accurate and current. Please keep UK STUDY OPTIONS informed if such personal data changes during your relationship with UK STUDY OPTIONS.
Third-party links
The Services may include links to third-party websites, plug-ins, platforms and applications. Clicking on those links or enabling those connections may allow third parties to collect or share data about you. UK STUDY OPTIONS does not control these third-party websites, plug-ins, platforms or applications and is not responsible for their privacy statements. UK STUDY OPTIONS encourages you to read the privacy policy of every website, plug-in, platform and application you visit.
Personal data, or personal information, means any information about an individual from which that person can be identified. It does not include data where the identity has been removed (anonymous data).
UK STUDY OPTIONS may collect, use, store and transfer different kinds of personal data about you and any other data subjects in respect of whom you provide personal data which UK STUDY OPTIONS has grouped together as follows:
- Identity Data includes first name, maiden name, last name, username or similar identifier, marital status, title, date of birth and gender.
- Contact Data includes email address and telephone numbers.
UK STUDY OPTIONS does not need to see personal documents such as passports, employment contracts and bank statements unless specifically requested in writing. So please do not send these unless specifically requested to do so in writing.
UK STUDY OPTIONS does not collect any Special Categories of Personal Data (this includes details about race or ethnicity, religious or philosophical beliefs, sex life, sexual orientation, political opinions, trade union membership, information about health, and genetic and biometric data). Nor does UK STUDY OPTIONS collect any information about criminal convictions and offences.
If you fail to provide personal data
Where UK STUDY OPTIONS needs to collect personal data by law, or under the terms of a contract UK STUDY OPTIONS has with you, and you fail to provide that data when requested, UK STUDY OPTIONS may not be able to perform that contract and may not be able to provide you with access to the Services.
UK STUDY OPTIONS may use different methods to collect data including through direct interactions. You may give UK STUDY OPTIONS your Identity and Contact Data and that of other data subjects which you provide by filling in forms (including through the Services) or by corresponding with UK STUDY OPTIONS by/through (as the case may be) post, phone, face-to-face, virtual meetings, email or otherwise. This includes personal data you provide when you apply to use the Services.
UK STUDY OPTIONS will only use your personal data and that of any other data subjects which you provide when the law allows UK STUDY OPTIONS to. Most commonly, UK STUDY OPTIONS will use such personal data in the following circumstances:
- Where UK STUDY OPTIONS needs to perform a contract UK STUDY OPTIONS has with you.
- Where it is necessary for UK STUDY OPTIONS’s legitimate interests (or those of a third party) and your/the data subject’s (as the case may be) interests and fundamental rights do not override those interests.
- Where UK STUDY OPTIONS needs to comply with a legal obligation.
Refer to the Glossary to find out more about the types of lawful basis that UK STUDY OPTIONS will rely on to process personal data.
Purposes for which UK STUDY OPTIONS will use personal data
UK STUDY OPTIONS uses the information collected for the following purposes:
- Taking payments, identification verification and the verification of other credentials.
- Otherwise providing you with access to the Services.
UK STUDY OPTIONS has set out below, in a table format, a description of all the ways UK STUDY OPTIONS may use personal data, and which of the legal bases UK STUDY OPTIONS relies on to do so. UK STUDY OPTIONS has also identified what UK STUDY OPTIONS’s legitimate interests are where appropriate.
| Purpose/Activity | Type of data | Lawful basis for processing including basis of legitimate interest |
| To register you as a new user of the Services and to allow you to use the Services
|
(a) Identity
(b) Contact
|
Performance of a contract with you |
| To manage UK STUDY OPTIONS’s relationship with you
|
(a) Identity
(b) Contact
|
(a) Performance of a contract with you
(b) Necessary to comply with a legal obligation (c) Necessary for UK STUDY OPTIONS’s legitimate interests (to keep UK STUDY OPTIONS’s records updated) |
Change of purpose
UK STUDY OPTIONS will only use personal data for the purposes for which UK STUDY OPTIONS collected it, unless UK STUDY OPTIONS reasonably considers that UK STUDY OPTIONS needs to use it for another reason and that reason is compatible with the original purpose. If you wish to get an explanation as to how the processing for the new purpose is compatible with the original purpose, please contact UK STUDY OPTIONS.
If UK STUDY OPTIONS needs to use personal data for an unrelated purpose, UK STUDY OPTIONS will notify you and UK STUDY OPTIONS will explain the legal basis which allows UK STUDY OPTIONS to do so.
