[Federal Register Volume 80, Number 180 (Thursday, September 17, 2015)]
[Notices]
[Page 55839]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2015-23346]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No. ED-2015-ICCD-0076]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Borrower Defenses Against Loan Repayment

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

ACTION: Notice.

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

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 19, 2015.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://wwww.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2015-ICCD-
0076. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number 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 2E103, 
Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Beth Grebeldinger (202) 377-4018.

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: Borrower Defenses Against Loan Repayment.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0132.
    Type of Review: An extension of an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 150,000.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 150,000.
    Abstract: This is a request to for an extension of the emergency 
clearance that was granted on this collection on June 5, 2015 to 
facilitate the continued collection of information from borrowers who 
believe they have cause to invoke the borrower defenses against 
repayment of a student loan as noted in regulation. The regulations for 
borrower defenses are specified in 34 CFR 685.206(c). The regulation 
states, in part, ``(c)(1) [i]n any proceeding to collect on a Direct 
Loan, the borrower may assert as a defense against repayment, an act or 
omission of the school attended by the student that would give rise to 
a cause of action against the school under applicable State law.'' 
Prior to 2015, the borrower defense identified above was rarely 
asserted by any borrowers and no specific methods of collecting 
information was defined or found necessary.
    These processes are being offered to aid in preserving borrowers 
rights and to meet the fiduciary responsibilities of the federal 
student loan programs. These collections will allow the Department of 
Education to inform borrowers and loan servicers of the information 
needed to review and adjudicate requests for relief under borrower 
defenses regulations.

    Dated: September 14, 2015.
Kate Mullan,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of 
the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2015-23346 Filed 9-16-15; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P