Notice2026-07817
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
April 22, 2026
Issuing agencies
Education Department
Abstract
In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the U.S. Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice of a modified system of records entitled the "National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)" (18-11-06). The information contained in this system is maintained for various purposes relating to aid applicants and recipients. These include determining aid applicants' and recipients' eligibility for Federal student financial assistance under the programs authorized by title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA); assisting institutions of higher education participating in and administering the title IV, HEA programs by verifying the eligibility of aid recipients for, and tracking, Federal student loans; and assisting the Department's oversight and administration of the title IV, HEA programs, including evaluating their effectiveness.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21480-21488]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-07817]
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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
[Docket ID ED-2026-FSA-0761]
Privacy Act of 1974; System of Records
AGENCY: Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education.
ACTION: Notice of a modified system of records.
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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended, the
U.S. Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice of a
modified system of records entitled the ``National Student Loan Data
System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06). The information contained in this system
is maintained for various purposes relating to aid applicants and
recipients. These include determining aid applicants' and
[[Page 21481]]
recipients' eligibility for Federal student financial assistance under
the programs authorized by title IV of the Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended (HEA); assisting institutions of higher education
participating in and administering the title IV, HEA programs by
verifying the eligibility of aid recipients for, and tracking, Federal
student loans; and assisting the Department's oversight and
administration of the title IV, HEA programs, including evaluating
their effectiveness.
DATES: Submit your comments on this modified system of records notice
on or before May 22, 2026.
This modified system of records notice will become applicable upon
publication in the Federal Register on April 22, 2026, unless it needs
to be changed as a result of public comment. The Department will
publish any changes to the modified system of records notice resulting
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 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 instructions for accessing agency documents,
submitting comments, and viewing the docket, is available on the site
under ``FAQ''.
Privacy Note: The Department's policy is to make 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 auxiliary aid, please
contact the person listed under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Sandi McCabe, Director, Partner System
Integration Division, Program Technical and Business Support, Partner
Participation and Oversight Directorate, Federal Student Aid, U.S.
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202-
0001. Telephone: (202) 377-3547. Email: <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#88dbe9e6ece1a6c5ebebe9eaedc8edeca6efe7fe"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="fead9f909a97d0b39d9d9f9c9bbe9b9ad0999188">[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 of 1974,
as amended (Privacy Act) (5 U.S.C. 552a), the Department proposes to
modify the system of records notice entitled, ``National Student Loan
Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06), which was last published in full in
the Federal Register on May 21, 2024 (89 FR 44652).
The Department is modifying the section entitled ``PURPOSE(S) OF
THE SYSTEM'' relating to the Department's administration and oversight
of title IV, HEA programs as follows:
(i) New Purpose (19) is added to identify, verify, and maintain
records for ``legacy'' borrowers, defined as those who received a
Graduate PLUS or Parent PLUS loan prior to June 30, 2026. This process
ensures continued eligibility under pre-2026 provisions for the lesser
of a transitional period not to exceed three academic years or until
the borrower completes their current program of study;
(ii) New Purpose (20) has been added to support the implementation
of provisions authorizing financial aid administrators to maintain
records and set lower annual loan limits for students or parent
borrowers of PLUS loans. This modification allows the system to record
and apply these reduced limits, ensuring they are maintained and
applied consistently to all students within a specific program of study
as required by Departmental policy. Specifically, to track and enforce
revised aggregate loan limits, including tiered unsubsidized caps for
graduate and professional students, gross lifetime limit for Parent
PLUS borrowers per dependent, and universal non-PLUS lifetime maximum.
The Department is modifying the section entitled ``CATEGORIES OF
RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM'' to add new Category (20) records of legacy
borrowers of Graduate PLUS and Parent PLUS loans with lower annual loan
limits. Specifically, records that track revised aggregate loan limits,
including tiered unsubsidized caps for graduate and professional
students, gross lifetime limit for Parent PLUS borrowers per dependent,
and universal non-PLUS lifetime maximum.
The Department is modifying the section entitled ``RECORD SOURCE
CATEGORIES'' to remove the Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG) (covered
by the Department's Privacy Act system of records notice entitled
``Student Aid internet Gateway (SAIG), Participation Management
System'' (18-11-10)) and replace it with the Federal Student Aid
Partner Connect (FSA Partner Connect) (covered by the Department's
Privacy Act system of records notice entitled ``Federal Student Aid
Partner Connect'' (18-11-24), which rescinded the two systems of
records notices entitled ``Student Aid Internet Gateway, Participant
Management System'' (18-11-10) and ``Postsecondary Education
Participants System (PEPS)'' (18-11-09).
