[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 160 (Thursday, August 18, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 51354-51357]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-20992]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Comment Request.

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SUMMARY: The Department of Education (the Department), in accordance 
with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C 
3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with 
an opportunity to comment on proposed and continuing collection of 
information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its 
information collection requirements and minimize the reporting burden 
on the public and helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. The Director, Information Collection Clearance 
Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office 
of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection 
requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 17, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically to 
[email protected]. We ask that you copy them to [email protected] 
or mail to U.S. Department of Education, UCP Building, 1830 First 
Street, NE., Washington, DC 20202-4357. Please note that written 
comments received in response to this notice will be considered public 
records.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act 
of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that Federal agencies provide 
interested parties an early opportunity to comment on information 
collection requests. The Director, Information Collection Clearance 
Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office 
of Management, publishes this notice containing proposed information 
collection requests at the beginning of the Departmental review of the 
information collection. The Department of Education is especially 
interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is 
the 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 12, 2011.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services.

    As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice 
requests comments on the 2012-2013 versions of the forms used by 
individuals applying for Federal student aid including the Free 
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) and the Student Aid Report 
(SAR).

[[Page 51355]]

    Title: 2012-2013 Federal Student Aid Application.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    OMB Number: 1845-0001.
    Frequency: Annually.
    Respondents: Individuals.
    Annual Respondents: 24,705,864.
    Annual Responses: 46,447,024.
    Annual Burden Hours: 29,357,853.
    Abstract: Section 483 of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA), mandates that the Secretary of Education ``* * * shall 
produce, distribute, and process free of charge common financial 
reporting forms as described in this subsection to be used for 
application and reapplication to determine the need and eligibility of 
a student for financial assistance.''
    The determination of need and eligibility are for the following 
Title IV, HEA, Federal student financial assistance programs: the 
Federal Pell Grant Program; the Campus-Based programs (Federal 
Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study 
(FWS), and the Federal Perkins Loan Program); the William D. Ford 
Federal Direct Loan Program; the Teacher Education Assistance for 
College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant; and the Iraq and 
Afghanistan Service Grant.
    Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education 
(hereafter ``the Department''), developed an application process to 
collect and process the data necessary to determine a student's 
eligibility to receive Title IV, HEA program assistance. The 
application process involves an applicant's submission of the Free 
Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). After submission of the 
FAFSA, an applicant receives a Student Aid Report (SAR) which is a 
summary of the data they submitted on the FAFSA. The applicant reviews 
the SAR, and, if necessary, will make corrections or updates to their 
submitted FAFSA.
    The Department seeks OMB approval of all application components as 
a single ``collection of information''. The aggregate burden will be 
accounted for under OMB Control Number 1845-0001. The specific 
application components, descriptions and submission methods for each 
are listed in Table 1.

