[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 218 (Monday, November 10, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66604-66605]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-26720]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; 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 Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act) 
(5 U.S.C. 552a), 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, 54 FR 25818 (June 
19, 1989), and OMB Circular A-130, Appendix I, 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 
(CMA), the computer matching program will begin on the effective date 
as specified in the CMA and as indicated in paragraph 5 of this notice.
    In accordance with the Privacy Act and applicable OMB guidance, 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 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)(1)(D) 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)(1)(D)).
    3. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program.
    ED is authorized to participate in the matching program under 
sections 480(c) and 480(d)(1)(D) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1087vv(c)(1) and 
(d)(1)(D)). 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 disclosed from the Federal Student 
Aid Application File system of records (18-11-01), which was published 
in the Federal Register (see 64 FR 30106, 30159 (June 4, 1999), as 
amended by 64 FR 72383, 72407 (December 27, 1999), and corrected by 65 
FR 11294 (March 2, 2000) and 66 FR 18758 (April 11, 2001)). ED will 
disclose this information to VA pursuant to routine use no. 16, as 
added by the notice correcting this system of records published on 
April 11, 2001 (66 FR 18758). The ED data will be matched against data 
in the Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification and Records Location 
Subsystem-VA (38VA21) system of records, consistent with routine use 
no. 21, as added to that system of records by a notice published in the 
Federal Register on June 4, 2001 (66 FR 30049-50).
    5. Effective Dates of the Matching Program.
    The matching program will be effective on the last of the following 
dates: (1) December 24, 2008, the day after the expiration of the 
current computer matching agreement; (2) thirty (30) days after notice 
of the matching program described in the CMA has been published in the 
Federal Register; or (3) forty (40) days after a report concerning the 
matching program has been transmitted to OMB and transmitted to 
Congress along with a copy of the CMA, unless OMB waives 10 days of 
this 40-day period for compelling reasons shown, in which case 30 days 
after transmission of the report to OMB and Congress. The matching 
program will continue for 18 months after the effective date of the CMA 
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 CMA between ED and VA, should contact Ms. Marya Dennis, 
Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Education, 63G2 
Union Center Plaza, 830 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 20202. 
Telephone: (202) 377-3385. If you use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS) toll free at 1-
800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can 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.

[[Page 66605]]

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    Dated: November 5, 2008.
James F. Manning,
Acting Chief, Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
 [FR Doc. E8-26720 Filed 11-7-08; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P