Please note that UK STUDY OPTIONS may process your personal data without your knowledge or consent, in compliance with the above rules, where this is required or permitted by law.
UK STUDY OPTIONS does not sell, trade or otherwise transfer your information to third parties except as set out in this privacy policy. Your personal data is only disclosed in accordance with this privacy policy, applicable laws or with your explicit consent.
UK STUDY OPTIONS may transfer personal data to countries outside the UK. Although such countries may not be subject to the same data protection laws as organisations based in the UK, UK STUDY OPTIONS will take steps to make sure they provide an adequate level of protection in accordance with UK data protection law. By submitting personal information to UK STUDY OPTIONS you agree to this transfer, storing or processing at a location outside the UK.
Whenever UK STUDY OPTIONS transfers personal data outside of the UK, UK STUDY OPTIONS will ensure a similar degree of protection is afforded to it by ensuring at least one of the following safeguards is implemented:
- UK STUDY OPTIONS will only transfer personal data to countries that have been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data.
- Where UK STUDY OPTIONS uses certain service providers, UK STUDY OPTIONS may use specific contracts approved for use in the UK which give personal data the same protection it has in the UK.
Please contact UK STUDY OPTIONS if you want further information on the specific mechanism used by UK STUDY OPTIONS when transferring personal data outside of the UK.
UK STUDY OPTIONS has put in place appropriate security measures to prevent personal data from being accidentally lost, used or accessed in an unauthorised way, altered or disclosed. In addition, UK STUDY OPTIONS limits access to personal data to those employees, agents, contractors and other third parties who have a business need to know. They will only process personal data on UK STUDY OPTIONS’s instructions and they are subject to a duty of confidentiality.
UK STUDY OPTIONS has put in place procedures to deal with any suspected personal data breach and will notify you and any applicable regulator of a breach where UK STUDY OPTIONS is legally required to do so.
How long will UK STUDY OPTIONS use personal data for?
UK STUDY OPTIONS will only retain personal data for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfil the purposes UK STUDY OPTIONS collected it for, including for the purposes of satisfying any legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or reporting requirements. UK STUDY OPTIONS may retain personal data for a longer period in the event of a complaint or if UK STUDY OPTIONS reasonably believes there is a prospect of litigation in respect to UK STUDY OPTIONS’s relationship with you.
To determine the appropriate retention period for personal data, UK STUDY OPTIONS considers the amount, nature and sensitivity of the personal data, the potential risk of harm from unauthorised use or disclosure of personal data, the purposes for which UK STUDY OPTIONS processes personal data and whether UK STUDY OPTIONS can achieve those purposes through other means, and the applicable legal, regulatory, tax, accounting or other requirements. UK STUDY OPTIONS also considers the length of university course the applicant applicable to the Services is undertaking and the need to be able to advise on the fee status case concerning that applicant throughout their course should the need arise.
By law UK STUDY OPTIONS may have to keep basic information about users of the Services (including Contact and Identity Data) for 6 years after the cessation of a relevant relationship for tax purposes.
In some circumstances you can ask UK STUDY OPTIONS to delete data: see your legal rights below for further information.
Under certain circumstances, you have rights under data protection laws in relation to personal data.
If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact UK STUDY OPTIONS.
No fee usually required
You will not have to pay a fee to access personal data (or to exercise any of the other rights). However, UK STUDY OPTIONS may charge a reasonable fee if your request is clearly unfounded, repetitive or excessive. Alternatively, UK STUDY OPTIONS could refuse to comply with your request in these circumstances.
What UK STUDY OPTIONS may need from you
UK STUDY OPTIONS may need to request specific information from you to help UK STUDY OPTIONS confirm your identity and ensure your right to access personal data (or to exercise any of your other rights). This is a security measure to ensure that personal data is not disclosed to any person who has no right to receive it. UK STUDY OPTIONS may also contact you to ask you for further information in relation to your request to speed up UK STUDY OPTIONS’s response.
Time limit to respond
UK STUDY OPTIONS will try to respond to all legitimate requests within 1 month. Occasionally it could take UK STUDY OPTIONS longer than a month if your request is particularly complex or you have made a number of requests. In this case, UK STUDY OPTIONS will notify you and keep you updated.
