Notice2022-19890
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
Primary source
Metadata and text below are from the Federal Register, a public-domain U.S. government work. Always verify the official published version before relying on it for any legal matter.
Published
September 13, 2022
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
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 entitled "Aid Awareness and Application Processing" (18-11-21) and of the rescindment of the system of records notices entitled "Federal Student Aid Application File" (18-11-01) and "Customer Engagement Management System (CEMS)" (18-11-11). The Aid Awareness and Application Processing system of records consolidates the Federal Student Aid Application File and CEMS system of records notices to create a new system of records notice that combines customer information necessary for the Department to process customer applications for Federal student financial program assistance under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); to perform the duties and responsibilities of the Federal Student Aid (FSA) Ombudsman; and, separately, to provide Federal student loan repayment relief including under the borrower defense to repayment regulations. The Department's will use the new Digital and Customer Care (DCC) information technology (IT) system to accomplish these functions and duties. The Department will also use DCC IT to make customers aware of aid program opportunities and updates under title IV of the HEA via digital communication channels and establishes the StudentAid.gov website as the front end for assisting customers with all their Federal student financial aid needs throughout the student aid lifecycle.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 87 Issue 176 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 87, Number 176 (Tuesday, September 13, 2022)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56026-56037]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2022-19890]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID ED-2022-FSA-0073]
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 of the rescindment of two
systems of records.
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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 entitled ``Aid Awareness and
Application Processing'' (18-11-21) and of the rescindment of the
system of records notices entitled ``Federal Student Aid Application
File'' (18-11-01) and ''Customer Engagement Management System (CEMS)''
(18-11-11). The Aid Awareness and Application Processing system of
records consolidates the Federal Student Aid Application File and CEMS
system of records notices to create a new system of records notice that
combines customer information necessary for the Department to process
customer applications for Federal student financial program assistance
under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA);
to perform the duties and responsibilities of the Federal Student Aid
(FSA) Ombudsman; and, separately, to provide Federal student loan
repayment relief including under the borrower defense to repayment
regulations. The Department's will use the new Digital and Customer
Care (DCC) information technology (IT) system to accomplish these
functions and duties. The Department will also use DCC IT to make
customers aware of aid program opportunities and updates under title IV
of the HEA via digital communication channels and establishes the
<a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> website as the front end for assisting customers with
all their Federal student financial aid needs throughout the student
aid lifecycle.
DATES: Submit your comments on this new system of records notice and
rescindment of two system of records notices on or before October 13,
2022.
This new system of records notice will become applicable on
September 13, 2022, unless it needs to be changed as a result of public
comment, except for the routine uses. The routine uses that are
outlined in the section entitled ``ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED
IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH
USES,'' will become applicable on October 13, 2022, unless they need to
be changed as a result of public comment. The Department will publish
any changes to the new system of records notice or routine uses
resulting from public comment.
This notice of the rescindment of two system of records notices
will become applicable September 13, 2022, unless it needs to be
changed as a result of public comment. The Department will publish any
changes to the notice of the rescindment of two system of records
notice that result from public comment.
ADDRESSES: Comments must be submitted via the Federal eRulemaking
Portal at <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>. However, if you require an accommodation or
cannot otherwise submit your comments via <a href="http://regulations.gov">regulations.gov</a>, please
contact the program contact person listed under 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.
<bullet> Federal eRulemaking Portal: Go to <a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a> to
submit your comments electronically. Information on using
Regulations.gov, including
[[Page 56027]]
instructions for accessing agency documents, submitting comments, and
viewing the docket, is available on the site under the ``help'' tab.
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
<a href="http://www.regulations.gov">www.regulations.gov</a>. 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: Rachel Coghlan, Central Processing
System (CPS)--System Manager, Student Experience and Aid Delivery,
Federal Student Aid (FSA), U.S. Department of Education (Department),
Union Center Plaza (UCP), 830 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20202-
5454. Telephone: (202) 377-3205. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#9bc9faf8f3fef7b5d8f4fcf3f7faf5dbfeffb5fcf4ed"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="bfeddedcd7dad391fcd0d8d7d3ded1ffdadb91d8d0c9">[email protected]</span></a>.
Bonnie Latreille, Ombudsman/Director, Ombudsman Group, Federal
Student Aid (FSA), U.S. Department of Education (Department), Union
Center Plaza (UCP), 830 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20202-5454.
Telephone: (202) 377-3726. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#d99bb6b7b7b0bcf793f795b8adabbcb0b5b5bc99bcbdf7beb6af"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0d4f6263636468234723416c797f68646161684d6869236a627b">[email protected]</span></a>.
Pardu Ponnapalli, Digital and Customer Care (DCC) Information
System Owner, Technology Directorate, Federal Student Aid (FSA), U.S.
Department of Education (Department), Union Center Plaza (UCP), 830
First Street NE, Washington, DC 20202-5454. Telephone: (240) 382-5825.
Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#4c1c2d3e2839621c2322222d3c2d2020250c2928622b233a"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="0b5b6a796f7e255b6465656a7b6a6767624b6e6f256c647d">[email protected]</span></a>.
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: In accordance with the Privacy Act, the
Department proposes to establish a new system of records notice
entitled, ``Aid Awareness and Application Processing.'' This new system
of records combines records that previously were maintained in the
``Federal Student Aid Application File'' (18-11-01) and ''Customer
Engagement Management System (CEMS)'' (18-11-11) systems of records and
the Department's new Digital and Customer Care (DCC) information
technology (IT) system to consolidate the Department's functions that
require personally identifiable information (PII) from customers for
purposes of, among other things, the following: processing
applications, and determining eligibility and benefits, for Federal
student financial program assistance under title IV of the HEA; and
providing information and updates about aid program opportunities under
title IV of the HEA via digital communication channels.
This new system of records uses the Department's DCC IT system,
which contains a digital platform that provides a unified digital
access point, through the <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> website, to assist aid
applicants and recipients (also referred to herein as ``customers'')
with information about the Federal student financial assistance
programs authorized by title IV of the HEA, and application processing
throughout the student aid lifecycle. This single unified website
consolidates the content and services previously provided across the
following Department customer sites: <a href="http://StudentLoans.gov">StudentLoans.gov</a>, <a href="http://FSAID.ed.gov">FSAID.ed.gov</a>,
<a href="http://NSLDS.ed.gov">NSLDS.ed.gov</a>, <a href="http://BorrowerDischarge.ed.gov">BorrowerDischarge.ed.gov</a>, and <a href="http://FAFSA.gov">FAFSA.gov</a>. The DCC IT
system contains a digital marketing and communications platform that
sends digital communications to customers for various purposes which
include informing them of title IV, HEA aid marketing campaigns and
sending them transactional communications (such as confirmation emails
when a user completes an action). The DCC IT system also contains a
customer care platform that uses customer information to provide a
complete customer view to customer service representatives and the FSA
Ombudsman to facilitate improved customer service and better case
solution outcomes.
The Department proposes to rescind the system of records notice
entitled ``Federal Student Aid Application File'' (18-11-01). The
records in the Federal Student Aid Application File system of records
contain information provided by applicants for title IV, HEA program
assistance, which is collected from the Free Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA[supreg]), for purposes that include, but are not
limited to: assisting with the determination, correction, processing,
tracking, and reporting of program eligibility and benefits for Federal
student financial assistance programs authorized by title IV of the
HEA; making a loan or grant; and verifying the identity of the
applicant, and the parent(s) of a dependent applicant, and the accuracy
of the information in the system. The Department is rescinding the
Federal Student Aid Application File system of records notice because
the records previously covered by that system are now covered by the
Aid Awareness and Application Processing system of records notice.