Accessible Format: On request to the program contact person listed
under FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT, individuals with disabilities
can obtain this document in an accessible format. The Department will
provide the requestor with an accessible format that may include Rich
Text Format (RTF) or text format (txt), a thumb drive, an MP3 file,
braille, large print, audiotape, compact disc, or other accessible
format.
Electronic Access to This Document: The official version of this
document is the document published in the Federal Register. You may
access the official edition of the Federal Register and the Code of
Federal Regulations at <a href="http://www.govinfo.gov">www.govinfo.gov</a>. At this site you can view this
document, as well as all other Department documents published in the
Federal Register, in text or Portable Document Format (PDF). To use PDF
you must have Adobe Acrobat Reader, which is available free at the
site.
You may also access Department documents published in the Federal
Register by using the article search feature at
<a href="http://www.federalregister.gov">www.federalregister.gov</a>. Specifically, through the advanced search
feature at this site, you can limit your search to documents published
by the Department.
Richard Lucas,
Federal Student Aid.
For the reasons discussed in the preamble, the Acting Chief
Operating Officer, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education
(Department)
[[Page 21482]]
publishes a notice of a modified system of records to read as follows:
SYSTEM NAME AND NUMBER:
National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS) (18-11-06).
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION:
Unclassified.
SYSTEM LOCATION:
Federal Student Aid (FSA), U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202-0001.
Amazon Web Services (AWS) Government Cloud, 410 Terry Ave., North
Seattle, WA 98109-5210. (This is the hosting center for the NSLDS
application, where all electronic NSLDS information is processed and
maintained.)
Accenture, 22451 Shaw Rd., Sterling, VA 20166-4319. (This is
Accenture's main program office.)
Accenture DC, 820 First St. NE, Washington, DC 20202-4227. (This
location is an alternate Accenture work site to support NSLDS.)
Accenture Federal Services, 10931 Laureate Dr., San Antonio, TX
78249. (This location is an alternate Accenture work site to support
NSLDS.)
NTT Global Data Centers Americas, 44664 Guilford Dr., Ashburn, VA
20147 and 2008 Lookout Dr., Garland, TX 75044. (NSLDS call recordings
are maintained at these locations.)
Oracle Service Cloud, 500 Eldorado Blvd., Broomfield, CO 80021.
(Provides customer case management and reporting capabilities to NSLDS
Help Desk Customer Service Representatives (CSRs) and has the
capability to track and maintain NSLDS inquiries, which allows CSRs to
respond to these cases/inquiries.)
The following are the locations of the NSLDS Customer Service
Centers:
ASM Research, 4050 Legato Rd., #1100, Fairfax, VA 22033;
Senture, LLC, 4255 W Highway 90, Monticello, KY 42633-3398; and
Veteran Call Center, LLC, 53 Knightsbridge Rd., Suite 216,
Piscataway, NJ 08854-3925.
SYSTEM MANAGER(S):
Director, Partner Systems Integration Division, Program Technical
and Business Support Group, Partner Participation and Oversight
Directorate, Federal Student Aid, U.S. Department of Education, 400
Maryland Ave. SW, Washington, DC 20202-0001.
AUTHORITY FOR MAINTENANCE OF THE SYSTEM:
The authority under which the system is maintained includes
sections 101, 102, 132(i), 428, 455(a), 485, and 485B of the Higher
Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (20 U.S.C. 1001, 1002,
1015a(i), 1078, 1087e(a), 1092, and 1092b), and section 431(2) and (3)
of the General Education Provisions Act (20 U.S.C. 1231a(2)--(3)). The
collection of Social Security numbers (SSNs) of individuals who are
covered by this system is authorized by 31 U.S.C. 7701 and Executive
Order 9397 (November 22, 1943), as amended by Executive Order 13478
(November 18, 2008).
