[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 104 (Tuesday, May 31, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31317-31318]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-13414]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974, as Amended; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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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 (ED) and the U.S. Department of 
Veterans Affairs (VA).

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

[[Page 31318]]

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)(1) 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 veteran status. This 
information will be disclosed from the Federal Student Aid Application 
File system of records (18-11-01), which was most recently published in 
the Federal Register on December 29, 2009 (74 FR 68802-68808). ED will 
disclose this information to VA under routine use No. 14. ED data will 
be matched against data in the Veterans and Beneficiaries 
Identification and Records Location Subsystem--VA (38VA21) system of 
records, under 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) June 24, 2011, the day after the expiration of the current 
computer matching agreement; (2) 30 days after notice of the matching 
program described in the CMA has been published in the Federal 
Register; or (3) 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 Mr. Leroy Everett, 
Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Education, Federal 
Student Aid, Union Center Plaza, 830 First Street, NE., Washington, DC 
20202. Telephone: (202) 377-3265. 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

    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 the Code of Federal Regulations is available 
via the Federal Digital System at: http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys. At this 
site you can 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). To use PDF you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, 
which is available free at the site.
    You may also access documents of the Department published in the 
Federal Register by using the article search feature at: http://www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    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: May 25, 2011.
James Manning,
Chief of Staff, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 2011-13414 Filed 5-26-11; 11:15 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P