[Federal Register Volume 90, Number 133 (Tuesday, July 15, 2025)]
[Notices]
[Pages 31628-31636]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2025-13212]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID ED-2024-FSA-0123]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of a New System of Records and Rescindment of Two
Systems of Records Notices.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended
(Privacy Act), the U.S. Department of Education (Department) publishes
this notice of a new system of records titled the ``Federal Student Aid
Partner Connect'' (18-11-24) (FSA Partner Connect) and of the
rescindment of two systems of records notices titled ``Postsecondary
Education Participants System (PEPS)'' (18-11-09) and ``Student Aid
internet Gateway (SAIG), Participation Management System'' (18-11-10).
The Department proposes this new system of records to integrate
distinct legacy lines of business into a single web-based platform to
simplify the user experience while leveraging modernized, more secure
technology. The Department is rescinding the systems of records notices
that covered the PEPS and the SAIG, Participation Management System
because the records previously covered by those systems are now covered
by the FSA Partner Connect system of records notice.
DATES: Submit your comments on this new system of records notice and
rescindment of the two systems of records notices on or before August
14, 2025.
This new system of records will become applicable upon publication
in the Federal Register on July 15, 2025, unless it needs to be changed
as a result of public comment. The routine uses outlined in the section
titled ``ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING
CATEGORIES OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES'' will become applicable
on the expiration of the 30-day period of public comment on August 14,
2025, unless they need to be changed as a result of public comment. The
Department will publish any significant changes to the system of
records or routine uses resulting from public comment.
This notice of the rescindment of the two systems of records
notices generally will become applicable July 15, 2025, unless it needs
to be changed as a result of public comment, except that the routine
uses established in these two systems of records notices will not be
rescinded until the date that the new routine uses established in the
FSA Partner Connect system of records notice become applicable, as
further described below. The Department will publish any changes to the
notice of the rescindment of the two systems of records notices that
result from public comment. The Department will continue to use the
routine uses established under the section titled ``ROUTINE USES OF
RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND
PURPOSES OF SUCH USES'' of the systems of records notices that covered
the PEPS and the SAIG, Participation Management System, until the
routine uses established in the section titled ``ROUTINE USES OF
RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND
PURPOSES OF SUCH USES'' of the FSA Partner Connect system of records
notice, become applicable on the expiration of the 30-day period of
public comment unless they need to be changed as a result of public
comment.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at regulations.gov. However, if you require an accommodation or
cannot otherwise submit your comments via regulations.gov, please
contact the program contact listed under
[[Page 31629]]
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT. The Department will not accept
comments submitted by fax or by email, or comments submitted after the
comment period closes. To ensure that the Department does not receive
duplicate copies, please submit your comments only once. In addition,
please include the Docket ID at the top of your comments.
Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to www.regulations.gov to
submit your comments electronically. Information on using
Regulations.gov, including instructions for accessing agency documents,
submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site
under ``FAQ''.
Privacy Note: The Department's policy is to make all comments
received from members of the public available for public viewing in
their entirety on the Federal eRulemaking Portal at
www.regulations.gov. Therefore, commenters should be careful to include
in their comments only information that they wish to make publicly
available.
Assistance to Individuals with Disabilities in Reviewing the
Rulemaking Record: On request, we will provide an appropriate
accommodation or auxiliary aid to an individual with a disability who
needs assistance to review the comments or other documents in the
public rulemaking record for this notice. If you want to schedule an
appointment for this type of accommodation or aid, please contact the
person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Mr. Corey Johnson, Information System
Owner, Digital Services Division of the Office of the Chief Technology
Officer, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202. Telephone: (202) 453-5892.
Email: [email protected].
If you are deaf, hard of hearing, or have a speech disability and
wish to access telecommunications relay services, please dial 7-1-1.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: FSA Partner Connect is a unified digital
front-end platform for entities participating in or involved in the
administration of financial aid programs for postsecondary students
authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended (HEA), including postsecondary educational institutions
(domestic and foreign), institutional third-party servicers, State
higher education agencies (including State grant agencies), accrediting
agencies, research organizations, third-party software providers, and
financial entities (namely guaranty agencies, guaranty agency
servicers, Federal loan servicers, Federal Family Education Loan
Program (FFELP) lenders, FFELP lender servicers), along with Department
staff and contractors. FSA Partner Connect provides these entities and
Department staff and contractors with centralized access to certain
materials relating to the administration of title IV, HEA financial aid
programs, such as websites, policy, guidance, training, and data, for
use in managing title IV, HEA program eligibility and completing title
IV, HEA aid administration tasks.
Previously, FSA provided certain similar services and applications
through multiple websites, such as FSA Training Conference (previously
fsaconferences.ed.gov), Application for Approval to Participate in the
Federal Student Financial Aid Programs (previously eligcert.ed.gov),
and SAIG Enrollment (previously fsawebenroll.ed.gov). FSA Partner
Connect integrates these distinct legacy lines of business into a
single web-based platform to simplify the user experience while
leveraging modernized, more secure technology. This approach not only
improves user experience but also FSA's ability and capacity to provide
rigorous and proactive oversight, thereby enabling more responsiveness
to students and a reduction in compliance challenges through greater
collaboration.
