[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 228 (Wednesday, November 29, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 56619-56621]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-25750]


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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration


Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: 
Public Comment Request Information Collection Request Title: Health 
Professions Student Loan (HPSL) Program and Nursing Student Loan (NSL) 
Program Administrative Requirements (Regulations and Policy). OMB No. 
0915-0047--Revision

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department 
of Health and Human Services.

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public 
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction 
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection 
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget 
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the 
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the 
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than January 
29, 2018.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N39, 5600 Fishers 
Lane, Rockville, MD 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the 
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and 
draft instruments, email [email protected] or call Lisa Wright-
Solomon, the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer at (301) 
443-1984.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: When submitting comments or requesting 
information, please include the information request collection title 
for reference.
    Information Collection Request Title: Health Professions Student 
Loan (HPSL) Program and Nursing Student Loan (NSL) Program 
Administrative Requirements (Regulations and Policy). OMB No. 0915-
0047--Revision.
    Abstract: The Health Professions Student Loan (HPSL) Program, as 
authorized by Public Health Service (PHS) Act sections 721-722 and 725-
735, provides long-term, low-interest loans to students attending 
schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary 
medicine, optometry, podiatric medicine, and pharmacy. The Nursing 
Student Loan (NSL) Program, as authorized by PHS Act sections 835-842, 
provides long-term, low-interest loans to students who attend eligible 
schools of nursing in programs leading to a diploma, an associate 
degree, a baccalaureate degree, or graduate degree in nursing. It also 
contains a number of recordkeeping and reporting requirements for 
academic institutions and loan applicants. The applicable regulations 
for these programs under 42 CFR part 57 implement and detail the 
various statutory requirements (see chart below).
    In an effort to consolidate information collection requests and 
achieve greater programmatic efficiency, HRSA is incorporating the 
Deferment-HRSA Form 519 and AOR-HRSA Form 501 (OMB No. 0915-0044) into 
this information collection request. As a result, the OMB No. 0915-0044 
package will be discontinued.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Participating HPSL and 
NSL schools are responsible for determining eligibility of applicants, 
making loans, and collecting monies owed by borrowers on their 
outstanding loans. The Deferment Form (Deferment-HRSA Form 519), 
formerly incorporated under OMB No. 0915-0044, provides the schools 
with documentation of a borrower's deferment status, as detailed for 
the HPSL program under 42 CFR part 57.210 and for NSL under 42 CFR part 
57.310. The Annual Operating Report (AOR-HRSA Form 501), formerly 
incorporated under OMB No. 0915-0044, provides the Department of Health 
and Human Services (HHS) with information from participating schools 
(including schools that are no longer disbursing loans but are required 
to report and maintain program records, student records, and repayment 
records until all student loans are repaid in full and all monies due 
to the Federal Government are returned) relating to HPSL and NSL 
program operations and financial activities. Moreover, the HPSL and NSL 
program requirements are essential for assuring that borrowers are 
aware of their rights and responsibilities, academic institutions have 
accurate records of the history and status of each loan account in 
order to pursue aggressive collection efforts to reduce default rates, 
and that academic institutions maintain adequate records for audit and 
assessment purposes to help HHS safeguard federal funds made through 
the Federal Capital Contribution (FCC). Academic institutions are free 
to use improved information technology to manage the information 
required by the regulations.
    Likely Respondents: Financial Aid Directors working at institutions 
participating in the HPSL and/or NSL Programs.
    Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by 
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the 
information requested. This includes the time needed to review 
instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and 
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying 
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and 
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to 
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and 
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise 
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for 
this ICR are summarized in the tables below.

[[Page 56620]]



                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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                                     Number of     Responses per       Total         Hours per     Total burden
    Instrument  (HPSL & NSL)        respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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Deferment--HRSA Form 519........           3,125               1           3,125              .5          1562.5
AOR-HRSA--Form 501..............             768               1             768              12           9,216
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Total.......................           3,893  ..............           3,893  ..............        10,778.5
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* The deferment form is only used by the schools if a student requests a deferment. The AOR form is filled out
  for all grantees with a loan program at their school.