The Department proposes to rescind the system of records notice
entitled ''Customer Engagement Management System (CEMS)'' (18-11-11).
The records in the CEMS system of records contain information that is
used for purposes related to the duties and responsibilities of the FSA
Ombudsman; and, separately, to perform the duties and responsibilities
of the Department under the Department's borrower defense to repayment
regulations. The purposes of the CEMS system of records include, but
are not limited to: verifying the identities of individuals; recording
complaints and comments; tracking individual cases, including
complaints, borrower defense submissions, general inquiries, and chat
sessions, through final resolution; and receiving, reviewing,
evaluating, and processing requests for relief under the borrower
defense to repayment regulations. The Department is rescinding the CEMS
system of records notice because the records previously covered by that
system are now covered by the Aid Awareness and Application Processing
system of records notice.
Accessible Format: On request to either of the program contact
persons listed under FOR FURTHER INFROMATION 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, or 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 <a href="http://www.govinfo.gov">www.govinfo.gov</a>. 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
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit
[[Page 56028]]
your search to documents published by the Department.
Richard Cordray,
Chief Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Chief Operating
Officer, Federal Student Aid (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Education
(Department) publishes a new system of records notice entitled ``Aid
Awareness and Application Processing'' (18-11-21):
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Aid Awareness and Application Processing (18-11-21).
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Unclassified.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
U.S. Department of Education, 830 First Street NE, Washington, DC
20202.
Lee's Summit Federal Records Center, National Archives and Records
Administration (NARA), 200 Space Center Drive, Lee's Summit, MO 6464-
1182. This is where paper applications are stored.
General Dynamics Information Technology (GDIT) Image and Data
Capture (IDC) Center, 1084 South Laurel Road, Building 1, London, KY
40744. The IDC scans paper financial aid documents and correspondence,
key-enters the data, and electronically transmits the data and related
images to the Central Processing System (CPS) for processing.
Next Generation Data Center (NGDC), 250 Burlington Drive,
Clarksville, VA 23927. NGDC hosts the infrastructure that supports CPS
applications including backend application processing.
CPS Print Facility, 327 Columbia Pike, Rensselaer, NY 12144. This
facility handles print operations.
Salesforce Government Cloud, 415 Mission Street, 3rd Floor, San
Francisco, CA 94105. The system is accessible via the internet to
different categories of users, including Department personnel,
customers, and designated agents of the Department at any location
where they have internet access. This site is the location where
customer interactions with contact center support via all inbound and
outbound channels (phone, email, chat, webform, email, customer
satisfaction survey, fax, physical mail, and controlled correspondence)
and customer-provided feedback (complaints, suspicious activities,
positive feedback, and dispute cases) are tracked and worked by
contractors and the Department. This site also contains workflow
management for processing tasks including, but not limited to: credit
appeals, borrower defense to repayment, commingled Social Security
numbers (SSNs), and archived document retrieval in the Common
Origination and Disbursement (COD) System, and the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid[supreg] (FAFSA) special correction application
process. This site stores customer-provided documentation to support
the interactions and processing tasks, as needed. This site will also
be used by the Department for determining employer eligibility to
support Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and Office of Inspector
General (OIG) fraud referrals.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) GovCloud (East/West), 410 Terry Avenue,
North Seattle, WA 98109-5210. The Digital and Customer Care (DCC)
information technology (IT) system is hosted at this location. This
site is the location where the Shado (Dynamo) application collects,
processes, stores, and makes available user activity events from across
the DCC IT system to provide a complete view of the customer to the
Department and its contractors. This site is also the location where
the Adobe Marketing Campaign application delivers strategic and real-
time personalized email and short message service (SMS) communications.
Contact Center Fulfillment Center (Senture facility), 4255 W.
Highway 90, Monticello, KY 42633. This facility handles mail
fulfillment and imaging operations.
The following ten listings are the locations of the Aid Awareness
and Application Processing Customer Contact Centers:
Jacksonville Contact Center, One Imeson Park Boulevard,
Jacksonville, FL 32118;
Knoxville, TN Servicing Center, 120 N. Seven Oaks Drive, Knoxville,
TN 37922;
1600 Osgood Street, Suite 2-120, North Andover, MA 01845;
11499 Chester Road, Suite 101, Sharonville, OH 45246;
100 Domain Drive, Suite 200, Exeter, NH 03833;
221 N Kansas Street, Suite 700, El Paso, TX 79901;
4255 W. Highway 90, Monticello, KY 42633;
555 Vandiver Drive, Columbia, MO 65202;
633 Spirit Drive, Chesterfield, MO 63005; and
820 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20002.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
CPS--System Manager, Student Experience and Aid Delivery, FSA, U.S.
Department of Education, Union Center Plaza (UCP), 830 First Street NE,
Washington, DC 20202-5454.
Ombudsman, FSA, U.S. Department of Education, UCP, 830 First Street
NE, Washington, DC 20202-5454.
DCC--Information System Owner, Technology Directorate, Federal
Student Aid (FSA), U.S. Department of Education (Department), Union
Center Plaza (UCP), 830 First Street NE, Washington, DC 20202-5454.
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.); 20 U.S.C. 1018(f) and 1087e(h); and the Higher
Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act of 2003 (20 U.S.C.
1098bb) (including any waivers or modifications that the Secretary of
Education deems necessary to make to any statutory or regulatory
provision applicable to the Federal student financial assistance
programs under title IV of the HEA to achieve specific purposes listed
in the section in connection with a war, other military operation, or a
national emergency). The collection of SSNs of individuals, and parents
of dependent students, who apply for or receive Federal student
financial assistance under programs authorized by title IV of the HEA
is also authorized by 31 U.S.C. 7701 and Executive Order 9397, as
amended by Executive Order 13478 (November 18, 2008).
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
The information contained in this system is maintained for the
following purposes related to applying for Federal student financial
assistance and administering title IV, HEA programs:
(Note: Different parts of the HEA use the terms ``discharge'',
``cancellation'' or ``forgiveness'' to describe when a borrower's loan
amount is reduced in whole or in part by the Department. To reduce
complexity, this system of records notice uses the term ``discharge''
to include all three terms (``discharge'', ``cancellation'' and
``forgiveness''), including but not limited to discharges of student
loans made pursuant to specific benefit programs. At times, the system
of records notice may refer by name to a specific benefit program, such
as the ``Public Service Loan Forgiveness'' program; such specific
references are not intended to exclude any such program benefits from
more general references to loan discharges.)
