Effective Date: July 16, 2026

1. Introduction

The Georgia Institute of Cosmetology (“GIC,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you visit gic.edu (the “Site”), including our Athens, Buford, Gainesville, and Martinez campus pages, or otherwise interact with us, such as by submitting an enrollment inquiry, contact form, or providing your mobile phone number to receive text messages.

By using the Site or submitting your information through any form on the Site, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following categories of information when you interact with our Site:

  • Contact Information: name, email address, phone number, and mailing address.
  • Enrollment Inquiry Information: school location of interest, preferred interview date/time, and any questions or comments you submit.
  • Mobile Opt-In Information: your mobile phone number and your consent status when you opt in to receive SMS/text messages from GIC.
  • Automatically Collected Information: IP address, browser type, device information, and usage data collected through cookies and similar technologies (see Section 6).
  • Information You Provide During Admissions: information submitted as part of the admissions and financial aid process is governed by our admissions and enrollment policies and applicable federal and state law (including FERPA), in addition to this Privacy Policy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Respond to your enrollment inquiry and schedule interviews or campus visits.
  • Communicate with you about GIC’s programs, admissions process, financial aid, and enrollment deadlines.
  • Send you text messages (SMS) related to your enrollment inquiry, if you have opted in to receive them, as described in Section 5 below.
  • Improve our Site, programs, and the overall experience of prospective students.
  • Comply with applicable legal, regulatory, and accreditation requirements.

4. Text Messaging (SMS) Program

If you provide your mobile phone number and affirmatively opt in through a checkbox on our enrollment or contact forms, GIC may send you text messages related to your enrollment inquiry, including but not limited to scheduling confirmations, admissions follow-up, and program information.

4.1 Consent

By checking the consent box on our forms, you agree to receive automated and/or manual text messages from GIC at the mobile number provided. Consent to receive text messages is not a condition of enrollment or of purchasing any goods or services from GIC.

4.2 Message Frequency and Cost

Message frequency varies based on your enrollment status and inquiry. Message and data rates may apply, as determined by your mobile carrier.

4.3 Opt-Out and Help

You may opt out of receiving text messages at any time by replying STOP to any message you receive from us. After you opt out, we will send you a one-time confirmation message and you will not receive further text messages from us unless you opt in again. You can reply HELP at any time for assistance, or contact us using the information in Section 10 below.

4.4 No Sharing of Mobile Opt-In Data for Third-Party Marketing

GIC does not share or sell mobile phone numbers or SMS opt-in consent collected through our forms with third parties or affiliates for their own marketing or promotional purposes. Mobile opt-in data is used solely to facilitate communications between you and GIC regarding your enrollment inquiry and is not shared with any third party for purposes unrelated to that communication, except as described in Section 7 (Service Providers) or as required by law.

4.5 Supported Carriers

Carriers are not liable for delayed or undelivered messages. Our SMS program is intended for use on major U.S. wireless carrier networks; coverage and message delivery may vary.

For complete program terms, please see our SMS Terms & Conditions at gic.edu/sms-terms/.

5. How We Disclose Information

Except as described in this Privacy Policy, GIC does not sell, rent, or trade your personal information. We may disclose information in the following limited circumstances:

  • Service Providers: We may share information with vendors who perform services on our behalf, such as website hosting, form processing, SMS/text messaging delivery (e.g., Twilio), and email communications. These providers are contractually obligated to use your information only to provide services to GIC.
  • Legal Requirements: We may disclose information if required to do so by law, regulation, or accreditation body, or in response to valid legal process.
  • Business Transfers: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to standard confidentiality protections.
  • With Your Consent: We may disclose information for any other purpose with your consent.

6. Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our Site may use cookies, pixels, and similar tracking technologies (including third-party tools such as Facebook Pixel and Google Tag Manager, which are currently used on gic.edu) to understand Site usage, improve the user experience, and measure the effectiveness of our outreach. You can control cookie preferences through your browser settings; disabling cookies may affect Site functionality.

7. Data Retention and Security

We retain personal information for as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this Privacy Policy, including responding to your inquiry, complying with legal and accreditation obligations, and maintaining business records. We implement reasonable administrative, technical, and physical safeguards designed to protect your information; however, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Information About Minors

Our programs require applicants to be at least 17 years of age, and any applicant under 18 must provide written consent from a parent or legal guardian prior to enrollment. The Site and our forms are not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us using the information in Section 10 so we can address it.

9. Your Choices and Rights

  • Opt-Out of SMS: Reply STOP to any text message, as described in Section 4.3.
  • Update or Correct Information: You may contact any GIC campus location to request that we update or correct your contact information.
  • Access or Delete Information: You may contact us to request access to, or deletion of, the personal information we hold about you, subject to our legal and recordkeeping obligations (for example, FERPA-related student record requirements).
  • Marketing Communications: You may unsubscribe from marketing emails using the unsubscribe link included in those emails.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Georgia Institute of Cosmetology

3529 Atlanta Hwy, Athens, GA 30606
Phone: (706) 549-6400

Campus Locations:
Athens: 3529 Atlanta Hwy, Athens, GA 30606 — (706) 549-6400
Buford: 1496 Buford Hwy, Sugar Hill, GA 30518 — (770) 945-4008
Gainesville: 130 John W. Morrow Jr. Pkwy, Gainesville, GA 30501 — (770) 532-2300
Martinez: 4127 Columbia Rd, Ste 107, Martinez, GA 30907 — (706) 855-0010

Email: tracy@gic.edu

Website: gic.edu

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will post the updated policy on this page with a revised “Effective Date.” We encourage you to review this page periodically.