2016-23775. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Designation as an Eligible Institution Under the Title III and Title V Programs and To Request a Waiver ...

AGENCY:

Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before November 2, 2016.

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-2016-ICCD-0103. 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. 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 Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW., LBJ, Room 2E-347, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Jason Cottrell, 202-453-7530.

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: Designation As An Eligible Institution Under the Title III and Title V Programs and to Request A Waiver of the Non-Federal Cost Share Reimbursement (1894-0001).

OMB Control Number: 1840-0103.

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: 250.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,750.

Abstract: This collection of information is necessary in order for the Secretary of Education to designate an institution of higher education eligible to apply for funding under Title III, Part A and Title V of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended. An institution must apply to the Secretary to be designated as an eligible institution. The programs authorized include the Strengthening Institutions, Alaskan Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions, Asian-American and Native American Pacific Islander-Serving Institutions, Native American Serving Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions, Hispanic-Serving Institutions (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math and Articulation), Promoting Postbaccalaureate Opportunities for Hispanic Americans, and Predominantly Black Institutions Programs. These programs award discretionary grants to eligible institutions of higher education so that they might increase their self-sufficiency by improving academic programs, institutional management and fiscal stability.

This collection of information is gathered electronically by the Department for the purpose of determining an institution's eligibility to participate in the Title III and Title V programs based on its enrollment of needy students and low average educational and general (E&G) expenditures per full-time equivalent undergraduate student. This collection also allows an institution to request a waiver of certain non-Federal cost-share requirements under Federal Work-Study Program, Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant, Student Support Services Program and the Undergraduate International Studies and Foreign Language Program.

The collection is paired with a computational exercise that results in the simultaneous publication of an Eligibility Matrix, a listing of postsecondary institutions potentially eligible to apply for grants in the Institutional Service grant programs. Criteria derived from applicable legislation and regulations are applied to enrollment and financial data from Department sources to determine the eligibility of each institution for each program. Only those institutions that either do not meet the financial criteria or do not appear in the eligibility matrix need to go through the application process.

The results of the application process are a determination of eligibility for grant application and waiver, and updated information on institutional eligibility which is added to the EM.

Dated: September 28, 2016.

Kate Mullan,

Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management.