Privacy Notice and Data

 

Protection Terms (GDPR)

Online Application and Admissions Process

Effective Date: August 2026

The American School of Bulgaria (“ASB,” “the School,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is committed to protecting the privacy, confidentiality, and security of the personal information entrusted to us by applicants, students, parents, guardians, and families.

This Privacy Notice explains how ASB collects, uses, stores, shares, and protects personal data submitted through its online application and admissions process in accordance with Regulation (EU) 2016/679 (General Data Protection Regulation — GDPR) and applicable Bulgarian and European Union data-protection legislation.

By submitting an application to ASB, the parent, guardian, or applicant acknowledges that they have read and understood this Privacy Notice.

1. Data Controller

For personal data collected through the ASB admissions and enrollment process, the American School of Bulgaria acts as the Data Controller within the meaning of the GDPR.

American School of Bulgaria (ASB)
Varna, Bulgaria
Email: contact@americanschoolofbulgaria.com

Questions or requests concerning personal data and data-protection rights may be directed to ASB using the contact information above.

2. Personal Data We May Collect

In connection with an application for admission, ASB may collect personal data concerning the student, parent(s), guardian(s), and, where necessary, other family members or emergency contacts.

This information may include:

• Student's full name, date of birth, gender, nationality, citizenship, and contact information;

• Parent or guardian names, addresses, telephone numbers, email addresses, and relationship to the student;

• Passport, identification, residency, visa, and immigration information where required;

• Previous schools attended and educational history;

• Academic records, transcripts, report cards, assessments, grades, and placement information;

• English-language proficiency and other language information;

• Information provided during interviews, assessments, conferences, or admissions communications;

• Emergency contact information;

• Information concerning special educational requirements or accommodations;

• Medical, health, disability, allergy, or other information where necessary to evaluate or provide appropriate educational services, safeguarding, or student support;

• Information concerning behavioral, psychological, developmental, or learning needs where relevant and lawfully collected;

• Photographs or identification documents when required;

• Financial and billing information related to application fees, deposits, tuition, and enrollment;

• Records of communications between the applicant/family and ASB;

• Any documents or additional information voluntarily submitted as part of the application or requested by ASB for legitimate admissions, educational, safeguarding, or legal purposes.

ASB will seek to collect only information that is reasonably necessary for the relevant purpose.

3. Purpose of Processing

Personal data collected through the application may be used to:

1. Process and evaluate the student's application for admission;

2. Verify the student's identity, age, academic history, qualifications, and eligibility for enrollment;

3. Conduct admissions assessments, interviews, placement evaluations, and parent conferences;

4. Determine appropriate grade, course, English-language, or academic placement;

5. Determine whether ASB can appropriately meet a student's educational or support needs;

6. Communicate with parents, guardians, applicants, and previous educational institutions where appropriate;

7. Prepare enrollment contracts and related documentation;

8. Administer application fees, deposits, tuition, invoicing, and other financial matters;

9. Comply with safeguarding and child-protection responsibilities;

10. Comply with applicable educational, accreditation, immigration, tax, accounting, regulatory, and legal requirements;

11. Establish and maintain the student's educational record if the student enrolls at ASB;

12. Protect the safety, security, rights, and legitimate interests of students, staff, families, and the School; and

13. Establish, exercise, or defend legal claims where necessary.

Information submitted through the application will not be sold to third parties.

4. Legal Basis for Processing

Depending upon the information and purpose involved, ASB may process personal data under one or more lawful bases provided by the GDPR, including:

• Processing necessary to take steps at the request of the applicant or parent/guardian before entering into an enrollment contract;

• Processing necessary for the performance of an enrollment or educational contract;

• Processing necessary for compliance with a legal obligation;

• Processing necessary to protect the vital interests of a student or another individual;

• Processing necessary for ASB's legitimate interests, provided those interests do not override the fundamental rights and freedoms of the data subject; and

• Consent, where consent is the appropriate legal basis.

Where ASB relies specifically upon consent, that consent may be withdrawn at any time. Withdrawal of consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing performed before the withdrawal and does not prevent ASB from continuing processing where another lawful basis applies.

5. Special Categories of Personal Data

Certain information, including health, disability, medical, psychological, or other sensitive information, may constitute special-category personal data under the GDPR.

ASB will process such information only when there is an appropriate legal basis for doing so and when the information is reasonably necessary for admissions, student support, safeguarding, health and safety, accommodations, legal compliance, or the provision of educational services.

Access to such information will be limited to authorized individuals who have a legitimate need to access it.

6. Children's Personal Data

ASB recognizes that children are entitled to particular protection regarding their personal data.

Where an application concerns a minor, the parent or legal guardian submitting the application confirms that:

• They are the student's parent or legal guardian, or are otherwise legally authorized to provide the information;

• They are authorized to provide the student's personal information to ASB for admissions and educational purposes; and

• To the best of their knowledge, the information supplied is accurate and lawful to provide.

ASB will take appropriate measures to protect children's personal data and limit access to individuals who require the information for legitimate educational, administrative, safeguarding, or legal purposes.

7. Accuracy of Information

The person submitting the application is responsible for ensuring that the information provided is accurate, complete, and not deliberately misleading.

Parents and guardians should inform ASB if relevant information changes during the admissions process or after enrollment.

Where information concerning another individual is provided, the person submitting the application should have appropriate authority or another lawful basis to provide that information.

8. Sharing of Personal Data

ASB may share personal information, where necessary and lawful, with:

• Authorized ASB administrators, teachers, counselors, admissions personnel, finance personnel, and other employees;

• Service providers that provide information technology, cloud storage, school-management, communications, payment, accounting, or other services to ASB;

• Educational institutions or previous schools where verification is required;

• Accreditation bodies where necessary;

• Government, immigration, educational, regulatory, judicial, or law-enforcement authorities where required or permitted by law;

• Medical, safeguarding, or emergency professionals where necessary to protect a student or another individual; and

• Professional advisers such as accountants, auditors, insurers, or legal counsel where necessary.

Third-party service providers processing personal information on ASB's behalf are required, where applicable, to process such information subject to appropriate contractual, confidentiality, security, and data-protection requirements.

9. International Data Transfers

Some technology or service providers used by ASB may process or store information outside Bulgaria or the European Economic Area (“EEA”).

Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, ASB will take appropriate measures required under the GDPR to ensure that the information receives an adequate level of protection, including, where applicable, reliance upon an adequacy decision, appropriate contractual safeguards, or another legally recognized transfer mechanism.

10. Data Security

ASB takes reasonable and appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect personal information against unauthorized access, disclosure, alteration, loss, misuse, or destruction.

Access to personal information is restricted according to professional responsibilities and legitimate need.

Although ASB takes reasonable security measures, no electronic system or method of transmitting information over the Internet can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

11. Data Retention

ASB will retain personal data only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes for which it was collected and to satisfy applicable educational, safeguarding, accreditation, accounting, contractual, regulatory, and legal obligations.

For students who enroll at ASB, relevant application information may become part of the student's official educational or administrative record and may be retained in accordance with ASB's applicable records-retention requirements.

For applicants who do not enroll, ASB will retain application information only for an appropriate and limited period necessary for admissions administration, recordkeeping, dispute resolution, legal compliance, or legitimate institutional purposes, after which it will be securely deleted or anonymized unless continued retention is required by law.

12. Rights Under the GDPR

Subject to the conditions and limitations established by applicable law, individuals whose personal data is processed by ASB may have the right to:

• Request access to their personal data;

• Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete personal data;

• Request deletion of personal data where legally applicable;

• Request restriction of processing;

• Object to certain processing based upon legitimate interests;

• Receive certain personal data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and request data portability where applicable;

• Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based upon consent;

• Obtain information concerning applicable safeguards for international transfers; and

• Lodge a complaint with the competent data-protection supervisory authority.

Requests concerning these rights may be submitted to:

contact@americanschoolofbulgaria.com

ASB may request appropriate identification before processing a data-protection request in order to protect the confidentiality and security of personal information.

13. Bulgarian Supervisory Authority

Individuals also have the right to lodge a complaint concerning the processing of their personal data with the competent supervisory authority.

For ASB, the relevant Bulgarian supervisory authority is the Commission for Personal Data Protection (CPDP) or any successor authority having jurisdiction over the matter.

Individuals are encouraged to contact ASB first so that the School has an opportunity to address any concerns directly.

14. Automated Processing and Admissions Decisions

ASB may use digital systems and technological tools to organize, review, summarize, or assist in analyzing application information.

However, unless specifically disclosed to the applicant as required by law, ASB does not make admissions decisions having legal or similarly significant effects solely through automated processing without appropriate human involvement.

Admissions decisions remain subject to review and determination by authorized ASB personnel.

15. Communications Related to the Application

By submitting an application, the applicant and/or parent or guardian understands that ASB may contact them by email, telephone, electronic messaging, or through ASB's online systems regarding:

• The application;

• Required documentation;

• Assessments and interviews;

• Admissions decisions;

• Enrollment requirements;

• Tuition and payment matters;

• School orientation and onboarding; and

• Other communications reasonably connected with the student's application or enrollment.

These operational communications are separate from optional advertising or promotional communications.

16. Changes to This Privacy Notice

ASB may update this Privacy Notice when necessary to reflect changes in law, regulatory guidance, technology, or School procedures.

The version applicable at the time personal information is collected will be made available through the relevant ASB system or website. Material changes affecting previously collected information will be communicated where required by law.

17. Applicant/Parent Acknowledgment

Before submitting the online application, the applicant or parent/legal guardian must confirm the following:

Required acknowledgment:

• by clicking the I ACCEPT button below, I confirm that I have read and understood the American School of Bulgaria Privacy Notice and Data Protection Terms. I understand how ASB will collect, use, store, and otherwise process personal data submitted through this application in accordance with the GDPR and applicable law. I confirm that I am authorized to provide the personal information contained in this application, including information concerning the student for whom I am applying.

Where ASB requests optional information for a purpose that specifically requires consent, a separate consent checkbox should be provided for that purpose rather than combining optional consent with the mandatory application acknowledgment.

18. Contact

Questions regarding this Privacy Notice, the processing of personal information, or the exercise of GDPR rights should be directed to:

American School of Bulgaria (ASB)
Email: contact@americanschoolofbulgaria.com
Varna, Bulgaria

By submitting the ASB online application, the applicant or parent/legal guardian confirms that they have been provided with this Privacy Notice and acknowledge the data-processing practices described above.