(1) Assisting with the determination, correction, processing,
tracking, and reporting of program eligibility and benefits for the
Federal student financial assistance programs authorized by title
[[Page 56029]]
IV of the HEA, including, but not limited to, discharge of eligible
loans under title IV, HEA programs;
(2) Making a loan or grant;
(3) Verifying the identity of the applicant for Federal financial
assistance under title IV of the HEA, the spouse of a married
applicant, and the parent(s) of a dependent applicant, and the accuracy
of the information in this system;
(4) Reporting the results of the need analysis and Federal Pell
Grant eligibility determination to applicants, institutions of higher
education (IHEs), third-party servicers, State agencies designated by
the applicant, and Departmental and investigative components;
(5) Reporting the results of duly authorized matching programs
between the Department and other Federal, State, or local agencies to
applicants, IHEs, third-party servicers, State agencies designated by
the applicant, and Departmental and investigative components where the
Department is required by law to do so or where it would be essential
to the conduct of the matching program to report, such as for the
imposition of criminal, civil, or administrative sanctions;
(6) Enforcing the terms and conditions of a title IV, HEA loan or
grant;
(7) Servicing and collecting a delinquent title IV, HEA loan or
grant;
(8) Initiating enforcement action against individuals, IHEs, or
other entities involved in program fraud, abuse, or noncompliance;
(9) Locating a debtor or recipient of a grant overpayment;
(10) Maintaining a record of the data supplied by those requesting
title IV, HEA program assistance;
(11) Ensuring compliance with and enforcing title IV, HEA
programmatic requirements and various consumer protection laws;
(12) Acting as a repository and source for information necessary to
fulfill the requirements of title IV of the HEA;
(13) Evaluating title IV, HEA program effectiveness;
(14) Enabling IHEs and State grant agencies designated by the
applicant to review and analyze the financial aid data of their
applicant population;
(15) Enabling IHEs and State grant agencies to assist applicants
with the completion of the application for the Federal student
financial assistance programs authorized by title IV of the HEA;
(16) Assisting State agencies, eligible IHEs, and other entities
that award aid to students and that are designated by the Secretary
with making eligibility determinations for the award of aid and with
administering these awards; and
(17) Promoting and encouraging application for title IV, HEA
program assistance, State assistance, and aid awarded by eligible IHEs
or by other entities designated by the Secretary.
The information contained in this system is also maintained for the
following purposes related to managing customer engagement:
(1) Carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the FSA
Ombudsman, including investigating and resolving complaints, inquiries,
and requests for assistance, updating borrower account records,
correcting errors, analyzing complaint trends, and making appropriate
recommendations pursuant to 20 U.S.C. 1018(f);
(2) Carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Department
to provide Federal student loan repayment relief under Federal law;
(3) Verifying the identity of FSA customers;
(4) Recording complaints, suspicious activities, positive feedback,
and comments as provided by customer interactions with contact center
support via inbound and outbound channels (phone, chat, webform, email,
customer satisfaction survey, fax, physical mail, social media
platforms, digital engagement platforms, and controlled
correspondence);
(5) Tracking individual cases, including complaints, borrower
defense submissions, general inquiries, and chat sessions, through
final resolution, reporting trends, and analyzing the data to recommend
improvements in Federal student financial assistance programs;
(6) Assisting in the informal resolution of disputes submitted by
aid applicants or aid recipients about issues related to title IV, HEA
program assistance;
(7) Carrying out the duties and responsibilities of the Department
under the borrower defense to repayment regulations at 34 CFR 685.206,
including receiving, reviewing, evaluating, and processing requests for
relief under the borrower defense to repayment regulations; and
(8) Initiating proceedings, where appropriate, to require IHEs to
pay the Department the amounts of the loans on which borrower defense
discharges have been granted.
The information contained in this system is also maintained for the
following purposes related to assisting aid applicants and recipients
with Federal student financial assistance programs authorized by title
IV of the HEA, and managing customer relationships for marketing and
improving customer service:
(1) Determining employer qualification for borrowers to receive
discharge under the PSLF Program;
(2) Collecting, processing, storing, and making available user
activity events and user-submitted documentation from across the DCC IT
system to provide a complete view of the customer to the Department and
its contractors;
(3) Sending aid applicants and aid recipients strategic and real-
time, personalized communications via email, and SMS ``text messages''
via mobile phone communications to inform them of title IV, HEA aid
marketing campaigns (such as encouraging completion of their FAFSA),
and sending transactional communication to customers (such as
confirmation emails when a user completes an action);
(4) Measuring customer satisfaction and analyzing results; and
(5) Promoting and encouraging the repayment of title IV, HEA
program loans in a timely manner.
The information in this system is also maintained for the following
purposes relating to the Department's administration and oversight of
title IV, HEA programs:
(1) To support the investigation of possible fraud and abuse and to
detect and prevent fraud and abuse in the title IV, HEA Federal grant
and loan programs;
(2) To support compliance with title IV, HEA statutory and
regulatory requirements;
(3) To provide an aid recipient's financial aid history, including
information about the recipient's title IV, HEA loan defaults, title
IV, HEA aid receipt, and title IV, HEA grant program overpayments;
(4) To facilitate receiving and correcting application data,
processing Federal Pell Grants and Direct Loans, and reporting Federal
Perkins Loan Program expenditures to the Department's processing and
reporting systems;
(5) To support pre-claims/supplemental pre-claims assistance;
(6) To assist in locating holders of title IV, HEA loan(s);
(7) To assist in assessing the administration of title IV, HEA
program funds by guaranty agencies, lenders and loan holders, IHEs, and
third-party servicers;
(8) To initiate or support a limitation, suspension, or termination
action, an emergency action, or a debarment or suspension action;
(9) To inform the parent(s) of a dependent applicant of information
[[Page 56030]]
about the parent(s) in an application for title IV, HEA funds;
(10) To disclose to the parent(s) of a dependent applicant applying
for a PLUS loan (to be used on behalf of a student), to identify the
student as the correct beneficiary of the PLUS loan funds, and to allow
the processing of the PLUS loan application and promissory note;
(11) To expedite the student application process;
(12) To enable an applicant, at the applicant's written request, to
obtain information from other Federal agencies' records;
(13) To identify, prevent, reduce, and recoup improper payments,
prevent fraud, and conduct at-risk campaigns, including protecting
customers from Third-Party Debt Relief firms;
(14) To help Federal, State, Tribal, and local government entities
exercise their supervisory and administrative powers (including, but
not limited to licensure, examination, discipline, regulation, or
oversight of educational institutions, Department contractors, guaranty
agencies, lenders and loan holders, and third-party servicers) or to
respond to individual aid applicant or recipient complaints submitted
regarding the practices or processes of the Department and/or the
Department's contractors, or to update information or correct errors
contained in Department records regarding the aid applicant's or
recipient's title IV, HEA program funds;
(15) To provide eligible applicants for title IV, HEA aid, and when
necessary, the spouse or parents of an applicant, with information
about certain Federal means-tested benefits and services for which they
may qualify;
(16) To collect, track, and process Office of Inspector General
(OIG) fraud referrals;
(17) To support research, analysis, and development of educational
policies in relation to title IV, HEA student aid programs; and
(18) To conduct testing, analysis, or take other administrative
actions needed to prepare for or execute programs under title IV of the
HEA.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
This system maintains records on individuals who are, were, or may
be participants in any of the Federal student financial assistance
programs under title IV of the HEA who request assistance, directly or
through a designated third party, from the Department.
In addition, this system maintains records on individuals who are
students in attendance at a secondary school, as defined under 20
U.S.C. 7801(45), for which State grant agencies and other eligible
requesting entities such as secondary schools, local educational
agencies (LEAs), Tribal agencies, or other designated entities that
have an established relationship with the student pursuant to the terms
and conditions of the Student Aid internet Gateway (SAIG) Participation
Agreement for State grant agencies, submit information (e.g., name,
date of birth (DOB), and zip code) to the Department in order for the
Department to provide such entities with the student's FAFSA filing
status information to promote and encourage the student to apply for
title IV, HEA program assistance, State assistance, and aid awarded by
IHEs or by other entities designated by the Secretary, as currently
permitted by Section 483(a)(3)(E) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(3)(E)).
