Cookie Policy

What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that a website places on your computer or mobile device when you visit it. They are widely used to make websites work, work more efficiently, and to provide information to the site's owners. Cookies let a site remember your actions and preferences over time, and are also used by third parties (such as Google) to understand how visitors use a site and, in some cases, to show relevant advertising.

We also use similar technologies alongside cookies, including local storage and pixels/tags, which we refer to collectively as "cookies" in this policy for simplicity.

Cookies We Use

We keep the number of cookies on CatchThatScholarship to a minimum. The table below lists every category of cookie currently used on this site, who sets it, and why.

Category	Set by	Purpose	Duration
Strictly necessary	catchthatscholarship.com	Maintains basic site functionality, such as your session and remembering that you dismissed a pop-up. These cannot be switched off as the site won't work properly without them.	Session – up to 30 days
Analytics	Google Analytics (`_ga`, `_ga_*`, `_gid`)	Helps us understand how visitors find and use the site — pages viewed, time on site, traffic sources — so we can improve content. Data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.	Up to 2 years
Advertising	Google AdSense / Google Ads (e.g. `__gads`, `__gpi`, `IDE`, `test_cookie`)	Used to serve ads, measure ad performance, limit how often you see an ad, and — where you have given consent — personalize the ads shown to you based on your browsing.	Up to 2 years
Site verification	Google Search Console	Used only to verify site ownership with Google and to retrieve indexing/search performance data. Search Console does not set tracking cookies in visitors' browsers.	N/A

Exact cookie names may change as Google updates its services. This table is reviewed periodically to stay accurate.

Analytics & Google Search Console

We use Google Analytics to measure traffic and understand how visitors use CatchThatScholarship, so we can improve our free IELTS tests and scholarship content. Google Analytics uses cookies to collect information such as pages visited, referral source, device type, and approximate location. This data is processed by Google in accordance with the Google Privacy Policy.

We also use Google Search Console to monitor how our pages perform in Google Search. Search Console works by verifying ownership of our domain with Google and reading data Google already collects when it crawls and indexes our site — it does not place tracking cookies in your browser.

Advertising: Google AdSense & Google Ads

CatchThatScholarship displays advertising served by Google AdSense, and we may run Google Ads campaigns to promote the site. Google, as a third-party vendor, uses cookies — including the DoubleClick DART cookie — to serve ads based on your visits to this site and other sites on the internet.

Google's use of advertising cookies enables it and its partners to serve ads based on your visit to our site and/or other sites. Where required by your location (for example, in the European Economic Area and UK), we only enable ad personalization cookies after you give consent through our cookie banner. You can opt out of personalized advertising by visiting Google Ads Settings.

You may also opt out of a third-party vendor's use of cookies for personalized advertising by visiting www.aboutads.info (US) or youronlinechoices.eu (EU). For details on how Google uses data when you use our partners' sites or apps, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.

Data You Submit to Us

Separately from cookies, when you subscribe to our newsletter or scholarship reminders we ask you for your email address and current study level. This information is not collected via cookies — you provide it directly through a form — and we use it only to:

Send you scholarships and IELTS tips relevant to your study level
Remind you of upcoming scholarship application deadlines
Send the free scholarship checklist you requested

This data is stored with our email provider (Beehiiv) and is never sold. You can unsubscribe at any time using the link in any email we send you. For full details on how we handle this information, see our Privacy Policy.

Your Choices & Controls

You are always in control of the cookies on your device. You can manage or withdraw consent at any time using the options below.

Our cookie banner

When you first visit, a banner lets you accept or decline non-essential cookies (analytics and advertising). You can change your choice anytime by clearing your cookies and reloading the site.

Browser settings

Most browsers let you block or delete cookies via Settings → Privacy. Blocking all cookies may affect how parts of the site work.

Opt out of Google Analytics

Install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on to prevent your data from being used by Google Analytics on any site.

Opt out of ad personalization

Visit Google Ads Settings to control the ads Google shows you across the web, including on this site.

Legal Basis & Your Region

EEA / UK visitors (GDPR): We rely on your consent to set analytics and advertising cookies, which you give (or decline) via our cookie banner. Strictly necessary cookies are set on the basis of our legitimate interest in operating the site.

California visitors (CCPA/CPRA): We do not sell personal information for money. Cookies used for advertising may be considered "sharing" under California law; you can opt out via the controls listed above or by contacting us.

Other regions: We apply the same cookie controls to all visitors regardless of location, so you can manage your preferences no matter where you're browsing from.

Cookie FAQ

Does this site use advertising cookies?

Yes. CatchThatScholarship uses Google AdSense to display ads and may run Google Ads campaigns. Google may use cookies to serve ads and, with your consent, personalize them based on your interests.

Can I browse the site without accepting cookies?

Yes. Strictly necessary cookies keep the site functioning, but you can decline analytics and advertising cookies in our banner and still access all free IELTS tests and scholarship content.

Do you sell my data?

No. We never sell your email address or personal information. Advertising cookies are managed by Google under its own privacy policy, not sold by us directly to third parties.

How do I change my cookie preferences later?

Clear your browser's cookies for catchthatscholarship.com and reload the page to see the consent banner again, or adjust cookie permissions directly in your browser settings.

Who can I contact about this policy?

Email us at the address listed in the Contact Us section below — we typically respond within a few business days.

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