[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 79 (Tuesday, April 24, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 20644-20645]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-10111]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice of computer matching between the Department of Education 
and the Department of Veterans Affairs.

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SUMMARY: Pursuant to the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act 
of 1988, Pub. L. 100-503, and the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) 
Final Guidelines on the Conduct of Matching Programs, notice is hereby 
given of the computer matching program between the Department of 
Education (ED) (the source agency) and the Department of Veterans 
Affairs (VA) (the recipient agency). The following notice represents 
the approval of a new computer matching agreement by the ED and VA Data 
Integrity Boards to implement the matching program on the effective 
date as indicated below.
    In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 552a), as 
amended by the Computer Matching and Privacy Protection Act of 1988, 
OMB Final Guidelines on the Conduct of Matching Programs (see 54 FR 
25818, June 19, 1989), OMB Memorandum M-01-05 (December 20, 2000),and 
OMB Circular A-130, the following information is provided:

1. Names of Participating Agencies

    The U.S. Department of Education and the Department of Veterans 
Affairs.

2. Purpose of the Match

    The purpose of this matching program between ED and VA is to verify 
the 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. The Secretary has the authority to treat applicants who are 
veterans as independent students. Independent students do not have to 
provide parental income and asset information to apply for Title IV, 
HEA program assistance.
    Section 480(c) 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. Section 480(d)(3) of the HEA 
enables an applicant who is determined to be a veteran (as defined in 
subsection (c)(1)) to meet the definition of an independent student for 
purposes of Title IV, HEA program assistance eligibility.

3. Legal Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    Section 480(c) and (d)(3) of the HEA.

[[Page 20645]]

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 extracted from the Federal Student 
Aid Application File systems of records (18-11-01). The ED data will be 
matched against the Veterans and Beneficiaries Identification and 
Records Location Subsystem--VA (38VA23).

5. Effective Dates of the Matching Program

    The matching program will become effective 40 days after a copy of 
the agreement, as approved by the Data Integrity Board of each agency, 
is sent to Congress and OMB, (or later if OMB objects to some or all of 
the agreement), or 30 days after publication of this notice in the 
Federal Register, whichever date is later. 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 obtain 
additional information about the program, including requesting a copy 
of the computer matching agreement between ED and VA, should contact 
Ms. Edith Bell, Management and Program Analyst, U.S. Department of 
Education, Room 4621, ROB-3, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 
20202-5400. Telephone: (202) 708-5591. If you use a telecommunications 
device for the deaf (TDD), you may call the Federal Information Relay 
Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.
    Individuals with disabilities may 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 This Document

    You may view this document, as well as all other Department of 
Education documents published in the Federal Register, in text or Adobe 
Portable Document Format (PDF) on the Internet at the following site: 
www.ed.gov/legislation/FedRegister
    To use PDF you must have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is 
available free at this site. If you have questions about using PDF, 
call the U.S. Government Printing Office (GPO), toll free at 1-888-293-
6498, or in the Washington, DC area at (202) 512-1530.

    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.access.gpo.gov/nara/index.html


    Dated: April 18, 2001.
Greg Woods,
Chief Operating Officer, Student Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 01-10111 Filed 4-23-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P