2022-12674. Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; FAFSA Form Demographic Survey

AGENCY:

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

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a new collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before August 12, 2022.

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-2022-SCC-0082. 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 [e-mail] . 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 PRA Coordinator of the Strategic Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W208D, Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Beth Grebelding, [phone].

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: FAFSA Form Demographic Survey.

OMB Control Number: 1845-NEW.

Type of Review: New collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 19,727,003.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 650,991.

Abstract: The U.S. Department of Education (the Department) is requesting a new information collection to gather demographic information in conjunction with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. The FAFSA Simplification Act (FSAct) passed as part of the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 (Pub. L. 116-260) amends the Higher Education Act of 1965, Title IV, Sec 483 (B)(ii)(VII) to add sex and race or ethnicity as information required to be provided by the applicant on the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) form. For the launch of the 2023-24 FAFSA on October 1, 2022, FSA will ask the demographic questions in a pilot, voluntary survey format in order to collect specific feedback on the new questions. This feedback will inform the development of the questions for full implementation within the FAFSA form for the 2024-2025 award year.

Dated: June 8, 2022.

Kun Mullan,

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