                               Table 1--Federal Student Aid Application Components
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
               Component                               Description                       Submission method
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                           Initial Submission of FAFSA
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAFSA on the Web (FOTW)...............  Online FAFSA that offers applicants a     Submitted by the applicant via
                                         customized experience..                   http://www.fafsa.gov.
FOTW--Renewal.........................  Online FAFSA for applicants who have
                                         previously completed the FAFSA.
FOTW-EZ...............................  Online FAFSA for applicants who qualify
                                         for the Simplified Needs Test (SNT) or
                                         Automatic Zero (Auto Zero) needs
                                         analysis formulas.
FOTW-EZ Renewal.......................  Online FAFSA for applicants who have
                                         previously completed the FAFSA and who
                                         qualify for the SNT or Auto Zero needs
                                         analysis formulas.
FAFSA on the Phone (FOTP).............  The Federal Student Aid Information       Submitted through http://
                                         Center (FSAIC) representatives assist     www.fafsa.gov for applicants
                                         applicants by filing the FAFSA on their   who call 1-800-4-FED-AID.
                                         behalf through FOTW.
FOTP-EZ...............................  FSAIC representatives assist applicants
                                         who qualify for the SNT or Auto Zero
                                         needs analysis formulas by filing the
                                         FAFSA on their behalf through FOTW.
FAA Access............................  Online tool that a financial aid          Submitted through http://
                                         administrator (FAA) utilizes to submit    www.faaacess.ed.gov by a FAA
                                         a FAFSA..                                 on behalf of an applicant.
FAA Access--Renewal...................  Online tool that a FAA can utilize to
                                         submit a Renewal FAFSA.
FAA Access--EZ........................  Online tool that a FAA can utilize to
                                         submit a FAFSA for applicants who
                                         qualify for the SNT or Auto Zero needs
                                         analysis formulas.
FAA Access--EZ Renewal................  Online tool that a FAA can utilize to
                                         submit a FAFSA for applicants who have
                                         previously completed the FAFSA and who
                                         qualify for the SNT or Auto Zero needs
                                         analysis formulas.
Electronic Other......................  This is a submission done by a FAA, on    The FAA may be using their
                                         behalf of the applicant, using the        mainframe computer or
                                         Electronic Data Exchange (EDE).           software to facilitate the
                                                                                   EDE process.
PDF FAFSA or Paper FAFSA..............  The paper version of the FAFSA printed    Mailed by the applicant.
                                         by the Department for applicants who
                                         are unable to access the Internet or
                                         the online PDF FAFSA for applicants who
                                         can access the Internet but are unable
                                         to complete the form using FOTW.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                     Correcting Submitted FAFSA Information and Reviewing FAFSA Information
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
FOTW-Corrections......................  Any applicant who has a Federal Student   Submitted by the applicant via
                                         Aid PIN (FSA PIN)--regardless of how      http://www.fafsa.gov.
                                         they originally applied--may correct
                                         using FOTW Corrections.
Electronic Other--Corrections.........  With the applicant's permission,          The FAA may be using their
                                         corrections can be made by a FAA using    mainframe computer or
                                         the EDE.                                  software to facilitate the
                                                                                   EDE process.

[[Page 51356]]

