[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 5 (Wednesday, January 8, 1997)]
[Proposed Rules]
[Pages 1075-1077]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-355]
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DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS
38 CFR Part 21
RIN 2900-AH97
Veterans Education: Submission of School Catalogs to State
Approving Agencies
AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs.
ACTION: Proposed rule.
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SUMMARY: This document proposes to amend the educational assistance and
educational benefits regulations of the Department of Veterans Affairs
(VA). The current regulations provide that schools must submit a
catalog or bulletin to the State Approving Agency (SAA) when seeking
approval for courses for training under VA-administered education
programs. Public Law 102-568 removed this requirement for elementary
and secondary schools. Accordingly, VA intends to amend the regulations
to state that accredited schools, other than elementary and secondary
schools, as part of the approval process must submit catalogs to the
State agencies that approve courses for training under VA-administered
education programs. The purpose of this document is to request
Paperwork Reduction Act comments concerning requirements that
accredited schools, other than elementary and secondary schools, submit
a catalog or bulletin to SAAs.
DATES: Comments on this collection of information should be submitted
must be received on or before March 10, 1997.
ADDRESSES: Mail or hand deliver written comments to: Director, Office
of Regulations Management (02D), Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Ave., NW, Room 1154, Washington, DC 20420. Comments should
indicate that they are submitted in response to ``RIN 2900-AH97''. All
written comments will be available for public inspection in the Office
of Regulations Management, Room 1158, between the hours of 8:00 a.m.
and 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday (except holidays).
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: June C. Schaeffer, Assistant Director
for Policy and Program Administration, Education Service (225),
Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, 810
Vermont Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20420, 202-273-7187.
[[Page 1076]]
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995
The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has determined that the
proposed 38 CFR 21.4253(d)(1) would constitute a collection of
information under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. 3501-
3520). Accordingly, under section 3507(d) of the Act VA has submitted a
copy of this rulemaking action to OMB for its review of the collection
of information.
OMB assigns a control number for each collection of information it
approves. VA may not conduct or sponsor, and a person is not required
to respond to, a collection of information unless it displays a
currently valid OMB control number.
Comments on the proposed collection of information should be
submitted to the Office of Management and Budget, Attention: Desk
Officer for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Information
and Regulatory Affairs, Washington, DC 20503, with copies mailed or
hand-delivered to: Director, Office of Regulations Management (02D),
Department of Veterans Affairs, 810 Vermont Ave., NW, Room 1154,
Washington, DC 20420. Comments should indicate that they are submitted
in response to ``RIN 2900-AH97''.
Title: Submission of School Catalog to State Approving Agency
(SAA).
Summary of collection of information: The provisions of the
proposed 38 CFR 21.4253(d)(1) would restate a statutory requirement
(under 38 U.S.C. 3675(a)) which provides that before an SAA may approve
a course of an accredited educational institution (other than an
elementary or secondary school) for training under VA-administered
educational assistance programs (VA training), the educational
institution must submit to the SAA certified copies of its catalog or
bulletin containing the school's graduation requirements; institution
policy and regulations containing certain information relative to
standards of progress required of the student; institution policy and
regulations relating to student conduct and conditions for dismissal;
and any attendance standards, if enforced.
Description of need for information and proposed use of
information: VA contracts with agencies of the various State
governments (SAAs) to approve courses for VA training. The catalogs or
bulletins referred to in this rulemaking are required by 38 U.S.C.
3675(a) to be submitted to the SAAs, not to VA. Hence, VA is not the
primary user of the information, except in those rare instances where,
under 38 U.S.C. 3671, VA is acting as an SAA. The SAAs use the
information contained in the catalogs to help determine whether the
educational institution's courses may be approved for VA training.
Description of likely respondents: Accredited educational
institutions (other than elementary and secondary schools) applying to
SAAs for approval of the institutions' courses for VA training.
Estimated number of respondents: 5,990.
Estimated frequency of responses: Annually. Generally, the SAAs
collect this information when an educational institution applies for
approval of a new course of study. Essentially, educational
institutions develop new courses of study for which they seek approval
with enough frequency so that the SAAs collect each new catalog the
educational institutions may issue. This generally means a collection
annually or less frequently, depending on the nature of the educational
institution applying for course approval.
