[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 105 (Wednesday, June 1, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 35003-35004]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-12880]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program Between the 
Department of Education and the Department of Veterans Affairs

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: This document provides notice of the continuation of the 
computer matching program between the Department of Education (ED) 
(recipient agency) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) (source 
agency). The continuation is effective on the date in paragraph 5 of 
this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, 
as amended (5 U.S.C. 552a), the following information is provided:
    1. Names of Participating Agencies.
    ED and VA.
    2. Purpose of the Match.
    The purpose of this matching program is to assist the Secretary of 
Education with verification of a veteran's status during the review of 
applications for financial assistance under title IV of the Higher 
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA).
    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)(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 for financial assistance under title IV 
of the HEA who indicates veteran status. This information will be 
disclosed from the

[[Page 35004]]

Federal Student Aid Application File system of records (18-11-01), 
which was most recently published in the Federal Register on August 3, 
2011 (76 FR 46774-46781). ED will disclose this information to VA under 
routine use 14 of the system of records (18-11-01). 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 21, as added to that system of records (38VA21) by a notice 
published in the Federal Register on June 4, 2001 (66 FR 30049-30050).
    5. Effective Dates of the Matching Program.
    The matching program will be effective on the latest of the 
following three dates: (A) June 30, 2016; (B) 30 days from the date ED 
publishes a Computer Matching Notice in the Federal Register, as 
required by 5 U.S.C. 552a(e)(12); or, (C) 40 days from the date that ED 
transmits the report of the matching program, as required by 5 U.S.C. 
552a(r), to OMB, 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 
period for compelling reasons shown by the Department, in which case, 
30 days plus the number of days that OMB did not waive from the date of 
ED's transmittal of the matching program 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, may contact Ms. Marya Dennis, Management 
and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of Education, Federal Student Aid, 
Union Center Plaza, Room 63G2, 830 First Street NE., Washington, DC 
20202-5454. Telephone: (202) 377-3385.
    Accessible Format: If you use a telecommunications device for the 
deaf or a text telephone, call the Federal Relay Service, toll free, at 
1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities can obtain this document in an 
accessible format (e.g., braille, large print, audiotape, or compact 
disc) by contacting the 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/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 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: May 26, 2016.
James W. Runcie,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 2016-12880 Filed 5-31-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P