FSA Partner Connect provides each user with access to the following
features on fsapartners.ed.gov:
(i) The Knowledge Center (available to the public, no account
required), which provides informational resources related to the
administration of title IV, HEA financial aid programs, such as FSA
electronic announcements; FSA Dear Colleague Letters; current and
historical versions of the Federal Student Aid Handbook, Foreign
Schools Handbook, and New School Guide; and other FSA publications.
(This includes content from the retired Information for Financial Aid
Professionals (IFAP) website.)
(ii) FSA Training Conference information (available to the public,
no account required), which provides training materials, upcoming
conference details, and access to previous conference information
including presentations.
(iii) The Summary Dashboard, which provides snapshots of certain
data related to users' respective organizations including high-level
operational data, important communications, notifications, and news
tailored to users based on their respective roles.
(iv) A Partner Search and Profile feature, which provides users
with the capability to search for and view comprehensive and
consolidated postsecondary educational institution and third-party
servicer information including program eligibility, official contact
information, and postsecondary educational institution relationship
information, which is a list of institutions that a postsecondary
educational institution has a direct funding or reporting relationship
with and of third-party servicers that provide a service to the
postsecondary educational institution.
(v) A Student, Parent, and Borrower Search and Profile feature,
which allows users to search for and view comprehensive and
consolidated account information for students, parents, and/or
borrowers including award and disbursement details, StudentAid.gov
transactional submissions, Pell and Subsidized Direct Loan eligibility
usage, and credit check information. (The platform also provides a
view-only version of StudentAid.gov to assist with inquiries from
students, parents, and/or borrowers.)
(vi) The Application for Approval to Participate in the Federal
Student Financial Aid Programs (more commonly referred to as the ``E-
App''), which postsecondary educational institutions complete to apply
for and maintain participation in title IV, HEA programs.
(vii) The Third-Party Servicer (TPS) Inquiry Form, which obtains
information to validate third-party servicer information reported to
the Department by postsecondary educational institutions, as well as to
collect additional information needed by the Department for effective
oversight of postsecondary educational institutions and third-party
servicers.
(viii) FSA cases pertaining to eligibility and oversight generated
to manage E-App reviews, TPS Inquiry Form reviews, program reviews,
audits, and other related oversight processes.
(ix) Various postsecondary educational institution reports and
files including, but are not limited to, FSA's Weekly School File,
which is a data extract of select demographic and eligibility-related
data.
Access to FSA Partner Connect is limited to individuals and
entities with active FSA Partner Connect accounts (collectively
referred to herein as ``authorized users''), which, among other things,
contain the contact information of individuals affiliated
[[Page 31630]]
with entities authorized to create accounts to request electronic
access to the Department's Federal Student Aid's (FSA's) systems,
including FSA Partner Connect, SAIG, Federal Tax Information SAIG (FTI-
SAIG), the Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) system, the Free
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA[supreg]) Processing System
(FPS), the National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS), the Digital
Customer Care (DCC) Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system, the
eZ-Audit system, the Electronic Cohort Default Rate (eCDR) system, the
Financial Management System (FMS), and the Access and Identity
Management System (AIMS), and to the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security's (DHS') Systematic Alien Verification for Entitlements (SAVE)
system for purposes of administering programs authorized under title IV
of the HEA. FSA Partner Connect stores and processes information to
manage user accounts (e.g., enroll users, manage and modify user roles,
which includes, but is not limited to: managing access permissions,
removing access, deactivating user accounts, and reactivating user
accounts) and authorizes access to the Department systems referenced
above. Additionally, FSA Partner Connect manages SAIG mailbox numbers,
which are used to electronically transmit data to and receive data from
Department systems.
The Department proposes to rescind the systems of records notices
titled PEPS (18-11-09) and SAIG, Participation Management System (18-
11-10). PEPS enabled the Department to administer the approval,
periodic review, and oversight of postsecondary educational
institutions that participate in the Federal student financial aid
programs under title IV of the HEA. The SAIG, Participation Management
System enabled the Department to process stored data from SAIG
Enrollment forms, manage the assignment of SAIG mailbox numbers, and
authorize users of the Department's systems for the purposes of
administering programs authorized under title IV of the HEA. The
Department is rescinding the systems of records notices that previously
covered the PEPS and the SAIG, Participation Management System because
the records previously covered by those systems are now covered by the
FSA Partner Connect system of records notice.
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact persons listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file,
braille, large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible
format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at www.govinfo.gov. At this site, you can view this
document, as well as all other Department documents 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 Department documents 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.
James Bergeron,
Acting Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Acting Chief
Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid of the U.S. Department of
Education (Department) publishes a new system of records notice titled
``Federal Student Aid Partner Connect'' (18-11-24) (FSA Partner
Connect):
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Federal Student Aid Partner Connect (18-11-24).
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Unclassified.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
Digital Services Division of the Office of the Chief Technology
Officer, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202.
Accenture, 22451 Shaw Rd., Sterling, VA 20166-4319. (Accenture is
the development and operations vendor for Federal Student Aid (FSA)
Partner Connect. This is Accenture's main program office.)
Accenture DC, 820 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20202-4227. (This is
Accenture's alternate work site.)
