Security Policies

Scholars Online takes the security of member data very seriously — so much so that we have not used publisher support sites and in 2019, determined not to pursue AP certification for our formerly certified courses because we perceived a trend in the AP program toward collecting more and more individually-identifiable data on students.

Security Practices

Scholars Online employs the best security policies and practices to protect its members, whether parent, student, or teacher.

Data Security

• Scholars Online uses full website HTTPS connectivity and encryption to ensure all student and parent information is protected during transmission to and from our website.
• Account information is password protected by passwords you set, encrypted in our database for your protection.
• All data are retained on our secure, dedicated server in compliance with US and European Union (GDPR) protocols.
• Access to student educational data is controlled in compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).
• Access to and use of personal data for minor students is controlled in compliance with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).
• All online payments are conducted through PayPal or Zelle, taking advantage of their advanced security policies to protect your financial information. We do not receive or store any credit card or banking information.

Member Safety

Scholars Online also takes our students' emotional and physical security seriously, even though most of our contact with students is remote. We know that abuse can occur within a students' home, between siblings without the parents' awareness, and by adults both in person and remotely without the parents' knowledge.

• Scholars Online performs background checks on all teachers offering courses through our school.
• Class logs and forums are monitored for instances of behavior in violation of the school policies, including bullying.
• Scholars Online teachers are encouraged to share concerns about student safety with the administration. We have an obligation to work with state and local authorities if there is reasonable evidence that a student is being abused.
• At the suggestion of our accreditation committee, we work with our teachers to ensure they are able to recognize signs of abuse and report it appropriately. Training is similar to the awareness training used by churches, schools, and scouting organizations, using the HARO curriculum on Child Abuse Awareness 101 for Homeschoolers, which provides a comprehensive overview of the issues involved. We encourage you to download and review the materials yourselves and in your homeschooling groups.

Please review our Privacy Policy and Website Use Policy.

Contact Policies

Scholars Online does no telemarketing. We only contact by phone those family members or prospective members who have explicitly requested phone calls rather than email exchanges. We do not ever require payment or request any personal or financial information in a phone call. We will not ask you for your credit card information, social security number, banking information, or Internal Revenue Service tax information on the phone or by email, even for scholarship applications, nor do we store such information on our servers. Please do not give any personal or any financial information over the phone to anyone who calls you, unless you requested the call and know the caller.

DISTRESSING REPORTS OF ANNOYING CALLS

Scholars Online has been notified by several different people that they had been called by someone claiming to be from Scholars Online and subjected to intrusive questions and even threats. We have no idea who is behind this, but rest assured that Scholars Online is not responsible.

If anyone calls you, claiming to be from us, and is in the least annoying or intrusive, feel free to hang up.

If you get a call-back phone number from a caller claiming to be from Scholars Online, please email us with that information, so that we can collect evidence of the impersonation. You should also report the call(s) to the Federal Trade Commission. Use the Scams and Ripoffs → Impersonator Scams option, and enter the circumstances of the call and any contact information the caller gave you.