[Federal Register Volume 76, Number 230 (Wednesday, November 30, 2011)]
[Notices]
[Pages 74048-74049]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2011-30847]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Submission for OMB Review

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Comment request.

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SUMMARY: The Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance 
Division, Privacy, Information and Records Management Services, Office 
of Management, invites comments on the submission for OMB review as 
required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (Pub. L. 104-13).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 30, 2011.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be addressed to the Office of 
Information and Regulatory Affairs, Attention: Education Desk Officer, 
Office of Management and Budget, 725 17th Street NW., Room 10222, New 
Executive Office Building, Washington, DC 20503, be faxed to (202) 395-
5806 or emailed to [email protected].gov with a cc: to 
[email protected]. 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

[[Page 74049]]

1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and 
Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an 
early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. The 
OMB is particularly interested in comments which: (1) Evaluate whether 
the proposed collection of information is necessary for the proper 
performance of the functions of the agency, including whether the 
information will have practical utility; (2) 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; (3) Enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information 
to be collected; and (4) 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.

    Dated: November 25, 2011.
Kate Mullan,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.

Institute of Education Sciences

    Type of Review: New.
    Title of Collection: College Affordability and Transparency 
Explanation Form (CATEF) 2011-2014.
    OMB Control Number: Pending.
    Agency Form Number(s): N/A.
    Frequency of Responses: Annually.
    Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Government.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 532.
    Total Estimated Annual Burden Hours: 1,596.
    Abstract: The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) is 
seeking a three-year clearance for a new survey data collection for the 
College Affordability and Transparency List Explanation Form (CATEF). 
The collection of this information is necessary pursuant to the Higher 
Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) Section 111, Part C (20 U.S.C. 1015a) 
with the goal of increasing transparency of college tuition prices for 
consumers. The clearance should start with the 2011-12 collection year 
and extend through the 2012-13 and 2013-14 collections. Part C of 
Section 111 of HEOA included provisions for improved transparency in 
college tuition for consumers. In response to these provisions, the 
Department of Education created The College Affordability and 
Transparency Center (CATC) which can be accessed through College 
Navigator. The CATC includes information for students, parents, and 
policymakers about college costs at America's colleges and 
universities. The CATC also includes several lists of institutions 
based on the tuition and fees and/or net prices (the price of 
attendance after considering all grant and scholarship aid) charged to 
students, including a list of institutions that are in the five percent 
of institutions in their institutional sector that have the highest 
increases, expressed as a percentage change, over the three-year time 
period for which the most recent data are available. The clearance 
being requested is to survey the institutions on this list using the 
College Affordability and Transparency Explanation Form to collect 
follow-up information. The lists appearing in CATC are generated using 
data collected by NCES through the Integrated Postsecondary Education 
Data System (IPEDS). IPEDS is a mandatory data collection for 
institutions that participate in or are applicants for participation in 
any federal student financial aid program authorized by Title IV of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (20 USC 1094, Section 
487(a)(17) and 34 CFR 668.14(b)(19)). The additional information to be 
collected will be used to write a summary report for Congress which 
will also be posted on the College Navigator Web site. The report will 
summarize the general and sector specific findings from the CATEF using 
descriptive statistics. The main cost areas showing the highest 
increases will be identified using the percent change information 
provided by institutions. The most commonly reported plans to reduce 
the increases in those cost increases will also be indicated. Finally, 
the extent to which institutions participate in setting tuition and 
fees and net prices for students will be described and the agencies 
outside of the institutions that decide those student charges will be 
identified.
    Copies of the information collection submission for OMB review may 
be accessed from the RegInfo.gov Web site at http://www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain or from the Department's Web site at http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the ``Browse Pending Collections'' link 
and by clicking on link number 4729. 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 the Internet address 
[email protected] or faxed to (202) 401-0920. Please specify the 
complete title of the information collection and OMB Control Number 
when making your request.
    Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-(800) 877-
8339.

[FR Doc. 2011-30847 Filed 11-29-11; 8:45 a.m.]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P