Privacy Policy

Hephzibah Modern College of Health Science and Technology ("the College", "we", "us", or "our"), located at 9 Mustapha Close, Water View Estate, Ishasi-Akute, Ogun State, Nigeria, is committed to protecting the privacy and personal data of all individuals who interact with our institution — including prospective students, current students, alumni, staff, and website visitors.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, share, and protect your personal information when you use our website (hephzibahcollege.com), apply for admission, enrol in our programmes, use our digital platforms, or otherwise engage with the College.

By using our website or services, you consent to the collection and use of your personal data as described in this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please refrain from using our services and contact us at info@hephzibahcollege.com.

We collect various types of personal data depending on your relationship with the College:

2.1 Information You Provide Directly

• Admission Applications: Name, date of birth, gender, nationality, state and LGA of origin, residential address, phone number, email address, educational history, examination results, passport photograph, and supporting documents.
• Student Records: Academic performance, attendance records, examination results, disciplinary records, health information (where relevant to academic welfare), and financial records.
• Contact Forms & Enquiries: Name, email address, phone number, and the content of your message.
• Portal Registration: Student ID, login credentials, profile information, and activity logs.
• Staff Records: Employment details, qualifications, contact information, and payroll data for staff members.
• Financial Transactions: Fee payment details including payment method and transaction references (we do not store full bank account or card details).

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Website Usage Data: IP address, browser type and version, pages visited, time and duration of visits, referring URLs, and device information.
• Cookies and Tracking Technologies: As described in Section 6 below.
• Log Files: Server logs automatically record information about how our website is accessed and used.

2.3 Information From Third Parties

• Verification data from examination bodies (WAEC, NECO, etc.) for credential confirmation.
• References or letters of introduction from previous institutions or guarantors.
• Medical fitness reports from registered healthcare practitioners.

We use your personal data for the following lawful purposes:

• Admission Processing: To evaluate and process your application for admission, conduct assessments, and communicate admission decisions.
• Student Administration: To manage your enrolment, academic records, attendance, examination registrations, and results.
• Communication: To send important academic notices, fee reminders, timetables, and college announcements relevant to your studies.
• Financial Management: To process fee payments, issue receipts, manage bursary accounts, and process scholarship disbursements.
• Academic Services: To provide access to our student and staff portals, library systems, and other academic resources.
• Safety & Welfare: To maintain student welfare, manage emergency contact information, and ensure campus safety.
• Legal Obligations: To comply with legal requirements, government reporting obligations, and regulatory standards applicable to educational institutions in Nigeria.
• Quality Improvement: To analyse website usage, improve our services, and enhance the student experience.
• Marketing & Outreach (with consent only): To send promotional information about new programmes, events, or college news where you have opted in to receive such communications.

We take the security of your personal data seriously and implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect it against unauthorised access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

4.1 Security Measures

• SSL/TLS encryption for all data transmitted through our website and portals
• Secure, password-protected systems with role-based access control
• Regular security audits and vulnerability assessments
• Staff training on data protection and confidentiality obligations
• Restricted physical access to servers and physical records
• Regular data backups with encrypted storage

4.2 Data Location

Your personal data is primarily stored on servers located in Nigeria. Where any data is processed or stored outside Nigeria, we ensure that adequate data protection measures are in place as required by the NDPR.

4.3 Breach Notification

In the event of a data breach that is likely to result in a risk to your rights and freedoms, we will notify you and the relevant regulatory authority (NITDA) within 72 hours of becoming aware of the breach, in accordance with NDPR requirements.

We do not sell your personal data to any third party. We may share your data only in the following limited circumstances:

• Regulatory Bodies: Relevant government agencies and professional regulatory bodies (e.g. NITDA, PCN, MLSCN, CHPRBN) as required for accreditation, licensing, or compliance purposes.
• Partner Clinical Institutions: Hospitals and healthcare facilities where students undertake clinical placements, strictly for placement coordination and supervision purposes.
• Service Providers: Trusted third-party service providers who assist us in operating our website, managing our systems, or processing payments — subject to strict data processing agreements.
• Legal Requirements: Where disclosure is required by law, court order, or in response to lawful requests from public authorities.
• With Your Consent: In any other circumstances, only with your explicit prior consent.

All third parties with whom we share your data are required to maintain the confidentiality and security of your personal information and are prohibited from using it for any other purpose.

Our website uses cookies — small text files stored on your device — to enhance your browsing experience and help us understand how our website is used.

6.1 Types of Cookies We Use

• Essential / Strictly Necessary Cookies: Required for the website and portals to function correctly. These cannot be disabled. They include session management cookies and security tokens.
• Performance / Analytics Cookies: Help us understand how visitors interact with our website by collecting anonymous usage data (page views, session duration, traffic sources). This helps us improve site performance.
• Functional Cookies: Remember your preferences such as dark/light mode setting and language preference to provide a personalised experience.
• Marketing Cookies: Used to track the effectiveness of our recruitment campaigns. We do not use aggressive tracking or behavioural advertising.

6.2 Managing Cookies

You can control and manage cookies through your browser settings. Most browsers allow you to refuse all cookies, accept only certain types, or delete existing cookies. Please note that disabling certain cookies may affect the functionality of our website and portals.

For more information on managing cookies, visit www.allaboutcookies.org.

Under the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) 2019, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:

To exercise any of these rights, please contact our Data Protection Officer at info@hephzibahcollege.com or call 08166338818. We will respond to all requests within 30 days.

Our services are primarily directed at individuals who are 16 years of age or older. Where applicants are under the age of 18, we collect personal information with the knowledge and consent of their parent or legal guardian, who must countersign the application form and guarantor documentation.

We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 years of age through our website. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information without appropriate consent, please contact us immediately at info@hephzibahcollege.com so we can take appropriate action.

We retain personal data only for as long as necessary to fulfil the purposes for which it was collected, or as required by law:

• Active Student Records: Retained throughout your period of enrolment at the College.
• Alumni Records: Retained permanently for the purposes of academic certification, transcript issuance, and alumni engagement. Core academic records (e.g. qualifications awarded) are retained indefinitely.
• Unsuccessful Applications: Retained for up to 12 months from the date of the application decision, then securely deleted.
• Staff Records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years after the termination of employment, in accordance with Nigerian labour law.
• Financial Records: Retained for a minimum of 7 years as required by Nigerian financial regulations.
• Website Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymised data may be retained indefinitely; personally identifiable analytics data is retained for a maximum of 26 months.
• Marketing Consent Records: Retained for the duration of the marketing relationship plus 3 years thereafter.

When data is no longer required, it is securely destroyed using industry-standard methods appropriate to the sensitivity of the data.

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, regulatory requirements, or the nature of our services. When we make material changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page
• Post a prominent notice on our website homepage
• Where appropriate, notify affected individuals directly by email

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we are protecting your information. Your continued use of our website and services after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your personal data, please do not hesitate to contact our Data Protection Officer: