[Federal Register Volume 66, Number 220 (Wednesday, November 14, 2001)]
[Notices]
[Pages 57045-57046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 01-28425]


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CORPORATION FOR NATIONAL AND COMMUNITY SERVICE


Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request

AGENCY: Corporation for National and Community Service.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: The Corporation for National and Community Service 
(hereinafter ``Corporation''), as part of its continuing effort to 
reduce paperwork and respondent burden, conducts a preclearance 
consultation program to provide the general public and Federal agencies 
with an opportunity to comment on proposed and/or continuing 
collections of information in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995 (PRA95)(44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). This program helps to 
ensure that requested data can be provided in the desired format, 
reporting burden (time and financial resources) is minimized, 
collection instruments are clearly understood, and the impact of 
collection requirement on respondents can be properly assessed.
    Currently, the Corporation is soliciting comments concerning the 
proposed revision of its Forbearance Request Form (OMB #3045-0030) and 
Interest Accrual Form (OMB #3045-0053).
    Copies of the forms can be obtained by contacting the office listed 
below in the address section of this notice.

DATES: Written comments must be submitted to the office listed in the 
ADDRESSES section by January 14, 2002.
    The Corporation is particularly interested in comments which:
     Evaluate whether the proposed collection of information is 
necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the 
Corporation, including whether the information will have practical 
utility;
     Evaluate the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the 
burden of the proposed collection of information, including the 
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
     Enhance the quality, utility and clarity of the 
information to be collected; and
     Minimize the burden of the collection of information on 
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate 
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection 
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting 
electronic submissions of responses.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Corporation for National and Community 
Service, National Service Trust, Mr. Bruce Kellogg, 1201 New York Ave., 
NW., Washington, DC, 20525.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Bruce Kellogg, (202) 606-5000, ext. 
526.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Background

    After completing a period of national service in an AmeriCorps 
project, an AmeriCorps member receives an ``education award'' that can 
be used to make a payment towards a student loan or pay for post-
secondary educational expenses. This award is an amount of money set 
aside in the member's ``account'' in the National Service Trust Fund. 
Members have seven years in which to draw against any unused balance.
    By law, during the period of time the AmeriCorps members are 
participating in national service, they are eligible for a postponement 
(a forbearance) on the repayment of any qualified student loan they 
have. The purpose of the postponement is to temporarily suspend their 
obligation to make loan payments while they are earning a minimal 
living allowance in their national service position. Interest continues 
to accrue during this period, but payments are not required.
    Also, the Corporation's enabling legislation requires that it pay, 
on behalf of AmeriCorps members, all or a portion of the interest that 
accrues during their service period, if their loans were in forbearance 
during their service and if they successfully complete their terms of 
service. For an AmeriCorps member who serves in a full-time term (which 
includes serving a minimum of 1700 hours) for a year or less, the 
Corporation will pay all of the interest that accrued. For a person who 
serves in anything less than a full-time term, the percentage of 
accrued interest the Corporation pays is determined by a formula 
included in the Trust's regulations. The legislative intent for paying 
the interest is to keep the AmeriCorps members' qualified student loan 
debts from increasing during their service period.

Current Action

    Two forms with two separate sets of circumstances are being 
addressed by this Federal Register notice. Each form will be 
individually discussed below.

A. Forbearance Request for National Service Form--Renewal (OMB #3045-
0030)

    Currently, AmeriCorps members use an OMB-approved form entitled 
Forbearance Request for National Service to obtain certification that 
they are in an approved national service position. The form also serves 
as the borrower's official request to the loan companies for 
forbearance. Since forbearance is granted by the loan holder and not 
the Corporation, the form requests of the loan holder that a 
forbearance be approved for the national service. The Corporation's 
role is to verify that the borrower is an AmeriCorps member and is 
eligible for this mandatory forbearance on qualified student loans. An 
AmeriCorps member completes one part of the form and sends it to the 
office of the National Service Trust. The Trust provides

