Social Security Number Policy

Voluntary Disclosure of Social Security Number

Pursuant to Section 7, Public Law 93-579, commonly known as the Federal Privacy Act, effective September 27, 1975, a student's disclosure of his or her social security number (SSN) for the purpose of admission and registration at Lake Washington Institute of Technology is voluntary. However, to comply with other federal laws, we are required to ask for your Social Security Number (SSN) or Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN). We will use your SSN/ITIN to report payments made by you that may qualify for a tax credit or a tax deduction on your income tax return.  We may also use this information to administer state/federal financial aid, to verify enrollment, degree and academic transcript records, and to conduct institutional research.  If you do not submit your SSN/ITIN, you will not be denied access to the college; however, you may be subject to an IRS penalty of $50.  Pursuant to state and federal law, the college will protect your SSN from unauthorized use and/or disclosure.

A student's social security number is used as an identifier in our records system and is not released to any agency, federal, state or private, without the written consent of the student, except as provided by law with the exception that it may be posted on checks or charge slips as part of routine tuition and fee payment processing.

With the advent of Washington state law SB5509 in 2002, the college discontinued any use of the social security number - even voluntary - as a student identification number (SID). The SSN is no longer used in any event as an identification number.

While the SSN is never required for admission or registration, as stated above the SSN may be required for specific services as stipulated under state law SB5509. Those services include but are not limited to:

• Financial aid
• Official transcripts
• Hope Scholarship and Lifelong Learning Credit tax verification

Other Instances

In none of the above cases is the SSN used as an SID number, nor is it used in the admissions or registration process. When collected, the SSN is used only for purposes authorized by law, it is kept confidential, and it is never used as a student identification number.

To provide, or decline, your SSN, complete the Social Security Number form and return it to Enrollment Services, 11605 132nd Ave. NE, Kirkland, WA 98034, or fax it to the college at (425) 739-8110. If you have questions, call Enrollment Services at (425) 739-8104.