Privacy Policy – Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR 2016 Compliance

At Marik Group, we are committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of our applicants. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and manage personal data in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018 and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2016.

1. Data Collection and Processing

We collect personal data directly from applicants for the purpose of assisting with university and college applications. The personal data we collect includes but is not limited to:

• Personal identification details (e.g., name, date of birth, contact information)
• Academic qualifications and relevant documents
• Financial information if necessary for processing financial aid or student loans

We process personal data for the following purposes:

• To provide educational advisory services
• To assist with applications to educational institutions
• To communicate with applicants throughout the process

The personal data we collect will be used only for the specific purposes for which it was provided and will not be shared with third parties without your explicit consent, except when required to fulfill legal or contractual obligations.

2. Legal Basis for Processing

We process personal data based on the following legal grounds, as outlined in the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR 2016:

• Consent: By providing your personal data, you consent to its use for the purposes outlined above.
• Contractual Necessity: Processing is required to provide the educational services you have requested.
• Legal Obligations: We may process your data to comply with legal requirements or obligations.
• Legitimate Interests: We may process personal data for legitimate business interests, such as ensuring the effective functioning of our services or improving the quality of our offerings.

3. Data Sharing

Your personal data may be shared with educational institutions and, at times, with agents or sub-agents acting on your behalf during the application process. Once your data is shared with a third-party institution, agent, or sub-agent, it will be governed by their respective privacy policies. We will not share your data with any other third parties unless required by law or with your explicit consent.

4. Data Security and Retention

We take the protection of your personal data seriously and employ appropriate technical and organizational measures to safeguard it from unauthorized access, loss, or misuse.

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes for which it was collected or to comply with legal obligations. After this period, personal data will be securely deleted or anonymized.

5. Your Rights as a Data Subject

Under the Data Protection Act 2018 and GDPR 2016, you have the following rights in relation to your personal data:

• Right to Access: You have the right to request access to the personal data we hold about you.
• Right to Rectification: You can request that we correct any inaccurate or incomplete data.
• Right to Erasure (Right to be Forgotten): You have the right to request the deletion of your personal data under certain circumstances.
• Right to Restrict Processing: You may request that we restrict the processing of your personal data in specific situations.
• Right to Data Portability: You have the right to receive your personal data in a structured, commonly used, and machine-readable format, and request that it be transferred to another data controller.
• Right to Object: You can object to the processing of your data in certain circumstances, including for direct marketing purposes.
• Right to Withdraw Consent: If we are processing your data based on your consent, you can withdraw this consent at any time.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at [Insert Contact Information].

6. Data Transfers

In some cases, personal data may be transferred to countries outside the European Economic Area (EEA). If this occurs, we will ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with the GDPR and Data Protection Act 2018.

7. Complaints

If you believe your data protection rights have been violated, you have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s supervisory authority for data protection issues.

8. Changes to the Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time to reflect changes in the law or our practices. We will notify you of any significant changes by updating the policy on our website.

Contact Information

If you have any questions or concerns about this privacy policy or wish to exercise your data protection rights, please contact us at:

office@marikgroup.co.uk

© 2024 Marik Group