This system also maintains records on student and parent applicants
(and their authorized third parties) who apply for Federal student
financial assistance under one of the programs authorized under title
IV of the HEA, including, but not limited to the: (1) Federal Pell
Grant Program; (2) Federal Perkins Loans Program; (3) Academic
Competitiveness Grant (ACG) Program; (4) National Science and
Mathematics Access to Retain Talent (National SMART) Grant Program; (5)
Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH)
Grant Program; (6) Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant (IASG) Program;
(7) Direct Loan Program, which includes Federal Direct Stafford/Ford
Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford Loans, Federal Direct
PLUS Loans, and Federal Direct Consolidation Loans; (8) Federal Family
Education Loan (FFEL) Program; and (9) Federal Insured Student Loan
(FISL) Program.
Also, this system contains records on individuals who are the
parent(s) of a dependent applicant, or the spouse of a married
applicant.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
This system maintains records that contain the following
information:
(1) Information provided by applicants for title IV, HEA program
assistance on an incomplete or completed FAFSA, including, but not
limited to, the applicant's name, address, SSN, DOB, telephone number,
driver's license number, email address, citizenship status, marital
status, legal residence, status as a veteran, educational status, and
Federal tax information and financial information;
(2) Information provided about the parent(s) of a dependent
applicant, including, but not limited to, the parent's highest level of
schooling completed, marital status, SSN, last name and first initial,
DOB, email address, number of people in the household supported by the
parent, and income and asset information;
(3) Information on spousal income and assets, for an applicant who
is married;
(4) Information provided by IHEs on behalf of student and parent
applicants, including, but not limited to, verification results,
dependency overrides, and resolution of comment codes or reject codes;
(5) Information on applicants' expected family contributions
(EFCs), Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR), and Student
Aid Report (SAR). The system determines an applicant's EFC. The EFC is
used by IHEs to determine the student's eligibility for Federal and
institutional program assistance, by State grant agencies to determine
the student's eligibility for State grants, and by the Bureau of Indian
Affairs for tribal assistance. The Department notifies the applicant of
the results of his or her application via the SAR. The Department
provides the IHEs identified on the applicant's FAFSA with the ISIR,
which indicates whether there are discrepant or insufficient
information, school adjustments, or CPS assumptions that affect
processing of the FAFSA. Other information in the system includes, but
is not limited to: Secondary EFC (an EFC that is calculated from the
full EFC formula and is printed in the financial aid administrator's
(FAA) Information section of the ISIR), dependency status, Federal Pell
Grant eligibility, duplicate SSN (an indicator that is set to alert
ISIR recipients that two applications were processed with the same
SSN), selection for verification, Simplified Needs Test (SNT) or
Automatic Zero EFC (used for extremely low family income), CPS
processing comments, reject codes (explanation for applicant's FAFSA
not computing EFC), assumptions made with regard to the student's
information due to incomplete or inconsistent FAFSA information, FAA
adjustments including dependency status overrides, and CPS record
processing information (application receipt date, transaction number,
transaction process date, SAR Serial Number, Compute Number, Data
Release Number (DRN), a four-digit number assigned to each
application), National Student Loan Database System (NSLDS) match
results, a bar code, and transaction source);
[[Page 56031]]
(6) Information that identifies aid applicant or aid recipient
complaints, positive feedback, reports of suspicious activity, requests
for assistance, requests for borrower defense relief, requests for PSLF
reconsideration, or other inquiries. Such information includes, but is
not limited to: written documentation of an aid applicant or aid
recipient's complaint, request for assistance, request for relief under
the borrower defense regulations, case tracking number, case appeal
identifier, or other comment or inquiry; and information pertaining to
the aid recipient's or the aid recipient's parent's student financial
assistance program account(s) under title IV of the HEA, such as the
aid recipient and the aid recipient's parent's name and Federal Student
Aid ID (FSA ID). Information may include the name, address, and phone
numbers of the aid recipient's counsel or representative, IHE(s),
lender(s), secondary holder(s) or lender(s), guaranty agency(ies),
servicer(s), and private collection agency(ies), if applicable, and may
contain other loan-level information;
(7) Information provided and generated through customer
interactions with contact center support via inbound and outbound
channels (phone, chat, webform, email, customer satisfaction survey,
fax, physical mail, social media platforms, digital engagement
platforms, and controlled correspondence). Information includes, but is
not limited to: chat transcripts, email communications, audio
recordings of customer calls, and screen recordings of contact center
support desktop during customer interactions;
(8) Loan discharge eligibility and verification information for use
in determining whether a title IV, HEA debt/loan qualifies for
discharge;
(9) Aid recipient's employer information to determine employer
qualification for borrowers to receive discharge under PSLF; OIG fraud
referral information; and customer support interactions including
phone, chat, webform, email, fax, physical mail, and controlled
correspondence;
(10) Information for collecting, processing, and storing user
activity events from across the DCC IT system: campaign details,
delivery details, email/SMS sent timestamp, transaction ID, Federal
Account Number (FAN) ID, activity details, activity date, pages/URL
accessed, user IP address, user-submitted materials, and user request
details;
(11) Information needed to aid in the delivery of strategic and
real-time communication to customers, including, but not limited to,
first name, last name, DOB, state of residence, email, phone number,
mobile device ID, device data, FAFSA transaction data, uniform resource
locator (URL), computer-related data, and customer communication
preferences and user-activity (open or clicks) for email and SMS
communications.
Note: This system of records also maintains information that is
collected in this system and stored in other systems of records. The
following information about individuals who apply for or receive a
Federal grant or loan under one of the programs authorized under
title IV of the HEA is collected in this system and stored in the
``Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System'' (18-11-02)
system of records: applicant identifiers including applicant's name,
SSN, and DOB; demographic information, including Federal tax
information (tax return status, adjusted gross income, Internal
Revenue Service exemptions, and tax year), and enrollment
information; borrower's loan(s) information, including information
about recipients of Direct Loans, FFEL Program loans, Perkins Loans,
and FISL Program loans, such as the period from the origination of
the loan through final payment, and milestones, including, but not
limited to, consolidation, discharge, or other final disposition
including details such as loan amount, disbursements, balances, loan
status, repayment plan and related information, collections, claims,
deferments, forbearances, and refunds; information about students
receiving Federal grants, including recipients of Pell Grants, ACG,
National SMART Grants, TEACH Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan Service
Grants, and including grant amounts, grant awards, verification
status, lifetime eligibility used (LEU), IASG eligible veteran's
dependent indicator, Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship
eligibility indicator, and the Pell Grant additional eligibility
indicator; Pell Grant collection status indicator and overpayment
collection information; promissory notes, Direct Loan Entrance
Counseling forms, Federal Student Loan Exit Counseling forms, PLUS
Loan Counseling forms, the Annual School Loan Acknowledgement
(ASLA), Direct PLUS Loan Requests, endorser addendums, and
counseling in the Direct Loan and TEACH Grant programs, such as the
date that applicant completed counseling; PLUS Loan credit report
information; applicant identifier information for an electronic
request to repay a Direct Loan under an income-driven repayment plan
and endorser/spouse information, such as the SSN, date that
applicant completed the income-driven repayment plan application,
and current loan balances; Electronic Direct Consolidation Loan
borrower identifier information, such as the borrower's SSN, the
date that borrower completed the Federal Direct Consolidation Loan
application and promissory note, and current loan balances; and
credit check decisions, credit appeals, credit appeal identifiers,
and credit history information to support the credit appeal process.
