Privacy Policy

Swami Dayanand Education Foundation
Last Updated: September 1, 2026

1. About This Policy

The Swami Dayanand Education Foundation (SDEF) is committed to protecting the privacy of every person who visits our website, applies for a scholarship, or interacts with us in any way. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have regarding your information. This policy applies to the website swamidayanand.org and all pages within it, including scholarship application pages and contact forms.

2. Who We Are

Organisation name: Swami Dayanand Education Foundation (SDEF)
Tax status: 501(c)(3) nonprofit organisation
USA address: 1650 Hwy 6, Ste 440, Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA
India address: A-74, Ground Floor, Sector-2, Noida-201301, UP, India
Phone (USA): +1 281-980-0325
Phone (India): +91-120-4146823
Email:coordinator@swamidayanand.org / scholarships@swamidayanand.org
Website: swamidayanand.org

3. Information We Collect

We collect information in two ways — information you provide to us directly and information collected automatically when you visit our website.

3.1 Information You Provide

When you apply for a scholarship, contact us, or sign up to receive updates, we may collect:

  • Full name, Date of birth, Gender, Email address, Phone number, Postal address, and city, State, and country of residence

  • Academic information — institution name, course of study, year of study, marks, and grades

  • Family and financial information — family income, number of family members, parents' occupation (for scholarship eligibility assessment only)

  • Personal statement and essay responses submitted as part of a scholarship application

  • Documents uploaded in connection with a scholarship application — marksheets, income certificates, enrolment letters, photographs

3.2 Information Collected Automatically

When you visit swamidayanand.org, standard website analytics tools may collect: Browser type and version, Device type, Pages visited and time spent on each page, Referring website or link, General geographic location (country- or city-level — not precise location), IP address. This information is collected in aggregate and is not linked to your personal identity.

4. How We Use Your Information

SDEF uses the information we collect solely for the following purposes:

  • Scholarship administration — to review and process scholarship applications, communicate with applicants about their application status, and disburse scholarship funds to selected scholars

  • Communication — to respond to enquiries sent to us via email, phone, or contact forms on our website

  • Programme updates — to notify applicants and donors about new scholarship cycles, application windows, and SDEF news, where you have opted in to receive such communication

  • Legal and compliance — to meet our obligations as a registered nonprofit organisation in the United States and India

  • Website improvement — to understand how visitors use our website so we can improve the experience We do not use your information for advertising, marketing by third parties, or any purpose unrelated to SDEF's scholarship and education mission.

5. What We Do Not Collect

SDEF's scholarship application does not ask for and will never ask for: Social Security numbers Credit card numbers or any payment information Bank account details from applicants (disbursement details for selected scholars are collected separately, securely, and only after a scholarship is awarded) Passwords or government-issued identity numbers beyond what is required for statutory compliance in India (such as Aadhaar, which is never stored in our digital systems) There is no fee to apply for any SDEF scholarship. We will never charge an application fee, processing fee, or any other fee to scholarship applicants.

6. How We Share Your Information

SDEF does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to any third party. We may share your information in the following limited circumstances:

  • Scholarship review panel — application information is shared with SDEF's internal scholarship committee and review panel members to evaluate applications. All panel members are bound by confidentiality.

  • Service providers — we use third-party tools such as JotForm for application collection. These providers process your information on our behalf and are contractually required to protect it.

  • Legal requirements — we may disclose information if required to do so by law or in response to a valid legal request.

  • With your consent — if you are selected as an SDEF scholar and agree to share your story, we may publish your name, photograph, course, and institution on our website and social media as part of our scholar recognition programme. This is always done with your explicit written consent.

7. Your Communication Preferences

When you submit an application or contact form on our website, you may receive communications from SDEF related to your application or enquiry. You may also receive occasional updates about SDEF's scholarship programme. You can opt out of non-essential communications at any time by: Clicking the unsubscribe link in any email we send you; emailing us at coordinator@swamidayanand.org / scholarships@swamidayanand.org with the subject line "Unsubscribe"; or calling us at +1 281-980-0325 (USA) or +91-120-4146823 (India). Opting out of communications does not affect the processing of your scholarship application.

8. Data Security

SDEF takes reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information from unauthorised access, loss, or misuse. Scholarship applications are collected through JotForm, which uses industry-standard encryption. We do not store sensitive financial or identity documents beyond the period required for scholarship administration.

9. Data Retention

We retain scholarship application information for a period of up to 5 years after the relevant scholarship cycle closes, in order to maintain accurate records of our programme and meet our obligations as a nonprofit organisation. After this period, records are securely deleted or anonymised.

10. Children's Privacy

Our scholarship programme is intended for students aged 17 and above. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. If you believe a child under 13 has submitted information to us, please contact us at coordinator@swamidayanand.org / scholarships@swamidayanand.org, and we will delete it promptly.

11. Third-Party Links

Our website may contain links to third-party websites — such as JotForm for applications, GreatNonprofits for reviews, or partner organisations. This Privacy Policy applies only to swamidayanand.org. We are not responsible for the privacy practices of other websites and encourage you to review their policies separately.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the Effective Date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Continued use of our website after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

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

Email: coordinator@swamidayanand.org / scholarships@swamidayanand.org
Phone (USA): +1 281-980-0325
Phone (India): +91-120-4146823

Mailing address (USA)
Swami Dayanand Education Foundation
1650 Hwy 6, Ste 440
Sugar Land, TX 77478, USA

Mailing address (INDIA)
A-74, Ground Floor,
Sector-2, Noida-201301, UP (India)