Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

AGENCY:

Department of Education.

SUMMARY:

The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, invites comments on the proposed information collection requests as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before September 14, 2010.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Section 3506 of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. Chapter 35) requires that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) provide interested Federal agencies and the public an early opportunity to comment on information collection requests. OMB may amend or waive the requirement for public consultation to the extent that public participation in the approval process would defeat the purpose of the information collection, violate State or Federal law, or substantially interfere with any agency's ability to perform its statutory obligations. The Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Regulatory Information Management Services, Office of Management, publishes that notice containing proposed information collection requests prior to submission of these requests to OMB. Each proposed information collection, grouped by office, contains the following: (1) Type of review requested, e.g., new, revision, extension, existing or reinstatement; (2) Title; (3) Summary of the collection; (4) Description of the need for, and proposed use of, the information; (5) Respondents and frequency of collection; and (6) Reporting and/or Recordkeeping burden. OMB invites public comment.

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.

Office of Postsecondary Education

Type of Review: Reinstatement.

Title: Student Support Services Annual Performance Report.

OMB #: 1840-0525.

Form #: N/A.

Frequency: Annually.

Affected Public: Not-for-profit institutions; State, Local, or Tribal Government, State Educational Agencies (SEAs) or Local Educational Agencies (LEAs).

Reporting and Recordkeeping Hour Burden:

Responses: 947.

Burden Hours: 5,682.

Abstract: The Department of Education is requesting a reinstatement without change of the previously approved annual performance report, which was discontinued on November 30, 2009 (OMB No.: 1840-0525), to collect data under the Student Support Services (SSS) Program. Reinstating the report would allow the Department to collect consistent performance data for as much of the grant cycle as possible from current SSS grantees, which were given a one-time, one-year extension due to the negotiated rulemaking process underway to implement the Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA) revisions to the Higher Education Act (HEA), the authorizing statute for the program. Beginning next year and pending a final rule, all new and continuing grantees will submit performance data consistent with the changes made by the HEOA.

Requests for copies of the proposed information collection request may be accessed from http://edicsweb.ed.gov,, by selecting the “Browse Pending Collections” link and by clicking on link number 4344. 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., LBJ, Washington, DC 20202-4537. Requests may also be electronically mailed to ICDocketMgr@ed.gov or faxed to 202-401-0920. 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 ICDocketMgr@ed.gov. Individuals who use a telecommunications device for the deaf (TDD) may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339.