Further, information from the ``Enterprise Data Management and
Analytics Platform Services (EDMAPS)'' (18-11-22) system of records
is accessible in the DCC IT system to: allow real-time updates to a
customer's identifiers, demographic attributes, address, phone, and
email contact details; update customer preference for receiving
marketing information via text message; allow the Department and its
contractors to identify customers who have completed a customer
satisfaction survey; and enable the Department to contact borrowers
who have been identified by the Department as potentially having
fraudulent activity from a Third-Party Debt Relief (TPDR) company
and are at risk of loan default. Information that is modifiable by
the customer through <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> are the following: name, DOB,
address, phone number, and email address. The DCC IT system also
sends the following information to the EDMAPS system for analytics
and reporting: case information including complaints, and OIG fraud
referral data. Information includes, but is not limited to: SSN,
DOB, address, phone, and email. Additionally, information from
Federal Loan Servicers' systems (covered by the ``Common Services
for Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-16) system of records) is accessible on
<a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> to allow customers to view their relevant Federal
Loan Servicer information, payment information, loan information,
and to make payments on <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a>as they would on the various
Federal Loan Servicer websites. Finally, customers can use
<a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> to update their contact information and access
financial aid history that is stored in the ``National Student Loan
Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06) system of records.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Information maintained in this system of records is obtained from
applicants, the parents of dependent applicants, and the spouse of
married applicants for title IV, HEA program assistance, on the paper
FAFSA, Portable Document Format (PDF) FAFSA, the online FAFSA form, and
FAFSA by phone; the authorized employees or representatives of
authorized entities (namely, IHEs, institutional third-party servicers,
FFEL Program lenders, FFEL Program guaranty agencies, Federal loan
servicers, State grant agencies, other Federal agencies, and research
agencies); and from other persons or entities from which information is
obtained following a disclosure under the routine uses set forth below.
The Financial Aid Administrators at IHEs designated by the
applicant and IHEs' third-party servicers may correct the records in
this system as a result of documentation provided by the applicant or
by a dependent applicant's parents, such as Federal income return(s)
(Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Form 1040), Social Security card(s),
and Department of Homeland Security I-551 Permanent Resident Card.
This system maintains information added during CPS processing and
[[Page 56032]]
information received from other Department systems, including the
NSLDS, the COD System, and the SAIG Participation Management System.
The results of matching programs with Federal and non-Federal agencies
are added to the student's record during CPS processing. The
Department's present matching programs are with the Social Security
Administration (SSA) to verify the SSNs of applicants, and dependent
applicants' parent(s), and to confirm the U.S. citizenship status of
applicants as recorded in SSA records and date of death (if applicable)
of applicants, and dependent applicants' parents, pursuant to sections
428B(f)(2), 483(a)(12), and 484(g) and (p) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1078-
2(f)(2), 1090(a)(12), and 1091(g)and (p)); with the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) to verify the status of applicants who claim to
be veterans, pursuant to section 480(c) and (d)(1)(D) of the HEA (20
U.S.C. 1087vv(c) and (d)(1)(D)); with the U.S. Department of Homeland
Security (DHS) to confirm the immigration status of applicants for
assistance as authorized by section 484(g) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1091(g)); with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) to enforce any
requirement imposed at the discretion of a court, pursuant to section
5301 of the Anti-Drug Abuse Act of 1988, Public Law 100-690, as amended
by section 1002(d) of the Crime Control Act of 1990, Public Law 101-647
(21 U.S.C. 862), denying Federal benefits under the programs
established by title IV of the HEA to any individual convicted of a
State or Federal offense for the distribution or possession of a
controlled substance; and with the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) to
identify dependents of U.S. military personnel who died in service in
Iraq and Afghanistan after September 11, 2001, to determine if they are
eligible for increased amounts of title IV, HEA program assistance,
pursuant to sections 420R and 473(b) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1070h and
1087mm(b)).
During CPS processing, the Department's COD System sends
information to this system for students who have received a Federal
Pell Grant. The CPS uses this information for verification analysis and
for end-of-year reporting. These data elements include, but are not
limited to: Verification Selection and Status, Potential Over-award
Project (POP) indicator, Institutional Cost of Attendance, Reporting
and Attended Campus Pell ID and Enrollment Date, and Federal Pell Grant
Program information (Scheduled Federal Pell Grant Award, Origination
Award Amount, Total Accepted Disbursement Amount, Number of
Disbursements Accepted, Percentage of Eligibility Used At This Attended
Campus Institution, and Date of Last Activity from the Origination or
Disbursement table).
The CPS also receives applicant information from the Department's
NSLDS system each time an application is processed or corrected. This
process assesses student aid eligibility, updates financial aid
history, and ensures compliance with title IV, HEA regulations. Some of
this information appears on the applicant's SAR and ISIR. Title IV, HEA
award information is provided to NSLDS from several different sources.
Federal Perkins Loan information and Federal Supplemental Educational
Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) overpayment information is sent from IHEs or
their third-party servicers; the Department's COD System provides
Federal Pell Grant and Direct Loan data; and State and guaranty
agencies provide information on FFEL loans received from lending
institutions participating in the FFEL programs. Financial aid
transcript information reported by NSLDS provides aid recipients, IHEs,
and third-party servicers with information about the type(s),
amount(s), dates, and overpayment status of prior and current title IV,
HEA funds the aid recipient has received. FFEL and William D. Ford
Federal Direct Student Loan data information reported by NSLDS
includes, but is not limited to: (1) Aggregate Loan Data, such as
Subsidized, Unsubsidized; Combined Outstanding Principal Balances;
Unallocated Consolidated Outstanding Principal Balances, Subsidized,
Unsubsidized; Combined Pending Disbursements, Subsidized, Unsubsidized;
Combined Totals; and Unallocated Consolidated Totals; (2) Detailed Loan
Data, such as Loan Sequence Number; Loan Type Code; Loan Change Flag;
Loan Program Code; Current Status Code and Date; Outstanding Principal
Balance and Date; Net Loan Amount; Loan Begin and End Dates; Amount and
Date of Last Disbursement; Guaranty Agency Code; School Code; Contact
Code; and Institution Type and Grade Level; and (3) system flags for
Additional Unsubsidized Loan; Capitalized Interest; Defaulted Loan
Change; Discharged Loan Change; Loan Satisfactory Repayment Change;
Active Bankruptcy Change; Overpayments Change; Aggregate Loan Change;
Defaulted Loan; Discharged Loan; Loan Satisfactory Repayment; Active
Bankruptcy; Additional Loans; Direct Loan Master Promissory Note;
Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note; Subsidized Loan Limit; and the
Combined Loan Limit. Federal Perkins Loan information reported by NSLDS
includes, but is not limited to: Cumulative and Current Year
Disbursement Amounts; flags for Perkins Loan Change; Defaulted Loan;
Discharged Loan; Loan Satisfactory Repayment; Active Bankruptcy;
Additional Loans; and Perkins Overpayment Flag and Contact (School or
Region). Federal Pell Grant payment information reported includes, but
is not limited to: Pell Sequence Number; Pell Attended School Code;
Pell Transaction Number; Last Update Date; Scheduled Amount; Award
Amount; Amount Paid to Date; Percent Scheduled Award Used; Pell Payment
EFC; Flags for Pell Verification; and Pell Payment Change. TEACH Grant
Program information includes, but is not limited to: TEACH Grant
Overpayment Contact; TEACH Grant Overpayment Flag; TEACH Grant Loan
Principal Balance; TEACH Grant Total; and TEACH Grant Change Flag. Iraq
and Afghanistan Service Grants information includes, but is not limited
to, Total Award Amount. The Department obtains from and exchanges
information that is included in this system of records with IHEs,
third-party servicers, and State agencies. These eligible entities
register with the SAIG system to participate in the information
exchanges specified for their business processes.
