The Louisiana Office of Student Financial Assistance (LOSFA) has announced that some of its backup media was lost by its data storage contactor. The lost media included some personal data on residents of the state of Louisiana. The following students’ information may have been included in this data breach:
• 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 has who 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.
The Office of Student Financial Aid wants all potentially affected students to be aware of this situation. We encourage you to visit the LOSFA Web site at http://www.osfa.state.la.us/Notice.htm. This site will allow you to determine if your data was a part of the lost media.
Individuals who determine that their information was potentially exposed will be provided additional steps to protect themselves. They will also be provided access to a call center (1-800-645-7990) to assist them with questions and instructions regarding this data breach.