Privacy Policy
Last Updated: February 8, 2026
The Gap Funding Group LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our"), a Delaware Limited Liability Company, operates a network of educational websites related to student loan funding, graduate school costs, and financial planning for higher education. Our websites include, but are not limited to:
- doctorgapfunding.com
- crnaloangap.com
- lawschoolgap.com
- mbaloangap.com
- parentplusgap.com
- gradschoolgap.com
- thefundinggap.org
- gapfundinggroup.com
- dentalschoolgap.com
- vetschoolgap.com
- paschoolloans.com
- dptschoolloans.com
as well as any other websites, subdomains, and related online properties operated by the Company that link to this Privacy Policy (each, a "Site," and collectively, the "Sites").
This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when you visit our Sites or use our services, including the Funding Gap Calculator (the "Calculator"). This Policy is designed to comply with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA), the New York SHIELD Act, and other applicable state privacy laws.
By using our Sites, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.
1. Important Notice Regarding Financial Documents
We do not collect, store, or process personal financial documents. We will never ask you to upload financial aid award letters, tax returns, bank statements, loan documents, FAFSA submissions, or any other personal financial records. Our Calculator and tools operate entirely on publicly available institutional data. You are never required to provide sensitive financial documentation to use any feature of our Sites.
2. Information We Collect
2a. Information You Voluntarily Provide
We collect information that you actively choose to give us:
- Email Address: If you sign up for our newsletter, request a Funding Plan PDF, register for a webinar, or apply for the Funding Gap Scholarship, we collect your email address.
- Calculator Selections: When you use the Calculator, you select an institution, program type, and enrollment status from pre-populated options. These selections are derived from publicly available data, not personal information. We may log which selections are made in aggregate for analytics purposes.
- Scholarship Applications: If you apply for the Funding Gap Scholarship, we collect your name, email address, institution name, program of study, and essay response.
- Contact Form Submissions: If you contact us via email or a contact form, we collect the information you include in your message.
2b. Information Collected Automatically
When you visit our Sites, certain information is collected automatically through cookies and similar technologies:
- Device and Browser Information: Browser type and version, operating system, device type (mobile, desktop, tablet), screen resolution.
- Usage Data: Pages visited, time spent on pages, click patterns, referring URL, exit pages, date and time of visit.
- IP Address: Collected by our analytics and advertising tools. We do not use IP addresses to identify individual users.
- Location Data (General): Approximate geographic location derived from IP address (city/state level, not precise location). We do not collect GPS data.
2c. Information We Do NOT Collect
We want to be explicit about what we do not collect:
- Social Security Numbers — Never requested, never collected
- Financial Aid Award Letters or Documents — Never requested, never collected
- Bank Account or Payment Information — We do not process payments through our Sites
- Credit Scores or Credit Reports — We do not pull or access your credit information
- FAFSA Data or Tax Information — Never requested, never collected
- Student ID Numbers — Never requested, never collected
- Precise Geolocation Data — We do not access GPS or precise location
- Biometric Data — Never collected
- Information from Minors — See Section 10
3. How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect for the following purposes:
| Purpose | Legal Basis | Data Used |
|---|---|---|
| Deliver requested content (Funding Plan PDFs, newsletters, webinar access) | Your consent | Email address, calculator selections |
| Improve our Sites, Calculator, and content | Legitimate business interest | Aggregated usage data, device info |
| Analyze which institutions, programs, and pages are most visited | Legitimate business interest | Aggregated usage and calculator data |
| Display relevant advertising and measure ad performance | Your consent (via cookie preferences) | Device info, usage data, IP address |
| Retarget visitors who have used our Sites with relevant ads on other platforms | Your consent (via cookie preferences) | Device info, cookies, pixel data |
| Respond to your inquiries or support requests | Your consent | Contact form data, email address |
| Administer the Funding Gap Scholarship | Your consent | Scholarship application data |
| Detect and prevent fraud, spam, and abuse | Legitimate business interest | IP address, device info, usage patterns |
| Comply with legal obligations | Legal requirement | As required by law |
We do not sell your personal information. See Section 6 for details on your rights under the CCPA.
4. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
4a. What We Use
Our Sites use the following categories of cookies and tracking technologies:
Strictly Necessary Cookies These are required for the Sites to function and cannot be disabled. They include cookies that remember your cookie consent preferences and maintain session functionality.
Analytics Cookies We use Google Analytics 4 to understand how visitors interact with our Sites. Google Analytics collects data including pages visited, session duration, bounce rate, and general location. Google Analytics data is aggregated and does not personally identify you. You can opt out of Google Analytics by installing the Google Analytics Opt-Out Browser Add-on (https://tools.google.com/dlpage/gaoptout).
Advertising and Retargeting Cookies With your consent, we use:
- Google Ads Remarketing: Allows us to show ads to people who have previously visited our Sites when they browse other websites in the Google Display Network.
