Privacy Policy

VarsityCheck (“we”, “us” or “our”) operates the website varsitycheck.co.za (the “Site”), which helps prospective students find application deadlines, registration dates, courses and APS requirements for South African universities, universities of technology and colleges.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By using the Site, you agree to the practices described here. VarsityCheck is an independent information service and is not affiliated with any institution or with NSFAS.

We collect the following categories of information:

• Information you provide: when you create an account (for example as a data team editor), save career-path finder results, or contact us, you may share your name, email address and any details you enter into our tools.
• Usage data: pages you visit, the links you click, search queries within the Site, and approximate location derived from your IP address.
• Device and browser data: browser type and version, operating system, screen size, and referring URLs.
• Cookies and similar technologies: see the Cookies section below.

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide, maintain and improve the Site and its tools (such as the APS calculator and Career Path Finder);
• Display relevant institution and course information based on your inputs;
• Remember your saved results and preferences between visits;
• Understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve content and performance;
• Detect, prevent and address technical issues, fraud or abuse;
• Respond to your questions and requests.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use your information to make automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you.

Cookies are small text files stored on your device. We and our service providers use cookies and similar technologies (such as local storage and pixel tags) to keep you signed in, remember preferences, measure traffic and understand how the Site is used.

You can control cookies through your browser settings. Disabling cookies may affect some Site features.

We rely on trusted third-party services that may collect information as described in their own policies:

• Google Analytics: we use Google Analytics to understand aggregate usage patterns. It may set cookies and use your IP address to generate anonymous, aggregated reports. See Google’s Privacy Policy.
• Microsoft Clarity: we use Microsoft Clarity to understand user behaviour through heatmaps and session recordings. Clarity may collect usage data and use cookies. See Microsoft’s Privacy Statement.
• Hosting and authentication providers: we use a hosting platform and an authentication provider to run the Site and manage accounts. These providers process limited data on our behalf and under our instructions.

We take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure or destruction. These include access controls, encryption in transit and regular review of our systems.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security, but we work to protect your information using industry-standard practices.

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you;
• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information;
• Request deletion of your personal information, subject to legal retention obligations;
• Object to or restrict certain processing of your information;
• Withdraw consent where we rely on it (for example for optional cookies).

To exercise any of these rights, contact us using the details in the Contact Information section. We will respond within a reasonable timeframe.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal reasons. When we do, we will revise the “last updated” date at the top of this page. Material changes will be highlighted on the Site.

We encourage you to review this page periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information.

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information, you can contact us at:

VarsityCheck

Email: privacy@varsitycheck.co.za

Website: varsitycheck.co.za