[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 40 (Tuesday, March 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 10609-10610]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-04465]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the 
Department of Education (ED) and the Social Security Administration 
(SSA)

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended by the 
Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988 and the Computer 
Matching and Privacy Protections Amendments of 1990 (Privacy Act), and 
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) guidance on the conduct of 
computer matching programs, notice is hereby given of the renewal of 
the computer matching program between ED (recipient agency) and the SSA 
(source agency). This renewal of the computer matching program will 
become effective as explained in paragraph 5.

DATES: 

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 
as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a) OMB Final Guidance Interpreting the 
Provisions of Public Law 100-503, the Computer Matching and Privacy 
Protection Act of 1988, published in the Federal Register on June 19, 
1989 (54 FR 25818), and OMB Circular No. A-130, Transmittal Memorandum 
#4, Management of Federal Information Resources (November 28, 2000), we 
provide the following information:
    1. Names of Participating Agencies.
    The U.S. Department of Education and the Social Security 
Administration.
    2. Purpose of the Match.
    The purpose of this matching program between ED and SSA is to 
assist the Secretary of Education with verification of immigration 
status and Social Security numbers (SSNs) under 20 U.S.C. 1091(g) and 
(p). SSA will verify the issuance of an SSN to, and will confirm the 
citizenship status of, those students and parents applying for 
financial assistance programs authorized under title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA). Verification of this 
information by SSA will help ED satisfy its obligation to ensure that 
individuals applying for financial assistance meet eligibility 
requirements imposed by the HEA.
    Verification by this computer matching program effectuates the 
purpose of the HEA because it provides an efficient and comprehensive 
method of verifying the accuracy of each individual's SSN and claim to 
a citizenship status that permits that individual to qualify for title 
IV, HEA assistance.
    3. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program.
    ED is authorized to participate in the matching program under 
sections 428B(f) (20 U.S.C. 1078-2(f)), 483(a)(12) (20 U.S.C. 
1090(a)(12)), 484(g) (20 U.S.C. 1091(g)), and 484(p) (20 U.S.C. 
1091(p))of the HEA.
    SSA is authorized to participate in the matching program under 
section 1106(a) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1306(a)) and the 
regulations promulgated pursuant to that section (20 CFR part 401).
    4. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match.
    ED's system of records entitled ``Federal Student Aid Application 
File'' (18-11-01), which contains the information to determine an 
applicant's eligibility for Federal student financial assistance, and 
ED's system of records entitled ``Person Authentication Service (PAS)'' 
(18-11-12), which contains the applicant's information to receive PAS 
Credentials, a user ID and password, will be matched against SSA's 
Master Files of Social Security Number Holders and SSN Applications 
System, SSA/OS, 60-0058, which maintains records about each individual 
who has applied for, and obtained an, SSN.
    5. Effective Date of the Matching Program.
    The matching program will be effective on the latest of the 
following three dates: (a) April 10, 2016; (b) 30 days after notice of 
the matching program has been published in the Federal Register, as 
required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(12); or (c) 40 days after a report 
concerning the matching program has been transmitted, as required by 5 
U.S.C. 552a(r), to OMB and the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and 
Government Reform, and the U.S. Senate Committee on Homeland Security 
and Governmental Affairs, unless OMB waives 10 or fewer days of this 
40-day review period for compelling reasons, in which case, 30 days 
plus whatever number of the 10 days that OMB did not waive from the

[[Page 10610]]

date of the transmittal of the report to OMB and Congress.
    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 to 
obtain additional information about the program, including requesting a 
copy of the computer matching agreement between ED and SSA, should 
contact Marya Dennis, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department 
of Education, Union Center Plaza, 830 First Street NE., Washington, DC 
20202-5454. Telephone: (202) 377-3385. If you use a telecommunications 
device (TDD) for the deaf or text telephone (TTY), call the Federal 
Relay Service, toll free, at 1-800-877-8339.
    Accessible Format: Individuals with disabilities can obtain this 
document in an accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, 
audiotape, or compact disc) by contacting the contact person listed in 
the preceding paragraph.
    Electronic Access to This 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: www.gpo.gov/fsys. 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: 
www.federalregister.gov. Specifically, through the advanced search 
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published 
by the Department.

    Dated: February 16, 2016.
James W. Runcie,
Chief Operating Officer Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 2016-04465 Filed 2-29-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P