Accenture Federal Services, 10931 Laureate Dr., San Antonio, TX
78249. (This is Accenture's alternate work site.)
Salesforce Government Cloud, 415 Mission St., 3rd Floor, San
Francisco, CA 94105. (Salesforce is a component of FSA Partner Connect
in which case management functionalities are housed.)
Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud (East/West), 410 Terry Ave.,
North Seattle, WA 98109-5210. (FSA Partner Connect leverages AWS
GovCloud+, a utility-based public cloud service, to process, store, and
transmit electronic records.)
NTT Global Data Centers Americas, 44664 Guilford Dr., Ashburn, VA
20147, and 2008 Lookout Dr., Garland, TX 75044. (Customer service call
recordings are maintained at these locations.)
Oracle Service Cloud, 500 Eldorado Blvd., Broomfield, CO 80021.
(Oracle Service Cloud provides customer case management and reporting
capabilities to FSA Partner Connect Customer Service Representatives
(CSRs) and has the capability to track and maintain FSA Partner Connect
inquiries, which allows CSRs to respond to these cases/inquiries.)
ASM Research, 4050 Legato Rd., #1100, Fairfax, VA 22033. (This is a
location of the FSA Partner and School Relations (Customer Service)
Center.)
Senture, LLC, 4255 W Highway 90, Monticello, KY 42633-3398. (This
is a location of the FSA Partner and School Relations (Customer
Service) Center.)
Veteran Call Center, LLC, 53 Knightsbridge Rd., Suite 216,
Piscataway, NJ 08854-3925. (This is a location of the FSA Partner and
School Relations (Customer Service) Center.)
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
Director, Digital Services Division of the Office of the Chief
Technology Officer, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education,
400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20
U.S.C. 1070 et seq.) and Section 117 of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011f).
The collection of Social Security numbers (SSNs) of individuals who
are covered by this system is authorized by 31 U.S.C. 7701 and
Executive Order 9397 (November 22, 1943), as amended by Executive Order
13478 (November 18, 2008).
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
The purpose of FSA Partner Connect is to more effectively and
efficiently provide an integrated interface and system to facilitate
the Department's administration of Federal student aid for
postsecondary education under title IV of the HEA, including the
programs listed in 34 CFR 668.1(c). FSA Partner Connect collects,
processes, and retains information as required by title IV of the
[[Page 31631]]
HEA, and is used by entities, including postsecondary educational
institutions (domestic and foreign), institutional third-party
servicers, State higher education agencies (including State grant
agencies), accrediting agencies, research organizations, third-party
software providers, and financial entities (namely guaranty agencies,
guaranty agency servicers, Federal loan servicers, Federal Family
Education Loan Program (FFELP) lenders, FFELP lender servicers), along
with Department staff and Department contractors, participating in or
involved in the administration of financial aid programs for
postsecondary students authorized under title IV of the HEA.
The information in the FSA Partner Connect system is maintained for
the following purposes related to administering and enforcing the title
IV, HEA programs:
(1) Collecting and processing data from web-based FSA Partner
Connect user access and enrollment forms to enroll users in FSA Partner
Connect, and manage and modify roles, which include, but are not
limited to, managing access permissions, removing access, deactivating
user accounts, and reactivating user accounts;
(2) Authorizing system access to the Department's FSA systems,
including FSA Partner Connect, the Student Aid internet Gateway (SAIG),
the Federal Tax Information SAIG (FTI-SAIG), the Common Origination and
Disbursement (COD) system, the Free Application for Federal Student Aid
(FAFSA[supreg]) Processing System (FPS), the National Student Loan Data
System (NSLDS), the Digital Customer Care (DCC) Customer Relationship
Management (CRM) system, the eZ-Audit system, the Electronic Cohort
Default Rate (eCDR) system, the Financial Management System (FMS), and
the Access and Identity Management System (AIMS), and to the U.S.