- Meta Pixel (Facebook/Instagram): Allows us to show ads to previous visitors on Meta platforms and measure ad performance.
These tools collect device identifiers, cookie IDs, and browsing behavior. They do not collect your name, email, or other directly identifying information unless you have independently provided that information to those platforms.
Affiliate Tracking Cookies When you click on a link to a third-party lender or loan marketplace on our Sites, the affiliate network (such as Impact.com, CJ Affiliate, or ShareASale) may place a cookie on your device to track that the referral originated from our Site. This is necessary for us to receive compensation for the referral. These cookies are governed by the respective affiliate network's privacy policy.
4b. Your Cookie Choices
You can manage your cookie preferences through:
- Our Cookie Consent Banner: Displayed when you first visit any of our Sites, allowing you to accept or decline non-essential cookies.
- Browser Settings: Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies. Note that blocking cookies may affect Site functionality.
- Opt-Out Links:
- Google Ads: https://adssettings.google.com
- Meta/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=ads
- General Opt-Out: https://optout.aboutads.info
5. How We Share Your Information
We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with the following categories of recipients:
5a. Service Providers
We share information with third-party service providers who perform services on our behalf, including:
- Email Marketing: ConvertKit or equivalent email service provider (receives your email address to deliver newsletters and funding plan PDFs)
- Web Hosting: Vercel or equivalent hosting provider (processes server requests including IP addresses)
- Analytics: Google LLC (receives anonymized usage data)
- Advertising: Google LLC, Meta Platforms Inc. (receive cookie and device data for ad targeting)
These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only to provide services to us and in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
5b. Affiliate Networks and Lender Partners
When you click on an affiliate link to a third-party lender, the following information may be transmitted to the affiliate network or lender:
- The fact that you were referred from our Site
- The specific page you were on when you clicked
- A cookie identifier for attribution purposes
We do not transmit your name, email address, or any personal information to lenders when you click an affiliate link. Any information you subsequently provide to a lender (such as on a loan application) is collected directly by that lender and governed by their privacy policy, not ours.
5c. Aggregate and De-Identified Data
We may share aggregated, de-identified data that cannot reasonably be used to identify you. For example, we may publish or share statistics such as "45% of calculator users selected medical programs" or "the most-searched institution is the University of Michigan." This aggregated data does not constitute personal information.
5d. Legal Requirements
We may disclose your information if required to do so by law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others, investigate fraud, or respond to a government request.
5e. Business Transfers
In the event of a merger, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or a portion of our assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you via email or prominent notice on our Sites before your information becomes subject to a different privacy policy.
6. Your Privacy Rights
6a. Rights Under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights:
Right to Know: You have the right to request that we disclose the categories and specific pieces of personal information we have collected about you, the categories of sources from which we collected it, the business or commercial purpose for collecting it, and the categories of third parties with whom we share it.
Right to Delete: You have the right to request that we delete personal information we have collected from you, subject to certain exceptions (such as information necessary to complete a transaction or comply with a legal obligation).
Right to Correct: You have the right to request that we correct inaccurate personal information we maintain about you.
Right to Opt Out of Sale or Sharing: We do not sell your personal information. We do share certain information (such as cookie data) with advertising partners for targeted advertising purposes, which may constitute "sharing" under the CCPA. You may opt out of this sharing by adjusting your cookie preferences on our Sites or by using the "Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information" link available in the footer of each Site.
Right to Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your CCPA rights.
Categories of Personal Information Collected in the Preceding 12 Months:
| Category (per CCPA) | Collected? | Examples | Business Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Identifiers | Yes | Email address, IP address | Newsletter delivery, analytics |
| Internet or electronic network activity | Yes | Browsing history, search history, interaction with Sites | Analytics, advertising |
| Geolocation data (non-precise) | Yes | City/state derived from IP | Content relevance, analytics |
| Professional or employment-related information | No | — | — |
| Education information | Limited | Institution and program selected in Calculator (from public data, not student records) | Calculator functionality |
| Financial information | No | — | — |
| Biometric information | No | — | — |
| Sensitive personal information | No | — | — |
Personal Information Sold: None.
Personal Information Shared for Targeted Advertising: Cookie identifiers and device information shared with Google and Meta for retargeting purposes. You may opt out as described above.
To exercise your CCPA rights, contact us at privacy@gapfundinggroup.com or use the methods described in Section 8. We will verify your identity before processing your request and respond within 45 days.
6b. Rights Under the New York SHIELD Act
The New York Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act requires businesses that collect private information of New York residents to implement reasonable data security safeguards.
Our Compliance:
We maintain reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect the security, confidentiality, and integrity of your personal information, including:
- Administrative Safeguards: Designated personnel responsible for data security; risk assessment of our data handling practices; service provider vetting for adequate security practices.
