1. Who is responsible
AuScholar (ABN 58 289 016 088) provides the AuScholar service and is responsible for the handling described in this policy. Privacy questions and requests can be sent to support@auscholar.com.au.
2. Information we handle
The information handled depends on how you use AuScholar and may include:
- account information, such as your email address, name if provided, authentication identifiers and session information;
- questionnaire answers, such as student type, citizenship or residency, preferred study location, postcode, study level, field, course and institution preference;
- optional background signals you select, including Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander status, disability or long-term health condition, refugee or humanitarian background, first-in-family status, regional or rural background, financial hardship or low-income background, and carer or parent status;
- saved scholarship identifiers and the date an item was saved;
- subscription information returned by Stripe, such as Stripe customer and subscription identifiers, plan, status, billing-period dates and cancellation status;
- communications you send to the support email; and
- basic technical and security information made available through requests and service providers, such as browser or device information, IP address, request logs, errors and security events.
3. Questionnaire storage and search URLs
Submitted questionnaire answers are held in a temporary HTTP-only session cookie so AuScholar can calculate results and restore the current search for editing. They are not placed in public results URLs.
For a signed-in user, an explicitly saved account profile may provide the starting answers for a new search. Submitting or editing an active search does not automatically update that saved account profile.
The temporary active-search cookie expires with the browser session. Clearing site data may end it sooner.
Signed-in users can explicitly save, update or delete a scholarship profile. A saved profile persists until it is updated, deleted or the account is deleted.
4. How we use information
We use information to authenticate accounts, calculate and explain scholarship matches, restore the active search, apply saved account-profile defaults, save selected scholarships, provide and reconcile subscriptions, secure and troubleshoot the service, respond to support requests, and maintain and improve the service.
AuScholar does not sell personal information.
5. Service providers
AuScholar uses service providers to operate the service. Current providers include:
- Supabase for authentication and database services;
- Stripe for Checkout, subscription processing and the customer billing portal; and
- Vercel for application hosting, delivery, privacy-filtered aggregate page-view analytics and public-page performance measurements.
Payment-card details are entered into Stripe's payment experience and are not stored directly in the AuScholar database. Stripe handles payment information under its own terms and privacy policy.
These providers may process information outside Australia according to their service configuration and policies. AuScholar does not represent that all information is stored only in Australia.
6. Cookies and browser storage
Supabase authentication uses necessary cookies to maintain a signed-in session. AuScholar uses an HTTP-only session cookie for the current submitted scholarship search and may use local browser storage for interface preferences or anonymous saved-scholarship identifiers. The current service does not use this storage to sell personal information or for third-party advertising.
Vercel Web Analytics measures aggregate page views on public pages. AuScholar excludes admin, account, authentication and API routes, removes query strings and URL fragments, and does not send custom search events, questionnaire answers, saved-profile data or scholarship result identities to Vercel Analytics.
Vercel Speed Insights measures anonymous performance signals only on approved public routes. AuScholar removes query strings and URL fragments and excludes account, admin, authentication, billing, API and other private or user-specific routes. It does not add cookies or send questionnaire answers, saved-profile data, user identifiers, contact details, tokens or custom events.
7. When information may be disclosed
Information may be disclosed to the service providers described above where needed to operate AuScholar, to professional advisers where reasonably necessary, where required or authorised by law, or to protect users, AuScholar, providers or the public from fraud, security threats or unlawful activity.
Official scholarship websites are separate services. Information you provide after following an external link is handled by that provider, not under this policy.
8. Security and retention
AuScholar uses reasonable technical and organisational safeguards, including authenticated account access and restricted server-side access to private account and billing records. No online service can promise complete security.
To understand scholarship demand and catalogue gaps, AuScholar may retain non-identifying search criteria and aggregate result counts for up to 30 days. Anonymous searches are not linked to an account; signed-in searches may be linked to the account identifier. Search analytics do not store contact details, names, IP addresses, browser identifiers, free-text answers or which sensitive optional eligibility circumstances were selected.
Account-linked search analytics are deleted when the associated account profile is deleted. Ordinary scholarship searches do not require a phone number.
We retain information while needed to provide an account or subscription, maintain saved scholarships, resolve support or billing matters, secure the service, meet legal obligations or establish and protect legal rights. Retention depends on the type of record and why it is needed; we do not promise a single fixed deletion period.
9. Access, correction and deletion requests
You can request access to, correction of or deletion of personal information by emailing support@auscholar.com.au. We may need to verify your identity before acting.
A request may not remove information that must be retained for lawful, security, fraud-prevention, transaction, dispute or technical backup reasons. We will explain where a request cannot be completed as asked.
10. Younger users
If you are under 18, involve a parent, guardian or trusted adult when deciding what personal information to provide, purchasing a subscription or using an external provider's application website.
11. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when the service or its data handling changes. The current date will be shown on this page, and material changes will be communicated where reasonably practical.
12. Contact
Contact AuScholar at support@auscholar.com.au for privacy questions or requests.