2017-24977. Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Gainful Employment Program-Subpart Q-Appeals for Debt to Earnings Rates

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.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before December 18, 2017.

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-2017-ICCD-0117. 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 216-34, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

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

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: Gainful Employment Program—Subpart Q—Appeals for Debt to Earnings Rates.

OMB Control Number: 1845-0122.

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

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

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 792.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 23,860.

Abstract: The Student Assistance General Provisions regulation was amended by adding Subpart Q to Part 668. This subpart applies to postsecondary educational programs that lead to gainful employment (GE) in recognized occupations. 1845-0122 pertains to § 668.406—Appeals for Debt to Earnings (D/E) rates. The regulations allow an institution to submit alternate earnings appeals to challenge the Secretary's determination of a GE program that is failing or in the zone based on the D/E rates calculated for a specific GE program.

On June 16, 2017, the Department of Education (the Department) published a notice in the Federal Register announcing the intention to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee to revise the gainful employment regulations published on October 31, 2014. The Department anticipates scheduling the negotiated rulemaking sessions beginning in November or December 2017.

The Department is requesting an extension without change of burden to the currently approved information collection as any new regulations will not be available before the expiration of this current package. There have been no changes to the regulations since the initial approval of the information collection on November 3, 2014.

Dated: November 14, 2017.

Kate Mullan,

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