Department of Homeland Security's (DHS') Systematic Alien Verification
for Entitlements (SAVE) system for the purposes of administering or
assisting in administering programs authorized under title IV of the
HEA. (Authorizing system access to the FSA systems includes the
enrollment of users and the validation of user and organizational
associations to determine appropriate system privileges, which are both
responsibilities of a designated Administrator at the organization/
entity (Primary, Secondary, and Eligibility and Oversight
Administrator));
(3) Managing the assignment of SAIG mailbox numbers, known as ``TG
numbers'' and ``Federal Tax (FT) numbers,'' to electronically transmit
data to and receive data from Department systems;
(4) Delivering FSA policy and guidance, such as the Federal Student
Aid Handbook, Foreign Schools Handbook, and New School Guide, to
entities and the public via the Knowledge Center on FSA Partner
Connect;
(5) Posting Federal student aid training, presentations, and other
outreach/engagement tools and resources to entities and the public via
the FSA Training Conference section of FSA Partner Connect;
(6) Providing postsecondary educational institutions with access to
complete the Application for Approval to Participate in the Federal
Student Financial Aid Programs (more commonly referred to as the ``E-
App''), which facilitates initial approval to participate, changes to
ownership or structure, recertification, reinstatements, and other
postsecondary educational institutional updates (including changes such
as, but not limited to, a new location or program, an increased level
of offering, a change of officials, reporting a third-party servicer,
or a Federal School Code Address change);
(7) Managing the determination, processing, approval, tracking, and
reporting of program eligibility requirements under title IV of the HEA
for postsecondary educational institutions. (Note: Postsecondary
educational institutions must meet the postsecondary educational
institutional eligibility, financial responsibility, and administrative
capability requirements for students to receive title IV, HEA aid at
their postsecondary educational institutions);
(8) Providing postsecondary educational institutional update
reports to identify postsecondary educational institutional changes and
maintain current eligibility information regarding participation in the
title IV, HEA programs. (Note: These reports are used by Department and
external systems to identify postsecondary educational institutions,
determine title IV, HEA program participation eligibility, and
accurately disburse and reconcile title IV, HEA aid);
(9) Providing third-party servicers with access to complete the
Third-Party Servicer Inquiry Form, for use by entities that perform
title IV, HEA functions or services on behalf of eligible postsecondary
educational institutions. (Note: postsecondary educational institutions
may have a third-party servicer (an individual, a State, or a private
for-profit or non-profit organization that enters into a contract with
an eligible institution) administer, through manual or automated
processing, any aspect of the postsecondary educational institution's
participation in any title IV, HEA programs);
(10) Managing the processing, approval, tracking, and reporting of
title IV, HEA program eligibility for third-party servicers, Federal
Loan Servicers, lenders, lender servicers, State higher education
agencies (including State grant agencies), and guaranty agencies;
(11) Providing a summary view of postsecondary educational
institutional and third-party servicer data sourced from multiple FSA
IT systems, including FSA Partner Connect, the COD system, and the
Enterprise Data Warehouse and Analytics (EDWA) system;
(12) Acting as a repository and source for information necessary to
fulfill the requirements of title IV of the HEA; and
(13) Maintaining disclosure reports required to be filed by
postsecondary educational institutions with the Department under
Section 117 of the HEA, and making such disclosure reports available
for public inspection.
The information in this system is also maintained for the following
Department purposes relating to postsecondary educational institutions
that participate in and administer title IV, HEA programs:
(1) Confirming that a postsecondary educational institution, or a
program offered by a postsecondary educational institution, is eligible
to participate in and receive title IV, HEA program funds;
(2) Supporting the Department in identifying, detecting,
preventing, mitigating, and recouping improper payments of title IV,
HEA programs;
(3) Maintaining data and documentation that evidence the existence
of a legal obligation to comply with the laws, regulations, and
policies governing title IV, HEA programs;
(4) Providing reporting capabilities for postsecondary educational
institutions, guaranty agencies, lenders, and Department contractors
for use in title IV, HEA administrative functions, and use by the
Department or Federal, State, Tribal, or local agencies for oversight
and compliance;
(5) Supporting research, analysis, and development, and the
implementation and evaluation of educational policies in relation to
title IV, HEA programs;
(6) Conducting testing and analysis, or taking other administrative
actions needed, to prepare for or administer title IV, HEA programs;
(7) Enforcing postsecondary educational institutional compliance
with Department reporting deadlines
[[Page 31632]]
relating to, and ensuring compliance with and enforcement of, title IV,
HEA programmatic requirements by:
(a) Enforcing the terms and conditions of title IV, HEA Federal
student aid programs;
(b) Collecting a delinquent title IV, HEA loan, grant overpayment,
or fine; and
(c) Detecting, investigating, and preventing possible fraud and
abuse and initiating enforcement action against a person or
organization involved in program fraud, abuse, or noncompliance;
(8) Assisting a postsecondary educational institution, a third-
party software provider, or a third-party servicer with questions about
title IV, HEA program funds; and
(9) Assisting the Department with program management and analysis,
program outreach, and customer service.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
FSA Partner Connect contains records on individuals associated with
postsecondary educational institutions, institutional third-party
servicers, State higher education agencies (including State grant
agencies), accrediting agencies, research organizations, third-party
software providers, and financial entities (namely guaranty agencies,
guaranty agency servicers, Federal loan servicers, FFELP lenders, FFELP
lender servicers), along with Department staff and contractors, who
administer or assist in the administration of programs authorized under
title IV, HEA programs.