[[Page 57046]]

written verification that the borrower is in an approved national 
service position, then forwards the form to the loan holder at the 
address provided by the AmeriCorps member. The loan holder will act 
upon the request.
    This form has been adopted by many of the larger loan holders 
(e.g., Sallie Mae) and is given to their borrowers with the loan 
holders' own logos at the top of the form. Indeed, the form was 
originally developed with the assistance of Sallie Mae and 
representatives of several student loan associations. Having a separate 
form for forbearance based on AmeriCorps service clearly distinguishes 
it from forbearance requests based on one of the other conditions for 
which a borrower may be eligible (e.g., military service, employment in 
certain low income areas, student status).
    Several other loan holders have chosen to modify their own existing 
forbearance request forms by including an additional option--
``AmeriCorps service'' or ``national service'' --to the choices already 
available. The Corporation verifies national service participation 
using all types of forms presented to it, on a loan holder's unique 
form as well as the OMB approved form.
    The form needs some minor revisions to clarify certain sections and 
to facilitate processing of the information. First, to delete an extra 
box for the SSN; then, to reduce the amount of text in bold type, add a 
statement of purpose to the member's section, identify the service 
dates as mandatory, limit the form to a single loan holder each, and 
add the National Service Trust's toll-free number.
    The Corporation seeks to continue using this particular form, 
albeit in a revised version. This is a voluntary form. It is one way to 
provide verification to a loan holder that one of its borrowers is 
eligible for the mandatory forbearance, at the same time allowing the 
borrower to request the forbearance from the loan company. The 
Corporation will continue its policy of verifying AmeriCorps 
participation on any form the loan holder wishes to use. The current 
form is due to expire March 31, 2002.
    Type of Review: Renewal.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Forbearance Request for National Service.
    OMB Number: 3045-0030.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: AmeriCorps participants and the holders of their 
qualified student loans.
    Total Respondents: 6,500 annually.
    Frequency: Average of once per year per loan.
    Average Time Per Response: One minute for the AmeriCorps member to 
complete the form.
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 108 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.

B. Interest Accrual--Renewal (OMB #3045-0053)

    The Corporation pays all or a portion of the interest that accrues 
during a period of national service for those who successfully complete 
their service and have had their loans in forbearance during the 
service. Using the current form, AmeriCorps members complete the top 
section and indicate their dates of service. Then they mail the form to 
the loan holder who indicates the total amount of interest that accrued 
during the service period, or indicates a daily accrual rate. The loan 
holder also adds the address where the payment should be sent and 
returns the form to the National Service Trust. When the Corporation 
receives this information, it is reviewed for accuracy and is either 
paid or returned to the loan holder or lender for additional 
information.
    The revisions address the most common causes for delays in 
processing interest payments. The changes modify the title for 
consistency, reduce the number of days prior to completion of service 
for submitting the form, delete an extra box for the SSN, more clearly 
identify the member's address information, identify the service dates 
as essential, request loan type information and if more than one loan 
is cited loan numbers, more clearly identify the space for grace period 
information, request the lender's address be complete and legible, add 
to the lender's certification a statement that the loans cited are in 
forbearance, and add a space for the lender's fax number. The current 
form is due to expire March 31, 2002.
    Type of Review: Renewal.
    Agency: Corporation for National and Community Service.
    Title: Interest Accrual Form.
    OMB Number: 30045-0053.
    Agency Number: None.
    Affected Public: AmeriCorps members and the holders of their 
qualified student loans.
    Total Respondents: 6,500 annually.
    Frequency: Average of once per year per loan.
    Average Time Per Response: Three (3) minutes, total (one minute for 
the AmeriCorps member to complete the form, and two (2) minutes for the 
loan holder).
    Estimated Total Burden Hours: 325 hours.
    Total Burden Cost (capital/startup): None.
    Total Burden Cost (operating/maintenance): None.
    Comments submitted in response to this notice will be summarized 
and/or included in the request for Office of Management and Budget 
approval of the information collection request; they will also become a 
matter of public record.

    Dated: November 6, 2001.
Charlene R. Dunn,
Director, National Service Trust.
[FR Doc. 01-28425 Filed 11-13-01; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6050-$$-P