Estimated total annual reporting and recordkeeping burden: 1,497.5
hours. VA estimates that there would be no additional recordkeeping
burden imposed. Educational institutions would develop catalogs or
bulletins and would develop written policies and requirements
concerning the matters required to be included in the catalogs and
bulletins even if the statutory requirements restated in the proposed
rule did not exist.
Estimated annual burden per collection: \1/4\ hour.
The Department considers comments by the public on proposed
collections of information in--
Evaluating whether the proposed collections of information
are necessary for the proper performance of the functions of the
Department, including whether the information will have practical
utility;
Evaluating the accuracy of the Department's estimate of
the burden of the proposed collections of information, including the
validity of the methodology and assumptions used;
Enhancing the quality, usefulness, and clarity of the
information to be collected; and
Minimizing the burden of the collections of information on
those who are to respond, including through the use of appropriate
automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological collection
techniques or other forms of information technology, e.g., permitting
electronic submission of responses.
OMB is required to make a decision concerning the collection of
information contained in this proposed rule between 30 and 60 days
after publication of this document in the Federal Register. Therefore,
a comment to OMB is best assured of having its full effect if OMB
receives it within 30 days of publication. This does not affect the
deadline for the public to comment on the proposed regulations.
Regulatory Flexibility Act
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs certifies that the adoption of
this proposed rule would not have a significant economic impact on a
substantial number of small entities as they are defined in the
Regulatory Flexibility Act, 5 U.S.C. 601-612. Although it is possible
that a small entity could be subject to this rulemaking, all schools
prepare a catalog or bulletin that would meet the requirements of this
rulemaking. Consequently, there would be no significant economic impact
on small entities from this rulemaking.
Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance
The Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance numbers for the programs
affected by this proposed rule are 64.117, 64.120, and 64.124.
List of Subjects in 38 CFR Part 21
Administrative practice and procedure, Armed forces, Civil rights,
Claims, Colleges and universities, Conflict of interests, Defense
Department, Education, Employment, Grant programs--education, Grant
programs--veterans, Health care, Loan programs--education, Loan
programs-veterans, Manpower training programs, Reporting and
recordkeeping requirements, Schools, Travel and transportation
expenses, Veterans, Vocational education, Vocational rehabilitation.
Approved: October 24, 1996.
Jesse Brown,
Secretary of Veterans Affairs.
For the reasons set out in the preamble, 38 CFR part 21, subpart D
is amended as set forth below.
PART 21--VOCATIONAL REHABILITATION AND EDUCATION
Subpart D--Administration of Educational Assistance Programs
1. The authority citation for part 21, subpart D continues to read
as follows:
Authority: 10 U.S.C. 1606; 38 U.S.C. 501(a), chs. 30, 32, 34,
35, 36, unless otherwise noted.
2. In Sec. 21.4253, paragraph (d)(1) is revised to read as follows:
[[Page 1077]]
Sec. 21.4253 Accredited courses.
* * * * *
(d) School qualification. * * *
(1) The institution (other than an elementary or secondary school)
has submitted to the State approving agency copies of its catalog or
bulletin which are certified as true and correct in content and policy
by an authorized representative, and the publication shall:
(i) State with specificity the requirements of the institution with
respect to graduation;
(ii) Include institution policy and regulations relative to
standards of progress required of the student by the institution (this
policy will define the grading system of the institution, the minimum
grades considered satisfactory, conditions for interruption for
unsatisfactory grades or progress, a description of the probationary
period, if any, allowed by the institution, conditions of reentrance
for those students dismissed for unsatisfactory progress, and a
statement regarding progress records kept by the institution and
furnished the student);
(iii) Include institution policy and regulations relating to
student conduct and conditions for dismissal for unsatisfactory
conduct; and
(iv) Include any attendance standards of the institution if the
institution has and enforces such standards.
(Authority: 38 U.S.C. 3675(a), 3676(b))
* * * * *
[FR Doc. 97-355 Filed 1-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 8320-01-P
