Department of Education September 21, 2015 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice of an altered system of records entitled ``Data Challenges and Appeals Solutions (DCAS) System,'' which will replace the ``Electronic Cohort Default Rate Appeals (eCDR Appeals)'' system of records. On October 31, 2014, the Secretary published final regulations in the Federal Register that apply to educational programs that are eligible to participate in the student financial assistance programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), because these programs ``prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation'' (GE regulations). The GE regulations establish a new program eligibility measure and disclosure requirements. As a result, Federal Student Aid (FSA) will be responsible for many more data challenges, requests for adjustments, and appeals in the coming years. The DCAS System is the enhanced successor system to the eCDR Appeals system and will be implemented in phases to include all appeals, requests for adjustments and challenges related to institutional cohort default rates (CDRs), the GE regulations, and other student-level data initiatives. After FSA fully implements all phases of the DCAS System, FSA will retire the prior information technology system that housed the eCDR Appeals data. In addition to the records described above, the DCAS System will contain records regarding borrowers who have applied for and received loans under the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program and the Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program. The Department seeks comment on the altered system of records described in this notice, in accordance with the requirements of the Privacy Act.