[Federal Register Volume 74, Number 171 (Friday, September 4, 2009)]
[Notices]
[Pages 45836-45837]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E9-21483]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Request

AGENCY: Department of Education.

SUMMARY: The Secretary of Education requests comments on the Free 
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) that the Secretary proposes 
to use for the 2010-2011 award year. The FAFSA is completed by students 
and their families, and the information submitted on the form is used 
to determine the students' eligibility and need for financial aid under 
the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of 
the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (Title IV, HEA Programs).
    The Department is committed to improving the federal student aid 
application process for individuals completing the Free Application for 
Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Because 99 percent of student applicants 
opt to apply electronically, much of the Department's recent 
improvements have focused on FAFSA on the Web which maximizes the use 
of `skip logic' and previously submitted FAFSA data, to dramatically 
reduce applicant's burden. For the 2010-2011 cycle FAFSA on the Web and 
the Pre-filled FAFSA will be further improved by the implementation of 
significant enhancements facilitated by a Web technology upgrade. The 
upgraded application will include new features, functionality and a 
level of user interaction that was not previously

[[Page 45837]]

available. The Web site display and navigation will be much more 
dynamic and personalized.
    For the one percent of FAFSA applicants who complete the paper 
FAFSA, the Department has simplified the application process by 
grouping like questions together; incorporating previously supplemental 
worksheets into the application; improving the layout of the form; and 
clearly delineating between student and parental questions. For those 
students who prefer to submit a paper FAFSA but do not have access to a 
pre-printed FAFSA form, the Department has created a FASFA PDF that can 
be downloaded from the Internet and completed, either on a PC or by 
hand, and mailed to the Department.
    In addition, the Department has created numerous on-line and paper 
resources to assist students with the FAFSA process. The Web site 
Student Aid on the Web (http://www.studentaid.ed.gov) provides a vast 
array of student-centric information on researching colleges, finding 
scholarships, preparing academically, and applying for federal student 
assistance. The FAFSA4caster Web site (http://www.fafsa4caster.ed.gov) 
enables students to obtain an early estimate of their eligibility for 
federal student aid while increasing their knowledge of the financial 
aid process. FAFSA4caster users who opt to provide demographic 
information about themselves can later `pre-populate' a FAFSA, thereby 
shortening the application completion time. Working with customers, 
stakeholders, partners and Congress, the Department will continue its 
commitment to further streamline the experience for FAFSA applicants in 
the future.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 3, 2009.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically through e-mail to 
[email protected]. Requests for copies of the proposed information 
collection request may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov by 
selecting the ``Browse Pending Collections'' link and by clicking on 
link number 4120. When you access the information collection request, 
click on ``Download Attachments'' to view. Written requests for 
information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue, SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. In addition, 
interested persons can access this information clearance request on the 
Internet:

(1) Go to IFAP at http://ifap.ed.gov
(2) Click on ``Processing Resources''
(3) Click on ``FAFSA and SAR Materials''
(4) Click on ``2010-2011''
(5) Click on ``Draft FAFSA Form/Instructions''

    Please note that the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software, version 
4.0 or greater, is necessary to view this file. This software can be 
downloaded for free from Adobe's Web site: http://www.adobe.com.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Individuals who use a 
telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal 
Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 
p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Secretary is publishing this request for 
comment under the Provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 
U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Under that Act, ED must obtain the review and 
approval of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before it may use 
a form to collect information. However, under procedure for obtaining 
approval from OMB, ED must first obtain public comment of the proposed 
form, and to obtain that comment, ED must publish this notice in the 
Federal Register. In addition to comments requested above, to 
accommodate the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the 
Secretary is interested in receiving comments with regard to the 
following matters: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper 
functions of the Department, (2) will this information be processed and 
used in a timely manner, (3) is the estimate of burden accurate, (4) 
how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected, and (5) how might the Department 
minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including 
through the use of information technology.

    Dated: August 31, 2009.
Angela C. Arrington,
IC Clearance Official, Regulatory Information Management Services, 
Office of Management.

Federal Student Aid

    Type of Review: Revision.
    Title: Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA).
    Frequency: Annually.
    Affected Public: Individuals or Households; Business or other for-
profit; Not-for-profit.
     Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 21,696,675.
Burden Hours: 10,131,696.

    Abstract: Section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA), requires the Secretary, in cooperation with agencies and 
organizations involved in providing student financial assistance, to 
produce, distribute and process free of charge a common financial 
reporting form to be used to determine the need and eligibility of a 
student for financial assistance under the Title IV, HEA Programs. This 
form is the FAFSA and applicants can apply either electronically or by 
paper. In addition, Section 483 authorizes the Secretary to include on 
the FAFSA non-financial data items that assist States in awarding State 
student financial assistance.
    Requests for copies of the proposed FAFSA information collection 
request may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the 
``Browse Pending Collections'' link and by clicking on link number 
4120. Written requests for information on the proposed FAFSA should be 
addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., 
LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Requests may also be electronically 
mailed to [email protected] or faxed to (202) 401-0920. Please specify 
the complete title of the information collection when making your 
request. Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity 
requirements should be directed to the e-mail address 
[email protected]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for 
the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 
1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through 
Friday.

[FR Doc. E9-21483 Filed 9-3-09; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P