[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 198 (Wednesday, October 14, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 55100-55101]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-27519]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Office of Postsecondary Education, Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice--Computer Matching 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 computer matching program between the Department of 
Education (ED) (the recipient agency) and the Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA) (the source agency).
    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 (see 54 FR 
25818, June 19,

[[Page 55101]]

1989), and OMB Circular A-130, the following information is provided:

1. Names of Participating Agencies

    The Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

2. Purpose of the Match

    The purpose of the match 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 Education 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, and those who claim veteran status do not have to provide 
parental income and asset information to apply for Title IV, HEA 
program assistance.
    Section 480(c) of the HEA defines the term ``veteran'' to mean any 
individual who (A) has engaged in the active duty in the United States 
Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, or Coast Guard; and (B) was released 
under a condition other than dishonorable. Section 480(d)(3) of the HEA 
enables an applicant who claims veteran status (as defined in 
subsection (c)(1)) to meet the definition of an independent student for 
purposes of Title IV, HEA program assistance eligibility.

3. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    Section 480(c) and (d)(3) of the HEA; Title 38, U.S.C., section 
210(c), as amended by section 501(a) and (b).

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 system of records (18-40-0014). The ED data will 
be matched against the Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification and 
Records Location Subsystem--VA (38VA23).

5. Effective Dates of the Matching Program

    The matching program will become effective on January 1, 1999, or 
40 days after a copy of the computer matching agreement, as approved by 
the Data Integrity Board of each agency, is sent to Congress and OMB, 
unless OMB objects to some or all of the agreement, or 30 days after 
publication of this notice in the Federal Register, whichever date is 
later. 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. 522a(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 a copy of the 
computer matching agreement between ED and VA should contact Sr. 
Bernardine Hayes, Program Specialist, Policy Development Division, U.S. 
Department of Education, 600 Independence Avenue, SW (Room 3045, ROB-
3), Washington, DC 20202-5447. Telephone (202) 708-8242. Written 
comments should be submitted to Sr. Hayes at this address. Individuals 
who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the 
Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 
a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.
    Individuals with disabilities may obtain this document in an 
alternate format (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, or computer 
diskette) on request to the contact person listed in the preceding 
paragraph.

Electronic Access to This Document

    Anyone may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or 
portable document format (pdf) on the World Wide Web at either of the 
following sites:

http://ocfo.ed.gov/fedreg.htm
http://www.ed.gov/news.html

    To use the pdf you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader Program with 
Search, which is available free through either of the previous sites. 
If you have questions about using the pdf, call the U.S. Government 
Printing Office at (202) 512-1530 or, toll free, at 1-888-293-6498.
    Anyone may view these documents in text copy only on an electronic 
bulletin board of the Department. Telephone: (202) 219-1511 or, toll 
free, 1-800-222-4922. The documents are located under Option G--Files/
Announcements, Bulletins and Press Releases.

    Note: The official version of this document is the document 
published in the Federal Register.

    Dated: October 6, 1998.
David A. Longanecker,
Assistant Secretary for Postsecondary Education.
[FR Doc. 98-27519 Filed 10-13-98; 8:45 am]
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