Last updated: May 15, 2026

This Privacy Notice("Notice") tells you how Fortis ("Fortis ", “our”, “us” or "we") collects, uses, discloses, and protects personal information that we collect as part of your interaction with the www.Fortis.edu website,("Site") and your interactions with us through other channels.

Fortis is owned by Education Affiliates, Inc. (“EDAFF”), which provides centralized operational support to Fortis and certain affiliated institutions. This support may include marketing, lead generation, inquiry intake, call-center operations, communications management, and routing inquiries to the institution associated with the consumer’s request. When you contact us, respond to an advertisement, submit an inquiry, or interact with our Site, your personal information may be collected or processed by EDAFF on Fortis’s behalf and used to route and respond to your inquiry. We do not transfer inquiries or leads to another affiliated institution for that institution’s separate marketing purposes unless you direct us to do so, consent, or the transfer is otherwise permitted by applicable law.

This Notice describes our personal information practices. Where applicable law requires consent or provides you with a right to opt out, we will obtain consent or honor your opt-out rights as required.

Scope of this Policy

We use the term “personal information” to describe information that can reasonably be associated with you and can be used to identify you. Personal information does not include information that has been deidentified or aggregated.

This Notice explains how personal information we collect from you will be used by us or on our behalf. We encourage you to read this Notice carefully as it contains important information about:

• What information we, or our third-party service providers, may collect about you;
• How we will use the information we collect about you;
• Whether we will disclose your details to anyone else; and

• Your choices and rights regarding the personal information you have provided to us.

For details about your rights related to our collection and use of your data, navigate to the “Your Privacy Rights” section below.

Certain student records may be subject to the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (“FERPA”). Where FERPA applies, we will handle those records in accordance with FERPA and applicable institutional policies. Not all information collected through the Site is subject to FERPA. Fortis also participates in federal student aid programs and may process financial aid and payment information (including FAFSA-related information); certain financial information may be subject to additional privacy requirements applicable to financial institutions.

1.HOW WE COLLECT PERSONAL INFORMATION

We collect and receive personal information through the following methods:

• Personal information you provide to us.You may give us your personal information directly, for example, when you contact us with inquiries, complete forms on our Site, subscribe to receive our marketing communications or provide feedback to us.
• Personal information we collect automatically, including through cookies and other similar technologies. When you access and use our Site, we may collect Technical Data and Usage Data (as herein defined) automatically, including through our use of cookies and other similar technologies. Some of these technologies are provided by third parties for analytics and marketing measurement.
• Personal information we obtain from third parties.We may obtain personal information from third parties, including marketing and advertising partners (e.g., lead generators, ad platforms, and social networks), service providers that support our Site (e.g., analytics and technical vendors), and financing/servicing partners (including credit and identity verification providers and, where permitted by law, consumerreporting agencies) in connection with offering, underwriting, servicing, or collecting on financing.
• Personal information that is publicly available. We may collect personal information that is available from public sources or that you or a third party may otherwise publish (for example on websites, posts on social media platforms, or speeches at events).

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site uses cookies and similar tracking technologies (such as pixel tags, web beacons, and local storage) to collect information about your browsing activity. A “cookie” is a small data file that is placed on your device when you visit a website. Cookies and similar technologies allow us to recognize your browser or device, maintain your preferences, understand how you interact with our Site, and support the purposes described in this Notice.

We may use the following categories of cookies and similar technologies on our Site:

(a)Strictly Necessary Cookies, which are essential for the operation of our Site and enable you to navigate and use its features (these cookies cannot be disabled);

(b)Performance and Analytics Cookies, which collect information about how visitors use our Site, such as which pages are visited most frequently, and help us improve the Site’s functionality (these may be set by us or by third-party analytics providers);

(c)Functional Cookies, which allow our Site to remember choices you have made (such as language or region preferences) and provide enhanced features; and

(d)Advertising and Targeting Cookies, which are used to deliver advertisements that are more relevant to you and your interests, to limit the number of times you see a particular advertisement, and to measure the effectiveness of advertising campaigns. Advertising and targeting cookies may be set by third-party advertising networks and platforms with our permission.

Some cookies on our Site are set by third parties, including analytics providers and advertising partners, who may use cookies and similar technologies to collect information about your online activities over time and across different websites and platforms. Cookies may be session-based (which expire when you close your browser) or persistent (which remain on your device for a set period or until you delete them).

You can manage your cookie preferences through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to block or delete cookies, although doing so may affect the functionality of certain features of our Site.

In addition, you may opt out of interest-based advertising by participating advertising networks by visiting the Digital Advertising Alliance at www.aboutads.info/choices or the Network Advertising Initiative at www.networkadvertising.org/choices. Where required by applicable law, we provide a mechanism to opt out of targeted advertising, including through recognized opt-out preference signals such as Global Privacy Control (GPC), where technically required and supported by applicable law.

For more information on how to exercise your opt-out rights, see the “Your Privacy Rights” section below.

2. CATEGORIES OF PERSONAL INFORMATION WE COLLECT

• Identity Data.Name, title, account credentials or authentication information for users with access to our student portal, and similar identifiers.
• Contact Data. Email address; telephone number; and postal/delivery address.
• Communications Data includes correspondence or messages (including SMS, Site forms or emails), the nature of your inquiry and other personal information which you choose to provide to us through these sources.

· Usage Data . Data observed or collected in relation to browsing activity on our Site and interaction with our emails. This may include information about pageviews and events on our Site; information about the webpage or other source that users were previously on before reaching our Site; or information about when a browsing session started and ended.

· Technical Data.IP address; full webpage URL; browser type; device type; operating system; approximate location derived from IP address, such as city or region; data collected for technical diagnostics; and unique identifiers assigned to a device or browser, including cookie identifiers.

• Marketing Data.Marketing preferences; and service communication preferences.

· Advertising Partner Data . Information we receive from advertising or analytics partners about interactions with our ads or visits to our Site (for example, ad click or conversion information and related identifiers).

• Sensitive information.If you apply for or enroll in a program, we may collect sensitive personal information where necessary for identity verification, enrollment, applicant screening, safety, regulatory compliance, financial aid, payment, or related administrative purposes. This may include Social Security number, driver’s license or state identification number, and, where applicable, medical information or drug/alcohol testing information. We use sensitive personal information only for the purposes disclosed at collection, as reasonably necessary to provide or maintain requested services, or as otherwise permitted by law. We do not sell sensitive personal information. We do not use this information for unrelated purposes.

If you apply for financial aid, financing, or payment-related services, we may collect and process related information as described in this Notice. Additional privacy notices may apply to information collected directly by financing, payment, or servicing partners.

3. HOW WE MAY USE YOUR INFORMATION

We may collect, use, and otherwise process personal information for the following purposes:

• Services and Support. To enable our Site, communicate with you through the Site, provide troubleshooting, technical support, and for similar support purposes, respond to your inquiries, and otherwise fulfill your requests.
• Analytics and Improvement. To better understand how users access and use the Site, and for other research and analytical purposes, such as to evaluate, develop, and improve our Site, educational resources and business operations, and for internal quality control and training purposes.
• Communication. To respond to your questions, provide requested materials, send service-related communications, and provide information about programs, offerings, events, or updates that may be of interest to you, subject to your marketing preferences and applicable law.
• Marketing and Advertising. For marketing, advertising, and promotional purposes. For example, to send you promotional information about our program offerings, including information about new offerings, as well any other information that you sign up to receive. We may also use cookies and similar technologies to measure advertising performance and support targeted advertising where permitted by law.
• Research and Surveys. To administer surveys and questionnaires, such as for market research or user satisfaction purposes.
• Security and Protection of Rights. To protect the Site and our business operations, and to protect our rights or those of our stakeholders; to prevent and detect fraud, unauthorized activities and access, and other misuse; where we believe necessary to investigate, prevent or take action regarding illegal activities, suspected fraud, situations involving potential threats to the safety or legal rights of any person or third party, or violations of our Terms of Use.
• Compliance and Legal Process. To comply with applicable legal or regulatory obligations, including as part of a judicial proceeding, to respond to a subpoena, warrant, court order, or other legal process, or as part of an investigation or request, whether formal or informal, from law enforcement or a governmental authority.
• Auditing, Reporting, and Other Internal Operations. To conduct financial, tax and accounting audits, audits and assessments of our operations, including our privacy, security and financial controls, as well as for risk and compliance purposes. We may also use personal information to maintain appropriate business records and enforce our policies and procedures.
• General Business and Operational Support. To assess and implement mergers, acquisitions, reorganizations, bankruptcies, and other business transactions such as financings, and to administer our business, accounting, auditing, compliance, recordkeeping, and legal functions.