PURPOSE(S) OF THE SYSTEM:
The information contained in this system of records is maintained
for the following purposes relating to applicants and recipients of aid
under title IV of the HEA: (Note: Different parts of the HEA use the
terms ``discharge,'' ``cancellation,'' or ``forgiveness'' to describe
when an aid recipient'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) to determine the eligibility of aid applicants and recipients
for Federal student financial aid programs authorized by title IV of
the HEA;
(2) to report changes in aid applicant and recipient enrollment
status and enrollment in educational programs;
(3) to track aid recipients who owe title IV, HEA obligations
(debtors);
(4) to maintain information on the status of student loans;
(5) to maintain information on awards to students under the Federal
Pell Grant program (including approved Prison Education Programs (PEPs)
(the FAFSA Simplification Act allows for expanding access to Federal
Pell Grants to include Federal and State penal facilities' approved
educational programs), the Academic Competitiveness Grant (ACG)
program, the National Science and Mathematics Access to Retain Talent
(National SMART) Grant program, the Teacher Education Assistance for
College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant program, the Federal
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG) program, the Iraq
and Afghanistan Service Grant program, and the Federal Work Study (FWS)
Program;
(6) to provide aid recipients and NSLDS users with loan refund and
discharge details;
(7) to identify qualifying individuals and inform them about title
IV, HEA benefits, including total and permanent disability (TPD)
discharges, Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF), and benefits under
the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA), 50 U.S.C. 3901-4043, to
streamline the process for applying for loans and benefits, and to
recoup payments or delinquent debts under the title IV, HEA programs;
(8) to provide consumer tools to the public to better evaluate the
effectiveness of postsecondary institutions and programs, considering
their costs, financial aid, loan repayment rates, completion rates,
median debts, and the aggregate earnings of title IV, HEA aid
recipients who were enrolled at postsecondary institutions and programs
participating in the title IV, HEA programs, so that the public can
make informed decisions about which postsecondary institutions and
programs to attend;
(9) to enable the Department, or other Federal, State, Tribal, or
local government agencies, to investigate, respond to, or resolve
complaints concerning the practices or processes of the Department and/
or the Department's contractors, or to investigate, respond to, or
resolve aid recipients' requests for assistance or relief with regard
to title IV, HEA program funds;
(10) to conduct testing, analysis, or take other administrative
actions needed to prepare for or execute programs under title IV of the
HEA; and
(11) to process income eligibility information and documentation
for aid applicants and recipients, or applicable aid applicants' and
recipients' parents or spouses, pertaining to the discharge of eligible
loans under title IV, HEA programs.
The information in this system is also maintained for the following
purposes relating to institutions of higher education (also referred to
herein as ``educational institutions'' or ``postsecondary
institutions'') participating in and administering the title IV, HEA
programs:
(1) to permit Department staff, Department contractors, guaranty
agencies, eligible lenders, and eligible institutions of higher
education to verify the eligibility of a student, potential student, or
parent for loans or Pell Grants or Pell Grant disbursements;
(2) to provide student aggregate loan calculations to educational
institutions;
(3) to determine default rates for educational institutions,
guaranty agencies, and lenders;
[[Page 21483]]
(4) to prepare electronic financial aid histories on aid applicants
and recipients for educational institutions, guaranty agencies,
Department staff, and Department contractors;
(5) to alert educational institutions of changes in students'
financial aid eligibility via the Transfer Student Monitoring process;
(6) to assist Department staff, Department contractors and agents,
guaranty agencies, the Department of Justice (DOJ), educational
institutions, lenders, and servicers in collecting debts arising from
the receipt of title IV, HEA funds;
(7) to assess title IV, HEA program activities by guaranty
agencies, educational institutions, lenders, and servicers;
(8) to display organizational contact information provided by
educational institutions, guaranty agencies, lenders, and servicers;
(9) to provide reporting capabilities for educational institutions,
guaranty agencies, lenders, and servicers for use in title IV, HEA
administrative functions and for the Department or other Federal,
State, Tribal, or local agencies for use in oversight and compliance;
(10) to provide financial institutions and servicers, Department
staff, and Department contractors with contact information on loan
holders for use in the collection of loans;
(11) to provide educational institutions and servicers with
information to resolve overpayments of Pell, ACG, National SMART,
TEACH, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grants, and FSEOG grants;
(12) to obtain data on and to report on students in an educational
program for the purposes of monitoring program outcomes and compiling
information related to financial value transparency or gainful
employment to be made available to educational institutions and to the
general public;
(13) to provide consumer tools, such as the College Scorecard, that
are designed to simplify information that prospective students receive
about costs, financial aid, loan repayment rates, completion rates,
median debts, and aggregate earnings of title IV, HEA aid recipients
who were enrolled at postsecondary institutions and programs
participating in the title IV, HEA programs so that prospective
students can make informed decisions about which postsecondary
institutions and programs to attend; and
(14) to provide data for educational institutions to ensure the
accuracy of their educational programs' performance metrics.
The information maintained in this system is also maintained for
the following purposes relating to the Department's oversight and
administration of the title IV, HEA programs:
(1) to assist audit and program review planning;
(2) to support research, analysis and development, and the
implementation and evaluation of educational policies in relation to
the title IV, HEA programs;
(3) to conduct budget analysis and program review planning;
(4) to provide information that supports the Department's
compliance with the Federal Credit Reform Act of 1990, as amended (CRA)
(2 U.S.C. 661 et seq.);
(5) to ensure only authorized users access the NSLDS database and
to maintain a history of the aid applicant and recipient information
reviewed;
(6) to track the Department's interest in loans funded through the
Ensuring Continued Access to Student Loans Act of 2008 (ECASLA) (Pub.
