2008-2009 FAFSA emergency collection OMB memoOMB

TO: Bridget Dooling DATE: 12/12/2007

Office of Management and Budget

FROM: Jennifer Douglas

General Manager, Students Channel

Federal Student Aid

SUBJECT: Emergency Clearance of the 2008-2009 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) due to the addition of the new TEACH grant question

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act of 2007 establishes, effective with the 2008-2009 award year, the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program, which provides up to $4,000 a year in grant assistance to students who plan on being a teacher and meet certain specified requirements.

Because the 2008-2009 FAFSA PRA burden hour estimate (approved Dec 2006) does not include the burden associated with reading and responding to a new TEACH grant question (the TEACH grant did not exist at that time) we are submitting this request for an emergency clearance of an updated 2008-2009 FAFSA. OMB has identified several conditions under which an agency may submit an emergency clearance request. The Department believes that two of these conditions apply: 1) Failture to make the change might result in harm to the public; and 2) The change is the result of an unanticipated event that has occurred beyond the control of the Department.

We propose to accomplish this by asking the following question on FAFSA on the Web: "Are you planning on completing coursework, now or in the future, necessary for you to become an elementary or secondary school teacher? A 'YES' response to this question will allow your school to provide you with additional information on a new federal aid program for students who meet certain conditions and plan on becoming teachers." Through the updated FAFSA we are striving to make students aware of the TEACH Grant program and the eligibility criteria, in addition to determining their plans to pursue a teaching career.

We estimate that including the new TEACH grant question on the FAFSA will result in an increase in public burden hours from 8,016,947 hours to 8,054,467 hours. This reflects an increase of 37,520 hours. We believe that the addition of a new question is the most effective and efficient way to inform students of the new program and assist institutions with targeting information and outreach to students interested in the new TEACH grant program and its benefits. Because system start-up for the FAFSA is scheduled for January 1, 2008, I request that approval be granted on or before December 28, 2007 to assure that we are able to present this question to all 2008-2009 federal student aid applicants.

If you have any questions about the attached material, please contact me at 202-377-3201 or Adam Essex at 202-377-3515.

Jennifer Douglas