Specific categories of individuals covered by the system include:
(1) Individuals who are authorized to access FSA systems and the
DHS SAVE system for purposes of administering or assisting in
administering programs authorized under title IV of the HEA;
(2) Individuals who have an ``ownership interest'', which is a
share of the legal or beneficial ownership or control of, or a right to
share in the proceeds of the operation of, a postsecondary educational
institution, an institution's parent corporation, a third-party
servicer, or a third-party servicer's parent corporation. (Note: The
term ``ownership interest'' includes, but is not limited to, an
interest as tenant in common, joint tenant, or tenant by the
entireties; a partnership; or an interest in a trust. The term
``ownership interest'' does not include any share of the ownership or
control of, or any right to share in the proceeds of, the operation of
a mutual fund that is regularly and publicly traded; an institutional
investor; or a profit-sharing plan, provided that all employees are
covered by the plan);
(3) Persons or entities who exercise ``substantial control'' over a
postsecondary educational institution or third-party servicer. The
Secretary of Education generally considers a person or entity to
exercise substantial control over an institution or third-party
servicer if the person or entity directly or indirectly holds at least
a 25 percent ownership interest in the postsecondary educational
institution or servicer; holds, together with other members of their
family, at least a 25 percent ownership interest in the postsecondary
educational institution or servicer; represents, either alone or
together with other persons under a voting trust, power of attorney,
proxy, or similar agreement, one or more persons who hold, either
individually or in combination with the other persons represented or
the person representing them, at least a 25 percent ownership in the
institution or servicer; or is a member of the board of directors, a
general partner, the chief executive officer, or other executive
officer of the institution or servicer or an entity that holds at least
a 25 percent ownership interest in the institution or servicer);
(4) Employees, officials, authorized representatives/agents (e.g.,
president, chancellor, chief executive officer, chief information
officer, chief financial officer, and financial aid administrator) of
postsecondary educational institutions; and members of boards of
directors or trustees of those postsecondary educational institutions;
(5) Employees, officials, authorized representatives/agents of
third-party servicers, guaranty agencies, Federal loan servicers,
lenders, lender servicers, and State higher education agencies
(including State grant agencies); and
(6) Employees and authorized contractors of the Department.
This system also maintains records on individuals who are a foreign
source, as defined in Section 117(h)(2) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1011f(h)(2)), with whom a postsecondary educational institution enters
into a contract or from whom a postsecondary educational institution
receives a gift, if the postsecondary educational institution is
required to file with the Department a disclosure report for such
contract or gift under Section 117(a) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011f(a)).
This system also maintains records on individuals who are a foreign
source, as defined in Section 117(h)(2) of the HEA, that owns or
controls a postsecondary educational institution, which relationship is
required to be reported to the Department under Section 117(a) of the
HEA.
This system also displays records of aid applicants and recipients
who apply for and/or receive title IV aid, aid applicants' parents, and
spouses of aid applicants. (Note: Specific information about these
individuals is retrieved from other FSA systems through application
programming interfaces (APIs) and provided in a consolidated view to
FSA Partner Connect users with appropriate permissions.) This
information is not stored in FSA Partner Connect.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
FSA Partner Connect maintains records on the eligibility,
administrative capability, and financial responsibility of
postsecondary institutions. Postsecondary educational institutions must
report information to the Department so the Department can ensure that
the postsecondary educational institutions are meeting their academic,
financial, and administrative standards for participating in FSA
programs. The system maintains records that contain the following
information:
(1) Postsecondary educational institution contact information
(e.g., name, address, locations, institution's website address, phone
number(s), fax number(s), email address(es));
(2) Postsecondary educational institution official and board member
information, including name, phone number, business address (and home
address for officials), email address, taxpayer identification number
(TIN), digital signature, as well as identification numbers assigned by
the Department;
(3) Postsecondary educational institution's accrediting agency
information and State authorizing agency; or, for foreign postsecondary
educational institutions, the authorizing entity (e.g., name, address,
phone number(s), fax number(s), email address(es));
(4) Postsecondary educational institution's institutional structure
information (i.e., public, private nonprofit, or proprietary)
including, where applicable, owners, type of ownership, and details on
ownership interest;
(5) Information of third-party servicers contracted by
postsecondary educational institutions, including:
(a) Third-party servicers' contact information (e.g., name,
address, location, organization's website address, phone number(s), fax
number(s), email address(es));
(b) Third-party servicer official information including name, phone
number, business address, email address, TIN, digital signature, as
well
[[Page 31633]]
as identification numbers assigned by the Department;
(c) Ownership structure information (for-profit or not-for-profit)
and details on ownership interest; and
(d) HEA services that the third-party servicer performs on behalf
of its clients;
(6) Information about individuals who are affiliated with an
authorized entity and who request access to the Department's FSA
systems or access to the DHS SAVE system, including an individual's
first and last name, phone number, email address, SSN, date of birth,
and digital signature, which is needed to create an account to access
the FSA systems and DHS SAVE system for the purposes of administering
programs authorized under title IV of the HEA; and
(7) Information in disclosure reports required to be filed by
postsecondary educational institutions with the Department under
Section 117 of the HEA, including, but not limited to, the legal and
DBA/trade name of the foreign source with whom the postsecondary
educational institution entered into a contract or from whom the
postsecondary educational institution received a gift if such contract
or gift is required to be reported under Section 117(a) of the HEA, or
the name of the foreign source that owns or controls the postsecondary
educational institution; the amount of the contract or gift; the date
the gift was received or the start and end dates of the contract; the
country of attribution for the contract or gift (e.g., the country of
citizenship or principal residence of the foreign source); the foreign
source's address; and, if the contract or gift is a restricted or
conditional contract or gift, as defined in Section 117(h)(5) of the