L. 110-227);
(7) to track TEACH grants that have been converted to loans;
(8) to track eligibility for PSLF;
(9) to assist in the calculation of metrics related to gainful
employment and other title IV, HEA educational programs;
(10) to provide data for program oversight and strategic decision-
making in the administration of higher education programs;
(11) to track eligibility for Direct Subsidized Loans and interest
subsidy based upon the level of study, Classification of Instructional
Programs (CIP) code, and published length of the educational program in
which a student is enrolled;
(12) to evaluate the effectiveness of an institution's educational
programs, and help provide information to the public at the
institutional and programmatic level on this effectiveness;
(13) to verify that Federal, State, local, and Tribal statutory,
regulatory, and program requirements are met by educational and
financial institutions, Federal Loan Servicers, the Federal Perkins
Loan Servicer, and guaranty agencies;
(14) to help governmental entities at the Federal, State, Tribal,
and local levels exercise their supervisory and administrative powers
(including, but not limited to, licensure, examination, discipline,
regulation, or oversight of educational institutions, Department
contractors, guaranty agencies, eligible lenders, and third-party
servicers) or to investigate, respond to, or resolve complaints
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 an aid recipient's title IV,
HEA program funds;
(15) to provide information to support web-based access to aid
applicant's and recipient's title IV, HEA program data including
enrollment;
(16) to track loan transfers from one holder or servicer to
another;
(17) to provide title IV, HEA loan information to support the
calculation of monthly payment amounts under Income-Driven Repayment
(IDR) plans; and
(18) To support the investigation of possible fraud or abuse and to
detect and prevent fraud or abuse.
(19) To identify, verify, and maintain records for ``legacy''
borrowers, defined as those who received a Graduate PLUS or Parent PLUS
loan prior to June 30, 2026. This process ensures continued eligibility
under pre-2026 provisions for the lesser of a transitional period not
to exceed three academic years or until the borrower completes their
current program of study;
(20) To support the implementation of provisions authorizing
financial aid administrators to maintain records and set lower annual
loan limits for students or parent borrowers of PLUS loans. This
modification allows the system to record and apply these reduced
limits, ensuring they are maintained and applied consistently to all
students within a specific program of study as required by Departmental
policy. Specifically, to track and enforce revised aggregate loan
limits, including tiered unsubsidized caps for graduate and
professional students, gross lifetime limit for Parent PLUS borrowers
per dependent, and universal non-PLUS lifetime maximum.
CATEGORIES OF INDIVIDUALS COVERED BY THE SYSTEM:
This system contains records on individual title IV, HEA aid
applicants and recipients.
This system also contains information on the parent(s) of a
dependent aid applicant or recipient and the spouse of a married aid
applicant or recipient.
In addition, this system contains records on aid recipients and
endorsers who received, or signed the promissory note for a loan(s)
under one of the programs authorized under title IV of the HEA,
including:
(1) the William D. Ford Direct Loan Program (Direct Loan),
including Federal Direct Unsubsidized and Subsidized Stafford/Ford
Loans, Federal Direct Consolidation Loans, and Federal Direct PLUS
Loans;
(2) the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program,
[[Page 21484]]
(3) the Federal Insured Student Loan (FISL) Program,
(4) the Federal Perkins Loan Program (including National Defense
Student Loans, National Direct Student Loans, and Perkins Expanded
Lending and Income Contingent Loans) (Perkins Loans).
This system also contains records on aid recipients of Federal Pell
Grants, ACG, National SMART Grants, TEACH Grants, Iraq and Afghanistan
Service Grants, the FWS Program, and FSEOG, as well as on individuals
who owe an overpayment on a Federal Pell Grant, an ACG, a TEACH Grant,
a National SMART Grant, a FSEOG, an Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant,
or a Federal Perkins Loan.
Further, this system contains student enrollment information for
individuals who have received title IV, HEA student assistance, as well
as Master Conduit Loan Program Data, Master Loan Participation Program
(LPP) Data, and loan-level detail on FFEL Subsidized, Unsubsidized, and
Graduate and Parent PLUS loans funded through those programs.
This system contains records for ``legacy'' borrowers, defined as
those who received a Graduate PLUS or Parent PLUS loan prior to June
30, 2026. This process ensures continued eligibility under pre-2026
provisions for the lesser of a transitional period not to exceed three
academic years or until the borrower completes their current program of
study.
This system contains records of legacy borrowers of Graduate PLUS
and Parent PLUS loans with lower annual loan limits. Specifically,
records that track revised aggregate loan limits, including tiered
unsubsidized caps for graduate and professional students, gross
lifetime limit for Parent PLUS borrowers per dependent, and universal
non-PLUS lifetime maximum.
This system also contains records on students who are title IV, HEA
aid recipients and who attended, or who are attending, a gainful
employment program at a postsecondary institution.
