FAFSA Website
| Submitted | April 8, 2012 |
| Est. Completion | None |
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Communications
From: Zachary Stewart
To Whom It May Concern:
This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:
Records pertaining to the development and maintenance of the FAFSA website (http://fafsa.ed.gov) and online application service including costs, technology vendors and relationships with any providers of either hardware or software involved.
Please also include the last 10 periods of "normal maintenance" as described on this page: https://fafsa.ed.gov/FAFSA/app/fafsa?execution=e2s1
I also request that, if appropriate, fees be waived as I believe this request is in the public interest. The requested documents will be made available to the general public free of charge as part of the public information service at MuckRock.com, processed by a representative of the news media/press and is made in the process of news gathering and not for commercial usage.
In the event that fees cannot be waived, I would be grateful if you would inform me of the total charges in advance of fulfilling my request. I would prefer the request filled electronically, by e-mail attachment if available or CD-ROM if not.
Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.
Sincerely,
Zachary Stewart
From: ED FOIA Manager <EDFOIAManager@ed.gov>
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
FOIA REQUEST ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
FOIA Tracking Number: 12-01139--F
Name of Requester: Zachary Stewart
E-mail Address: requests@muckrock.com
Date of Request: 04/08/2012/2012
Date Request Received: 04/10/2012
Your request (below) has been forwarded to the appropriate office within the Department to search for responsive documents. If you have any questions regarding the status of your request, please contact the FOIA Requester Service Center at (202) 401-8365 or by e-mail at EDFOIAManager@ed.gov (please include the case tracking number).
Thank you.
From: ED FOIA Manager <EDFOIAManager@ed.gov>
ED FOIA Manager would like to recall the message, "Freedom of Information Request: FAFSA Website".
From: ED FOIA Manager <EDFOIAManager@ed.gov>
Mr. Stewart,
Please disregard the FOIA Acknowledgement letter that was sent to your at 2:51 pm today. Because you requested a fee waiver you will be sent a different letter.
From: ED FOIA Manager
From: "Darby, Linda" <Linda.Darby@ed.gov>
Mr. Stewart,
I apologize for sending you an incorrect letter. Included in this e-mail is the correct letter.
From: "Darby, Linda" <Linda.Darby@ed.gov>
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From: Department of Education
From: Zachary Stewart
I appeal categorizing this request as "Commercial". As stated in the
original request, this request is made in the process of news
gathering and is not for commercial usage. As such, the request should
be processed with the news gathering fee schedule.
In addition to making documents available to the public free of
charge, MuckRock has published original reporting and analysis on
issues including technology, government spending and more, which has
been widely disseminated both at its own website and by coverage at
other newspapers, television stations, magazines and websites.
Please reclassify this request properly in the News Media category.
Thanks.
From: "Darby, Linda" <Linda.Darby@ed.gov>
I have forwarded your appeal to the Appeals Officer.
Thank you,
Linda Darby
FOIA Public Liaison
FOIA Service Center, OM/PIRMS
U.S. Department of Education
400 Maryland Ave. SW, Room 2E309
Washington, DC 20202
(202) 401-8365
From: "Goldsmith, Elizabeth" <Elizabeth.Goldsmith@ed.gov>
Mr. Stewart,
Good afternoon. I'm writing in regards to a FOIA request you filed with the U.S. Department of Education (ED) on April 10, 2012. Your request was subsequently assigned to the Office of Federal Student Aid (FSA) for research and response on April 11.
Specifically, I'm writing in order to gain some clarification of the documents you seek, as your request is very broad. In case you were unaware, FSA has annual requirements for changes to the FAFSA application. However, the request appears to be specific to the vendor's solution and how the vendor provides and manages the service. That information would need to be obtained from the vendor, Vangent, a General Dynamics Information Technology Company. Also, FSA does not manage vendors' relationships with its technology and hardware/software partners. If you could please provide us with a clarification of your request, it would help us be able to provide you with the documents you are looking for.
I am available until 3:30pm EDT today, but will be attending training next week and will have limited access to email and phone messages.
Best,
Elizabeth Goldsmith
Freedom of Information Act/Privacy Act/Law Enforcement Request Coordinator
Communications & Outreach
Federal Student Aid
U.S. Department of Education
www.FederalStudentAid.ed.gov<http://www.federalstudentaid.ed.gov/>
Start Here...Go Further.
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE: This e-mail message, including any attachments, is for the sole use of the intended recipient(s) and may contain confidential and/or privileged information. Any unauthorized review, use, disclosure or distribution is prohibited by anyone other than the intended recipient(s). If you are not the intended recipient, please contact the sender by reply e-mail and destroy the original e-mail message and all copies of the original message.
From: "Goldsmith, Elizabeth" <Elizabeth.Goldsmith@ed.gov>
Mr. Stewart,
I emailed you 10 business days ago regarding your FOIA request and have yet to receive a reply. If I do not hear from you by close of business on Wednesday, May 9, 2012, I will begin to administratively close your request.
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