HEA (20 U.S.C. 1011f(h)(5)), the types of restrictions or conditions in
such contract or gift and a detailed description of such restrictions
or conditions.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Information in this system is obtained from:
(1) Authorized employees or representatives of entities, including
postsecondary educational institutions, institutional third-party
servicers, State higher education agencies (including State grant
agencies), accrediting agencies, research organizations, third-party
software providers, guaranty agencies, guaranty agency servicers,
Federal loan servicers, FFELP lenders, FFELP lender servicers, as well
as Department staff and contractors through enrollment for FSA system
access;
(2) Applications submitted by postsecondary institutions (E-App)
and third-party servicers (Third-Party Servicer Inquiry Form) that seek
to participate in student financial assistance programs;
(3) Other Federal or State higher education agencies (including
State grant agencies), and non-governmental agencies and organizations,
such as foreign medical boards and research organizations, that acquire
information relevant to the purposes of the FSA Partner Connect system
through the E-App;
(4) Other Department systems or their successor systems. These
systems include: the COD system (covered by the system of records
notice titled ``Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System'' (18-
11-02)), NSLDS (covered by the system of records notice titled
``National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06)), the
Enterprise Data Management and Analytics Platform Services (EDMAPS)
system (covered by the system of records notice titled ``Enterprise
Data Management and Analytics Platform Services (EDMAPS)'' (18-11-22)),
the Aid Awareness and Application Process (AAAP) system (covered by the
system of records notice titled ``Aid Awareness and Application
Processing'' (18-11-21)), and FMS (covered by the system of records
notice titled ``Financial Management System (FMS)'' (18-11-17));
(5) DocuSign (EDDocuSign), which is a secure digital software used
by the Department to obtain and document digital signatures;
(6) Postsecondary educational institutions that are required to
file disclosure reports with the Department under Section 117 of the
HEA; and
(7) Other persons or entities from whom or from which information
is obtained following a disclosure under the routine uses set forth
below.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
The Department may disclose information maintained in a record in
this system of records under the routine uses listed in this system of
records notice without the consent of the individual if the disclosure
is compatible with the purposes for which the record was collected.
These disclosures may be made on a case-by-case basis or pursuant to a
computer matching agreement that meets the requirements of the Privacy
Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act) (5 U.S.C. 552a).
(1) Program Disclosure. The Department may disclose records from
the system of records for the following program purposes:
(a) To postsecondary educational institutions, institutional third-
party servicers, State higher education agencies (including State grant
agencies), accrediting agencies, research organizations, financial
entities (namely guaranty agencies, guaranty agency servicers, Federal
loan servicers, FFELP lenders, and FFELP lender servicers), and other
Federal, State, or local agencies, for the purposes of administering or
assisting in administering programs authorized under title IV of the
HEA;
(b) To guaranty agencies, educational and financial institutions,
accrediting agencies, and Federal, State, or local agencies, in order
to verify and assist with the determination of eligibility,
administrative capability, and financial responsibility of
postsecondary educational institutions that have applied to participate
in the student financial assistance programs authorized under title IV
of the HEA; and
(c) To support the investigation of possible fraud and abuse in
title IV, HEA program funds, and to detect and prevent fraud and abuse
in title IV, HEA program funds, disclosures may be made to
postsecondary educational institutions, third-party servicers, and
Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies.
(2) Enforcement Disclosure. In the event that information in this
system of records indicates, either on its face or in connection with
other information, a violation or potential violation of any applicable
statute, regulation, or order of a competent authority, the Department
may disclose the relevant records to the appropriate agency, whether
Federal, State, Tribal, foreign, or local, charged with investigating
or prosecuting such violation or charged with enforcing or implementing
the statute, Executive Order, or rule, regulation, or order issued
pursuant thereto.
(3) Litigation and Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) Disclosure.
(a) Introduction. In the event that one of the parties listed in
sub-paragraphs (i) through (v) of this routine use is involved in
judicial or administrative litigation or ADR, or has an interest in
such litigation or ADR, the Department may disclose certain records to
the parties described in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this routine
use under the conditions specified in those paragraphs:
(i) The Department or any of its components;
[[Page 31634]]
(ii) Any Department employee in their official capacity;
(iii) Any Department employee in their individual capacity where
the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) agrees to or has been requested to
provide or arrange for representation of the employee;
(iv) Any Department employee in their individual capacity where the
Department has agreed to represent the employee; and
(v) The United States, where the Department determines that the
litigation is likely to affect the Department or any of its components.
(b) Disclosure to the DOJ. If the Department determines that
disclosure of certain records to the DOJ is relevant and necessary to
judicial or administrative litigation or ADR, the Department may
disclose those records as a routine use to the DOJ.
(c) Adjudicative Disclosure. If the Department determines that it
is relevant and necessary to judicial or administrative litigation or
ADR to disclose certain records to an adjudicative body before which
the Department is authorized to appear or to a person or entity
designated by the Department or otherwise empowered to resolve or
mediate disputes, the Department may disclose those records as a
routine use to the adjudicative body, person, or entity.
(d) Disclosure to Parties, Counsel, Representatives, or Witnesses.
If the Department determines that disclosure of certain records is
relevant and necessary to judicial or administrative litigation or ADR,
the Department may disclose those records as a routine use to the
party, counsel, representative, or witness.
(4) Employment, Benefit, and Contracting Disclosure.
(a) For Decisions by the Department. The Department may disclose a
record to a Federal, State, or local agency, or to another public
agency or professional organization, maintaining civil, criminal, or
other relevant enforcement or other pertinent records, if necessary to
obtain information relevant to a Department decision concerning the
hiring or retention of an employee or other personnel action, the
issuance of a security clearance, the letting of a contract, or the
issuance of a license, grant, or other benefit.
