Contractor Loses Decade Worth of Louisiana Student Financial Aid Data
Quick Facts
- Date: 10/17/2007
- Institution: Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance
- Type of Incident: Loss
- Number Affected: Unknown
- Source: Pogo Was Right
- Abstract Source: Times-Picayune
Abstract
Louisiana colleges students have been placed at risk after backup tapes belonging to the Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) were lost by a contractor. The contractor, Iron Mountain Inc., lost the tapes in mid-September while transporting these tapes from Port Allen to Baton Rouge. According to LOSFA officials, the delay in notification was to ensure that the tapes had not simply been misplaced. The tapes contained data on students going back to 1998 and affected the following students:
- Anyone who has a Louisiana College Savings account (START Saving Program).
- Any resident of the state of Louisiana who has completed a Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
- Anyone who has completed a FAFSA and included a Louisiana postsecondary institution as an institution to which FAFSA data should be sent.
- Anyone who has applied for or received a Tuition Opportunity Program for Students (TOPS) Scholarship.
- Anyone who has applied for or who has received student financial aid in the State of Louisiana.
According to LOSFA officials, the office is still able to operate normally and students will get their financial aid without interruption. LOSFA has setup a web site - https://osfantweb.osfa.state.la.us/Notice.nsf/ - to help answer questions for students that are affected by the loss.
