Data Sharing Policy

 

Policy Number:

STSV_0009

Policy Statement:

In compliance with the U.S. Department of Education’s Privacy and Technical Assistance Center (PTAC) current guidance, Garden City Community College does not release FAFSA-related data nor financial aid history to external entities or to internal entities not having a legitimate educational interest, even with a student’s written authorization.

Legislative language in the spending bill (passed on March 23, 2018) overrides this guidance, specifying that the institution may, with explicit written consent from the student, share FAFSA information with scholarship-granting organizations or tribal organizations only.

Procedures:

Under section 483(a)(3)(E) of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (HEA), as amended, FAFSA data, which includes information related to family contributions (EFCs) and awards, “shall be used only for the application, award, and administration of aid awarded under federal student aid programs, state aid, or aid awarded by eligible institutions or such entities as the Department may designate.”

GCCC designates those having a legitimate educational interest as individual employees classified as Administrative Staff, Professional Staff, and Coaching Staff.

Identifying a person as a “school official” does not automatically grant him or her unlimited access to education records. The existence of a legitimate educational interest may need to be determined on a case-by-case basis. Factors may include:

• The information requested is necessary for that official to perform appropriate tasks that are specified in his or her position description or by a contract agreement.
• The information is to be used within the context of official agency or school business and not for purposes extraneous to the official’s areas of responsibility or to the agency or school.
• The information is relevant to the accomplishment of some task or to a determination about the student.
• The information is to be used consistently with the purposes for which the data are maintained.

GCCC (any offices with access to FAFSA data) will adhere to PTAC’s guidance in regard to personally-identifiable data releases of FAFSA information. Purposes other than those authorized in the law are not to be permitted, even with the student’s authorization.

GCCC Students have access to their FAFSA data and the student may provide the data directly to the requesting party.

GCCC Financial Aid Office and Business Office can share FAFSA data with parents if a release is signed/approved.

Policy History:

June 26, 2026: Revised to include policy number

March 3, 2025: Revised for Format Accessibility

July 3, 2019, Approved