[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 64 (Wednesday, April 3, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 13017-13019]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-06160]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2019-ICCD-0039]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 2020-
21 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA)

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, ED is 
proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
June 3, 2019.

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-2019-ICCD-
0039. 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, U.S. Department of 
Education, 550 12th Street SW, PCP, Room 9086, Washington, DC 20202-
0023.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact the Applicant Products Team at 
[email protected], or Beth Grebeldinger at 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 ED assess the impact of its 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. It also helps the public understand ED'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. ED is especially interested in public 
comments addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection 
necessary to the proper function of ED; (2) will this information be 
processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden 
accurate; (4) how might ED enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the information to be collected; and (5) how might ED minimize the 
burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use 
of information

[[Page 13018]]

technology. Please note that written comments received in response to 
this notice will be considered public records.
    Title of the Collection: 2020-21 Free Application for Federal 
Student Aid.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0001.
    Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 40,987,637.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 26,311,037.
    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 (FSEOG) and Federal Work-
Study (FWS)); the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) 
Program; the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher 
Education (TEACH) Grant; the Children of Fallen Heroes Scholarship; and 
the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
    Federal Student Aid (FSA), an office of the U.S. Department of 
Education, 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[supreg]). After submission and processing of the 
FAFSA form, an applicant receives a Student Aid Report (SAR), which is 
a summary of the processed data they submitted on the FAFSA form. The 
applicant reviews the SAR, and, if necessary, will make corrections or 
updates to their submitted FAFSA data. Institutions of higher education 
listed by the applicant on the FAFSA form also receive a summary of 
processed data submitted on the FAFSA form which is called the 
Institutional Student Information Record (ISIR).
    ED and FSA seek 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
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                                                           Submission
           Component                  Description            method
------------------------------------------------------------------------
                       Initial Submission of FAFSA
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAFSA.........................  The electronic version  Submitted by the
FAFSA--Renewal................   of the FAFSA form       applicant via
                                 completed by            fafsa.gov or
                                 applicants.             the
                                The electronic version   myStudentAid
                                 of the FAFSA form       mobile app.
                                 completed by
                                 applicants who have
                                 previously completed
                                 the FAFSA form..
FAFSA--EZ.....................  The electronic version
                                 of the FAFSA form for
                                 applicants who
                                 qualify for the
                                 Automatic Zero (Auto
                                 Zero) needs analysis
                                 formula and the
                                 applicant's State of
                                 Legal Residence is
                                 one that allows for
                                 the skipping of
                                 questions not used in
                                 the EFC calculation.
FAFSA--EZ Renewal.............  The electronic version
                                 of the FAFSA form for
                                 applicants who have
                                 previously completed
                                 the FAFSA form and
                                 who qualify for the
                                 Automatic Zero (Auto
                                 Zero) needs analysis
                                 formula and the
                                 applicant's State of
                                 Legal Residence is
                                 one that allows for
                                 the skipping of
                                 questions not used in
                                 the EFC calculation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
FAA Access....................  Online tool that a      Submitted
                                 financial aid           through
                                 administrator (FAA)     faaaccess.ed.go
                                 utilizes to submit a    v by an FAA on
                                 FAFSA form.             behalf of an
                                                         applicant.
FAA Access--Renewal...........  Online tool that an
                                 FAA can utilize to
                                 submit a Renewal
                                 FAFSA form
FAA Access--EZ................  Online tool that an
                                 FAA can utilize to
                                 submit a FAFSA form
                                 for applicants who
                                 qualify for the Auto
                                 Zero needs analysis
                                 formula and the
                                 applicant's State of
                                 Legal Residence is
                                 one that allows for
                                 the skipping of
                                 questions not used in
                                 the EFC calculation.
FAA Access--EZ Renewal........  Online tool that an
                                 FAA can utilize to
                                 submit a FAFSA form
                                 for applicants who
                                 have previously
                                 completed the FAFSA
                                 form and who qualify
                                 for the Auto Zero
                                 needs analysis
                                 formula and the
                                 applicant's State of
                                 Legal Residence is
                                 one that allows for
                                 the skipping of
                                 questions not used in
                                 the EFC calculation.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Electronic Other..............  This is a submission    The FAA may be
                                 done by an FAA, on      using their
                                 behalf of the           mainframe
                                 applicant, using the    computer or
                                 Electronic Data         software to
                                 Exchange (EDE).         facilitate the
                                                         EDE process.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Printed FAFSA.................  The printed version of  Mailed by the
                                 the PDF FAFSA for       applicant.
                                 applicants who are
                                 unable to access the
                                 Internet or complete
                                 the form using
                                 fafsa.gov or the
                                 myStudentAid mobile
                                 app.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Correcting Submitted FAFSA Information and Reviewing FAFSA Information
------------------------------------------------------------------------
fafsa.gov--Corrections........  Any applicant who has   Submitted by the
                                 a Federal Student Aid   applicant via
                                 ID (FSA ID)--           fafsa.gov.
                                 regardless of how
                                 they originally
                                 applied--may make
                                 corrections.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

