[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 1 (Friday, January 2, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Pages 37-38]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2014-30741]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Privacy Act of 1974; Computer Matching Program

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 Departments of Education (ED) and 
Defense (DoD). The continuation is effective on the date described in 
paragraph 5 of this notice.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 473(b) of the Higher Education Act 
of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1087mm(b)), requires the Secretary 
of Defense to provide the Secretary of Education with information to 
identify children whose parent or guardian was a member of the Armed 
Forces of the United States and died as a result of performing military 
service in Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. Beginning with 
the 2009-2010 Award Year, these children (referred to as qualifying 
students) may be eligible for a greater amount of title IV, HEA program 
assistance. A qualifying student must have been age 24 or younger at 
the time of the parent or guardian's death, or, if older than 24, 
enrolled part-time or full-time in an institution of higher education 
at the time of the parent or guardian's death. Beginning July 1, 2010, 
students who are otherwise qualified children of deceased U.S. military 
who meet the requirements of section 420R of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070h) 
may also be eligible for higher amounts of title IV, HEA program 
assistance.
    To ensure that eligible students receive the maximum allowable 
amount of title IV, HEA program assistance, DoD and ED created a 
computer matching program.
    The purpose of this notice is to announce the continuation of the 
computer matching program, and to provide certain required information 
concerning the computer matching program.
    We provide this notice in accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 
(5 U.S.C. 552a), as amended and the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB) Guidance Interpreting the Computer Matching and Privacy 
Protection Act of 1988 (54 FR 25818, June 19, 1989), and OMB Circular 
A-130, the Department of Education (ED) is transmitting, in duplicate 
the following: (1) A copy of a computer matching agreement (CMA) 
between ED and the Department of Defense (DoD); and (2) a copy of the 
Federal Register notice announcing, for

[[Page 38]]

public comment, the continuation of the computer matching program.

1. Names of Participating Agencies

    The Department of Education (recipient agency) and the Department 
of Defense (source agency).

2. Purpose of the Match

    The purpose of this matching program is to ensure that the 
requirements of sections 420R and 473(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070h 
and 20 U.S.C. 1087mm(b)) are fulfilled.
    DoD (source agency) is the lead contact agency for information 
related to benefits for military service dependents and, as such, 
provides these data to ED. ED (recipient agency) seeks access to the 
information contained in the DoD Defense Manpower Data Center (DMDC) 
system and the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System (DEERS).

3. Authority for Conducting the Matching Program

    Under sections 420R and 473(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070h and 20 
U.S.C. 1087mm(b)), ED must identify the children of military personnel 
who have died as a result of their military service in Iraq or 
Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, to determine if the child is 
eligible for increased amounts of title IV, HEA program assistance.
    DoD and ED have determined that using DoD data provided to ED for 
matching against ED's Federal Student Aid Application File (18-11-01) 
is the only practical method that the agencies can use to meet the 
statutory requirements of the HEA.

4. Categories of Records and Individuals Covered by the Match

    DoD will submit for verification records from its DMDC and DEERS 
data bases to ED's Central Processing System files (Federal Student Aid 
Application File (18-11-01)), the Social Security number (SSN) and 
other identifying information for each qualifying dependent record. ED 
will use the SSN, date of birth, and the first two letters of an 
applicant's last name to match with the Federal Student Aid Application 
File.
    The DoD DMDC and DEERS systems contain the names, SSNs, dates of 
birth, and other identifying information about dependents of service 
personnel who died as a result of performing their military service in 
Iraq or Afghanistan after September 11, 2001. This system of records 
also contains the dates on which the service members died.

5. Effective Dates of the Matching Program

    The matching program will be effective on the last of the following 
dates: (1) February 2, 2015; (2) 30 days after notice of the matching 
program 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 the Congress along with a copy of this 
agreement, 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 computer matching agreement 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

    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. 
If you use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) or text 
telephone (TTY), call the Federal Relay Service (FRS), 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/fdsys. At this site you can view this document, as well 
as all other documents of the Department of Education 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 of Education 
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.

    Authority:  5 U.S.C. 552a.

    Dated: December 29, 2014.
James W. Runcie,
Chief Operating Officer Federal Student Aid.
[FR Doc. 2014-30741 Filed 12-31-14; 8:45 am]
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