[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 239 (Thursday, December 14, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 86639-86640]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-27484]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2023-SCC-0210]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
Foreign Institution Reporting Requirements Under the CARES Act

AGENCY: Federal Student Aid (FSA), 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 new information collection request (ICR).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
February 12, 2024.

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-0210. 
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 6W203, 
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, 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: Foreign Institution Reporting Requirements 
under the CARES Act.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: State, local, and Tribal governments; 
private sector.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 104.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 52.
    Abstract: The Department of Education (the Department) is 
requesting a new information collection, 1845-NEW, Foreign Institution 
Reporting Requirements under the CARES Act, be made available for full 
clearance with public comment. Section 3510(a) of the CARES Act, Public 
Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020), authorized the Secretary of Education 
(Secretary) to permit a foreign institution, in the case of a public 
health emergency, major disaster or emergency, or national emergency 
declared by the applicable government authorities in the country in 
which the foreign institution is located, to provide any part of an 
otherwise eligible program to be offered via distance education for the 
duration of such emergency or disaster and the following payment period 
for purposes of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1070 et seq.). Additionally, under section 3510(d) of

[[Page 86640]]

the CARES Act, the Secretary may allow a foreign institution to enter 
into a written arrangement with an institution of higher education 
located in the United States that participates in the Federal Direct 
Loan Program under part D of title IV of the Higher Education Act of 
1965 (20 U.S.C. 1087a et seq.) for the purpose of allowing a student of 
the foreign institution who is a borrower of a loan made under such 
part to take courses from the institution of higher education located 
in the United States. The CARES Act requires foreign institutions that 
use either type of authority described above to report such use to the 
Secretary. Institutions are required to report use of either distance 
education or written arrangements to the Department no later than 30 
days after it begins offering coursework online to Direct Loan 
recipients. The Department must also collect specific information from 
a school that requests a waiver in order to determine if the school is 
eligible to receive the waiver. On May 12, 2020, Federal Student Aid, 
an Office of the Department, notified foreign institutions of the new 
authority and requested that any foreign institution who wished to 
utilize this new authority to respond with information specified in the 
email. This information collection was discontinued following the 
discontinuation of the national COVID-19 emergency status. However, due 
to other global situations we are now requesting a new collection to 
allow for the on-going use of the CARES Act waiver.

    Dated: December 11, 2023.
Kun 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. 2023-27484 Filed 12-13-23; 8:45 am]
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