2019-27499. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Institutional Disclosures for Distance Education or Correspondence Programs  

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    AGENCY:

    Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED).

    ACTION:

    Notice.

    SUMMARY:

    In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

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    DATES:

    Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 21, 2020.

    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-2019-ICCD-0130. 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, ED will temporarily accept comments at ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. 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 by fax or email and those 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 Director of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W-208D, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

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    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

    For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Beth Grebeldinger, 202-377-4018.

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    SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

    The Department of Education (ED), 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. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education 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: Institutional Disclosures for Distance Education or Correspondence Programs.

    OMB Control Number: 1845-0145.

    Type of Review: An extension of an existing information collection.

    Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local, and Tribal Governments; Private Sector

    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 3,588.

    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 152,405.

    Abstract: The Department of Education (Department) requests an extension without change to the information collection tied to 34 CFR part 668.50 requiring institutional disclosures for distance education and correspondence courses. This regulatory action establishes requirements for institutional disclosures to prospective and enrolled students in programs offered solely through distance education or correspondence courses, which the Department believes will protect students by providing them with important information that may influence their attendance in distance education programs or correspondence courses as well as improve the efficacy of State-based consumer protections for students. Since distance education may involve multiple States, institutional and program authorization requirements among States may differ, and students may be unfamiliar with or fail to receive information about complaint processes, licensure requirements, or other requirements of authorities in States in which they do not reside.

    The final regulations, based on the 2019 negotiated rulemaking, will rescind the requirements of § 668.50 in its entirety. While the Secretary is exercising her authority to allow for early implementation of the rescission of this section, the final rule and the rescission will not fully take place until July 1, 2020. The Department is asking to extend the current burden assessment until the effective date of the change and at that time a discontinuation request will be filed.

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    Dated: December 17, 2019.

    Kate Mullan,

    PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer.

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    [FR Doc. 2019-27499 Filed 12-19-19; 8:45 am]

    BILLING CODE 4000-01-P

Document Information

Published:
12/20/2019
Department:
Education Department
Entry Type:
Notice
Action:
Notice.
Document Number:
2019-27499
Dates:
Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before January 21, 2020.
Pages:
70176-70177 (2 pages)
Docket Numbers:
Docket No.: ED-2019-ICCD-0130
PDF File:
2019-27499.Pdf
Supporting Documents:
» Forms and Instructions (30D FRN)
» Supporting Statements (30D FRN)
» Supporting Statements (60D FRN)
» Forms and Instructions (60D FRN)