Higher Ed Utah

Perez Hilton posts a You Tube video and Demi Moore begins a public battle.  The NBA owner of the Dallas Mavericks gets fined $25K for criticizing a ref on Twitter.  Courtney Love also sends a tweet and she gets sued by her designer.   I am shocked (but entertained) as I read the Styles section of The New York Times (referenced article printed in the October 8, 2009 edition).   

There is no doubt that living in our technological age has created a huge influx of mass texts, tweets, blogs, vlogs, and many other highly entertaining forms of expression.  But what exactly does this huge advancement do?  It creates a faux sense of privacy.  We often forget that what we post on the World Wide Web is actually posted for the world to see.  Our thoughts, vents, frustrations, and words become part of the public domain.  And so, personal opinions, photos, and information are freely shared. 

This is why some employers look at Facebook profiles as part of their hiring process.  This is why parents are advised to monitor what their children are posting on the web.  This is why I shudder whenever I see friend’s friends leave their cell-phone or address in the comments section of a MySpace page. 

The world can be a scary place.  This is why UHEAA considers your right to privacy as a serious matter.  If someone calls in and asks for information about an account – your account – we ask key questions to verify that someone really is you.  Even if it’s your dad, or wife, or kid, or whoever that is calling, we will not disclose personal information about your account, not without your strict permission to do so. 

If you want to grant someone with this ability all you need to do is name that person on a third-party authorization request form and we can give them information about your monthly payment amounts, missed payments, due dates, deferment/forbearance end dates, etc. 

If you have any questions about third-party authorization or about your account in general, please feel free to give as a call!  Customer Service representatives are available toll free at 1-877-336-7378, Monday through Thursday 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Fridays 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MT.