[Federal Register Volume 77, Number 218 (Friday, November 9, 2012)]
[Notices]
[Pages 67345-67348]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2012-27449]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2012-ICCD-0050]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; 2013-2014 Federal Student Aid Application

AGENCY: Department of Education (ED), Federal Student Aid (FSA).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 
chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing 
information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 10, 2012.

ADDRESSES: Comments submitted in response to this notice should be 
submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at 
http://www.regulations.gov by selecting Docket ID number ED-2012-ICCD-
0050 or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please 
note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after 
the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for 
information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be 
addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance 
Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, 
Room 2E117, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Electronically mail 
[email protected]. Please do not send comments here.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department of Education (ED), 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, revised, and continuing 
collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact 
of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's 
reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed 
information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 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: 2013-2014 Federal Student Aid Application.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0001.
    Type of Review: Revision of an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    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,

[[Page 67346]]

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''), 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 customized  Submitted by the
                                        experience..                                      applicant via
                                                                                          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 Center        Submitted through
                                        (FSAIC) representatives assist applicants by      www.fafsa.gov for
                                        filing the FAFSA on their behalf through FOTW.    applicants who call 1-
                                                                                          800-4-FED-AID.
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 administrator    Submitted through
                                        (FAA) utilizes to submit a FAFSA.                 www.faaacess.ed.gov by
                                                                                          a FAA 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 behalf of  The FAA may be using
                                        the applicant, using the Electronic Data          their mainframe
                                        Exchange (EDE).                                   computer or software
                                                                                          to facilitate the EDE
                                                                                          process.
PDF FAFSA or Paper FAFSA.............  The paper version of the FAFSA printed by the     Mailed by the
                                        Department for applicants who are unable to       applicant.
                                        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 Aid PIN   Submitted by the
                                        (FSA PIN)--regardless of how they originally      applicant via
                                        applied--may make corrections using FOTW          www.fafsa.gov.
                                        Corrections.
Electronic Other--Corrections........  With the applicant's permission, corrections can  The FAA may be using
                                        be made by a FAA using the EDE.                   their mainframe
                                                                                          computer or software
                                                                                          to facilitate the EDE
                                                                                          process.
Paper SAR--This is a SAR and an        The full paper summary that is mailed to paper    Mailed by the
 option for corrections.                applicants who did not provide an e-mail          applicant.
                                        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 correct the  Submitted through
                                        FAFSA.                                            www.faaacess.ed.gov by
                                                                                          a FAA on behalf of an
                                                                                          applicant.
Internal Department Corrections......  The Department will submit an applicant's record  There is no burden to
                                        for system-generated corrections.                 the applicants under
                                                                                          this correction type
                                                                                          as these are system-
                                                                                          based corrections.
FSAIC Corrections....................  Any applicant, with their Data Release Number     These changes are made
                                        (DRN), can change the postsecondary               directly in the CPS
                                        institutions listed on their FAFSA or change      system by a FSAIC
                                        their address by calling FSAIC.                   representative.

[[Page 67347]]

 
SAR Electronic (eSAR)................  The eSAR is an online version of the SAR that is  Cannot be submitted for
                                        available on FOTW to all applicants with a PIN.   processing.
                                        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:
    [ssquf] The total number of applicants that will potentially apply 
for federal student aid;
    [ssquf] How the applicant chooses to complete and submit the FAFSA 
(e.g., by paper or electronically via FOTW);
    [ssquf] How the applicant chooses to submit any corrections and/or 
updates (e.g., the paper SAR or electronically via FOTW Corrections);
    [ssquf] The type of SAR document the applicant receives (eSAR, SAR 
acknowledgment, or paper SAR);
    [ssquf] The formula applied to determine the applicant's expected 
family contribution (EFC) (full need analysis formula, Simplified Needs 
Test or Automatic Zero); and
    [ssquf] 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 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                                                                     Burden
                                   2012-2013       2013-2014        Change         % Change        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.
Total Applicant Burden........      29,357,853      25,959,853      -3,398,000           -11.6  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 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
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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

[[Page 67348]]

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.

    Dated: November 5, 2012.
Darrin A. King,
Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Privacy, 
Information and Records Management Services, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2012-27449 Filed 11-8-12; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P