Additionally, for individuals who request assistance, directly or
through a designated third party, from the Department, information is
obtained from individuals (e.g., borrowers), their counsel or
representatives, or students or their parents (when the individual is a
borrower and depending on whether the individual is a parent or
student), Federal agencies, State agencies, IHEs, lenders, private
collection agencies, guaranty agencies, accreditors, and from other
persons or entities from whom or from which data is obtained following
a disclosure under routine uses set forth below.
Note: Customer information that is retrieved from Federal Loan
Servicers' IT systems (covered by the system of records notice
entitled ``Common Services for Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-16)) is
accessible through <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> to provide customers with payment
and loan information and to enable customers to make loan payments
as they would on the various Federal Loan Servicer websites.
Information that is collected in this system is stored in and
retrieved from the COD System (covered by the system of records
notice entitled ``Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System''
(18-11-02)) to allow: applicants and borrowers to submit Counseling
(Entrance, Exit, Financial
[[Page 56033]]
Awareness Counseling, PLUS, TEACH Initial, TEACH Exit, TEACH
Conversion), Master Promissory Note (MPN), Endorser Addendum, TEACH
Agreement to Serve (ATS), Loan Consolidation, Income-Driven
Repayment, PLUS Loan Request, and Annual Student Loan
Acknowledgement (ASLA) applications through <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a>; credit
check decision, credit appeal, and credit history information to be
viewable on <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> to support credit appeal processing;
users to view and search the PSLF employer database as retrieved
from the COD System and provide updates to employers' information;
and the PDF version of the PSLF/Temporary Expanded PSLF (TEPSLF)
certification and application form that is generated from the PSLF
Help Tool to be accessible. Information is also retrieved from the
COD System to provide <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> functionality for creating and
updating customer records. The following information from the EDMAPS
system is accessible in the DCC IT system: customer information that
is retrieved to allow real-time updates to a customer's identifiers,
demographic attributes, address, phone, and email contact details;
SMS opt in/out information for customer communication preferences to
opt in/out of receiving marketing information via text message;
information for customers who have been identified by the Department
and its contractors as having completed a customer satisfaction
survey; information for borrowers who will be contacted by the
Department because they have been identified by the Department as
having potentially fraudulent activity from a TPDR company; and
information on borrowers who have been identified by the Department
and its contractors as being at risk for loan default.
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
matching agreement that meets the requirements of the Privacy Act of
1974, as amended (Privacy Act). Until June 30, 2023, Section
483(a)(3)(E) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(3)(E)) restricts the use of
the information gathered from the electronic version of the FAFSA to
the application, award, and administration of aid awarded under title
IV of the HEA, aid awarded by States, aid awarded by eligible
institutions, or aid awarded by such entities as the Secretary may
designate.
(1) Program Disclosures. The Department may disclose records from
the system of records for the following program purposes:
(a) To verify the identity of the applicant, the spouse of a
married applicant, and the parent(s) of a dependent applicant, to
determine the accuracy of the information contained in the record, to
support compliance with title IV, HEA statutory and regulatory
requirements, and to assist with the determination, correction,
processing, tracking, and reporting of program eligibility and
benefits, the Department may disclose records to guaranty agencies,
lenders and loan holders participating in the FFEL Program, IHEs,
third-party servicers, and Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies;
(b) To provide an applicant's financial aid history to IHEs,
guaranty agencies and State agencies, lenders and loan holders
participating in the FFEL Program, and third-party servicers, including
information about the applicant's title IV, HEA loan defaults and title
IV, HEA grant program overpayments, the Department may disclose records
to IHEs, guaranty agencies and State agencies, lenders and loan holders
participating in the FFEL Program, and third-party servicers;
(c) To facilitate receiving and correcting application information,
processing Federal Pell Grants and Direct Loans, and reporting Federal
Perkins Loan Program expenditures to the Department's processing and
reporting systems, the Department may disclose records to IHEs, State
agencies, and third-party servicers;
(d) To assist loan holders with the collection and servicing of
title IV, HEA loans, to support pre-claims/supplemental pre-claims
assistance, to assist in locating borrowers, and to assist in locating
students who owe grant overpayments, the Department may disclose
records to guaranty agencies, lenders and loan holders participating in
the FFEL Program, IHEs, third-party servicers, and Federal, State,
local, and Tribal agencies;
(e) To facilitate assessments of title IV, HEA program compliance,
the Department may disclose records to guaranty agencies and IHEs,
third-party servicers, and Federal, State, and local agencies;
(f) To assist in locating holders of loans, the Department may
disclose records to guaranty agencies, lenders and loan holders
participating in the FFEL Program, IHEs, third-party servicers, and
Federal, State, and local agencies;
(g) To assist in assessing the administration of title IV, HEA
program funds by guaranty agencies, lenders and loan holders in the
FFEL Program, IHEs, and third-party servicers, the Department may
disclose records to Federal and State agencies;
(h) To enforce the terms of a loan or grant or to assist in the
collection of loan or grant overpayments, the Department may disclose
records to guaranty agencies, lenders and loan holders participating in
the FFEL Program, IHEs, third-party servicers, and Federal, State, and
local agencies;
(i) To assist borrowers in repayment, the Department may disclose
records to guaranty agencies, lenders and loan holders participating in
the FFEL Program, IHEs, third-party servicers, and Federal, State, and
local agencies;
(j) To determine the relief that is appropriate if the Secretary
grants a borrower defense to repayment discharge application, as well
as to pursue repayment of the amount of such discharges against the
IHE, the Department may disclose records to Federal, State, and Tribal
agencies, accreditors, IHEs, lenders and loan holders, guaranty
agencies, third-party servicers, and private collection agencies;
(k) To initiate legal action against an individual or entity
involved in an illegal or unauthorized title IV, HEA program
expenditure or activity, the Department may disclose records to
guaranty agencies, lenders and loan holders participating in the FFEL
Program, IHEs, third-party servicers, and Federal, State, local, and
Tribal agencies;
(l) To initiate or support a limitation, suspension, or termination
action, an emergency action, or a debarment or suspension action, the
Department may disclose records to guaranty agencies, lenders and loan
holders participating in the FFEL Program, IHEs, third-party servicers,
and Federal, State, local, and Tribal agencies;
(m) To investigate and resolve complaints, inquiries, requests for
assistance, requests for Federal student loan repayment relief and
other relief under the borrower defense to repayment regulations, and
to update borrower account records and to correct errors, the
Department may disclose records to guaranty agencies, lenders and loan
holders participating in the FFEL Program, accreditors, IHEs, third-
party servicers, private collection agencies, and Federal, State, and
local agencies;
(n) To inform the parent(s) of a dependent applicant of information
about the parent(s) in an application for title IV, HEA funds, the
Department may disclose records to the parent(s);
(o) To identify the student as the correct beneficiary of the PLUS
loan funds, and to allow the processing of the
[[Page 56034]]
PLUS loan application and promissory note, the Department may disclose
records to the parent(s) applying for the parent PLUS loan;
(p) To encourage a student to complete a FAFSA or to assist a
student with the completion of a FAFSA, the Department may disclose the
FAFSA filing status of the student to an LEA, a secondary school where
the student is or was enrolled, a State, local, or Tribal agency, or an
entity that awards aid to students and that has been designated by the
Secretary, as currently permitted by Section 483(a)(3)(E) of the HEA
(20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(3)(E));
(q) To enable an applicant, at the applicant's written request, to
obtain information from other Federal agencies' records that will
assist the applicant in completing the FAFSA or income-driven repayment
plan forms online, the Department may disclose information from this
system of records to other Federal agencies, such as the IRS;
(r) To determine an applicant's eligibility for the award of State
postsecondary education assistance and for the award of aid by eligible
IHEs or by other entities that have been designated by the Secretary,
as currently permitted by Section 483(a)(3)(E) of the HEA (20 U.S.C.
