Privacy Policy

Who we are

‘Myriad by UCAS’ apps and websites (collectively “Myriad”) refer to apps and webpages hosted at https://myriad.ucas.com and on other related domains and subdomains. Myriad by UCAS is a trading name of UCAS International Ltd. This policy may refer to UCAS International Ltd and Myriad as “we” and our registered address is Rosehill, New Barn Lane, Cheltenham, GL52 3LZ. We’re responsible for taking care of your personal information in line with the Data Protection Act 2018, and the UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) when using our sites and services.

The services and the sites of Myriad are provided to support the work of the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). UCAS, a company limited by guarantee registered in England and a registered charity is the ultimate parent of Myriad.

Myriad is committed to protecting the personal information you provide to us and recognises the importance of being clear about how we intend to use it. If you have any questions about our use of personal information or this policy, please contact our Data Protection Officer via datagovernance@ucas.ac.uk.

Our privacy policy tells you about the personal information we collect from you, how we use it, and what your rights are. We’ve divided it into headings to help you see what we do with your information.

If we make any major changes to the policy, we’ll add an alert on through the app, website, our social media channels, or through direct contact with you. If you are under the age of 16, you can take a look around our website, but you shouldn’t give us your personal information, as our services are for people aged 16 or over.

‍Website visitors

Like most websites, Myriad collects non-personal data information of the sort that web browsers and servers typically make available, such as the browser type, language preference, referring site, and the date and time of each visitor request. Such information is used to better understand how Myriad’s visitors use its website. From time to time, Myriad may release non-personal data information in aggregate (anonymised) from, for example by publishing a report on trends in the usage of its website.

Myriad also collects limited data which may potentially be personal data such as Internet Protocol (IP) addresses. If you are the only person with access to your computer or device it may be possible to use this data to identify you. We may produce combined statistics about visitors to our website and website traffic patterns, answers to questions, content entered, and related website information. The information used for these purposes is aggregated (i.e. combined with other user data) and anonymised. It’s used to improve our website and will not be shared in a way which identifies individuals.

How we use your personal Information

When you visit our website or use our app, we may collect your personal information based on your use of our services.

Collecting and using your personal information

Signing up to obtain more information about Myriad

If you sign up to receive information about Myriad and provide us with your contact information we may send you information about our products and services. We may also invite you to enter competitions or respond to surveys.

If you no longer wish to receive such information you can use the unsubscribe link in any of our emails or contact myriad@ucas.ac.uk.

When you make use of app the create a profile or provide information to support an application

If you download the app or use the web interface, we will collect your name, password, email address or relevant account details used to register your account.

To enable your profile we may ask you to provide your date of birth, nationality and communication preferences.
We may direct you to a third party course provider’s website, if you need to apply directly to them, in such cases you do not need to complete the ‘application’ section of your profile to proceed to making an application.
To support the completion of an application to study through the app we will ask for details of your course choices, whether you have been in care, your parent or guardian’s education and occupational background, your education and qualifications, your English language status, and your work experience. You will be asked to complete a personal statement to support your application and any other relevant documentation.
To support your application to study in the United Kingdom (UK) we will ask for your visa and passport details, so the course providers you’re applying to can check your identity and confirm you can study in the UK.
You can favourite courses, rooms and jobs across Myriad to help you decide where you wish to apply; we will retain a copy of these choices to assist with your use of our services.

Making a scholarship search

You will be able to provide us with additional information about your circumstances to support the scholarship search. You do not have to provide any further details at this stage if you what to review all options; any additional information you provide will help us identify scholarships which may be available to you.

When you identity a scholarship you wish to apply for we will direct you to the relevant third party website to make your application.

Applying for accommodation through Myriad Rooms

If you apply for accommodation through us, we may ask you for additional information to support that application. We will then share that data will our accommodation partners to support your application.

Using Myriad Jobs

You can use our search to identify part-time work which may be of interest. If you, wish to apply for a role we will direct you to the relevant employer’s website.

‘Special category’ personal information

To support your application, we may ask you to provide special category personal information as detailed below, which may be shared with the course providers you apply to.

It’s up to you if you give details about your ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity, and religious belief, as we provide a “prefer not to say” option – this will help course providers check their compliance with the Equality Act 2010 and support us in reviewing the use of our services.
You can choose to give information about any disability you have, so the providers you’ve applied to can support you if you’re invited to interview or offered a place.
You’ll be asked to declare if you’ve got any criminal convictions. This allows providers to consider any potential impact on your application to study or receive a visa to the UK.

Sharing your personal information

We may share your personal information with organisations or individuals, for the purposes listed below.

Supporting your application to higher education

We will pass the personal information in your application to the providers website you’re applying to, so you can complete your application.

Prevention and detection of crime

We may share personal information with relevant statutory organisations, like the police, to support the prevention and detection of crime.

Supporting your use of the app or website

We may share your personal information with employees of UCAS, or our suppliers who provide services to us, if this is necessary to progress or address your request/enquiry.

Applying for accommodation

If you use our services to apply for accommodation, we will share the data you supply in your application with our accommodation providers partners. They will then use that information to review you application and provide you with further details.

‍Other uses of your personal information

We may additionally use your personal data for the following purposes:

To respond to any queries that you may submit to us.
To ensure that our websites and the app’s content is presented in the most effective manner for you and your computer.
We may periodically send promotional emails about our new products and services using the email address which you have provided, you will be able to unsubscribe from any such messaging using the link in our emails.
To customise the app, website and communications according to your interests or your activity within the app.
To administer the website and for internal operations, including troubleshooting, data analysis, testing, research, statistical and survey responses including relevant data sharing within the UCAS Group.
To allow you to participate in interactive features of our service when you choose to do so.
To keep the website safe and secure.
To produce and where appropriate publish statistics, monitor equal opportunities and report on the use of the website and app (all such publications will be anonymised).

