Privacy Policy
Seton Home Study School is committed to keeping your personal information private. We have created this privacy notice to let you know what information we collect online, as well as information which we collect from non-online sources that may be available to you online. (Non-online sources may include such items as grades or assignments that are mailed to us, or family information from written enrollment applications.)
Besides this privacy policy and any applicable legal requirements for online privacy, educational records are also protected by federal law, and possibly by the laws of the state in which you live. Seton is committed to compliance with all applicable laws governing the use and disclosure of educational records.
Non-Personal Information Collected
Some areas of Seton’s Web site may be used without supplying any personal information. When Seton’s Web site is accessed, non-personal information and/or personal information is often gathered which helps Seton maintain and improve our Web site. This information may include such items as your IP address and the name of a linking Web site. This information is not directly linked to a specific user of our Web site, except when someone is a registered user of My Seton (an online service for enrolled families).
Seton’s Web site uses cookies in various areas to customize your information. A cookie is a file that is saved on your computer, not on Seton’s server. A cookie allows you to access certain functions of our Web site without having to re-enter information. For example, in our Seton Educational Media area, cookies can be used to remember searches you have previously performed. If you do not wish to accept cookies on your computer, you can modify the security settings on your Web browser to refuse cookies, or to ask you each time whether to accept cookies. Choosing to set your browser to refuse cookies will likely cause some parts of the Seton Web site to stop working.
It is Seton’s policy not to share aggregate information, including information in cookies, with third parties.
Personal Information Collected
It is Seton’s policy not to share personally identifiable information collected online except insofar as it is necessary to share such information with others working as our agent in order to provide you with services or information. For example, if you provide us with your name and address online by buying an item from Seton Educational Media, we may at some point send that name and address within a list of names to a mailing service so that you may receive new Seton Educational Media catalogs. It is Seton’s policy not to provide any personal information to third parties who are not working as an agent of Seton, such as third party vendors. We do not sell nor give away our mailing list.
Seton may use your personal information to provide you with information about products, services, or events (such as upcoming conferences in your area). Seton also provides information by email to families regarding grades, papers received, tests, etc. It is Seton’s policy to allow any user to opt-out of receiving emails. Users can opt-out of receiving bulk emails, and/or personal emails, or any emails. When Seton sends bulk emails, it is our policy to include information on how to opt-out of receiving such emails.
Children under the age of 13 are protected under special federal legislation. It is Seton’s intent to fully comply with these federal regulations. It is Seton’s policy not to collect personal information from children online, except insofar as it is necessary to provide them with services and in cases where their parents consent. If parents choose to enroll online or make use of Seton’s online services, then they will necessarily need to give personal information about their children.
Sending of Email to Parents or Students
It is Seton’s policy in general to send email only to parents or students who opt-in to receive email, except when such emails are necessary and/or customary for the student to complete a course or otherwise benefit fully from the student’s enrollment. Where such emails are necessary and/or customary to a student’s enrollment, emails are sent without the parent or student opt-in; however, parents or students may still opt-out of such emails.
SMS or Text Messages
Seton may send text messages occasionally, but only with the recipient’s consent. Seton has a policy of not sharing any personal information, including SMS consent and phone numbers, with third parties, except for service providers that assist in sending the text messages.
Live Chat
Seton offers a live chat service from our websites. When you use the live chat, a record of the chat is created both by the chat program and in the form of an email sent to Seton (and to you if you request it).
Student Grade and Other Educational Information
It is Seton’s policy to take reasonable business precautions when dealing with student data, understanding that parents of students need and want accurate information as quickly as possible. When Seton receives contacts by phone, it is Seton’s policy to reasonably ascertain the identity of the caller. It is Seton’s policy to give out student grade or other personal information by phone only to a party who is listed on the enrollment agreement. Parents may in writing designate another person, such as a tutor, who is authorized to send information.
For parents or guardians who are not listed on the enrollment, Seton will release grades when authorized by the enrolling parent to do so, or when given a court order requiring such release.
Seton will release grades, transcripts, and other student information to other educational institutions, potential employers, or other third parties upon receiving a signed release from a parent, guardian, or adult student.
Seton will release student information in any case in which it is required to do so by applicable state or federal law.
Family Educational Right and Privacy Act
In 1974, Congress passed the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) which regulates how covered schools may use student information and make available that information to parents. FERPA regulations cover public schools and other schools which receive federal funds. Because Seton Home Study School is a private Catholic school which does not receive federal funds, Seton is not covered by this law.
Seton’s Privacy Policy with respect to Retention of Student Records
Seton Home Study School maintains all of its records in accordance with the stipulations outlined by the Library of Virginia’s Records Retention and Disposition Schedule (Specific Schedule No. GS-21). This means that a student’s cumulative file (long-term documentation) will be kept for 75 years after a student graduates. As per this schedule, this file may include, but is not limited to: transcript, college entrance exam scores, grade point average, and health information. For further details about the stipulations and specifications outlined in this schedule, please see https://www.lva.virginia.gov/agencies/records/sched_local/GS-21.pdf.
How Seton Uses Your Information
Seton uses different information for different purposes, including:
We use address, phone, and email information to contact you in order to provide goods and services, to provide information and school related services (if you are enrolled), to make available offers in which you may be interested, to get or give you information about your account, to bill you or collect monies owed, and to comply with any legal requirements. We may use geographic data to send you information targeted toward certain areas, such as information about a home schooling conference in your area.
We use your credit card information for the purpose of charging amounts due for enrollments or materials or service purchases.
We use student information, including grades and other information, to provide grading and reporting services. Seton provides this information to parents, students, other educational institutions, and others (such as potential employers) when authorized to do so.
Use of My Seton
Each enrolled family or school has a personalized web page called My Seton. This allows many online services to be provided, such as online tests, online grading, download of supplemental materials, etc. By request, families may opt-out of having their information available on My Seton by sending a notice of intent to opt-out to enrolled@setonhome.org.
There is much personal information about students and families available on My Seton, so we encourage families to be especially vigilant to guard their log-in information. If suspicion exists that a password has been compromised, we encourage parents to use the tools available on My Seton to choose a new password.
In order to safeguard student information, Seton has implemented Limited Student Accounts (LSA’s) on My Seton. These accounts which are keyed to a specific student rather than to a family or school. When a school has enrolled students from more than one family and has given those students access to My Seton, the school must set up LSA’s for the students so that students do not have access to personal information about each other. If only school administration is accessing My Seton, then LSA’s are not necessary.
Online Courses
Seton provides some online courses through the services of D2L’s BrightSpace learning management system. D2L offers a separate privacy statement here: https://www.d2l.com/legal/privacy/
Online Purchases
Several divisions of Seton accept online purchases. When you buy books, tests, or other items online, Seton collects your name and address and financial information. The information entered in such transactions is encrypted for your safety. Seton does not sell or give away financial information. This information is used for shipping and billing purposes. If we have any problems with or questions about your order, this information is used to contact you in order to fill you order. This information is also used from time to time to send you information about further products and services, either by email or by postal mail. Your name and address may be given in a list of names to a mailing service in order for us to send you information about our products and services. When bulk email is sent, it is Seton’s policy to include opt-out information. You can request to be removed from postal mailings as well either by sending a written request by mail or by email to info@setonhome.org.
Online Enrollments
Seton accepts online enrollments, which generally require entering extensive information about your family and students. The information gathered in online enrollments is encrypted for your safety. The information gathered is used to process your enrollment and to set up various accounts for your family and to contact you if we have questions about your enrollment. This information is also used from time to time to send you information about further products and services, either by email or by postal mail. Your name and address may be given in a list of names to a mailing service in order for us to send you information about our products and services. When bulk email is sent, it is Seton’s policy to include opt-out information. You can request to be removed from postal mailings as well either by sending a written request by mail or by email to info@setonhome.org.
Accuracy of Information
It is Seton’s intent to keep accurate information about you and your students. Enrolled families can access the information that we have about them through their My Seton page (www.setonhome.org/myseton). Much of the information we have, such as mailing address and email address, can be modified and updated directly by parents. If there is any incorrect information about your family online that you cannot change, please send an email to enrolled@setonhome.org.
Removal of Information
It is Seton’s intent to make it as easy as possible for you to remove your information from our electronic systems if you so choose. We will remove student or family data from physical (paper) copies as well as far as possible.
Upon request, Seton will remove any records for you or your children from our master list and other databases. If you have previously opted-in to receive emails, you may opt-out of emails by sending an email with the word REMOVE in the subject line to KevClark@setonhome.org.
While we will attempt to comply with any request to remove data, any removal of data is subject to applicable state or federal law, as well as any existing court order.
Please be aware that in some cases, the removal of parent or student information may make it impossible for Seton provide certain services.
Access to Your Information
Upon request, Seton will provide a copy of all personally identifiable information we have on a customer or student to the customer or student. This data will be provided in machine readable format upon request.
Data Security
Seton Home Study School is committed to safeguarding your personal data through the use of reasonable security measures. Seton uses such devices as password protection and secure encryption, where appropriate, to protect your data.
Off-Site Backup
It is Seton’s policy to maintain a copy of both personal identifiable and non-personally identifiable information backed-up in a secure off-site location.
Message Boards
Seton Home Study School provides several different message boards for the use of parents and students. Please be aware that anyone can read posts on these message boards. Any information which you disclose on a message board will be available to be seen by any user of the message board. We cannot guarantee the privacy of any information you place on message boards, and you do so at your own risk. We strongly advise that families not post personal information, such as family numbers or passwords, on our message boards. Messages with personal information are more appropriately sent in private emails to Seton.
Links
Seton Home Study School occasionally posts links to other Web sites on our Web site. Although we try to screen carefully such external Web sites, these Web sites are not under the control of Seton and use of such Web sites is at your own risk.
Notification of Changes
If we change our privacy policy, we will post our new policy on our Web site at www.setonhome.org.
Contact Information
For questions or comments about this privacy policy, contact Seton by email at:
or write
Privacy Policy
Seton Home Study School
1350 Progress Drive
Front Royal, VA 22630