1090(a)(3)(E)), and to administer those awards, the Department may
disclose information from this system of records to State agencies,
eligible IHEs, and other entities designated by the Secretary that
award aid to students, as currently permitted by Section 483(a)(3)(E)
of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1090(a)(3)(E)); and
(s) To help Federal, State, Tribal, and local government entities
exercise their supervisory and administrative powers (including, but
not limited to licensure, examination, discipline, regulation, or
oversight of IHEs, Department contractors, guaranty agencies, lenders
and loan holders, and third-party servicers) or to respond to aid
applicant or recipient complaints submitted regarding the practices or
processes of the Department and/or the Department's contractors, or to
update information or correct errors contained in Department records
regarding the aid applicant's or recipient's title IV, HEA program
funds, the Department may disclose records to governmental entities at
the Federal, State, Tribal, and local levels. These records may include
all aspects of loans and grants made under title IV of the HEA in order
to permit these governmental entities to verify compliance with
applicable debt collection, consumer protection, financial, and other
applicable statutory, regulatory, or local requirements. Before making
a disclosure to these Federal, State, local, or Tribal governmental
entities, the Department will require them to maintain safeguards
consistent with the Privacy Act to protect the security and
confidentiality of the disclosed records.
Note: Some information that is maintained in this system of records
is also maintained in other Department systems of records and,
therefore, may be disclosed pursuant to the routine uses published in
those other systems' system of records notices, including the ``Common
Origination and Disbursement (COD) System'' (18-11-02), ``National
Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06), and ``Common Services
for Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-16).
(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, regulations, or order of a competent authority, the Department
may disclose the relevant records to the appropriate agency, whether
Federal, State, Tribal, or local, charged with the responsibility of
investigating or prosecuting that violation or charged with enforcing
or implementing the statute, Executive Order, 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
judicial or administrative 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;
(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, and 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) 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.
(5) 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.
(6) Congressional Member Disclosure. The Department may disclose
the records of an individual 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.
(7) 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
[[Page 56035]]
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.
(8) Employee Grievance, Complaint, or Conduct Disclosure. If a
record 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 a record from this system of
records in the course of investigation, fact-finding, 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.
(9) 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.
(10) Disclosure to the DOJ. The Department may disclose records to
the DOJ to the extent necessary for obtaining DOJ advice on any matter
relevant to an audit, inspection, or other inquiry related to the
programs covered by this system.
(11) 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 must agree to establish and maintain safeguards
to protect the security and confidentiality of the disclosed records.
(12) Disclosure to the OMB and Congressional Budget Office (CBO)
for Federal Credit Reform Act (FCRA) Support. The Department may
disclose records to OMB and CBO as necessary to fulfill FCRA
requirements in accordance with 2 U.S.C. 661b.
(13) Disclosure in the Course of Responding to 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 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) Disclosure of Information to State and Federal Agencies. The
Department may disclose records from this system 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.
(16) 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.
DISCLOSURE TO CONSUMER REPORTING AGENCIES:
Disclosures pursuant to 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(12): The Department may
disclose the following information to a consumer reporting agency
regarding a valid, overdue claim of the Department: (1) the name,
address, taxpayer identification number, and other information
necessary to establish the identity of the individual responsible for
the claim; (2) the amount, status, and history of the claim; and (3)
the program under which the claim arose. The Department may disclose
the information specified in this paragraph under 5 U.S.C. 552a(b)(12)
and the procedures contained in subsection 31 U.S.C. 3711(e). A
consumer reporting agency to which these disclosures may be made is
defined at 15 U.S.C. 1681a(f) and 31 U.S.C. 3701(a)(3).
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
System records are paper-based and stored in locked rooms or
electronic and stored on secured computer systems and in the cloud.
Paper applications are stored in standard Federal Records Center
boxes in locked storage rooms at the contractor facility in London,
Kentucky, and then moved to the NARA Federal Records Center listed in
the ``System Location'' section above, where the records are stored
until disposed.
Digitized paper applicant records, which include optically imaged
documents, are stored on DADS (disks) in a virtual disk library, which
is also electronic, in the computer facilities controlled by the Next
Generation Data Center (NGDC) in Clarksville, VA.
Records that are collected in this system for applicants of Federal
grants or loans are stored in the COD System for individuals who apply
under one of the programs authorized under title IV of the HEA,
including, but not limited to the: (1) Federal Pell Grant Program; (2)
Federal Perkins Loans Program; (3) ACG Program; (4) National SMART
Grant Program; (5) TEACH Grant Program; (6) Iraq and Afghanistan
Service Grant Program; (7) Direct Loan Program, which includes Federal
Direct Stafford/Ford Loans, Federal Direct Unsubsidized Stafford/Ford
Loans and Federal Direct PLUS Loans and Federal Direct Consolidation
Loans; (8) FFEL Program; and (9) FISL Program.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
Records in this system pertaining to a title IV, HEA loan
applicant, borrower, or grant recipient are indexed and retrieved by a
single data element, or a
[[Page 56036]]
combination of the following data elements, to include SSN, name, DOB,
the academic year in which the applicant applied for title IV, HEA
program assistance, and case tracking number. These data elements are
also used to retrieve information of title IV, HEA program applicants
for and recipients of Federal grants or loans from the COD System
(applicant information is collected in this system of records and
stored in the COD System).
This system also uses a credit appeal identifier to retrieve credit
appeal information from the COD System to support the credit appeal
process.
Additionally, this system uses a combination of SSN, DOB, and name
data elements to retrieve records from Federal Loan Servicers' systems
(covered by the system of records notice entitled ``Common Services for
Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-16)) to allow customers to access their
relevant Federal Loan Servicer information, payment information, loan
information and to make payments on <a href="http://StudentAid.gov">StudentAid.gov</a> as they would on the
various Federal Loan Servicer websites.
This system also uses customer identifiers to retrieve customer
information data from the EDMAPS system (covered by the system of
records noticed entitled ``Enterprise Data Management and Analytics
Platform Services (EDMAPS) System'' (18-11-xx)) to allow real-time
updates to customer information and communication preferences; and for
the Department and its contractors to identify customers who have
completed a customer satisfaction survey in the DCC system; who may
have potential fraudulent activity from a TPDR company; and who may be
at risk for loan default.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
All records maintained in this system are primarily retained and
disposed of in accordance with the records schedules listed below. The
Department has submitted amendments to these records schedules to NARA
for its review and approval.
(a) Department Records Schedule 051: FSA National Student Loan Data
System (NSLDS) (DAA-0441-2017-0004) (ED 051). (Records covered by ED
051 will not be destroyed until NARA-approved amendments to ED 051 are
in effect, as applicable.)
(b) Department Records Schedule 052: Ombudsman Case Files (N1-441-
09-21) (ED 052). (Records covered by ED 052 will not be destroyed until
NARA-approved amendments to ED 052 are in effect, as applicable.)