                                           Recordkeeping Requirements
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                                                                     Number of       Hours per     Total burden
                 Regulatory/section requirements                   recordkeepers       year            hours
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HPSL Program:
    57.206(b)(2), Documentation of Cost of Attendance...........             432            1.05             454
    57.208(a), Promissory Note..................................             432           1. 25             540
    57.210(b)(1)(i), Documentation of Entrance Interview........             432           1. 25             540
    57. 210(b)(1)(ii), Documentation of Exit Interview..........           * 475            0.37             176
    57.215(a) & (d), Program Records............................           * 475              10           4,750
    57.215(b), Student Records..................................           * 475              10           4,750
    57.215(c), Repayment Records................................           * 475           19.55           9,286
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        HPSL Subtotal...........................................             475  ..............          20,496
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
NSL Program:
    57.306(b)(2)(ii), Documentation of Cost of Attendance.......             304            0.25              76
    57.308(a), Promissory Note..................................             304             0.5             152
    57.310(b)(1)(i), Documentation of Entrance Interview........             304             0.5             152
    57. 310(b)(1)(ii), Documentation of Exit Interview..........           * 486            0.14              68
    57.315(a)(1) & (a)(4), Program Records......................           * 486               5           2,430
    57.315(a)(2), Student Records...............................           * 486               1             486
    57.215(b)(3), Repayment Records.............................           * 486            2.51           1,220
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
        NSL Subtotal............................................             486  ..............           4,584
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* Includes active and closing schools. The HPSL and NSL programs are under two separate Titles VII and VII and
  CFDA numbers. The reporting requirements are items that are required of financial aid offices for
  administration of the loan programs at their school. HPSL data include active and closing Loans for
  Disadvantaged Students program schools.


                                             Reporting Requirements
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                                     Number of     Responses per   Total annual      Hours per     Total burden
Regulatory/section  requirements    respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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HPSL:
    57.206(a)(2), Student                  4,600               1           4,600            0.25           1,150
     Financial Aid Transcript...
    57.208(c), Loan Information              325           299.5          97,338            0.63          61,323
     Disclosure.................
    57.210(b)(1)(i), Entrance                325           139.5          45,338            0.50          22,669
     Interview..................
    57.210(b)(1)(ii), Exit                 * 334           113.5          37,909            1.00          37,909
     Interview..................
    57.210(b)(1)(iii),                     * 334           862.5         288,075            0.38         109,469
     Notification of Repayment..
    57.210(b)(1)(iv),                      * 333              17           5,661            0.63           3,566
     Notification During
     Deferment..................
    57.210(b)(1)(vi),                        334           172.5          57,615            1.25          72,019
     Notification of Delinquent
     Accounts...................
    57.210(b)(1)(x), Credit                  334               6           2,004            0.50           1,002
     Bureau Notification........
    57.210(b)(4)(i), Write-off               520               1             520               3            1560
     of Uncollectable Loans.....
    57.211(a), Disability                      3               1               3               1               3
     Cancellation...............
    57.215(a), Administrative                  0               0               0               0               0
     Hearings record retention..
    57.215(a)(2), Administrative               0               0               0               0               0
     Hearings reporting
     requirements...............
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        HPSL Subtotal...........  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............         310,670
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NSL:
    57.306(a)(2), Student                  4,100               1           4,100            0.25           1,025
     Financial Aid Transcript...
    57.310(b)(1)(i), Entrance                282            17.5           4,935            0.42           2,073
     Interview..................
    57.310(b)(1)(ii), Exit                   348               9           3,132            0.42           1,315
     Interview..................
    57.310(b)(1)(iii),                       348               9           3,132            0.27             846
     Notification of Repayment..
    57.310(b)(1)(iv),                        348             1.5             522            0.29             151
     Notification During
     Deferment..................
    57.310(b)(1)(vi),                        348            42.5          14,790            0.04             592
     Notification of Delinquent
     Accounts...................
    57.310(b)(1)(x), Credit                  348             709         246,732           0.006           1,480
     Bureau Notification........
    57.310(b)(4)(i), Write-off                23               1              23               3              69
     of Uncollectable Loans.....

[[Page 56621]]

 
    57.311(a), Disability                     16               1              16               1              16
     Cancellation...............
    57.315(a)(1)(ii),                          0               0               0               0               0
     Administrative Hearings....
    57.316(a), Administrative                  0               0               0               0               0
     Hearings...................
                                 -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
        NSL Subtotal............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............           7,567
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    HRSA specifically requests comments on (1) the necessity and 
utility of the proposed information collection for the proper 
performance of the agency's functions, (2) the accuracy of the 
estimated burden, (3) ways to enhance the quality, utility, and clarity 
of the information to be collected, and (4) the use of automated 
collection techniques or other forms of information technology to 
minimize the information collection burden.

Amy McNulty,
Acting Director, Division of the Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2017-25750 Filed 11-28-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4165-15-P