(b) For Decisions by Other Public Agencies and Professional
Organizations. The Department may disclose a record to a Federal,
State, local, or other public agency or professional organization, or
the Department's contractor in connection with the hiring or retention
of an employee or other personnel action, the issuance of a security
clearance, the reporting of an investigation of an employee, the
letting of a contract, or the issuance of a license, grant, or other
benefit, to the extent that the record is relevant and necessary to the
receiving entity's decision on the matter.
(5) Employee Grievance, Complaint, or Conduct Disclosure. If a
record from this system of records is relevant and necessary to an
employee grievance, complaint, or disciplinary action involving a
present or former employee of the Department, the Department may
disclose the record in the course of investigation, fact-finding,
mediation, or adjudication to any party to the grievance, complaint, or
action; to the party's counsel or representative; to a witness; or to a
designated fact-finder, mediator, or other person designated to resolve
issues or decide the matter.
(6) Labor Organization Disclosure. The Department may disclose
records from this system of records to an arbitrator to resolve
disputes under a negotiated grievance procedure or to officials of
labor organizations recognized under 5 U.S.C. chapter 71 when relevant
and necessary to their duties of exclusive representation.
(7) Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and Privacy Act Advice
Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the DOJ or to the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) if the Department determines that
disclosure is desirable or necessary in determining whether records are
required to be disclosed under the FOIA or the Privacy Act.
(8) Disclosure to the DOJ. The Department may disclose records to
the DOJ to the extent necessary for obtaining the DOJ's advice on any
matter relevant to an audit, inspection, or other inquiry related to
the programs covered by this system.
(9) Contract Disclosure. If the Department contracts with an entity
to perform any function that requires disclosing records in this system
of records to the contractor's employees, the Department may disclose
the records to those employees. As part of such a contract, the
Department shall require the contractor to agree to establish and
maintain safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of the
disclosed records.
(10) Research Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to a
researcher if the Department determines that the individual or
organization to which the disclosure would be made is qualified to
carry out specific research related to functions or purposes of this
system of records. The Department may disclose records from this system
of records to that researcher solely for the purpose of carrying out
that research related to the functions or purposes of this system of
records. The researcher shall be required to agree to establish and
maintain safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of the
disclosed records.
(11) Congressional Member Disclosure. The Department may disclose
records to a member of Congress or the member's staff when necessary to
respond to an inquiry from the member made at the written request of
and on behalf of the individual whose records are being disclosed. The
member's right to the information is no greater than the right of the
individual who requested it.
(12) Disclosure to the OMB for Federal Credit Reform Act (FCRA)
Support. The Department may disclose records to OMB as necessary to
fulfill FCRA requirements in accordance with 2 U.S.C. 661b.
(13) Disclosure in the Course of Responding to a Breach of Data.
The Department may disclose records to appropriate agencies, entities,
and persons when (a) the Department suspects or has confirmed that
there has been a breach of the system of records; (b) the Department
has determined that as a result of the suspected or confirmed breach
there is a risk of harm to individuals, the Department (including its
information systems, programs, and operations), the Federal Government,
or national security; and (c) the disclosure made to such agencies,
entities, and persons is reasonably necessary to assist in connection
with the Department's efforts to respond to the suspected or confirmed
breach or to prevent, minimize, or remedy such harm.
(14) Disclosure in Assisting Another Agency in Responding to a
Breach of Data. The Department may disclose records from this system of
records to another Federal agency or Federal entity when the Department
determines that information from this system of records is reasonably
necessary to assist the recipient agency or entity in (a) responding to
a suspected or confirmed breach, or (b) preventing, minimizing, or
remedying the risk of harm to individuals, the recipient agency or
entity (including its information systems, programs, and operations),
the Federal Government, or national security, resulting from a
suspected or confirmed breach.
(15) Feasibility Study Disclosure. The Department may disclose
records from this system of records to other Federal agencies, and to
guaranty agencies and their authorized representatives, to determine
whether matching programs
[[Page 31635]]
should be conducted by the Department for purposes such as to verify
compliance with program regulations.
(16) Disclosure of Information to Federal or State Agencies
Relating to Improper Payments. The Department may disclose records to
(a) a Federal or State agency, its employees, agents (including
contractors of its agents), or contractors, or (b) a fiscal or
financial agent designated by the U.S. Department of the Treasury
(including employees, agents, or contractors of such agent), for the
purpose of identifying, preventing, or recouping improper payments to
an applicant for, or recipient of, Federal funds, including funds
disbursed by a State in a State-administered, Federally-funded program.
