2008 Woodie Awards
FAFSA Aids FBI's 'War on Terror'
Tanisha Mathis
Issue date: 9/11/06 Section: Holt News
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The Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) has long been considered a complicated and invasive process. Students and parents may not have known just how invasive the process may have been over the past five years.
According to a article published less than two weeks ago the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General created "Project Strike Back". The program was designed to aid in the war on terror. For the last five years the databases that contained millions of students' financial aid and enrollment records have been scanned in hopes of finding terrorist names provided by the FBI.
"This program was one of many around the country used by the FBI to identify people of potential interest," said FBI spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan.
FAFSA's online privacy statement notifies students and parents that information may be shared with other agencies, to include law enforcement, but most people are unaware of this policy and are concerned only with the financial help they need with the cost of college.
The Department of Education stores personal information of the families of over 14 million students who apply for financial aid annually. The department worked hand in hand with the FBI to find irregularities in the data provided. The two departments shared personal information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers.
"The first thing that comes to mind with a system like this is the word 'scary,"' said Rebecca Thompson, legislative director of the United States Student Association. "All we know is that we are filling out this form to get financial aid," she said. "It's scary that in the name of the war on terror our personal information can be used for things that have nothing to do with higher education."
The AP reports the department's Office of Inspector General has already expanded its records system to include more electronic information, such as photos, scanned documents and audio and video from its investigations.
According to a article published less than two weeks ago the Department of Education's Office of Inspector General created "Project Strike Back". The program was designed to aid in the war on terror. For the last five years the databases that contained millions of students' financial aid and enrollment records have been scanned in hopes of finding terrorist names provided by the FBI.
"This program was one of many around the country used by the FBI to identify people of potential interest," said FBI spokeswoman Cathy Milhoan.
FAFSA's online privacy statement notifies students and parents that information may be shared with other agencies, to include law enforcement, but most people are unaware of this policy and are concerned only with the financial help they need with the cost of college.
The Department of Education stores personal information of the families of over 14 million students who apply for financial aid annually. The department worked hand in hand with the FBI to find irregularities in the data provided. The two departments shared personal information such as names, addresses, dates of birth, Social Security numbers and driver's license numbers.
"The first thing that comes to mind with a system like this is the word 'scary,"' said Rebecca Thompson, legislative director of the United States Student Association. "All we know is that we are filling out this form to get financial aid," she said. "It's scary that in the name of the war on terror our personal information can be used for things that have nothing to do with higher education."
The AP reports the department's Office of Inspector General has already expanded its records system to include more electronic information, such as photos, scanned documents and audio and video from its investigations.
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