[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 226 (Monday, November 23, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Page 74701]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-25797]



[[Page 74701]]

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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2020-SCC-0177]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Experimental Sites Initiative Reporting Tool 2020

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 revision of a currently approved collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
January 22, 2021.

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-2020-SCC-0177. 
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. If the regulations.gov 
site is not available to the public for any reason, ED will temporarily 
accept comments at [email protected]. Please include the docket ID 
number and the title of the information collection request when 
requesting documents or submitting comments. 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 PRA 
Coordinator of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, 
LBJ, Room 6W208D, Washington, DC 20202-8240.

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: Experimental Sites Initiative Reporting Tool 
2020.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0150.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Private Sector; State, Local, and 
Tribal Governments.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 407.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 7,733.
    Abstract: The Secretary of the U.S. Department of Education is 
authorized under Section 487A(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, 
as amended (HEA), to periodically select a limited number of 
postsecondary institutions for voluntary participation as experimental 
sites under the Experimental Sites Initiative (ESI). Institutions and 
the experiments provide recommendations to the Secretary on the impact 
and effectiveness of proposed regulations or new management 
initiatives. Participating postsecondary educational institutions are 
exempt from specific designated statutory and regulatory requirements 
while conducting the experiments.
    Federal Student Aid (FSA) is requesting a revision of the current 
information collection 1845-0150. This request is due to changes in the 
reporting guidelines. FSA is adding new COVID-19 related questions to 
the Institutional Survey of the schools participating in the 
Experimental Sites Initiative. FSA is adding new questions to the 
Institutional Survey of the schools participating in the new Federal 
Work-Study Experiment. The additional data collection questions are for 
the new Federal Work-Study Experiment, and FSA has integrated this 
request with ongoing data collection efforts for the ESI. FSA is 
increasing school reporting due to the new Federal Work-Study 
Experiment and the expansion of Second Chance Pell schools. Finally, 
several of the survey items schools participating in the Second Chance 
Pell are asked to complete have been reworded.

    Dated: November 18, 2020.
Kate Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2020-25797 Filed 11-20-20; 8:45 am]
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