- Technical Safeguards: Encryption of data in transit (TLS/SSL on all Sites); access controls limiting who can view personal information; regular monitoring of our systems for unauthorized access.
- Physical Safeguards: We operate as a digital business without physical data storage facilities. All data is stored in encrypted cloud infrastructure provided by vetted service providers.
Your Rights Under the SHIELD Act:
If we experience a data breach involving your private information (as defined by the SHIELD Act, including your name combined with Social Security number, driver's license number, financial account numbers, or biometric data), we will notify you and the New York Attorney General in accordance with the Act's requirements.
Important Note: We minimize the private information we collect to reduce breach risk. We do not collect Social Security numbers, driver's license numbers, financial account numbers, credit card numbers, or biometric data. The primary personal information we hold is email addresses and IP-derived location data.
6c. Rights Under Other State Laws
If you are a resident of Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, Texas, Oregon, Montana, or another state with consumer privacy legislation, you may have similar rights to access, delete, correct, and opt out of the sale or sharing of your personal information. To exercise these rights, please contact us using the methods described in Section 8.
7. Data Retention
We retain your personal information only as long as necessary for the purposes described in this Privacy Policy:
| Data Type | Retention Period |
|---|---|
| Email address (newsletter subscribers) | Until you unsubscribe, plus 30 days for processing |
| Email address (funding plan recipients) | 24 months from date of collection, then deleted unless you subscribe to ongoing communications |
| Calculator usage data (aggregated) | Retained indefinitely in aggregated, de-identified form |
| Analytics data (Google Analytics) | 14 months (per Google Analytics default) |
| Scholarship application data | 12 months after the scholarship award date |
| Server logs (including IP addresses) | 90 days |
| Cookie data | Varies by cookie; see our Cookie Consent Banner for specific durations |
You may request deletion of your personal information at any time using the methods described in Section 8.
8. How to Exercise Your Rights
You may exercise your privacy rights by contacting us through any of the following methods:
- Email: privacy@gapfundinggroup.com
- Subject Line: Include "Privacy Request" and specify the right you wish to exercise (e.g., "Privacy Request — Deletion" or "Privacy Request — Access")
When submitting a request, please provide sufficient information for us to verify your identity and locate your information (such as the email address you used on our Sites). We will respond to all verifiable requests within:
- CCPA: 45 calendar days (may be extended by an additional 45 days with notice)
- Other State Laws: Within the timeframe required by applicable law, typically 45 days
You may also designate an authorized agent to make a request on your behalf. We may require the agent to provide proof of authorization and may contact you directly to verify.
9. Data Security
We implement reasonable and appropriate security measures to protect your personal information from unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, and destruction. These measures include:
- TLS/SSL encryption on all Sites and data transmissions
- Secure, encrypted cloud hosting infrastructure
- Access controls limiting personnel who can view personal information
- Regular review of our data collection, storage, and processing practices
- Vetting of third-party service providers for adequate security practices
No method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your personal information, we cannot guarantee its absolute security. If you have reason to believe that your interaction with us is no longer secure, please contact us immediately at privacy@gapfundinggroup.com.
10. Children's Privacy
Our Sites and Services are not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@gapfundinggroup.com, and we will promptly delete such information.
Our Sites may be used by individuals aged 13 through 17 who are researching graduate and professional school costs for future planning purposes. We do not knowingly collect more information from these users than is necessary to provide our Services.
11. Third-Party Links
Our Sites contain links to third-party websites, including lender websites, loan marketplaces, government resources, and educational institutions. This Privacy Policy applies only to our Sites. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of third-party websites. We encourage you to read the privacy policy of every website you visit.
When you click an affiliate link on our Sites and are directed to a lender's website, you are subject to that lender's privacy policy. Any personal information you provide to a lender (such as your name, Social Security number, income, or credit information on a loan application) is collected and processed by that lender, not by us.
12. Do Not Track Signals
Some browsers transmit "Do Not Track" (DNT) signals to websites. There is no universally accepted standard for how websites should respond to DNT signals. Our Sites do not currently respond to DNT signals. However, you can control tracking through your cookie preferences as described in Section 4b.
13. International Users
Our Sites are operated from the United States and are intended for users located in the United States. If you access our Sites from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your country. By using our Sites, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.
14. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or for other operational reasons. If we make material changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
- Post a prominent notice on our Sites for a reasonable period
- Send an email notification to subscribers if the changes affect how we handle their information
Your continued use of the Sites after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
15. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
The Gap Funding Group LLC Email: privacy@gapfundinggroup.com Website: gapfundinggroup.com
For CCPA-specific requests, you may also email: privacy@gapfundinggroup.com with the subject line "CCPA Request."
© 2026 The Gap Funding Group LLC. All rights reserved.