FR Doc 03-27375
[Federal Register: October 30, 2003 (Volume 68, Number 210)]
[Notices]
[Page 61795-61796]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30oc03-44]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program
AGENCY: Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of renewal of the computer matching program between the
Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs.
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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act
of 1988, (Pub.L. 100-503), and the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB) Final Guidelines on the Conduct of Matching Programs, notice is
hereby given of the renewal of the computer matching program between
the Department of Education (ED) (the recipient agency) and the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (the source agency). After a new
computer matching agreement has been approved by the ED and VA Data
Integrity Boards, the computer matching program will begin on the
effective date as specified in the agreement and as indicated in
paragraph 5, below.
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as
amended by the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988,
OMB Final Guidelines on the Conduct of Matching Programs (54 FR 25818,
June 19, 1989), and OMB Circular No. A-130, the following information
is provided:
1. Names of Participating Agencies.
The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of
Veterans Affairs.
2. Purpose of the Match.
The purpose of this matching program between ED and VA is to verify
the status of applicants for financial assistance under Title IV of the
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), who claim to be
veterans.
The Secretary of ED is authorized by the HEA to administer the
Title IV programs and to enforce the terms and conditions of the HEA.
The Secretary has the authority to treat veterans as independent
applicants. Applicants who are determined to be veterans do not have to
provide parental income and asset information to apply for Title IV,
HEA program assistance.
Section 480(c)(1) of the HEA defines the term ``veteran'' to mean
``any individual who (A) has engaged in active duty in the United
States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard; and (B) was
released under a condition other than dishonorable.'' (20 U.S.C.
1087vv(c)(1)). Section 480(d)(3) of the HEA enables an applicant who is
determined to be a veteran (as defined in subsection (c)(1)) to meet
the definition of an independent student for purposes of Title IV, HEA
program assistance eligibility. (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(d)(3)).
3. Legal Authority for Conducting the Matching Program.
ED is authorized to conduct the matching program under sections
480(c) and (d)(3) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(c)(1) and (d)(3)) and 5
U.S.C. 552a. The VA's authority is 38 U.S.C. 523.
4. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match.
ED will provide the Social Security Number and other identifying
information of each applicant who indicates that he or she is a
veteran. This information will be extracted from the Federal Student
Aid Application File systems of records (18-11-01), pursuant to routine
use no. 16, as corrected by 66 FR 18758 (April 11, 2001). The ED data
will be matched against the Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification
and Records Location Subsystem--VA (38VA21), routine use no. 21, as
added by 66 FR 30049-50 (June 4, 2001).
5. Effective Dates of the Matching Program.
The matching program will become effective on (1) December 24,
2003, the day after the expiration of the current computer matching
agreement (CMA); (2) thirty (30) days after this notice of the matching
program has been published in the Federal Register; or (3) forty (40)
days after a report concerning the matching program has been
transmitted to the Office of Management
[[Page 61796]]
and Budget and the Congress, whichever date occurs last. The matching
program will continue for 18 months after the effective date and may be
extended for an additional 12 months thereafter, if the conditions
specified in 5 U.S.C. 552a(o)(2)(D) have been met.
6. Address for Receipt of Public Comments or Inquiries.
Individuals wishing to comment on this matching program or obtain
additional information about the program, including requesting a copy
of the computer matching agreement between ED and VA, should contact
Ms. Marya Dennis, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of
Education, 3111 Union Center Plaza, 830 First Street NE., Washington,
DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 377-3385. If you use a telecommunications
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an
alternative format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape or computer
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding
paragraph.
Electronic Access to the Document
You may view this document, as well as all other Department of
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site:
http://www.ed.gov/news/fedregister.
To use PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is
available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF,
call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free at 1-888-293-
6498, or in the Washington, DC, area at (202) 512-1530.
Note: The official version of this document is the document
published in the Federal Register. Free Internet access to the
official edition of the Federal Register and Code of Federal
Regulations is available on GPO access at: http://www.gpoaccess.gov/nara/index.htm.
Authority: 5 U.S.C. 552a; Pub. L. 100-503.
Dated: October 24, 2003.
Theresa S. Shaw,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 03-27375 Filed 10-29-03; 8:45 am]
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