[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 85 (Wednesday, May 3, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 26078-26079]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E6-6694]


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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 
U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of Veterans 
Affairs.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) Final 
Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of Public Law 100-503, the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, notice is hereby 
given of the renewal of the computer matching program between the U.S. 
Department of Education (ED) (the recipient agency) and the U.S. 
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (the source agency). After the ED 
and VA Data Integrity Boards approve a new computer matching agreement, 
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, the OMB Final Guidance Interpreting the Provisions of Public 
Law 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 
(54 FR 25818, June 19, 1989), and OMB Circular No. A-130, Appendix I 
(65 FR 77677, December 12, 2000), the following information is 
provided:

1. Names of Participating Agencies

    The U.S. Department of Education and the U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs.

[[Page 26079]]

2. Purpose of the Match

    The purpose of this matching program between ED and VA is to verify 
the veteran's 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.
    Section 480(c)(1) 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.'' (20 U.S.C. 
1087vv(c)(1)). Under section 480(d)(3) of the HEA, an applicant who is 
a veteran (as defined in section 480(c)(1)) is considered an 
independent student for purposes of Title IV, HEA program assistance 
eligibility, and therefore does not have to provide parental income and 
asset information to apply for Title IV, HEA program assistance. (20 
U.S.C. 1087vv(d)(3)).

3. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    ED is authorized to participate in 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 is authorized to participate in the 
matching program under 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 system 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), consistent with 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) June 24, 2006, 
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 OMB 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, 63H2 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 Relay Service (FRS) 
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 documents of this 
Department 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.html.


    Dated: April 28, 2006.
Theresa S. Shaw,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
 [FR Doc. E6-6694 Filed 5-2-06; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P