(c) Department Records Schedule 072: FSA Application, Origination,
and Disbursement Records (DAA-0441-2013-0002) (ED 072). (Records
covered by ED 072 will not be destroyed until NARA-approved amendments
to ED 072 are in effect, as applicable.)
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
All users of the system will have a unique user ID with a password.
All physical access to the data housed at system locations is
controlled and monitored by security personnel who check each
individual entering the building for their employee or visitor badge.
The computer system employed by the Department offers a high degree of
resistance to tampering and circumvention with firewalls, encryption,
and password protection. This security system limits data access to
Department and contract staff on a ``need-to-know'' basis and controls
individual users' ability to access and alter records within the
system. All interactions by users of the system are recorded.
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
and privacy controls, a plan of actions 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, contact the
system manager at the address listed above. You must provide necessary
particulars such as your name, SSN, and any other identifying
information requested by the Department while processing the request to
distinguish between individuals with the same name. Alternatively, to
gain access to a record in the system, you may make a Privacy Act
request through the U.S. Department of Education, FOIA Service Center
at <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/request_privacy.html">https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/request_privacy.html</a> by
completing the applicable request forms. Requests by an individual for
access to a record must meet the requirements of the Department's
Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.
Borrowers are able to access their financial aid history from NSLDS
in this system. If you wish to gain access to other records in the
NSLDS, please refer to the RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES section in the
system of records notice entitled ``National Student Loan Data System
(NSLDS)'' (18-11-06).
For title IV, HEA program applicants and recipients of Federal
grants or loans, if you wish to gain access to such information about
you from the COD System, please refer to the RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES
section in the system of records notice entitled ``Common Origination
and Disbursement (COD) System'' (18-11-02).
If you wish to gain access to the EDMAPS system information that is
about you and accessible in this system, please refer to the RECORD
ACCESS PROCEDURES section in the system of records notice entitled
``Enterprise Data Management and Analytics Platform Services (EDMAPS)
System'' (18-11-xx).
If you wish to gain access to information in the Federal Loan
Servicers' IT systems that is about you and accessible in this system,
please refer to the RECORD ACCESS PROCEDURES section in the system of
records notice entitled ``Common Services for Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-
16).
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
If you wish to contest or change the content of a record about you
in the system of records, provide the System Manager with your name,
DOB, SSN, and any other identifying information requested by the
Department while processing the request to distinguish between
individuals with the same name. Identify the specific items to be
changed and provide a written justification for the change.
To contest the content of a FAFSA record for the current processing
year, send your request to the FOIA Service
[[Page 56037]]
Center listed in the Notification Procedures section. The application
processing cycle lasts 21 months. For example, for the 2021-2022 award
year, applications were accepted from October 1, 2020, through June 30,
2022.
Financial aid history from NSLDS is accessible in this system. To
contest name and address records about you, provide the System Manager
with your name, DOB, SSN, and any other identifying information
requested by the Department while processing the request to distinguish
between individuals with the same name. All other financial aid history
records from NSLDS must be contested by following the CONTESTING RECORD
PROCEDURES identified in the system of records notice entitled
``National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06).
For title IV, HEA program applicants and recipients of Federal
grants or loans, if you wish to contest such information about you,
please refer to the CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES section in the system
of records notice entitled ``Common Origination and Disbursement (COD)
System'' (18-11-02).
To contest information about you in a Federal Loan Servicer IT
system, payment information, and loan information that is accessible in
this system, please refer to the CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES section
in the system of records notice entitled ``Common Services for
Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-16).
To contest the EDMAPS system information that is accessible in this
system, please refer to the CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES section in the
system of records notice entitled ``Enterprise Data Management and
Analytics Platform Services (EDMAPS) System'' (18-11-xx).
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, contact the system manager at the address listed
above. You must provide necessary particulars such as your name, SSN,
and any other identifying information requested by the Department while
processing the request to distinguish between individuals with the same
name. Alternatively, you may make a Privacy Act request through the
U.S. Department of Education, FOIA Service Center at <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/request_privacy.html">https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/leg/foia/request_privacy.html</a> by completing the
applicable request forms.
If you wish to submit a request for notification to determine
whether a record exists about you in the COD System as a title IV, HEA
program applicant or recipient of a Federal grant or loan, please refer
to the NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES section in the system of records notice
entitled ``Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System'' (18-11-
02).
Borrowers are able to access their financial aid history from NSLDS
in this system. If you wish to submit a request for notification to
determine whether a record exists about you in the NSLDS system of
records, please refer to the NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES section in the
system of records notice entitled ``National Student Loan Data System
(NSLDS)'' (18-11-06).
If you wish to submit a request for notification to determine
whether a record exists about you in a Federal Loan Servicer IT system,
please refer to the NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES section in the system of
records notice entitled ``Common Services for Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-
16).
If you wish to submit a request for notification to determine
whether a record exists about you in EDMAPS system, please refer to the
NOTIFICATION PROCEDURES section in the system of records entitled
``Enterprise Data Management and Analytics Platform Services (EDMAPS)
System'' (18-11-xx).
Requests for notification about whether the system of records
contains information about an individual must meet the requirements of
the Department's Privacy Act regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including
proof of identity.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
HISTORY:
None.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Chief Operating
Officer, Federal Student Aid (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Education
(Department) publishes the rescindment of the system of records notice
entitled ``Federal Student Aid Application File'' (18-11-01):
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Federal Student Aid Application File (18-11-01).
HISTORY:
The ``Federal Student Aid Application File'' system of records
notice, was published in the Federal Register at 64 FR 30159 (June 4,
1999), modified at 64 FR 72384, 72407 (December 27, 1999), modified at
65 FR 11294 (March 2, 2000), modified at 66 FR 18758 (April 11, 2001),
modified at 74 FR 68802 (December 29, 2009), modified at 76 FR 46774
(August 3, 2011), modified at 84 FR 57856 (October 29, 2019), and is
being rescinded by this notice.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Chief Operating
Officer, Federal Student Aid (FSA) of the U.S. Department of Education
(Department) publishes the rescindment of the system of records notice
entitled ''Customer Engagement Management System (CEMS)'' (18-11-11):
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
Customer Engagement Management System (CEMS) (18-11-11).
HISTORY:
The ``Customer Engagement Management System (CEMS)'' (18-11-11)
system of records notice was published in the Federal Register at 83 FR
27587 (June 13, 2018). Prior to being covered by the CEMS system of
records notice, records that are about individuals who have asserted
defenses to the repayment of their Federal student loans, also known as
``borrower defenses,'' pursuant to the Department's regulations at 34
CFR 685.206, were covered by the system of records notice entitled
``Common Services for Borrowers (CSB)'' (18-11-16), which was first
published in the Federal Register at 71 FR 3503 (January 23, 2006),
subsequently modified at 79 FR 54685 (September 12, 2014), and last
modified at 81 FR 60683 (September 2, 2016). Prior to being covered by
the CEMS system of records notice, records that are about individuals
who requested assistance from the FSA Ombudsman were covered by the
system of records notice entitled ``Office of the Student Loan
Ombudsman Records'' (18-11-11), which was first published in the
Federal Register at 64 FR 72384, 72399 (December 27, 1999) and then
subsequently modified at 81 FR 12081 (March 8, 2016). The CEMS system
of records notice is being rescinded by this notice.
[FR Doc. 2022-19890 Filed 9-12-22; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 13, 2022.
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.