 
Paper SAR--This is a SAR and an option  The full paper summary that is mailed to  Mailed by the applicant.
 for corrections.                        paper applicants who did not provide an
                                         e-mail address, to applicants who did
                                         not sign their application and to
                                         applicants whose records were rejected
                                         during processing because the Social
                                         Security Number did not match with the
                                         SSA. Applicants can write corrections
                                         directly on the paper SAR and mail for
                                         processing.
FAA Access--Corrections...............  An institution can use FAA Access to      Submitted through http://
                                         correct the FAFSA.                        www.faaacess.ed.gov by a FAA
                                                                                   on behalf of an applicant.
Internal Department Corrections.......  The Department will submit an             There is no burden to the
                                         applicant's record for system-generated   applicants under this
                                         corrections.                              correction type as these are
                                                                                   system-based corrections.
FSAIC Corrections.....................  Any applicant, with their Data Release    These changes are made
                                         Number (DRN), can change the              directly in the CPS system by
                                         postsecondary institutions listed on      a FSAIC representative.
                                         their FAFSA or change their address by
                                         calling FSAIC.
SAR Electronic (eSAR).................  This is the PDF version of the SAR for    Cannot be submitted for
                                         applicants who applied electronically     processing.
                                         or by paper and provided an e-mail
                                         address.
SAR Acknowledgment....................  This is the condensed paper SAR that is
                                         mailed to applicants who applied
                                         electronically but did not provide an e-
                                         mail address.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    This information collection also documents an estimate of the 
annual public burden as it relates to the application process for 
Federal student aid. The Applicant Burden Model (ABM), measures 
applicant burden through an assessment of the activities each applicant 
conducts in conjunction with other applicant characteristics. The ABM 
has been designed to accurately describe, in terms of burden, the 
average applicant's experience. Key determinants of the ABM include:
     The total number of applicants that will potentially apply 
for Federal student aid;
     How the applicant chooses to complete and submit the 
FAFSA, e.g., by paper or electronically via FOTW;
     How the applicant chooses to submit any corrections and/or 
updates (e.g., the paper SAR or electronically via FOTW Corrections);
     The type of SAR document the applicant receives (paper 
SAR, SAR acknowledgment, or the eSAR);
     The formula applied to determine the applicant's EFC (full 
need analysis formula, Simplified Needs Test or Automatic Zero); and
     The average amount of time involved in preparing to 
complete the application.
    The ABM is largely driven by the number of potential applicants for 
the application cycle. The total application projection for 2012-2013 
is based upon two factors--estimates of the total enrollment in all 
degree-granting institutions and the percentage change in FAFSA 
submissions for the last completed application cycle. The ABM is also 
based on the application options available to students and parents. The 
Department accounts for each application component based on web 
trending tools, survey information, and other Department data sources.
    For 2012-2013, the Department is reporting a net burden reduction 
of 2,881,475 hours. The reduction is a reflection of the effects of 
simplifying FAFSA on the Web, which is utilized by the majority of 
applicants who apply for aid. For example, data reported in the 2011-
2012 burden estimates reflected that an applicant that completed FOTW 
and had the ability to use a renewal version of the application (see 
FOTW--Renewal component in Table 1) would take approximately 1.20 hours 
(72 minutes). The most recent statistics reflect that on average that 
renewal applicant would actually spend about 1.08 hours (64.8 minutes).
    Updated completion times were calculated for each component and 
have been used to estimate the burden, excluding the change in the 
applicant volume. The results demonstrate that the burden for all 
applicants would have decreased by almost 13 percent or 4,181,899 
hours, if the application volume had remained constant.
    If the Department had not simplified the application process, thus 
reducing the time required to complete the FAFSA, the new burden 
estimates would only need to account for the change in applicants. The 
4.63% increase in applicants would result in an increase in burden of 
1,300,424 hours.
    Accounting for both the increase in total applicants and the 
decrease in individual applicant burden, the net change is an overall 
decrease of almost 9 percent or 2,881,475 hours. The following Table 
shows the net burden change and total cost for applicants. The change 
in total annual responses is also listed in the Table. Total annual 
responses include the original FAFSA submission, which is counted as 
one response for each applicant; and also includes a response for any 
subsequent correction generated by the applicant.

                                           Table 2--Net Burden Change
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                   2011-2012       2012-2013        Change       % Change    Burden disposition
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                ..............       Accounting for change in applicant burden and change in
                                                                           applicants
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 51357]]

 
Total Applicants..............      23,611,500      24,705,864      +1,094,364      +4.63  Net decrease in
                                                                                            burden. The increase
                                                                                            in applicants is
                                                                                            offset by the
                                                                                            results of the
                                                                                            Department's
                                                                                            simplification
                                                                                            changes. This has
                                                                                            created an overall
                                                                                            decrease in burden
                                                                                            of 8.94% or
                                                                                            2,881,475 hours.
Total Applicant Burden........      32,239,328      29,357,853      -2,881,475      -8.94
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Annual Responses........      32,239,328      46,447,024     +14,207,696     +44.07
Cost for All Applicants.......     $159,370.20     $234,804.24      $75,434.04     +47.33
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    The Department is proud that efforts to simplify the FAFSA 
submission process have resulted in a continued decrease in the burden 
associated with the application process, even as the Department serves 
more students each year. The results demonstrate the significant 
improvements that have been made to the application process. The 
Department believes that these changes will contribute to more students 
completing the FAFSA and will assist more students with their pursuit 
of postsecondary education.
    Request for Copies: Comments should be submitted to the Department 
as indicated. All comments will become a matter of public record. 
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 4703. When 
you access the information collection, 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. 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 electronically mailed to [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. 2011-20992 Filed 8-17-11; 8:45 am]
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