2018-34: Revise Social Security Number Question in CCCApply

Social Security Number (or Taxpayer ID Number)

The Social Security Number is used as a means of identifying student records and to facilitate financial aid.

•  I plan to apply for admission to college or financial aid.

The Social Security Number is required to claim tax credits for higher education costs known as the American Opportunity Tax Credit in accordance with the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.

Federal law requires the California Community Colleges to provide specific information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the purpose of filing an information return (IRS Form 1098-T “Tuition Statement”) for each student in attendance, with a few exceptions.

The information required by the IRS includes the student’s name, address, Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN/iTIN), and enrollment status, as well as the amount of tuition paid or billed, and scholarships received. (26 C.F.R. 1-60505-1(b)(2)(ii).)

Failure to provide a correct Social Security Number or TIN while claiming tax credits for specified education expenses may result in a penalty levied against the student by the IRS in the amount of $100, per year, until the missing or incorrect information is provided
(26 C.F.R.  1-60505-1(e)(4)).

In addition, California Education Code sections 68041 and 70901(b)(7) authorizes the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) to collect information you submit through the OpenCCC Online Student Account and CCCApply Online Application for Admission for the purposes of completing and submitting California College admission applications and financial aid on your behalf. 

Further, information acquired by the CCCCO is subject to the limitations set forth in the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Title 1.8 (commencing with Section 1798) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code). Compliance with these laws is identified in the Privacy Policy.

A Few Exceptions: Exceptions include students exclusively enrolled in noncredit courses, undocumented international students and nonresident aliens, unless the nonresident alien student requests that a return be provided to the IRS. (26 C.F.R. 1.60505-1(a)(2), (b)(5)(ii).)

Taxpayer Identification Number: 

Privacy Policy: Hyperlink to the existing Privacy Policy. Opens in a new page

Other Exceptions

Please indicate the type of number:

• Social Security Number
• Taxpayer Identification Number

SSN / Confirm SSN

By providing my Social Security Number (or Taxpayer Identification Number) below, or indicating that I do not have a Social Security Number or decline to provide one at this time, I confirm that I have read and understand the federal regulations provided above, and the state regulations provided in the privacy policy.

Your Social Security Number must be accurate to ensure the integrity of your permanent record and to avoid potential penalties imposed by the IRS for providing an incorrect number.

Social Security Number (or Taxpayer Identification Number)

Repeat Social Security Number (or Taxpayer Identification Number)

(This statement ensured we are complying with regulations by having students “confirm” they have read and understand exactly what data is being collected and why, and the consequences for not complying with federal regulations. By wording the confirmation statement in this way, we were also removing the need for another download field.)

• Check this box if you do not have a Social Security Number (or Taxpayer ID Number), or decline to provide one at this time.

• Undocumented international students, nonresident aliens, and other exceptions, may not have a SSN, or TIN, and should check this box.

Revise the overall layout, look & feel, question text, hyperlink pop-up boxes, etc., of the Social Security Number question to:

1. Remove the "I plan to apply for financial aid" checkbox from this question/layout.

2. Remove the SSN Type fields <ssn_type> from the user interface, but keep the existing logic around the number type and populate the field (for download and reporting). (Example, If the logic identifies that the number entered is a Social Security number vs. the Taxpayer ID number, populate the SSN Type field value accordingly).

3. Keep both SSN / Confirm SSN input fields. Add field logic to the SSN input field to determine if the number entered is a SSN or TIN.

   (NOTE: maintain existing field validation for SSN/TIN that currently exists today, including A) must have 9 numbers; B) if number starts with a 9, then it is a TIN; etc.

4. Keep the "No SSN" checkbox question/field and keep the existing language (Note - this is being reviewed by the Redesign Workgroup. The language in this question may change slightly.)

5. Keep the "SSN Exception" checkbox, which is conditional based on the user selecting the "No SSN" box. Keep the existing language (Note - this is being reviewed by the Redesign Workgroup. The language in this question may change slightly.)

6. Revise ALL onscreen text as specified:

   1. The question prompt text should read:

   2. Add a new hyperlink adjacent to the SSN/Confirm SSN fields that says, "Why am I being asked for my Social Security Number?"

      The hyperlink pops up text box with all the legacy legal information displayed (see next requirement in this table).

7. See mock-up screenshot for layout

8. Implement or maintain the following pop-up Help text boxes with new or modified text:

   1. New:  "Why am I being asked for my Social Security Number? (Display displaced legal information when user clicks this link. See row below for details.)

   2. Existing:  Privacy Policy - keep linking this out to the OpenCCC Privacy Policy

   3. Existing:  Exceptions: (keep existing hyperlink(s) and text boxes/language)

   4. Existing:  Few exceptions (keep existing hyperlink(s) and text boxes/language)

   5. Existing:  Taxpayer Identification Number (keep existing hyperlink(s) and text boxes/language)

1. (Spike: Confirm this field is not used in any logic or other purposes. It could be moved to the Needs & Interests page. For the initial revision, don't remove the data field from the Download Client (DLC), but it will no longer collect data.

Add pop-up help box under a new hyperlink: "Why am I being asked for my Social Security Number?"

"Why am I being asked for my Social Security Number?" Pop-Up Help Box Hyperlink

The Social Security Number is required to claim tax credits for higher education costs known as the American Opportunity Tax Credit in accordance with the Taxpayer Relief Act of 1997.

Federal law requires the California Community Colleges to provide specific information to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for the purpose of filing an information return (IRS Form 1098-T “Tuition Statement”) for each student in attendance, with a few exceptions.

The information required by the IRS includes the student’s name, address, Social Security Number (SSN) or Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN/iTIN), and enrollment status, as well as the amount of tuition paid or billed, and scholarships received. (26 C.F.R. 1-60505-1(b)(2)(ii).)

Failure to provide a correct Social Security Number or TIN while claiming tax credits for specified education expenses may result in a penalty levied against the student by the IRS in the amount of $100, per year, until the missing or incorrect information is provided
(26 C.F.R.  1-60505-1(e)(4)).

In addition, California Education Code sections 68041 and 70901(b)(7) authorizes the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office (CCCCO) to collect information you submit through the OpenCCC Online Student Account and CCCApply Online Application for Admission for the purposes of completing and submitting California College admission applications and financial aid on your behalf. 

Further, information acquired by the CCCCO is subject to the limitations set forth in the Information Practices Act of 1977 (Title 1.8 (commencing with Section 1798) of Part 4 of Division 3 of the Civil Code). Compliance with these laws is identified in the Privacy Policy.

(See CSU disclosure in the screenshot below:

"pursuant to Section 41201, Title 5, Code of Regulations, and Section 6109 of the Internal Revenue Service...

Keep the pop-up Help textbox and hyperlink for "Exceptions" in the "SSN Exceptions" checkbox

Exceptions

Exceptions include students exclusively enrolled in noncredit courses, undocumented international students and nonresident aliens, unless the nonresident alien student requests that a return be provided to the IRS. (26 C.F.R. 1.60505-1(a)(2), (b)(5)(ii).)

Keep the pop-up Help text box and hyperlink for "Taxpayer Identification Number" - keep all existing 

Keep existing

Keep the existing link out to the Privacy Policy (OpenCCC)

Keep existing but check that it's pointing to the correct doc.

Update Account Matching logic to reduce duplicates for Account & proxy Account

Account Matching 

OPTION A

Currently our duplication rate is .003 and we need to protect that number

What can be done to remove reliance on SSN?

Account Creation, Matching & Verification Specification v5.4.0

/wiki/spaces/OPENAPPLY/pages/72155246

Account Matching

Redesign SSN Question

Keep in OpenCCC Account for now

Remove the SSN Encouragement pop-up 

Consider: Why am I being asked for my SSN?

See Patty's version of revision to the language in our existing Account app here:  /wiki/spaces/PD/pages/729514134

SSN Original Specs: