[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 104 (Wednesday, May 29, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 46376-46377]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-11713]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0076]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; 
William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program (Direct Loan Program) 
Promissory Notes and Related Forms

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 revision of a currently approved 
information collection request (ICR).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
July 29, 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-2024-SCC-0076. 
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: William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program 
(Direct Loan Program) Promissory Notes and related forms.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-0007.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households; Private 
Sector
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 9,862,685.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 4,021,663.
    Abstract: The Direct Subsidized Loan and Direct Unsubsidized Loan 
Master Promissory Note (Subsidized/Unsubsidized MPN) serves as the 
means by which an individual agrees to repay a Direct Subsidized Loan 
and/or Direct Unsubsidized Loan.
    The Direct PLUS Loan Master Promissory Note (PLUS Loan MPN) serves 
as the means by which an individual applies for and agrees to repay a 
Direct PLUS Loan. If a Direct PLUS Loan applicant is determined to have 
an adverse credit history, the applicant may qualify for a Direct PLUS 
Loan by obtaining an endorser who does not have an adverse credit 
history. The Endorser Addendum serves as the means by which an endorser 
agrees to repay the Direct PLUS Loan if the borrower does not repay it.
    An MPN is a promissory note under which a borrower may receive 
loans for a single or multiple academic years. The MPN explains the 
terms and conditions of the loans that are made under the MPN.
    The Direct Consolidation Loan Application and Promissory Note 
(Consolidation Note) serves as the means by which a borrower applies 
for a Direct Consolidation Loan and promises to repay the loan. It also 
explains the terms and conditions of the Direct Consolidation Loan. The 
Consolidation Note Instructions explain to the borrower how to complete 
the Consolidation Note. The Consolidation Additional Loan Listing Sheet 
provides additional space for a borrower to list loans that he or she 
wishes to consolidate. The Consolidation Request to Add Loans serves as 
the means by which a borrower may add other loans to an existing Direct 
Consolidation Loan within a specified time period. The Consolidation 
Loan Verification

[[Page 46377]]

Certificate serves as the means by which the U.S. Department of 
Education obtains the information needed to pay off the holders of the 
loans that the borrower wants to consolidate.
    The proposed changes to the forms currently approved under OMB No. 
1845-0007 include the following:

--Revised language in the promissory notes where necessary to reflect 
changes to the terms and conditions of Direct Loans made by final 
regulations published on November 1, 2022 (87 FR 65904) and July 10, 
2023 (88 FR 43820).
--To eliminate duplication of content, we have consolidated the 
information presented in the current Terms and Conditions and Borrowers 
Rights and Responsibilities Statement (BRR) into a single Terms and 
Conditions/BRR section.
--To make it easier for borrowers to complete the promissory notes, we 
have incorporated the instructions within the body of the promissory 
notes at the beginning of each section to which the instructions apply.
--To reduce the number of forms in this collection, we have eliminated 
the Additional Loan Listing Sheet and added extra spaces to list loans 
in the Consolidation Application/Promissory Note itself.
--To accommodate changes made to the Departments systems used in 
processing promissory notes, the current data field in all of the 
promissory notes that asks for the borrowers middle initial has been 
changed to request the borrowers full middle name, and a new data field 
asking for any suffix to the borrowers name (e.g., Jr. or Sr.) has been 
added.
--We have revised the Privacy Act Statement in each of the promissory 
notes based on the most recent updates to the applicable Systems of 
Records Notices.

    Dated: May 22, 2024.
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. 2024-11713 Filed 5-28-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P