NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH (NIH)
LOAN REPAYMENT AND SCHOLARSHIP PROGRAMS
PRIVACY ACT NOTICE
The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 USC 552a) requires that a Federal
agency provide the following notification to each individual whom
it asks to supply information. This information is contained in
the System of Records of the Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS) numbered 09-25-0165, entitled National Institutes of Health
Intramural Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs (ILRSP) Records System,
HHS/NIH/OD. An update of this system of records was published
in the Federal Register on February 8, 2002 (67 Fed. Reg. 6043).
- The authority for collection of the requested information
is contained in Sections 487A-F and Section 485G of the PHS
Act (42USC288-1,2,3,4,5,5a,6; and 42USC287c-33), and Public
Laws 100-607, 101-597, 103-43, 106-310, 106-505, 106-525, and
106-554. The Internal Revenue Code at 26 USC 6109 requires the
provision of the Social Security number (SSN) for the receipt
of funds.
- The principal purposes of information that you, the applicant
or participant, furnish are (1) to determine your eligibility
for loan repayment or scholarship under Sections 487A-F and
Section 485G of the PHS Act, including verification of the existence
and purpose of your educational loan(s),
and determination of the amount(s) that are eligible for repayment
under the NIH Loan Repayment and Scholarship Programs (LRSPs);
and (2) to negotiate and verify the transfer of loan repayments,
scholarship awards, and tax reimbursements to participants and
to the Department of the Treasury (Treasury), Internal Revenue
Service (IRS).
- The principal purposes of
information that you, the lender, furnish are (1) to determine
an individual applicant or participant's eligibility for loan
repayment under Sections 487A-C, E and F, and Section 485G,
of the PHS Act, including verification of the existence and
purpose of an individual's educational loan(s), determination
of the amounts(s) that are eligible for payment under the NIH
LRSPs; and (2) to negotiate and verify the transfer of a loan
repayment to a participant's loan account.
- The principal purposes of the information
that you, the undergraduate institution, furnish are (1) to
determine an individual applicant or participant's eligibility
for scholarship award under Section 487D of the PHS Act, including
verification of the amounts of tuition and qualifying educational
expenses, including room and board; and (2) to determine an
applicant's disadvantaged background status.
- While disclosure of the information
is not mandatory, you must provide the information requested
to obtain loan repayment and scholarship benefits authorized
by Sections 487A-F and Section 485G of the PHS Act.
- The information you provide will be
made available to Federal employees responsible for administering
the NIH LRSPs to determine your eligibility for loan repayment
and scholarship awards, as described above.
- The information you provide will not
be disclosed without your consent to anyone outside of DHHS
in a manner that identifies you, except as permitted by the
Privacy Act.
(SEE ROUTINE USES 1-17 FOR ADDITIONAL DISCLOSURES.)
- Certifying on NIH 2674-1, "Applicant Information,"
authorizes the disclosure of information that confirms you are
not under a service obligation, certifying on NIH 2674-4, "Loan
Information," authorizes the disclosure of information
to the lenders and their authorized collection agents to confirm
that your loans are current in their repayment status, and certifying
on NIH 2674-10, "Institutional Information," authorizes
the disclosure of information to the extramural research institutions
and their authorized officials to confirm that you are eligible
for the loan repayment program and able to fulfill the two-year
service obligation.
- Certifying on NIH 2762-1, "Undergraduate Scholarship
Applicant Information," NIH 2762-2, "Applicant Information:
Recommendation," and NIH 2762-3, "Undergraduate Institution
Certification," authorizes the disclosure of information
to the undergraduate institution to determine your eligibility
for participation in the Undergraduate Scholarship Program,
to confirm your eligibility for disadvantaged background status
and non-delinquent loan status, and to disclose your educational
expenses.