Lastly, this system contains records from 2014-2021 on the level of
study, CIP code, and published length of an educational program in
which a student receiving title IV, HEA Federal student aid was
enrolled to limit his or her eligibility for Direct Subsidized Loans to
no more than 150 percent of the published length of the educational
program in which the student was enrolled, and to determine when an aid
recipient who enrolled after reaching the 150 percent limit would have
been responsible for the accruing interest on outstanding Direct
Subsidized Loans.
CATEGORIES OF RECORDS IN THE SYSTEM:
Note: The Federal Tax Information (FTI) that the Department obtains
directly from the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) under the Fostering
Undergraduate Talent by Unlocking Resources for Education (FUTURE) Act
is maintained in a separate system of records entitled the ``FUTURE Act
System (FAS)'' (18-11-23);
Records in the NSLDS include, but are not limited to:
(1) aid applicant and recipient identifier information, including
SSN, name, date of birth, physical address, phone number, email
address, and driver's license number and State of issuance;
(2) aid applicant demographic information, including an aid
applicant's parent's and spouse's demographic information (if
applicable), student enrollment, incarcerated student indicator flag,
list of participating title IV, HEA institutions of higher education
selected by the aid applicant to receive the Free Application for
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA[supreg]) data along with residency plans,
and the financial profile of an applicant and an aid applicant's
parent(s) or spouse, as reported and calculated through the FAFSA form;
and processing flags, indicators, rejections, and overrides;
(3) information on the aid recipient's loan(s) covering the period
from the origination of the loan through final payment, consolidation,
discharge, or other final disposition, including details such as
borrower person ID, student person ID, PLUS borrower person ID, loan
ID, loan amount, disbursements, balances, loan status, repayment plan
payments and related information, collections, claims, deferments,
forbearances, refunds, and discharges;
(4) information on an aid applicant's or recipient's endorser or
co-signer of a PLUS loan application from the origination of the loan
through final payment, consolidation, discharge, or other final
disposition, including details such as co-signer SSN, name, date of
birth, driver's license number and State of issuance (if reported),
active-duty status (if applicable and reported), email address,
address, phone number, and relevant loan information with respect to
the loan on which they are the endorser or co-signer;
(5) for students who began an educational program, student
identifiers including the student's SSN, date of birth, and name;
student enrollment information including the Office of Postsecondary
Education identification number (OPE ID number) of the institution, and
the CIP code and credential level for the educational program in which
the student enrolled; the student's enrollment status, annual cost of
attendance (COA), total tuition and fees assessed, tuition residency
status, total annual allowance for books, supplies, equipment, housing,
and food from their COA, amount of institutional grants and
scholarships disbursed, amount of other State, Tribal, or private
grants disbursed, and the amount of any private educational loans
disbursed; and, if the student completed or withdrew from the program,
the completion or withdrawal date, the total amount the student
received from private education loans, the student's total amount of
institutional debt, the student's total amount of tuition and fees
assessed, the student's total amount of allowances for books, supplies,
and equipment from the student's COA for each award year, and the total
amount of institutional grants and scholarships disbursed to the
student;
(6) aggregated income information on completers and non-completers
of a particular educational program, and the median loan debt incurred
by students enrolled in those education programs;
(7) student demographic information, such as dependency status,
citizenship, veteran status, marital status, gender, income and asset
information (including income and asset information on the student's
spouse, if married), and expected family contribution or Student Aid
Index (SAI);
(8) information on the parent(s) of a dependent aid applicant or
aid recipient or the spouse of an independent aid applicant or aid
recipient, including name, date of birth, SSN, marital status, email
address, highest level of schooling completed and starting with award
year 2024-2025, the parents' college attendance status, and income and
asset information;
(9) information related to an aid applicant's or recipient's
application for title IV, HEA benefits, including information relating
to IDR or PSLF eligibility such as current income; family size;
repayment plan selections; employer name; dates of employment;
employment status; if the IDR aid applicant or aid recipient (or
spouse, where applicable), provided consent/affirmative approval both
to redisclose Federal Tax Information (FTI) of such individuals
pursuant to clauses (iii), (iv), (v), and (vi) of section
6103(l)(13)(D) of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) of 1986 and under
subsection 494(a) of the HEA (20 U.S.C. 1098h(a)) of information to the
