[Federal Register Volume 63, Number 77 (Wednesday, April 22, 1998)]
[Notices]
[Pages 19927-19928]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 98-10657]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Comment Request

    In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of 
Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services 
Administration (HRSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed 
projects being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork 
Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed 
project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and draft 
instruments, call the HRSA Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1891.
    Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of 
information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of 
the agency, including whether the information shall have practical 
utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the 
proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality, 
utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways 
to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents, 
including through the use of automated collection techniques or other 
forms of information technology.
    Proposed Project: The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) 
Program: Refinancing Loan Application/Promissory Note--NEW. The HEAL 
program provides federally-insured loans to students in schools of 
allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary 
medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public health, 
chiropractic, or allied health, and graduate students in health 
administration or clinical psychology. Eligible lenders, such as banks, 
State agencies, and HEAL schools make HEAL loans which are insured by 
the Federal Government against loss due to the borrower's death, 
disability, bankruptcy, and default. The basic purpose of the program 
is to assure the availability of funds for loans to eligible students 
who need to borrow money to pay for their educational costs.
    In July 1993 the HEAL refinancing program was implemented. This 
allowed HEAL borrowers who had graduated to refinance all of their HEAL 
loans into one new HEAL loan, often times at better rates and 
provisions than their original loans.
    A new combined HEAL refinancing loan application/promissory note is 
being developed for lenders. Previously, the standard HEAL student 
application form (HRSA-700) and promissory note (HRSA 500-3) were used 
by lenders to process the loan refinancing. The application contained 
items that were not needed for refinancing loans. Some lenders combined 
the two forms into one application/promissory note using all 
appropriate items from each form. Because of the successful use of the 
combined form developed by the lenders, and the Department's desire to 
make the refinancing process easier for all parties concerned, the 
Department has developed an official combined form. In addition, 
certain items that were previously required of the borrower (e.g., 
citizenship, date of birth, delinquent and default responses, etc.) 
were deleted since they are presently available to the lenders and the 
Department from other sources.
    The estimate of burden for the new refinancing loan application/
promissory note form per year is as follows:

[[Page 19928]]



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                                                                                    Burden per                  
       Type of respondent             No. of       Responses per   Total number      response      Total burden 
                                    respondents     respondent     of responses      (minutes)         hours    
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Applicants......................           2,800               1           2,800              12             560
Lenders.........................               9             311           2,800              30           1,400
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    Total.......................           2,809  ..............           5,600  ..............           1,960
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    Send comments to Lyman Van Nostrand, HRSA Reports Clearance 
Officer, Room 14-33, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, 
MD 20857. Written comments should be received within 60 days of this 
notice.

    Dated: April 16, 1998.
Jane Harrison,
Acting Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.
[FR Doc. 98-10657 Filed 4-21-98; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4160-15-U