06-7902. Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

SUMMARY:

The Secretary of Education requests comments on the Student Aid Report (SAR) that the Secretary proposes to use for the 2007-2008 award year. The SAR is used to notify Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants of their eligibility to receive federal student aid under the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and to provide an opportunity for applicants to correct or update the information they provided on their FAFSA.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 20, 2006.

ADDRESSES:

Comments may be submitted electronically through e-mail to [e-mail]. In addition, interested persons can access this document on the Internet:

(1) Go to IFAP at http://ifap.ed.gov.

(2) Scroll down to “Current Publications”.

(3) Click on “SAR/ISIR Reference Materials”.

(4) Click on “By 2007-2008 Award Year”.

(5) Click on “Draft 2007-2008 Student Aid Report (SAR) and SAR Acknowledgement Mockups”.

Please note that the free Adobe Acrobat Reader software, version 4.0 or greater, is necessary to view this file. This software can be downloaded for free from Adobe's Web site: http://www.adobe.com.

Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Secretary is publishing this request for comment under the provisions of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, 44 U.S.C. 3501 et seq. Under that Act, ED must obtain the review and approval of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) before it may use a form to collect information. However, under procedure for obtaining approval from OMB, ED must first obtain public comment of the proposed form, and to obtain that comment, ED must publish this notice in the Federal Register.

In addition to comments requested above, to accommodate the requirements of the Paperwork Reduction Act, the Secretary is interested in receiving comments with regard to the following matters: (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.

Dated: September 15, 2006.

Angela C. Arrington,

IC Clearance Official,

Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of the Chief Information Officer.

Office of Postsecondary Education

Type of Review: Revision.

Title: Student Aid Report (SAR).

Frequency: Annually.

Affected Public: Individuals and families.

Annual Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 26,322,270.

Burden Hours: 5,522,892.

Abstract: The SAR is used to notify Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) applicants of their eligibility to receive federal student aid under the student financial assistance programs authorized under Title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended, and to provide an opportunity for applicants to correct or update the information they provided on their FAFSA.

Requests for copies of the information collection submission for OMB review may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov, by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 3182. When you access the information collection, click on “Download Attachments” to view. Written requests for information should be addressed to U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue, SW., Potomac Center, 9th Floor, Washington, DC 20202-4700. Requests may also be electronically mailed to [e-mail] or faxed to 202-245-6623. Please specify the complete title of the information collection when making your request.

Comments regarding burden and/or the collection activity requirements should be electronically mailed to [e-mail]. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.