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eZINE
October 1999 Feature Article |
Access
America Targets Electronic IDs for Nov '99
Each time you put your
card into an ATM machine and enter your PIN (your personal ID
number) you are saying, "This is me, Let's do business!" This
simple act has now become standard banking practice for millions
of people in the United States and around the world. Access America
for Students (AAFS) has taken this very idea and applied it to
the delivery of student financial aid. But they aren't stopping
there. Electronic ID is the next step in the rapidly expanding
world of business technology.
"ATMs have become part
of everyday life because they are convenient and secure for the
user, and a cost-saver for the bank," said Andy Boots, AAFS team
member, "now we want to take what we've learned and apply it to
student financial aid."
AAFS plans to widen
the use of electronic IDs for postsecondary students applying
for financial aid using FAFSA
(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) on the Web. All of
this will be done without having to set foot in the student financial
aid office or wait in line. These electronic IDs will allow students
to access more federal government services and complete the transactions
entirely online, while ensuring privacy and security for both
the user and the government.
Currently,
students can fill out the FAFSA
(Free Application for Federal Student Aid) form online, but they
have to download the signature page, print it out, sign it and
mail it. With electronic IDs, the process becomes completely paperless.
Already possible for many filing their second and subsequent FAFSAs,
using an electronic ID will become possible for many more applicants
in the future. In November 1999, the Department of Education will
partner with the State of New York to begin offering this capability
to high school students and their parents.
"That
will be a real breakthrough," said Keith Jepsen, Director of Financial
Aid at New York University. "I think this use of electronic IDs
will encourage use of the online FAFSA
and save taxpayer money since it will cut down on paperwork and
missing forms." In addition to the FAFSA,
electronic ID could potentially allow students to sign promissory
notes for loans, file taxes with the IRS and change their address
with the Postal Service entirely online and without paper or the
mail.
"Schools are no longer
brick and ivy," Boots said. "With virtual universities and distance
learning courses becoming more popular, electronic IDs can also
help schools authenticate student's identities for exams, allow
students to register for courses and access their grades, and
validate the origin of confidential information. The applications
are endless."