[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 171 (Wednesday, September 6, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 60934-60935]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-19222]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2023-SCC-0157]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 2020/
25 Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:20/25) Field Test

AGENCY: National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), Department of 
Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Department is proposing a revision of a currently approved 
information collection request (ICR).

[[Page 60935]]


DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
November 6, 2023.

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-2023-SCC-0157. 
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, the Department 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 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 Manager of the Strategic 
Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 4C210, 
Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Carrie Clarady, (202) 245-6347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department, 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. The Department is soliciting comments on the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 
The Department 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: 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students 
(BPS:20/25) Field Test.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-0631.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households Total 
Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 6,927.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,279.
    Abstract: The 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Full-Scale 
(BPS:20/25) is conducted by the National Center for Education 
Statistics, part of the Institute of Education Sciences, within the 
Department of Education, and is part of the Beginning Postsecondary 
Students Longitudinal Study data collection program at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/bps/. BPS is designed to follow a cohort of 
students who enroll in postsecondary education for the first time 
during the same academic year, irrespective of the date of high school 
completion. The study collects data on students' persistence in and 
completion of postsecondary education programs; their transition to 
employment; demographic characteristics; and changes over time in their 
goals, marital status, income, and debt, among other indicators. Data 
from BPS are used to help researchers and policymakers better 
understand how financial aid influences persistence and completion, 
what percentages of students complete various degree programs, what are 
the early employment and wage outcomes for certificate and degree 
attainers, and why students leave school.
    The BPS:20/25 field test will include approximately 3,280 students 
who first began in the 2018-19 academic year. BPS:20/25 will be a 
nationally-representative sample of approximately 34,240 students who 
were first-time beginning students during the 2019-20 academic year. 
These students will be asked to complete a survey and administrative 
data will also be collected for them. Administrative data matching will 
be conducted with sources including the National Student Loan Data 
System (NSLDS), containing federal loan and grant files; the Central 
Processing System (CPS), which houses and processes data contained in 
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms; the 
National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) which provides enrollment and 
degree verification; vendors of national undergraduate, graduate, and 
professional student admission tests; and possible other administrative 
data sources such as the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). These 
data will be obtained through file matching/downloading.
    This submission is designed to adequately justify the need for and 
overall practical utility of the full study, presenting the overarching 
plan for all phases of the data collection and providing as much detail 
about the measures to be used as is available at the time of this 
submission. As part of this submission, NCES will publish a notice in 
the Federal Register allowing first a 60- and then a 30-day public 
comment period. Field test materials, procedures, and results will 
inform the full-scale study. After completion of the field test, NCES 
will publish a notice in the Federal Register allowing an additional 
30-day public comment period on the final details and materials of the 
BPS:20/25 full-scale study.

    Dated: August 31, 2023.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-19222 Filed 9-5-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P