IRS for the IRS to disclose FTI to the Department as part of a matching
program to determine eligibility for, or
[[Page 21485]]
repayment obligations under, IDR plans under title IV of the HEA with
respect to loans under part D (Direct Loan program) of title IV of the
HEA; repayment amount; and information about the aid recipient's
spouse, if the aid applicant or recipient is married;
(10) Federal Pell Grant, FSEOG, ACG Grant, National SMART Grant,
and TEACH Grant, and Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant amounts, dates
of disbursement, and for Federal Pell Grants, approved PEPs (the FAFSA
Simplification Act allows for expanding access to Federal Pell Grants
to include Federal and State penal facilities' approved educational
programs);
(11) Federal Pell Grant, ACG Grant, National SMART Grant, TEACH
Grant, Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant, FSEOG, Federal Perkins Loan
Program overpayment amounts and/or earning amounts under the FWS
Program;
(12) Information maintained by a guaranty agency, including
demographic, contact, and identifier information, an aid applicant's
FFEL loan(s), and the lender(s), holder(s), and servicer(s) of the
borrower's FFEL loan(s);
(13) NSLDS user profiles that include name, SSN, date of birth,
employer, and NSLDS username;
(14) information concerning the date of any default on loans and
the aggregated loan data to support cohort default rate calculations
for educational institutions, financial institutions, and guaranty
agencies;
(15) pre- and post-screening results used to determine a student's
or parent's aid eligibility;
(16) information on financial institutions participating in the
loan participation and sale programs established by the Department
under ECASLA, including the collection of: ECASLA loan-level funding
amounts, dates of ECASLA participation for financial institutions,
dates and amounts of loans sold to the Department under ECASLA, and the
amount of loans funded by the Department's programs but repurchased by
the lender;
(17) information on the student's educational institution, level of
study, the CIP code, and published length for the program in which the
student enrolled for an institution or programs of studies at the
institution;
(18) information obtained pursuant to matching programs or other
information exchanges with Federal and State agencies and other
administrators of Federal funds and programs to assist in identifying
individuals who may be eligible for aid applicant's or recipient's
benefits related to their title IV, HEA loans or other title IV, HEA
obligations, including TPD discharges, loan deferments, interest rate
reductions, PSLF, and other Federal and State loan repayment or
discharge benefits, or for the purpose of recouping payments or
delinquent debts under title IV, HEA programs; and
(19) 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, and digital engagement platforms). Information
includes, but is not limited to: chat transcripts, email
communications, audio recordings of customer calls, and screen
recordings of contact center desktop support during customer
interactions.
(20) Records of legacy borrowers of Graduate PLUS and Parent PLUS
loans with lower annual loan limits. Specifically, records that track
revised aggregate loan limits, including tiered unsubsidized caps for
graduate and professional students, gross lifetime limit for Parent
PLUS borrowers per dependent, and universal non-PLUS lifetime maximum.
RECORD SOURCE CATEGORIES:
Information is obtained from other Federal, State, local, and
Tribal agencies, other administrators of Federal funds and programs,
guaranty agencies, educational institutions, financial institutions and
servicers, aid applicants and recipients, parents and spouses of
applicable aid applicants and recipients, and designated co-signers and
endorsers.
Information is also obtained from other Department systems, or
their successor systems, such as the Federal Loan Servicers (covered by
the system of records entitled ``Common Services for Borrowers
(CSB)''); Debt Management Collection System (covered by the system of
records entitled ``Common Services for Borrowers (CSB)''); Common
Origination and Disbursement System (covered by the system of records
entitled ``Common Origination and Disbursement (COD) System'');
Financial Management System (covered by the system of records entitled
``Financial Management System (FMS)''); FSA Partner Connect (covered by
the system of records entitled ``Federal Student Aid Partner Connect
(FSA Partner Connect)'' which resulted in the rescindment of both
Student Aid Internet Gateway, Participant Management System (covered by
the system of records entitled ``Student Aid Internet Gateway (SAIG),
Participation Management System'') and Postsecondary Education
Participants System (covered by the system of records entitled
``Postsecondary Education Participants System''); and all systems
covered by the system of records entitled ``Aid Awareness and
Application Processing.''
Information in this system also may be obtained from other persons
or entities from which data is obtained under routine uses set forth
below.
ROUTINE USES OF RECORDS MAINTAINED IN THE SYSTEM, INCLUDING CATEGORIES
OF USERS AND PURPOSES OF SUCH USES:
The Department may disclose information contained 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, if the
Department has complied with the computer matching requirements of the
Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), under a computer
matching agreement.
