[Federal Register Volume 85, Number 240 (Monday, December 14, 2020)]
[Notices]
[Pages 80791-80793]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2020-27415]


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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 Program, Loans for Disadvantaged Students, Primary Care Loan 
Program, and Nursing Student Loan Program Administrative Requirements. 
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 February 
12, 2021.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to [email protected] or mail the HRSA 
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 14N136B, 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 Program, Loans for Disadvantaged Students, Primary Care Loan 
Program, and Nursing Student Loan Program Administrative Requirements, 
OMB No. 0915- 0047- Revision.
    Abstract: This request is for approval of the Health Professions 
Student Loan (HPSL) Program, Loans for Disadvantaged Students (LDS), 
Primary Care Loan Program (PCL), and Nursing Student Loan (NSL) Program 
Administrative Requirements. The form was previously titled as the HPSL 
Program and NSL Program Administrative Requirements (Regulations and 
Policy). This request seeks to add the LDS and PCL Program as the forms 
discussed in this notice are also used for these programs.
    The 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 LDS Program, as authorized by PHS Act sections 721-722 
and 724-735, provides long-term, low interest loans to students 
attending schools of allopathic medicine, osteopathic medicine, 
podiatric medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy, and veterinary 
medicine. The PCL Program, as authorized by PHS Act sections 721-723 
and 725-735, provides long-term, low interest loans to students 
attending schools of allopathic medicine and osteopathic medicine to 
practice primary health care. The 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 
degree, an associate degree, a baccalaureate degree, or a graduate 
degree in nursing. These programs also have a number of recordkeeping 
and reporting requirements for academic institutions and loan 
applicants. The applicable requirements for these programs are outlined 
in 42 CFR 57.201-218 and 57.301-318. HRSA proposes revisions to the 
Annual Operating Report (AOR)-HRSA Form 501, completed by institutions 
participating in the HPSL, LDS, PCL, and NSL programs to obtain 
additional information about those institutions and their student 
borrowers.
    Need and Proposed Use of the Information: Participating HPSL, LDS, 
PCL, and NSL schools are responsible for determining eligibility of 
applicants, making loans, and collecting monies owed by borrowers on 
their outstanding loans. Participating schools include schools that are 
no longer disbursing loans but are required to report and maintain 
program records, student

[[Page 80792]]

records, and repayment records until all student loans are repaid in 
full and all monies due to the federal government are returned. The 
Deferment Form--HRSA Form 519, provides the schools with documentation 
of a borrower's deferment status, as detailed for the HPSL program 
under 42 CFR 57.210 and for NSL under 42 CFR 57.310, and is included 
without revision.
    The AOR-HRSA Form 501 provides the Department of Health and Human 
Services with information from participating schools relating to HPSL, 
LDS, PCL and NSL program operations and financial activities. The 
proposed revisions to the AOR include the addition of a part-time 
option to select questions to allow institutions to report data on 
their part-time students, who are eligible to receive funding through 
the NSL program.
    Specifically, the ``part-time'' option will be added to the 
following questions for the NSL program:
     Question 3, page 1A of the non-PCL section of the AOR 
(total full-time enrollment for the Nursing discipline for the academic 
year -NSL loan recipients),
     Question 13 (total number of full time graduates -NSL loan 
recipients at the school during the current reporting period),
     Question 14 (total number of full time NSL graduates -NSL 
loan recipients during the current reporting period who indicate intent 
to serve in a rural area),
     Question 15b (of the total graduates reported in question 
15a, the number of full-time NSL graduates -NSL loan recipients in 
academic year 20XX--20XX serving in medically underserved communities),
     Question 15c (of the total graduates reported in question 
15a, the number of Full-Time NSL graduates -NSL loan recipients in 
academic year 20XX--20XX serving in primary care), and
     Question 15d (of the total graduates in question 15a, the 
number of full-time NSL graduates -NSL loan recipients in Academic Year 
20XX-20XX who entered the field for which they received their degree).
    HRSA also proposes to revise the AOR-HRSA Form 501 form to include 
four additional demographic questions at the bottom of Page 1A of all 
AORs so that HRSA can better categorize the types of institutions 
participating in the loan programs: 16a. Are you a Community College?
     16b. Are you a Historically Black College or University?
     16c. Are you a Tribal college or university? and
     16d. Are you an institution located in a rural area?
    In addition, HRSA proposes to revise Page 4 (the excess cash 
worksheet) of the AOR-HRSA Form 501 form to limit the grantees' ability 
to make projections to 1-year rather than the previously required 3-
year projection of funding. This proposed revision will allow HRSA to 
improve the overall management of funding.
    Likely Respondents: Institutions participating in the HPSL, LDS, 
PCL, 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 table below.

