Use of Social Security Number

The University of Hawai‘i (“University”) is committed to safeguarding the privacy of personal and confidential information of its students, employees, alumni, and other individuals associated with the University. In the normal practice of conducting official University business, the University collects and maintains confidential information relating to its students, including a student’s Social Security Number (SSN). The University requests that a student provide a SSN at the time of application to the University. The SSN is not required for enrollment, however, the University is required by federal law to report to the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) the SSN and other information for tuition-paying students. Federal law also requires the University to obtain and report to the IRS the SSN for any person to whom compensation is paid. Due to the practical administrative difficulties which the University would encounter in maintaining adequate student records and processing financial transactions without the SSN, the University will continue to collect SSNs as permitted by law for official use within the University system. Providing the University with your SSN ensures that University programs and services are available with the least delay.

Students will be assigned a University generated student identification number upon enrollment, which will be used as the primary identifier. The SSN will not be used as the primary identifier of students associated with the University. The SSN will be used in activities, including but not limited to, matching and reconciling documents in order to determine eligibility for admission and financial aid, to determine residency for tuition purposes, to comply with federal and /or state law reporting requirements (e.g. for financial aid, Internal Revenue Service mandates, Taxpayer’s Relief Act of 1997, and USCIS), and in accordance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act. The SSN will not be disclosed to any persons outside the University system, except as allowed by law or with permission from the individual. This policy does not preclude, if a primary means of identification is unavailable, the University from using the SSN as needed to conduct official University business.