4. DISCLOSURE OF YOUR INFORMATION TO THIRD PARTIES

We may disclose personal information to third parties as described in this Notice and as permitted by law. The categories of third parties to whom we may disclose personal information depend on the nature of your interaction with us and the purposes for which the information was collected.

We may disclose personal information to the following categories of third parties:

• Affiliates. We may disclose personal information to our parent company, subsidiaries, and other affiliated entities to route and respond to inquiries, manage communications and preferences, maintain suppression lists, and support internal business operations. These affiliates process personal information for operational purposes, to support Fortis, or as otherwise described in this Notice and permitted by law. We do not transfer inquiry information to another affiliated institution for that institution’s separate marketing purposes unless you direct us to do so, consent, or the transfer is otherwise permitted by applicable law.
• Service Providers and Contractors. We may disclose personal information to vendors, service providers, contractors, and other entities that perform services on our behalf or support our operations. These may include providers of Site hosting, information technology and security services, analytics, communications, customer relationship management, identity verification, payment processing, document management, auditing, consulting, and legal services. These parties are authorized to use personal information only as necessary to provide services to us or as otherwise permitted by law.
• Analytics, advertising, and lead management partners.We may disclose identifiers, device information, internet or other electronic network activity information, and similar personal information to analytics providers, advertising networks, social media platforms, marketing or measurement partners, and lead management platforms. We use this information to understand Site usage, measure marketing performance, manage advertising campaigns, support targeted advertising where permitted by law, and route advertising-generated inquiries. We do not use personal information of consumers we know or should know are minors for targeted advertising or sale where prohibited by applicable law. We do not transfer inquiry information to another affiliated institution for that institution’s separate marketing purposes unless you direct us to do so, consent, or the transfer is otherwise permitted by applicable law.
• Financing, Payment, and Verification Partners. If you apply for or use financing, student financial aid, payment plans, or related services, we may disclose relevant personal information to payment processors, financing and servicing partners, identity verification providers, fraud prevention providers, and other parties involved in administering, servicing, or collecting on accounts, to the extent applicable and permitted by law.
• Government Entities, Regulators, and Law Enforcement. We may disclose personal information to government entities, regulators, administrative agencies, courts, law enforcement, or other parties where required to comply with applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, or where we determine disclosure is otherwise appropriate to protect legal rights or comply with legal obligations.
• Professional Advisors and Parties Involved in Disputes or Claims. We may disclose personal information to auditors, accountants, attorneys, consultants, insurers, and other professional advisors, and to relevant parties in connection with legal claims, investigations, audits, compliance reviews, or dispute resolution.
• Business Transaction Counterparties. We may disclose personal information in connection with an actual or proposed merger, acquisition, financing, investment, reorganization, sale of assets, bankruptcy, or other corporate transaction, including to counterparties and their advisors as part of due diligence and transaction planning, subject to applicable confidentiality and legal requirements.
• Other Parties at Your Direction or With Your Consent. We may disclose personal information to other third parties where you direct us to do so, request such disclosure, or otherwise consent.

We may also use and disclose deidentified or aggregated information for lawful business purposes, including analytics, research, operational improvement, and reporting, provided such information cannot reasonably be used to identify you.

Where required by applicable law, we will not disclose personal information to third parties for purposes that are materially different from those described in this Notice without providing any required additional notice or obtaining any required consent.

5.YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS

Depending on your state of residence and subject to applicable law, you may have the following rights with regard to the collection and use of your personal information:

1. Right to confirmwhether we process your personal information and to access such information, including, where applicable, the categories of personal information, the sources from which it was collected, the purposes for processing, the categories of third parties to whom it is disclosed, and information about sales of personal information or processing for targeted advertising as required by applicable law.
2. Right to delete certain personal information, subject to exceptions.
3. Right to correct inaccurate personal information.
4. Right to obtain a portable copy of certain personal information.
5. Right to opt out of the sale of personal information and targeted advertising in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects, where provided under applicable law.

Profiling.We do not currently process personal information for profiling in furtherance of decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects in a manner that gives rise to an opt-out right under applicable state privacy law.

How to exercise your rights. Should you choose to contact us to exercise the foregoing rights, we may verify your request by matching the information you provide against information we maintain, such as your name, email address, phone number, mailing address, or information relating to your recent interactions with us.