We use third party suppliers who provide parts of our services for us. We have contracts in place with these suppliers, which require them to use personal data only to provide these services to us in accordance with data protection law.

Where we use the services of a supplier which involves transferring personal data outside the UK will ensure:

that we will transfer such personal data to a country that has been deemed to provide an adequate level of protection for personal data by the UK; or
we will include approved model contract clauses, which provide safeguards for the personal data transferred.

If you want to know more about international transfers of your personal data, please contact datagovernance@ucas.ac.uk

Myriad does not disclose or process personal data other than as described above. Visitors or app users can refuse to supply personal data, with the caveat that it may prevent them from engaging in certain website-related or app-related activities.

Lawful basis for processing your information

The above processing of your personal data will be based on the following lawful basis in accordance with the UK GDPR:

Necessary for the performance of our contract with you, such as when you use the app to apply to a postgraduate course (Article 6.1(b)).

Necessary for our legitimate interests, including to ensure the security and operation of our business, to keep our records up to date and to understand how customers use our app and website (Article 6.1.(f)).
Necessary to comply with our legal obligations (Article 6.1.(c)).
Where you have given us consent for certain processing activity, where applicable (Article 6.1.(a)).

‘Special category’ personal information

Certain data is afforded additional protection under UK GDPR due to its sensitivity. The regulation requires us to identify an additional condition that allow the processing of this data. Myriad collects and processes special category data to assist in supporting your application for study and the provision of our services.

Purpose 1 – Equality monitoring

When applying, you can choose to tell us your ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religious beliefs. This will be shared with the provider who can use this information to review their performance in meeting their statutory duties in the Equality Act 2010. We may also use this information to produce similar analysis about the users of our systems.

UK GDPR basis for processing – Article 9 2 (g) where the use of personal information ‘is in substantial public interest’, which the Data Protection Act 2018 clarifies can include keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between different groups of people, including differences based on ethnicity, religious beliefs, and sexual orientation.

Purpose 2 – Assisting you if you declare a disability

Confirmation of a disability or any special needs allows providers to arrange additional support and make necessary arrangements for applicants at an early stage.

UK GDPR basis for processing – Article 9 2 (b) where the use of personal information is necessary for carrying out obligations in the field of social protection law.

Criminal convictions

When applying to courses leading to professions or occupations exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (1974), applicants are required to declare whether they have any criminal convictions, including spent convictions. This enables universities and colleges to identify potential issues at an early stage and undertake ‘fitness to practice’ assessments to identify if an applicant is suitable for a course.

Criminal conviction information may also be required to support visa applications through the relevant course provider.

Data Protection Act 2018 – basis for processing:

Schedule 1, part 2, paragraph 11 – protecting the public against dishonesty.
Schedule 1, part 1, paragraph 1 – necessary for the purposes of performing obligations under the law relating to social protection.
Schedule 1, part 1, paragraph 2 – necessary for health and social care purposes.

Please contact us at datagovernance@ucas.ac.uk if you would like further details about the specific legal grounds upon which we are relying to process your personal data. This will be dependent on the way you have used the app and website.

Emails and Notifications

We may display in-app notifications and send push notifications to your device to inform you about the status of your application or profile. The settings for push notifications, together with the email settings, can be amended in the app settings menu, and you can also unsubscribe from emails at any time via the link at the bottom of each email.

Cookies

We want to make sure we give you very clear information about the cookies we collect, how we use them, and how to disable them – read our Cookies policy.

We use cookies to provide users with the functionality contained in our website or app, and produce anonymous information to help analyse website traffic, usage, and behaviour. This helps us improve the visitor experience on our website, and ensure you receive relevant adverts when you use our app, website, and others.

Retention of your personal data

We will keep your information stored on our systems for as long as it is necessary to provide the services to you. The third parties we engage to provide services on our behalf will keep your data stored on their systems for as long as is necessary to provide those services to you. We will not store your information for longer than is reasonably necessary or required by law.

Your rights

Even if you have accepted the processing of your personal data for marketing purposes (by ticking the relevant box), you have the right to ask us to stop processing your personal data for such purposes at any time. You can exercise this right at any time by contacting us at myriad@ucas.ac.uk.

The GDPR provides you with rights in respect of your personal information, including the right to:

Information about how you personal data will be processed, which we supply through this notice.
Request access to your personal data
Request correction or erasure of your personal data
Object to processing of your personal data
Request restriction of processing your personal data
Request the transfer of your personal data
Withdraw your consent (where applicable)

If you wish to exercise any of the rights set out above, please contact us via datagovernance@ucas.ac.uk. Please note that not all these rights will be applicable to your use of our services.

You additionally have the right to make a complaint at any time to the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO), the UK supervisory authority for data protection issues (www.ico.org.uk). We would, however, appreciate the chance to deal with your concerns before you approach the ICO so please contact us in the first instance.

Security

Myriad takes appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect against unauthorised access, use, alteration, destruction, or loss of personal data held in our systems.

To support this activity, we use a range of measures to ensure the security of data including the use of firewalls, encryption and access controls.

Other websites you can access through Myriad

Our website, app and privacy policy may contain links to other websites, operated by other organisations. We’re not responsible for the protection and privacy of any information you provide whilst visiting other websites. This privacy policy applies to Myriad services only. Make sure you read the privacy policy of the website you’re visiting.

Last updated: 29 November 2021

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