[[Page 13019]]

 
Electronic Other--Corrections.  With the applicant's    The FAA may be
                                 permission,             using their
                                 corrections can be      mainframe
                                 made by an FAA using    computer or
                                 the EDE.                software to
                                                         facilitate the
                                                         EDE process.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Paper SAR--This is a SAR and    The full paper summary  Mailed by the
 an option for corrections.      that is mailed to       applicant.
                                 paper applicants who
                                 did not provide an
                                 email 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  Submitted
                                 FAA Access to correct   through
                                 the FAFSA form.         faaaccess.ed.gov v by an FAA on
                                                         behalf of an
                                                         applicant.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Internal Department             The Department will     These
 Corrections.                    submit an applicant's   corrections are
                                 record for system-      system-
                                 generated corrections   generated.
                                 to the Central
                                 Processing System.
                                 There is no burden to
                                 the applicants under
                                 this correction type
                                 as these are system-
                                 based corrections.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Federal Student Aid             Any applicant, with     These changes
 Information Center (FSAIC)      their Data Release      are made
 Corrections.                    Number (DRN), can       directly in the
                                 change the              CPS by an FSAIC
                                 postsecondary           representative.
                                 institutions listed
                                 on their FAFSA form
                                 or change their
                                 address by calling
                                 FSAIC.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAR Electronic (eSAR).........  The eSAR is an online   Cannot be
                                 version of the SAR      submitted for
                                 that is available on    processing.
                                 fafsa.gov to all
                                 applicants with an
                                 FSA ID. Notification
                                 for the eSAR is sent
                                 to students who
                                 applied
                                 electronically or by
                                 paper and provided a
                                 valid email address.
                                 These notifications
                                 are sent by email and
                                 include a hyperlink
                                 that takes the user
                                 to the fafsa.gov site.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
SAR Acknowledgement...........  The SAR                 Cannot be
                                 Acknowledgement is a    submitted for
                                 condensed paper SAR     processing.
                                 that is mailed to
                                 applicants who
                                 applied
                                 electronically but
                                 did not provide a
                                 valid email address.
------------------------------------------------------------------------

    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:
     The total number of applicants that will potentially apply 
for federal student aid;
     How the applicant chooses to complete and submit the FAFSA 
form (e.g., by paper or electronically);
     How the applicant chooses to submit any corrections and/or 
updates (e.g., the paper SAR or electronically);
     The type of SAR document the applicant receives (eSAR, SAR 
acknowledgment, or paper SAR);
     The formula applied to determine the applicant's expected 
family contribution (EFC) (full need analysis formula or Automatic 
Zero); and
     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 2020-21 is 
based upon two factors--estimating the growth rate of the total 
enrollment into post-secondary education and applying the growth rate 
to the FAFSA submissions. The ABM is also based on the application 
options available to students and parents. ED accounts for each 
application component based on analytical tools, survey information and 
other ED data sources.
    For 2020-21, ED is reporting a net burden increase of 2,358,697 
hours.

    Dated: March 26, 2019.
Kate Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Information Collection Clearance Program, Information 
Management Branch, Office of the Chief Information Officer.
[FR Doc. 2019-06160 Filed 4-2-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P