LAWFUL BASIS
Legitimate Interest means the interest of UK STUDY OPTIONS’s business in conducting and managing UK STUDY OPTIONS’s business to enable UK STUDY OPTIONS to give you the best service/product and the best and most secure experience. UK STUDY OPTIONS makes sure UK STUDY OPTIONS considers and balances any potential impact on you (both positive and negative) and your rights before UK STUDY OPTIONS’s processes personal data for UK STUDY OPTIONS’s legitimate interests. UK STUDY OPTIONS does not use personal data for activities where UK STUDY OPTIONS’s interests are overridden by the impact on you (unless UK STUDY OPTIONS has your consent or is otherwise required or permitted to by law). You can obtain further information about how UK STUDY OPTIONS assesses UK STUDY OPTIONS’s legitimate interests against any potential impact on you in respect of specific activities by contacting UK STUDY OPTIONS.
Performance of Contract means processing data where it is necessary for the performance of a contract to which you are a party or to take steps at your request before entering into such a contract.
Comply with a legal obligation means processing personal data where it is necessary for compliance with a legal obligation that UK STUDY OPTIONS is subject to.
THIRD PARTIES
Internal Third Parties
Other companies in the group of companies to which UK STUDY OPTIONS belongs acting as joint controllers or processors.
External Third Parties
- Service providers as processors based inside and outside of the UK.
- Professional advisers acting as processors or joint controllers including lawyers, bankers, auditors and insurers who provide consultancy, banking, legal, insurance and accounting services.
- HM Revenue & Customs, regulators and other authorities acting as processors or joint controllers based in the UK who require reporting of processing activities in certain circumstances.
YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS
You have the right to:
Request access to your personal data (commonly known as a “data subject access request”). This fee you to receive a copy of the personal data UK STUDY OPTIONS holds about you and to check that UK STUDY OPTIONS is lawfully processing it.
Request correction of the personal data that UK STUDY OPTIONS holds about you. This enables you to have any incomplete or inaccurate data UK STUDY OPTIONS holds about you corrected, though UK STUDY OPTIONS may need to verify the accuracy of the new data you provide to UK STUDY OPTIONS.
Request erasure of your personal data. This enables you to ask UK STUDY OPTIONS to delete or remove personal data where there is no good reason for UK STUDY OPTIONS continuing to process it. You also have the right to ask UK STUDY OPTIONS to delete or remove your personal data where you have successfully exercised your right to object to processing (see below), where UK STUDY OPTIONS may have processed your information unlawfully or where UK STUDY OPTIONS is required to erase your personal data to comply with local law. Note, however, that UK STUDY OPTIONS may not always be able to comply with your request of erasure for specific legal reasons which will be notified to you, if applicable, at the time of your request.
Object to processing of your personal data where UK STUDY OPTIONS is relying on a legitimate interest (or those of a third party) and there is something about your particular situation which makes you want to object to processing on this ground as you feel it impacts on your fundamental rights and freedoms. In some cases, UK STUDY OPTIONS may demonstrate that UK STUDY OPTIONS has compelling legitimate grounds to process your information which override your rights and freedoms.
Request restriction of processing of your personal data. This enables you to ask UK STUDY OPTIONS to suspend the processing of your personal data in the following scenarios:
- If you want UK STUDY OPTIONS to establish the data’s accuracy.
- Where UK STUDY OPTIONS’s use of the data is unlawful but you do not want UK STUDY OPTIONS to erase it.
- Where you need UK STUDY OPTIONS to hold the data even if UK STUDY OPTIONS no longer requires it as you need it to establish, exercise or defend legal claims.
- You have objected to UK STUDY OPTIONS’s use of your data but UK STUDY OPTIONS needs to verify whether UK STUDY OPTIONS has overriding legitimate grounds to use it.
Request the transfer of your personal data to you or to a third party. UK STUDY OPTIONS will provide to you, or a third party you have chosen, your personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. Note that this right only applies to automated information which you initially provided consent for UK STUDY OPTIONS to use or where UK STUDY OPTIONS used the information to perform a contract with you.
Withdraw consent at any time where UK STUDY OPTIONS is relying on consent to process your personal data. However, this will not affect the lawfulness of any processing carried out before you withdraw your consent. If you withdraw your consent, UK STUDY OPTIONS may not be able to provide continued access to the Services to you. UK STUDY OPTIONS will advise you if this is the case at the time you withdraw your consent.