(1) Program Disclosures. The Department may disclose records to the
specified users for the following program purposes:
(a) To verify the identity of the applicant involved, the accuracy
of the record, or to assist with the determination of program
eligibility and benefits, as well as institutional program eligibility,
the Department may disclose records to the applicant, guaranty
agencies, educational institutions, financial institutions and
servicers, and to Federal and State agencies;
(b) To support default rate calculations and/or provide information
on aid recipients' current loan status, the Department may disclose
records to guaranty agencies, educational institutions, financial
institutions and servicers, and State agencies;
(c) To monitor program outcomes and compile information related to
financial value transparency or gainful employment, the Department may
disclose records to educational institutions;
(d) To provide financial aid history information to aid in their
administration of title IV, HEA programs, the Department may disclose
records to educational institutions, guaranty agencies, loan holders,
or servicers;
(e) To support auditors and program reviewers in planning and
carrying out their assessments of title IV, HEA program compliance, the
Department may disclose records to guaranty agencies, educational
institutions,
[[Page 21486]]
financial institutions and servicers, and to Federal, State, and local
agencies;
(f) To support governmental researchers and policy analysts, the
Department may disclose records to governmental organizations at the
Federal, State, or local level, using safeguards for system integrity
and provided that the recipient agrees to establish and maintain
safeguards to protect the security and confidentiality of the disclosed
records;
(g) To support Federal budget analysts in the development of budget
needs and forecasts, the Department may disclose records to Federal and
State agencies;
(h) To assist in locating holders of loan(s), the Department may
disclose records to guaranty agencies, educational institutions,
financial institutions and servicers, and Federal agencies;
(i) To assist analysts in assessing title IV, HEA program
participation by guaranty agencies, educational institutions, and
financial institutions and servicers, the Department may disclose
records to Federal and State agencies;
(j) To assist loan holders in locating aid recipients, the
Department may disclose records to guaranty agencies, educational
institutions, financial institutions that hold an interest in the loan
and their servicers, and to Federal agencies;
(k) To assist with meeting requirements under the CRA, the
Department may disclose records to Federal agencies;
(l) To assist program administrators with tracking refunds and
discharges of title IV, HEA loans, the Department may disclose records
to guaranty agencies, educational institutions, financial institutions
and servicers, and to Federal and State agencies;
(m) To enforce the terms of a loan, assist in the collection of a
loan, or assist in the collection of an aid overpayment, the Department
may disclose records to guaranty agencies, loan servicers, educational
institutions and financial institutions, to the DOJ and private counsel
retained by the DOJ, and to other Federal, State, local, or Tribal
agencies;
(n) To assist the Department in tracking loans funded under ECASLA,
the Department may disclose records to Federal agencies;
(o) To obtain data needed to assist the Department in evaluating
the effectiveness of an institution's education programs and to provide
the public with greater transparency about the level of economic return
of an educational institution and their programs that receive title IV,
HEA program assistance and to conduct testing that the Department has
determined is necessary to obtain such data, the Department may
disclose records to educational institutions and to Federal and State
agencies, including the Social Security Administration and the U.S.
Department of the Treasury; and
(p) To help Federal, State, Tribal, and local governmental entities
exercise their supervisory and administrative powers (including
licensure, examination, discipline, regulation, or oversight of
educational institutions, Department contractors, guaranty agencies,
eligible lenders, and third-party servicers) or to investigate, respond
to, or resolve complaints submitted regarding the practices or
processes of the Department and/or the Department's contractors, the
Department may disclose records to governmental entities at the
Federal, State, Tribal, and local levels. These records may include all
aspects of records relating to loans and grants made under title IV of
the HEA, to permit these governmental entities to verify compliance
with 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.
(q) To support the investigation of possible fraud or abuse and to
detect and prevent fraud or abuse in title IV, HEA program funds,
disclosures may be made to institutions of higher education, third-
party servicers, and Federal, State, local, or Tribal agencies.
(2) Enforcement Disclosure. In the event that information in this
system of records indicates, either on its face or in connection with
other information, a violation or potential violation of any applicable
statute, regulation, or order of a competent authority, the Department
may disclose the relevant records to the appropriate agency, whether
foreign, 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 following parties
listed in sub-paragraphs (i) through (v) is involved in judicial or
administrative litigation or ADR, or has an interest in such litigation
or ADR, the Department may disclose certain records to the parties
described in paragraphs (b), (c), and (d) of this routine use under the
conditions specified in those paragraphs:
(i) The Department or any of its components; or
(ii) Any Department employee in his or her official capacity; or
(iii) Any Department employee in his or her individual capacity
where the DOJ agrees to or has been requested to provide or arrange for
representation of the employee; or
(iv) Any Department employee in his or her individual capacity
where the Department requests representation for or has agreed to
represent the employee; or
(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
the 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
disclosure of 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
is relevant and necessary to judicial or administrative litigation or
ADR, 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) or Privacy Act Advice
Disclosure. The Department may disclose records to the DOJ or the
Office of Management and Budget (OMB) if the Department seeks advice
regarding whether records maintained in this system of 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 to the
contractor's employees, the Department may disclose the records to
those employees. As part of such a contract, the
[[Page 21487]]
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
records to a Member of Congress in response 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 maintaining civil,
criminal, or other relevant enforcement or other pertinent records, or
to another public authority or professional organization, if necessary
to obtain information relevant to a Departmental 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 or their Agents or
Contractors, Professional Organizations, or the Department's
Contractors. The Department may disclose a record to a Federal, State,
local, Tribal or other public agency or an agent or contractor of such
a public agency, a professional organization, or a Department
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 a grievance, complaint, or
disciplinary proceeding involving a present or former employee of the
Department, the Department may disclose a record from this system of
records during the course of investigation, fact-finding, mediation, or
adjudication to any party to the grievance, complaint, or action to the
party's counsel or representative, to a witness, or to a designated
fact-finder, mediator, or other person designated to resolve issues or
decide the matter.
