Students traveling from the University Park Airport may soon face more security measures in the coming months as the federal government concludes one of three testing periods for a new safety system.

The new system will compute a passenger's security rating by examining his or her flying behavior, cash purchases, one-way ticket purchases and destinations, said Mark Hatfield, the Northeast regional spokesman for the Transportation Security Administration (TSA).

Computer Assisted Passenger Pre-screening System II (CAPPS II) -- administered by the federal government -- replaces CAPPS I, which was run by the airline industry.

The security rating does not take into account a passenger's race, ethnicity or last name, Hatfield said.

"CAPPS II ensures that the needs for American security, privacy and freedom are met," he said.

The deadline and timetable for beginning the program at the University Park Airport has not yet been determined, said Bob Dannaker, airport operations manager.

But Hatfield said the TSA hopes to have the CAPPS II system in place across the country by the end of next summer.

The identification and security processes involved with CAPPS II start when a passenger buys an airline ticket.

The passenger will be required to give his or her name, phone number, address and date of birth.

This information is then sent to an external database to confirm the person's identity, Hatfield said.

A score is given from that information and a color code will be assigned to the passenger.

Green will designate normal status.

Yellow indicates the passenger will be searched further.

Red designates a restriction from flying.

The system does not retain passengers' scores from previous flights, and the travelers receive a new score each time they fly, Hatfield said.

"CAPPS II will be an identity system that determines if people are who they say they are," he said.

The new system worries some students, who fear civil liberties may be restricted.

"Government has no right, as such, to put this in place because it's an infringement on rights," said Elizabeth Hollenbeck (sophomore-biology).

But other students said they feel more comfortable with the idea of a new security system.

"A lot of people will get upset at this. But I don't see anything wrong. I think it's good and will help make people more observant," said Andrew Bond (junior-information sciences and technology).

Some recognize the need for security at airports, as long as the government does not exceed its constitutional limits.

"I'd like to see that we have a strong national defense, but also keep government small. I want to see checks and balances put in place, and perhaps a sunset clause," said Toby Eberhart (senior-telecommunications).

Because the country is at war, the likelihood that some liberties may be suspended is heightened, said David Saxe, associate professor of education and faculty administrator of Young Americans for Freedom.

"We need to be vigilant that our rights are protected. We should pay attention and watch government officials closely," Saxe said.

Despite the limitation on rights that might occur, Hatfield said, the potential risk of letting terrorists, felons and other lawbreakers fly is too high.

"We can't afford not to know who's on planes," he said.