Spokespeople for several U.S. federal agencies comment on the agencies' use of electronic signatures. The U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) is offering an e-signature proxy that eliminates the requirement to apply for an e-signature and personal identification number setup. Instead, citizens can call or visit their local SSA offices in order to have their verified e-signatures applied. The Department of Education also has an electronic signature procedure, and Ari Schwartz, associate director of the Center for Democracy and Technology, points to many current approaches. The same is true in states and in the private sector, where there are few standards for digital signature technology. Over 3 million electronically signed loan documents have been handled by the Office of Federal Student Aid. Department officials issue electronic identity credentials (which are taken from information submitted by college students in their applications for financial aid) called federal student aid PINs. The PIN is issued from a secure Web site after students enter personal information for identification. The IRS uses a combination of a PIN and knowledge-based approach to e-signatures for taxpayers filing returns electronically. A self-select PIN method permits taxpayers to create their own e-signatures using any combination of five numbers (with the exception of all zeros). Date of birth and adjusted gross income from the previous year tax returns are entered for verification.