                                     Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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 Instrument  (HPSL, LDS, PCL, &      Number of     Responses per       Total         Hours per     Total burden
              NSL)                  respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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Deferment--HRSA Form 519........            2060               1            2060              .5           1,030
AOR-HRSA--Form 501..............             726               1             726            12.0           8,712
    Total.......................            2786  ..............            2786  ..............           9,742
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        Grand Total (instruments  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............         327,979
         and recordkeeping
         requirements)..........
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                                           Recordkeeping Requirements
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                                                                     Number of                     Total burden
                  Data required to be submitted                   record keepers  Hours per year       hours
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HPSL, LDS, and PCL Program
Documentation of Cost of Attendance.............................             432            1.05             454
Promissory Note.................................................             432            1.25             540
Documentation of Entrance Interview.............................             432            1.25             540
Documentation of Exit Interview.................................           * 475            0.37             176
Program Records.................................................           * 475           10.00           4,750
Student Records.................................................           * 475           10.00           4,750
Repayment Records...............................................           * 475           19.55           9,286
                                                                 -----------------------------------------------
    HPSL/LDS/PCL Subtotal.......................................             475  ..............          20,496
NSL Program
Documentation of Cost of Attendance.............................             304            0.25              76
Promissory Note.................................................             304            0.50             152
Documentation of Entrance Interview.............................             304            0.50             152
Documentation of Exit Interview.................................           * 486            0.14              68
Program Records.................................................           * 486            5.00           2,430
Student Records.................................................           * 486            1.00             486
Repayment Records...............................................           * 486            2.51           1,220
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[[Page 80793]]

 
    NSL Subtotal................................................             486  ..............           4,584
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* Includes active and closing schools


                                             Reporting Requirements
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                                     Number of     Responses per   Total annual      Hours per     Total burden
                                    respondents     respondent       responses       response          hours
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HPSL, LDS, and PCL
Student Financial Aid Transcript           4,600             1.0           4,600            0.25           1,150
Loan Information Disclosure.....             325           299.5          97,338            0.63          61,323
Entrance Interview..............             325           139.5          45,338            0.50          22,669
Exit Interview..................           * 334           113.5          37,909            1.00          37,909
Notification of Repayment.......           * 334           862.5         288,075            0.38         109,469
Notification During Deferment...           * 333            17.0           5,661            0.63           3,566
Notification of Delinquent                   334           172.5          57,615            1.25          72,019
 Accounts.......................
Credit Bureau Notification......             334             6.0           2,004            0.50           1,002
Write-off of Uncollectable Loans             520             1.0             520            3.00            1560
Disability Cancellation.........               3             1.0               3            1.00               3
Administrative Hearings record                 0             0.0               0            0.00               0
 retention......................
Administrative Hearings                        0             0.0               0            0.00               0
 reporting requirements.........
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    HPSL Subtotal...............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............         310,670
NSL                               ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............  ..............
Student Financial Aid Transcript           4,100             1.0           4,100            0.25           1,025
Entrance Interview..............             282            17.5           4,935            0.42           2,073
Exit Interview..................             348             9.0           3,132            0.42           1,315
Notification of Repayment.......             348             9.0           3,132            0.27             846
Notification During Deferment...             348             1.5             522            0.29             151
Notification of Delinquent                   348            42.5          14,790            0.04             592
 Accounts.......................
Credit Bureau Notification......             348           709.0         246,732           0.006           1,480
Write-off of Uncollectable Loans              23             1.0              23            3.00              69
Disability Cancellation.........              16             1.0              16            1.00              16
Administrative Hearings.........               0             0.0               0            0.00               0
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    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.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2020-27415 Filed 12-11-20; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P