Minor Student & Parent Consent Policy

1. POLICY OVERVIEW

This policy addresses how AccessStudents collects, uses, and protects data from students under 18 years old. We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and require parental consent and school authorization for minor students.

2. COPPA COMPLIANCE

Children Under 13:

• NO accounts are allowed for children under 13
• AccessStudents requires users to be at least 13 years old
• If we discover a user is under 13, account will be terminated immediately
• Any data collected will be deleted within 30 days

Ages 13-17 (High School Students):

• Require BOTH parental/guardian consent AND school authorization
• Cannot create account without meeting both requirements
• Additional privacy protections apply
• Enhanced parental visibility and controls

Age 18+:

• Can create independent accounts without parental consent
• Full platform access and features available
• Parental access only if student explicitly authorizes

3. PARENTAL CONSENT PROCESS

For Ages 13-17:

• Step 1: Student initiates account creation
• Step 2: Student provides parent/guardian email
• Step 3: Parent receives consent request email
• Step 4: Parent reviews terms, privacy policy, and consent form
• Step 5: Parent provides informed consent (electronic signature)
• Step 6: School confirms student authorization
• Step 7: Account activation begins

Parental Consent Form Must Include:

• What data we collect
• How we use the data
• Who can access the data
• Data security measures
• Parental rights and controls
• Risks of online learning/recruitment platforms
• Verification of adult identity

4. SCHOOL AUTHORIZATION

Required for Minor Student Access:

• School district/institution must opt-in to allow platform access
• School evaluates data protection and compliance
• School confirms student identity and enrollment
• School designates authorized officials
• School can restrict which students access platform

School Responsibilities:

• Obtain parent/student consent before data sharing
• Maintain oversight of student account activities
• Ensure compliance with FERPA and applicable laws
• Supervise teacher/counselor accounts
• Manage integration with school systems
• Support student account setup and use

5. PARENTAL RIGHTS & CONTROLS

Parents Can:

• View Profile: See complete student profile and information
• Monitor Activity: View who has accessed student profile
• Control Visibility: Set who can see student data
• Restrict Sharing: Limit what data is shared with employers
• Manage Permissions: Approve/deny school and employer access
• Review Communications: See all employer outreach and messages
• Block Employers: Prevent specific employers from contacting
• Request Deletion: Request complete account deletion anytime
• Withdraw Consent: Revoke platform access at any time
• Modify Preferences: Update marketing and notification settings

Parent Dashboard Includes:

• Student profile overview
• Activity log (who viewed profile)
• Visibility and permission settings
• Employer outreach and messages
• Assessment scores and career data
• School official access logs
• Data deletion requests

6. DATA COLLECTION FOR MINORS

Limited Data Collection:

• Name, email, phone (school-provided preferred)
• School and grade level
• Academic information (school-authorized only)
• Skills and interests
• Video introductions (with parental consent)
• Minimal behavioral/engagement data

What We DO NOT Collect from Minors:

• Unnecessary personal information
• Location data (except school location)
• Biometric data (except video for professional development)
• Sensitive health information
• Social security numbers
• Financial information

7. DATA USE FOR MINORS

Permitted Uses:

• Platform core functionality (profile, messaging, assessments)
• Career guidance and educational purposes
• Opportunity matching and recommendations
• Educational analytics (school use only)
• Safety monitoring (anti-fraud, anti-abuse)

Prohibited Uses:

• Marketing or advertising to minors
• Behavioral profiling for non-educational purposes
• Sharing with third-party advertisers
• Use for psychological profiling or diagnosis
• Sale or licensing of minor data
• Tracking across other websites/apps

8. EMPLOYER ACCESS TO MINOR PROFILES

Restrictions:

• Employers can only see profiles parent/school authorized
• Parents receive notification before employer sees profile
• Employers must comply with youth employment laws
• Minors cannot be offered unpaid work
• Employers must respect work-hour restrictions by state law

Employers Must:

• Comply with child labor laws (Fair Labor Standards Act, state laws)
• Obtain parental consent for employing minors
• Respect restricted hours and work conditions
• Provide safe work environment
• Not discriminate or exploit minors

9. SCHOOL ACCESS & STUDENT RECORDS

Schools Can Access:

• Student profile and basic information
• Career interests and goals
• Skills and assessments (per FERPA)
• School-provided academic data only

Schools Cannot:

• Require students to share data with employers
• Force visibility of academic records
• Mandate Career DNA™ sharing
• Sell or market student data

10. DIRECT CONTACT WITH MINORS

Employers Contacting Minor Students:

• All communications go through AccessStudents (not direct)
• Parents receive copy of all employer messages
• Minors cannot be contacted outside Platform
• Phone numbers not disclosed to employers
• Personal email optional (school email preferred)

Platform Monitoring:

• All employer messages reviewed for appropriateness
• Inappropriate contact reported to employers and parents
• Employers violating minor protection rules are banned

11. DATA RETENTION FOR MINORS

• Data retained while account active
• Upon graduation/age 18, data retention policies change
• Parents can request deletion anytime
• Deletion is permanent (except school records per FERPA)
• No retention for deleted accounts (within 30 days)

12. VIDEOS & IMAGES OF MINORS

Video Upload Requirements:

• Parental consent required before uploading videos
• Videos are professional (no personal/casual content)
• Student or parent can delete videos anytime
• Visibility controlled (not visible to public by default)

Video Analysis:

• Minimal facial recognition (no identification)
• Analysis for professional communication only
• No biometric data retention
• Videos deleted with account

13. WITHDRAWAL OF CONSENT

Parents Can Withdraw Consent By:

• Logging into parent portal and requesting termination
• Emailing parental-consent@myaccessstudents.com
• Contacting school authorized official
• Account termination within 5 business days
• All data deleted within 30 days

Effects of Withdrawal:

• Account immediately disabled
• Student cannot access Platform
• All data deleted (except school records per FERPA)
• Employers notified of account deletion
• No further data use

14. SAFETY & ABUSE PROTECTIONS

AccessStudents Protects Minor Students By:

• Monitoring for abuse, harassment, inappropriate contact
• Immediate suspension of offending accounts
• Reporting to law enforcement if necessary
• Providing reporting tools and support
• Training employers on youth protection

If Student Experiences Abuse:

• Report immediately to: safety@myaccessstudents.com
• Contact school counselor or trusted adult
• Call National Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-422-4453
• AccessStudents will investigate and act

15. CONTACT & SUPPORT

Parental Consent Questions: parental-consent@myaccessstudents.com

Safety Concerns: safety@myaccessstudents.com

Privacy Questions: privacy@myaccessstudents.com

AccessStudents takes the protection of minor students very seriously. We exceed legal requirements to ensure safe, secure, and privacy-respecting experiences for young people.