[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 232 (Friday, December 2, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 87026-87027]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2016-29003]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2016-ICCD-0136]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program--150% Limitation

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 
January 31, 2017.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2016-ICCD-
0136. 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 2E-347, 
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: William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program--
150% Limitation.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0116.
    Type of Review: An extension of an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; 
Individuals or Households; Private Sector.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 7,770,494.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 282,713.
    Abstract: These data will allow the Department to calculate the 
borrowers maximum eligibility period, subsidized usage period, and 
remaining eligibility period as described in 685.200(f)(1)(ii)-
(f)(1)(iv), determine whether the borrower is eligible to receive an 
additional Direct Subsidized Loan, and ensure that borrowers do not 
receive Direct Subsidized Loans if they are no longer eligible to 
receive a Direct Subsidized Loan under 685.200(f)(2).
    The Department will determine whether the borrower is responsible 
for accruing interest on their previously received Direct Subsidized 
Loans. To ensure that the Department has the information to necessary 
to make that determination, institutions will be required to report 
additional information to NSLDS. For example, institutions will be 
required to report: The CIP code and the credential level for the 
program in which a borrower is enrolled; the length of the program in 
academic years, weeks, or months (consistent with current institutional 
reporting in the COD System); and a more detailed enrollment status of 
the borrower (e.g., full-time, three-quarter-time, half-time, or less-
than-half-time).
    These data will allow the Department to determine whether a 
borrower who is not eligible for additional Direct Subsidized Loans is 
responsible for accruing interest on his or her previously received 
Direct Subsidized Loans.
    The regulations implement a new statutory requirement that 
significantly limits a borrowers eligibility for Direct Subsidized 
Loans and potentially results in the borrower becoming responsible for 
accruing interest on existing Direct Subsidized Loans. Under section 
485(l) of the HEA, which requires that borrowers be provided with 
entrance and exit counseling on the provisions governing federal 
student aid, institutions will be required to revise the entrance and 
exit counseling provided to borrowers.

[[Page 87027]]

    For entrance counseling, the added counseling requirements under 
685.304 will require institutions to explain the new provisions to 
borrowers.

    Dated: November 29, 2016.
Kate Mullan,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of 
the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-29003 Filed 12-1-16; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P