[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 132 (Tuesday, July 10, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Page 40590]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-16830]



[[Page 40590]]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Submission for OMB Review; Institute of Education 
Sciences; Pell Grant Experiments Study

SUMMARY: The Pell Grant Experiments evaluation is a two-part, five-year 
demonstration study sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education that 
focuses on the effects of expanded access to Pell grants on students' 
employment and earnings. The primary outcome of interest is (1) The 
employment status and earnings of students who participate in the study 
while secondary outcomes include (2) students' experiences with and 
participation in education and training, (3) measures of student debt 
and financial aid, and (4) the extent of participation in job search 
assistance services.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
August 9, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Written comments regarding burden and/or the collection 
activity requirements should be electronically mailed to 
[email protected] or mailed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 
Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. 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 04848. 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 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.

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 
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. Please note that written comments received in response to 
this notice will be considered public records.
    Title of Collection: Pell Grant Experiments Study.
    OMB Control Number: Pending.
    Type of Review: New.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 23,804.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 5,732.
    Abstract: This study consists of two experiments, each of which 
will examine the impact of a single change to the Pell grant 
eligibility criteria. The first experiment will relax the prohibition 
on receipt of Pell grants by students with a bachelors' degree. 
Individuals eligible for the first experiment must have a bachelor's 
degree, be unemployed or underemployed, and pursue a vocational 
training program up to one year in duration. The second experiment will 
reduce the minimum duration and intensity levels of programs that Pell 
grant recipients must participate in from 15 weeks with 600 minimum 
clock hours to eight weeks with 150 minimum clock hours. Each 
experiment will operate through a set of Pell grant experiment (PGE) 
schools that provide education and training services that qualify as 
PGE programs.
    Participants in both experiments will be randomly assigned to 
either (1) a treatment group, which will have expanded access to Pell 
grants; or (2) a control group, which will not have access. Within both 
experiments, the treatment group will be very similar to the control at 
the time of random assignment except for access to Pell grants. 
Subsequent differences in the employment and earnings outcomes between 
treatment and control group members can then be attributed to Pell 
grant access. The first experiment will involve roughly 28 PGE schools 
with an average of 100 students participating per school. The second 
experiment will involve roughly 40 PGE schools with an average of 200 
participating students per school. The expected sample of both 
experiments combined is approximately 10,800 students. Data for this 
evaluation will come from participants' Free Application of Federal 
Student Aid (FAFSA) applications, PGE school administrative records, 
Social Security Administration earnings statements, and a survey of 
study participants. The study participant enrollment period is expected 
to last from July 2012 to January 2014. Data extracts from FAFSA 
applications will occur between October and December during years 2012-
2014. Adminstrative data extracts from PGE schools will occur between 
January and March during years 2013-2015. A stratified survey of 
treatment and control group members with a targeted total sample size 
of 2,000 will be fielded between July 2014 and March 2015.

    Dated: July 5, 2012.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance Division Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-16830 Filed 7-9-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P