(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. 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) Disclosure to the OMB for CRA Support. The Department may
disclose records to OMB as necessary to fulfill CRA requirements in
accordance with 2 U.S.C. 661b.
(12) Disclosure in the Course of Responding to Breach of Data. The
Department may disclose records from this system 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.
(13) 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.
(14) 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 in 15 U.S.C. 1681a(f) and 31 U.S.C. 3701(a)(3).
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR STORAGE OF RECORDS:
The records are maintained electronically.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETRIEVAL OF RECORDS:
Records are retrieved by the individual's SSN, name, date of birth,
borrower person ID, student person ID, PLUS borrower person ID, or by
the loan ID.
POLICIES AND PRACTICES FOR RETENTION AND DISPOSAL OF RECORDS:
Records are primarily retained and disposed of in accordance with
ED Records Schedule 051: FSA National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)
(DAA-0441-2017-0004) (ED 051). The Department has submitted amendments
to ED 051 for NARA's consideration and will not destroy records covered
by ED 051 until such amendments are in effect, as applicable.
ADMINISTRATIVE, TECHNICAL, AND PHYSICAL SAFEGUARDS:
Authorized users: Access to the system is limited to authorized
NSLDS program personnel and contractors responsible for administering
the NSLDS program. Authorized personnel include Department employees
and officials, financial and fiscal management personnel, computer
personnel, and program managers who have responsibilities for
implementing the NSLDS program. Read-only users: Read-only access is
given to servicers, holders, financial/fiscal management personnel, and
institutional personnel.
Physical safeguards: Magnetic tapes, disc packs, computer
equipment, and other forms of data are maintained in areas where fire
and life safety codes are strictly enforced. Security guards are
staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to perform random checks on
the physical security of the record storage areas.
Procedural safeguards: A password is required to access the
terminal, and a
[[Page 21488]]
data set name controls the release of data to only authorized users. In
addition, all sensitive data is encrypted using Oracle Transparent Data
Encryption functionality. Access to records is strictly limited to
those staff members trained in accordance with the Privacy Act and
Automatic Data Processing (ADP) security procedures. Contractors are
required to maintain confidentiality safeguards with respect to these
records. Contractors are instructed to make no further disclosure of
the records except as authorized by the System Manager and permitted by
the Privacy Act. All individuals who have access to these records
receive appropriate ADP security clearances.
Department personnel make site visits to ADP facilities for the
purpose of ensuring that ADP security procedures continue to be met.
Privacy Act and ADP system security requirements are specifically
included in contracts. The NSLDS project directors, project officers,
and the system manager oversee compliance with these requirements.
In accordance with the Federal Information Security Management Act
of 2002 (FISMA), as amended by the Federal Information Security
Modernization Act of 2014, every Department system must receive a
signed Authorization to Operate (ATO) from a designated Department
official. The ATO process includes a rigorous assessment of security
controls, a plan of 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, you must
contact the system manager with the necessary particulars such as your
name, date of birth, SSN, the name of the school or lender from which
the loan or grant was obtained, and any other identifying information
requested by the Department while processing the request, to
distinguish between individuals with the same name. Requests by an
individual for access to a record must meet the requirements of the
regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of identity.
CONTESTING RECORD PROCEDURES:
If you wish to contest the content of a record in the system of
records, you must contact the system manager with the necessary
particulars such as your name, date of birth, SSN, the name of the
school or lender from which the loan or grant was obtained, and any
other identifying information requested by the Department while
processing the request, to distinguish between individuals with the
same name. You must also identify the specific item(s) to be changed,
and provide a justification for the change, including any supporting
documentation. 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 regarding you in
this system of records, you must contact the system manager with the
necessary particulars such as your name, date of birth, SSN, the name
of the school or lender from which the loan or grant was obtained, and
any other identifying information requested by the Department while
processing the request, to distinguish between individuals with the
same name. Requests for notification about whether the system of
records contains information about an individual must meet the
requirements of the regulations at 34 CFR 5b.5, including proof of
identity.
EXEMPTIONS PROMULGATED FOR THE SYSTEM:
None.
HISTORY:
The system of records entitled ``National Student Loan Data System
(NSLDS)'' (18-11-06) was last modified and published in full in the
Federal Register on May 21, 2024 (89 FR 44652).
[FR Doc. 2026-07817 Filed 4-21-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on April 22, 2026.
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.