(17) Disclosure to the National Archives and Records Administration
(NARA). The Department may disclose records from this system of records
to NARA for the purpose of records management inspections conducted
under the authority of 44 U.S.C. 2904 and 2906.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
The records are maintained electronically.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
Users of the system have a unique user identification (ID) with a
password. Records are retrieved by the names of the individual user
and/or their unique system user ID. In addition, records are indexed by
the name of the postsecondary educational institution or organization
and may be retrieved by an identifying number, such as, but not limited
to, the Office of Postsecondary Education Identification Number (OPE
ID), the Entity Identification Number (EIN), the Partner ID, or the
Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) of the organization; or the name, SSN,
or the TIN of an individual associated with the postsecondary
educational institution or organization.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
Records maintained in this system are primarily retained and
disposed of in accordance with Department Records Schedule 066, Program
Management Files (N1-441-08-17) (ED 066); Department Records Schedule
074, FSA Guaranty Agency, Financial and Education Institution
Eligibility, Compliance, Monitoring and Oversight Records (N1-441-09-
15) (ED 074); and General Records Schedule 3.2, Information System
Security Records, item 030 (DAA-GRS-2013-0006-0003). (Note: The
Department has submitted amendments to ED 066 and ED 074 to NARA for
its review and approval and will not destroy records covered by these
records schedules until NARA-approved amendments thereto are in effect,
as applicable.)
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
Access to the system is limited to authorized FSA Partner Connect
program personnel and contractors responsible for administering the FSA
Partner Connect program. Authorized personnel include Department
employees and contractors, financial and fiscal management personnel,
computer personnel, and program managers who have responsibilities for
implementing the FSA Partner Connect program. Read-only access is given
to servicers, holders, financial/fiscal management personnel, and
postsecondary educational institutional personnel.
A password is required to access the system, and a data set name
controls the release of data to only authorized users. In addition, all
sensitive data is encrypted and access to records is strictly limited
to those staff members trained in accordance with the Privacy Act and
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) security procedures. Contractors are
required to maintain confidentiality safeguards with respect to these
records. Contractors are instructed to make no further disclosure of
the records except as authorized by the System Manager and permitted by
the Privacy Act. All individuals who have access to these records
receive appropriate ADP security clearances.
In accordance with the Federal Information Security Management Act
of 2002 (FISMA), as amended by the Federal Information Security
Modernization Act of 2014, every Department system must receive a
signed Authorization to Operate (ATO) from a designated Department
official. The ATO process includes a rigorous assessment of security
controls, a plan of action and milestones to remediate any identified
deficiencies, and a continuous monitoring program.
FISMA controls implemented are comprised of a combination of
management, operational, and technical controls, and include the
following control families: access control, awareness and training,
audit and accountability, security assessment and authorization,
configuration management, contingency planning, identification and
authentication, incident response, maintenance, media protection,
physical and environmental protection, planning, personnel security,
privacy, risk assessment, system and services acquisition, system and
communications protection, system and information integrity, and
program management.
RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES:
If you wish to gain access to a record in this system, you must
contact the system manager at the address listed above. You must
provide necessary particulars such as your name, user ID, TIN or SSN,
and any other identifying information requested by the Department while
processing the request to distinguish between individuals with the same
name. Your request must meet the requirements of the Department's
Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.
Alternatively, to gain access to a record in the system, you can
make a Privacy Act request through the Department's online FOIA portal
at https://foiaxpress.pal.ed.gov/ by completing the applicable request
forms.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
If you wish to contest or change the content of a record about you
in the system of records, you must contact the system manager with the
information described in the record access procedures. In addition,
identify the specific items to be changed and provide a written
justification for the change. Requests to amend a record must meet the
requirements of the Department's Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR
5b.7.
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES:
If you wish to determine whether a record exists about you in the
system of records, you must contact the system manager at the address
listed above. You must provide necessary particulars such as your name,
user ID, TIN or SSN, and any other identifying information requested by
the Department while processing the request to distinguish between
individuals with the same name. Your request must meet the requirements
of the Department's Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including
proof of identity.
Alternatively, you may make a Privacy Act request through the
Department's online FOIA portal at https://foiaxpress.pal.ed.gov/ by
completing the applicable request forms.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
HISTORY:
None.
[[Page 31636]]
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Acting Chief
Operating Officer of FSA at the Department publishes a rescindment of
the system of records notice titled ``Postsecondary Education
Participants System (PEPS)'' (18-11-09):
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
``Postsecondary Education Participants System (PEPS)'' (18-11-09).
HISTORY:
The ``Postsecondary Education Participants System (PEPS)'' (18-11-
09) system of records notice was published in the Federal Register on
June 4, 1999 (64 FR 30106, 30171-30173); amended on December 27, 1999
(64 FR 72384, 72405); and rescinded on August 8, 2017 (82 FR 37089-
37094). This system of records was republished in the Federal Register
in full on September 11, 2018 (83 FR 45912) and is being rescinded by
this notice.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Acting Chief
Operating Officer of FSA at the Department publishes a rescindment of
the system of records notice titled ``Student Aid internet Gateway
(SAIG), Participation Management System'' (18-11-10):
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
``Student Aid internet Gateway (SAIG), Participation Management
System'' (18-11-10).
HISTORY:
The ``Student Aid internet Gateway (SAIG), Participation Management
System'' (18-11-10) system of records notice was published in the
Federal Register on December 27, 1999 (64 FR 72384, 72397) and titled
``Title IV Wide Area Network'' (Title IV WAN). This system of records
was modified and published in the Federal Register on January 28, 2005
(70 FR 4112), changing the title to ``Student Aid internet Gateway
(SAIG), Participation Management System.'' This system of records
notice was modified on April 19, 2010 (75 FR 20346) and March 1, 2018
(83 FR 8855) and is being rescinded by this notice.
[FR Doc. 2025-13212 Filed 7-14-25; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P