PROVISION OF YOUR SOCIAL SECURITY NUMBER UNDER
PUBLIC LAW 93-579, SECTION 7(b), PRIVACY ACT OF 1974
- Provision of your SSN is required for participation of the
LRSPs. This provision is required, as provided in the Internal
Revenue Code 26 USC 6109.
- Provision of your SSN is needed to verify the financial information
provided in your application. Your SSN will be given to the
Treasury to disburse Federal funds in connection with the program
benefit. Your SSN will be used for identification with the records
of the Treasury and DHHS in the event of the loss or theft of
repayment checks or scholarship awards or other difficulties
arising from this transaction. Your SSN will be given to consumer
reporting agencies to obtain a commercial credit report that
verifies your ability to repay debts owed to the Federal Government.
- Your SSN will be disclosed to the IRS when making loan repayments
of scholarship awards and tax reimbursement payments to the
IRS for the benefits you receive under the LRSPs. Your SSN will
be disclosed to the IRS to obtain a current mailing address
if you default on your service obligation, and to other Federal
agencies, commercial credit bureaus, or collection agencies
to offset or collect delinquent debts.
ROUTINE USES AS PERMITTED BY THE
PRIVACY ACT
Disclosure of information may be made to:
- A Congressional office in response to a written request by
the applicant or participant concerning his or her record;
- The Department of Justice or to a court in the event of litigation;
- The appropriate agency, whether Federal, foreign, State,
local, or tribal, in the event that a system of records indicates
a violation or potential violation of law;
- DHHS contractors for the purpose of processing or refining
records, and/or for the purpose of evaluating the programs covered
by the system;
- Private parties such as present and former employers, references
listed on application and associated forms, other references,
and educational institutions to determine if an applicant is
suitable for participation in the NIH LRSPs;
- A consumer reporting agency (credit bureau) to obtain a commercial
credit report to establish an individual's creditworthiness;
to assess and verify his or her ability to repay debts owed
to the Federal Government; and to determine and verify the eligibility
of loans submitted for repayment;
- Another Federal agency so that the agency can effect a salary
offset for debts owed by Federal employees, or so that the agency
can effect an authorized administrative offset; or to the IRS
to request an individual's current mailing address to locate
him or her to collect or compromise debt, or to have a commercial
credit report prepared;
- Another agency that has asked DHHS to effect a salary or administrative
offset to help collect a debt owed to the United States;
- The IRS to find out whether the applicant has a delinquent
tax account;
- The IRS to report as taxable income the written-off portion
of a debt owed by an individual to the Federal Government when
a debt becomes partly or wholly uncollectible;
- Debt collection agents, other Federal agencies, and other
third parties who are authorized to collect Federal debts and
information necessary to identify a delinquent debtor or defaulting
participant;
- Any third party that may have information about a delinquent
debtor's or defaulting participant's current address;
- Other Federal agencies that also provide loan repayment or
scholarship at the request of these Federal agencies in conjunction
with a matching program conducted by these agencies to detect
or curtail fraud and abuse in Federal loan repayment and scholarship
programs, and to collect delinquent loans or benefit payments
owed to the Federal Government;
- The IRS to offset any income tax refunds that may be due to
the individual against the debt;
- Other Federal agencies, debt collection agents, and other
third parties who are authorized to collect a Federal debt to
identify an individual who is delinquent in loan benefit payments
owed to the Federal Government and the nature of the debt;
- Officials or representatives of grantee institutions in connection
with the review of a Loan Repayment Program (LRP) application
or performance or administration under the terms and conditions
of the LRP award; or in connection with problems that might
arise in performance or administration of the LRP contract.
- Designated school coordinators to determine scholarship support,
to inform recipients about their service obligations to NIH,
and to verify service deferments for certain Undergraduate Scholarship
Program participants; and
- DHHS contractors to recruit, screen, and match health professionals
for NIH employment in qualified research positions; and to references,
medical licensing boards, and NIH officials to evaluate the
applicant's professional qualifications, experience, and suitability.
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