Although we try to limit the personal information collected in connection with a request to exercise the right to know and the right to deletion, certain requests may require us to obtain additional personal information from you. In certain circumstances, we may decline a request to exercise the right to know and right to deletion, particularly where we are unable to verify your identity.

Residents of states that provide applicable consumer privacy rights may exercise their rights by contacting us by email at privacy@edaff.com or by visiting our Privacy Rights page.

Under the laws of your state, you may have the right to use an authorized agent to submit a request on your behalf if you provide the authorized agent written permission signed by you. We may require you to verify your identity directly with us and confirm that you authorized the agent to act on your behalf, where permitted by law.

We will make every effort to respond to your request within 45 days from when you contacted us. If you have a complex request, the law may permit us to take longer to respond. We will still contact you within 45 days from when you contacted us to let you know we need more time. If we decline to take action on a request that you have submitted, we will inform you of our reasons for doing so, and provide instructions for how to appeal the decision.

Depending on your state of residence you may have the right to appeal within a reasonable period of time after you have received our decision. If you have this appeal right, we will respond to your appeal within the time required by applicable law, including, where applicable, within 60 days after receiving your appeal. If we deny your appeal, we will provide you with a method for contacting your state attorney general’s office to submit a complaint.

You have the right not to receive discriminatory treatment for exercising any of the rights described above. Your rights under applicable consumer privacy laws may not be waived or limited by contract or otherwise.

Right to opt out of targeted advertising; opt-out preference signals (e.g., GPC).

We and our advertising and analytics partners use cookies, pixel tags, and similar technologies to measure and improve advertising effectiveness and to support targeted advertising activities, including retargeting and the creation of look-alike or similar audiences. Where required by applicable law, you may opt out of such processing by using a recognized opt-out preference signal, such as GPC, through your browser or device settings. We will process recognized opt-out signals as requests to opt out of targeted advertising for that browser or device and, where we can associate the signal with you, for your consumer profile as well.

Updating Your Contact Information and Marketing Communications Opt-Out Choices

• You can opt out of marketing emails by using the unsubscribe link in our emails.
• You can access, update, and change the contact information you provide to use in connection with a request for information, and modify your opt-out choices, by contacting us at privacy@edaff.com. You may unsubscribe from certain e-mail communications from Fortis by clicking on unsubscribe links in those e-mails.
• To be removed from receiving future SMS communications, you can opt out by texting STOP, QUIT, END, OPT OUT, CANCEL, or UNSUBSCRIBE.
• If Fortis receives an opt-out or unsubscribe request from you, Fortis thereafter (i) will not contact you directly with marketing messages about Fortis products or services, and (ii) will not use personal information obtained from your use of the Site to contact you with marketing messages.

Please note, however, that any such "opt out" only applies to Fortis and will not apply to any other third parties to which Fortis has already supplied your personal information.

6. DATA RETENTION

We retain personal information for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this Notice, including to provide requested services, maintain records, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce our agreements. Retention periods vary depending on the type of information, the context in which it was collected, and applicable legal requirements.

7. HOW WE SECURE PERSONAL INFORMATION

Fortis has implemented technical, administrative, and physical security measures in an effort to safeguard the privacy of your personal information from unauthorized access or improper use. From time to time, Fortis will review our security procedures in order to consider appropriate new technology and methods to enhance our security procedures as new technology becomes available. However, you acknowledge and agree that no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. CHILDREN AND MINOR’S DATA

The Site is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without appropriate consent. We also do not knowingly sell personal information or use personal information for targeted advertising where prohibited by applicable law, including where we know or should know that a consumer is a minor. We encourage parents and guardians to monitor their children’s online activities and contact us if they believe a child has provided personal information to us.

9. CHANGES TO THIS PRIVACY NOTICE

Fortis reserves the right to change the Privacy Notice by publishing new terms on the Site and will do so as applicable law requires. The updated Notice will be effective when posted unless a different effective date is stated. Where required by law, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before applying material changes to previously collected personal information.

10. CONTACT US

Please direct any questions or complaints regarding this Notice to privacy@edaff.com. You may also contact us by phone at phone or via postal mail at:

Education Affiliates, Inc.
5026-D Campbell Blvd.
Baltimore, MD 21236
410-633-2929