Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how NeedThat Studio, LLC, a Delaware limited liability company ("Scholarly," "we," "us," or "our"), collects, uses, and shares personal information when you use the Scholarly mobile application and the website at tryscholarly.app (together, the "Service").

By using the Service, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

1. Information We Collect

a. Information you provide directly

When you create an account and use the Service, you may provide:

• Identity and contact information: name, email address, phone number, date of birth.
• Demographic information: gender, ethnicity, citizenship status, location (state, city, ZIP code).
• Academic information: school name(s), graduation year, GPA, major or intended major, field of study, enrollment status.
• Financial background: household income bracket, first-generation status, Pell eligibility, FAFSA EFC (all optional).
• Personal background: veteran status, disability status, LGBTQ+ status (all optional).
• Activities and achievements: extracurriculars, community service hours, awards, languages, work experience.
• Application content: personal statements, essays, essay responses, resumes, transcripts, and profile photos you upload or create using AI-assisted tools within the Service.

b. Information collected automatically

• Usage data: features used, screens viewed, scholarship matches viewed, actions taken (e.g., saving a scholarship, generating a draft), timestamps.
• Device information: device type, operating system and version, unique device identifiers, app version.
• Log data: IP address, browser type (for web), crash reports, and performance data.
• Advertising identifier: With your permission, we collect your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) to measure the effectiveness of our advertising.
• Referral activity: which sponsored listings and outbound partner links you tap, and whether a tap resulted in an application or account opening.

c. Information from third parties

• Authentication providers: If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive your name, email address, and a unique account identifier. We do not receive your password.
• App Store / Google Play: We receive transaction identifiers for subscription purchases. We do not receive your payment card information.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Match you with scholarships by comparing your profile to scholarship eligibility criteria.
• Power autofill and AI features by using your profile data to prefill application fields and generate draft content (such as essay responses) for your review.
• Submit applications on your behalf to scholarship providers after you have reviewed the information and explicitly authorized the submission.
• Show you sponsored scholarships and third-party financial product listings that fit your profile.
• Measure referrals so that partners can be billed.
• Operate and improve the Service, including fixing bugs, analyzing usage patterns, and developing new features.
• Communicate with you about your account, scholarship matches, deadline reminders, and Service updates.
• Verify subscriptions and process in-app purchases.
• Ensure safety and security, including detecting and preventing fraud, abuse, and violations of our Terms.
• Comply with legal obligations.

3. How We Share Your Information

We share your information only in limited, specific circumstances:

• With scholarship providers — only when you authorize submission: When you review and authorize Scholarly to submit an application, we share the relevant portions of your profile and application materials with that scholarship provider on your behalf. We do not share your information with any provider until you explicitly authorize the submission. You always decide what gets sent and when. Some providers use Scholarly to administer their program, in which case we store and organize their applicant pool so they can review applications and select recipients.
• With service providers: We work with trusted third parties to operate the Service, including Supabase (database and authentication), Apple and Google (in-app purchases), and analytics providers. These providers access your data only as needed to perform their function and are contractually bound to protect it.
• For legal reasons: We may disclose your information if required by law, subpoena, or court order, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect rights, safety, or property.
• In a business transfer: If NeedThat Studio, LLC is involved in a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction. We will notify you of any such change.
• We are paid by sponsors and referral partners. Sponsors pay us to host and promote their scholarships. Sponsors select their own recipients, and sponsorship does not affect your eligibility or your chances. Third-party financial providers may pay us if you open an account after tapping through from the Service; compensation does not determine which products we show or the order they appear in. When you tap an outbound link, we do not send your personal information to that company.
• Aggregate statistics with sponsors. We may give a sponsor summary statistics about the applicant pool for their own scholarship — for example, how many students applied, or the percentage studying a given field. These are counts and percentages only. They never identify you, and we do not provide them in any form that could be used to single you out.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not share your data with third parties for their own marketing purposes.

4. AI-Generated Content and Your Data

When you use Scholarly's AI features (such as essay drafting or form-fill assistance), your profile data and inputs are processed to generate personalized content. This content is generated for your use only. We do not use your personal essays or application content to train AI models that serve other users. AI-generated outputs are drafts that require your review and approval before use.

5. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account (available in the app under Profile), we will delete or anonymize your personal data within 30 days, except where retention is required by law or necessary to resolve disputes or enforce our Terms.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the right to:

• Access the personal information we hold about you.
• Correct inaccurate or incomplete information.
• Delete your personal information.
• Export your data in a portable format.
• Object to or restrict certain types of processing.
• Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

You can exercise most of these rights directly within the app. For additional requests, contact us at aidan@tryscholarly.app. We will respond within 30 days.

Opt-outs. In your settings you can turn off marketing communications and third-party financial product listings.

State privacy rights. Residents of states with consumer privacy laws also have the right to opt out of the sale of personal information and of processing for targeted advertising, and may use an authorized agent to make a request. We honor these requests from all users regardless of state.

Appeals. If we decline a request, you may appeal by emailing aidan@tryscholarly.app with the subject line "Privacy Appeal." We will respond within 45 days, and if we deny the appeal we will tell you how to contact your state Attorney General.

No retaliation. We will not deny you the Service, charge a different price, or provide a lower quality of service because you exercised a privacy right.

7. Children and Minors

Scholarly is designed for students, including users between the ages of 13 and 17. We take the privacy of minors seriously.

• We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it promptly.
• For users between 13 and 17, we encourage parents and guardians to review this Privacy Policy and our Terms of Service, and to supervise their child's use of the Service.
• If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information without your consent, contact us at aidan@tryscholarly.app and we will take steps to remove it.

We do not monetize the personal information of any user under 18, in any state, regardless of any consent given by the user or a parent. For users under 18 we do not sell personal information, do not share it for targeted advertising or any third party's own marketing purposes, and do not display third-party financial product listings.

Users under 18 may apply to any scholarship on the Service, including sponsored scholarships, on the same terms as everyone else.

8. Security

We use industry-standard security measures to protect your information, including:

• Encryption in transit (TLS/HTTPS) and at rest.
• Row-level security and access controls on our database.
• Secure authentication via Apple Sign In, Google Sign In, and phone OTP.
• Regular security reviews and monitoring.

No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your information, we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Third-Party Links and Services

The Service may contain links to third-party websites or services (such as scholarship provider application portals). We are not responsible for the privacy practices, content, or security of these third parties. We encourage you to review their privacy policies before providing any information.

10. International Users

The Service is operated from the United States. If you access the Service from outside the U.S., your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top and, where appropriate, notify you via in-app notice or email. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

12. Contact Us

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

Email: aidan@tryscholarly.app
General support: aidan@tryscholarly.app

NeedThat Studio, LLC
Delaware, USA