[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 158 (Wednesday, August 15, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 48970-48973]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-19943]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION


Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests; Federal 
Student Aid; 2013-2014 Federal Student Aid Application

AGENCY: Department of Education.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: As required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this 
notice

[[Page 48971]]

requests comments on the 2013-2014 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).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 15, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted electronically by emailing 
[email protected]. Any comments received after this date will be 
retained for consideration in the next annual review of the federal 
student aid application.

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, the Department 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, the Department must first obtain public 
comment of the proposed form, and to obtain that comment, the 
Department 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.
    Request for Comments: 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 
04899. 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.
    Title of Collection: 2013-2014 Federal Student Aid Application.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0001.
    Type of Review: Revision.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 46,099,008.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 25,959,853.
    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, Federal Work-Study, and the 
Federal Perkins Loan Program); the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan 
Program; the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher 
Education Grant; and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
    Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education 
(hereafter ``the Department''), subsequently 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.                    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
                                         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.

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FAA Access............................  Online tool that a financial aid          Submitted through
                                         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      www.fafsa.gov.
                                         they originally applied--may make
                                         corrections 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.
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 and to applicants whose
                                         records were rejected due to critical
                                         errors during processing. 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
                                         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).................  The eSAR is an online version of the SAR  Cannot be submitted for
                                         that is available on FOTW to all          processing.
                                         applicants with a PIN. Notifications
                                         for the eSAR are sent to students who
                                         applied electronically or by paper and
                                         provided an e-mail address. These
                                         notifications are sent by e-mail and
                                         include a secure hyperlink that takes
                                         the user to the FOTW site.
SAR Acknowledgment....................  This is the condensed paper SAR that is
                                         mailed to applicants who applied
                                         electronically but did not provide an e-
                                         mail address and do not meet the
                                         criteria for a full paper SAR.
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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 and in 
terms of burden, the average applicant's experience. Key determinants 
of the ABM include:
    [dec221] The total number of applicants that will potentially apply 
for federal student aid;
    [dec221] How the applicant chooses to complete and submit the FAFSA 
(e.g., by paper or electronically via FOTW);
    [dec221] How the applicant chooses to submit any corrections and/or 
updates (e.g., the paper SAR or electronically via FOTW Corrections);
    [dec221] The type of SAR document the applicant receives (eSAR, SAR 
acknowledgment, or paper SAR);
    [dec221] The formula applied to determine the applicant's expected 
family contribution (full need analysis formula, Simplified Needs Test 
or Automatic Zero); and
    [dec221] 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 2013-2014 
is based upon two factors--estimates of the total enrollment in all 
degree-granting

[[Page 48973]]

institutions and the percentage change in FAFSA submissions for the 
last completed or almost 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 2013-2014, the Department is reporting a net burden reduction 
of 3,398,000 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. Simplification of the application is 
demonstrated by (1) the average completion times for initial 
submissions and; (2) fewer corrections being made to the application.
    The projected average completion times for initial submissions has 
decreased by 11 minutes for 2013-14. In data reported in the 2012-2013 
supporting statement, first-time filers using FOTW would take 
approximately 1.30 hours (78 minutes) to submit an application. The 
data from 2011-12 indicate that the same user would be able to submit 
their application in 1.12 hours (67 minutes), reducing their burden by 
.18 hours (11 minutes).
    Corrections are also projected to decrease by 760,696 responses for 
2013-14. Fewer corrections mean that more comprehensive and accurate 
data was captured in the initial submission of the application.
    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 3,758,702 
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 
1.43% increase in applicants would result in an increase in burden of 
347,945 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 12 percent or 3,398,000 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 and corrections.

                                                               Table 2--Net Burden Change
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                    2012-2013       2013-2014        Change         % Change                Burden disposition
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                   Accounting for change in applicant burden and change in applicants.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Total Applicants...............................      24,705,864      25,053,809        +347,945           +1.41  Net decrease in burden. The 1.41%
                                                                                                                  increase in applicants is offset by
                                                                                                                  the results of the simplification
                                                                                                                  changes implemented by the Department.
                                                                                                                  This has resulted in an overall
                                                                                                                  decrease in burden of 11.57% or
                                                                                                                  3,397,545 hours.
Total Applicant Burden.........................      29,357,853      25,959,853      -3,398,000           -11.6
Total Annual Responses.........................      46,447,024      46,099,007        -348,017            -.75
Cost for All Applicants........................     $234,804.24     $190,224.76      $44,579.48          -18.99
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    The Department takes pride in the continued efforts to simplify the 
FAFSA submission process and the continued decrease in burden 
associated with the application process, even as the Department serves 
more students each year. The results confirm the significant 
improvements that have been made to the application process. The 
Department believes that these changes will lead to more students 
completing the FAFSA and will assist more students with their pursuit 
of postsecondary education through access to Title IV, HEA program 
assistance.
    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, the Department 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, the Department must first obtain public comment of the 
proposed form, and to obtain that comment, the Department 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 2, 2012.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-19943 Filed 8-14-12; 8:45 am]
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