IC Template for PFC Usability Test (Round 2)

Request for Approval under the “Generic Clearance for the Collection of
Qualitative Feedback on the Service Delivery of the Consumer Financial
Protection Bureau” (OMB Control Number: 3170-0024)
1. TITLE OF INFORMATION COLLECTION: CFPB Paying for College usability study
(Round 2)
2. PURPOSE: We will conduct usability testing of a CFPB website product, Paying for
College, in order to explore areas of opportunity for improving the usability of the website.
We will focus on onboarding, information architecture, messaging, content, and comparing
colleges, and repayment information/tools.
3. DESCRIPTION OF RESPONDENTS: High school students who are actively making

college decisions and existing borrowers with student loans (college graduates).
4. TYPE OF COLLECTION (ADMINISTRATION OF THE INSTRUMENT):
a.

How will you collect the information? (Check all that apply)

[X] Web-based or other forms of Social Media
[X] In-person
[ ] Small Discussion Group
[ ] Other, Explain ______________________

[X] Telephone
[ ] Mail
[ ] Focus Group

b. Will interviewers or facilitators be used?
[X] Yes [ ] No [ ] Not Applicable
5. FOCUS GROUP OR SURVEY:
If you plan to conduct a focus group or survey, please provide answers to the following
questions:
a. Do you have a customer list or something similar that defines the universe of potential
respondents and do you have a sampling plan for selecting from this universe?
[ ] Yes [ ] No [ X ] Not Applicable
b. If the answer is yes, please provide a description below. If the answer is no, please
provide a description of how you plan to identify your potential group of respondents and
how you will select them?
The opportunity to participate will be advertised in the local community and on online social
media. Individuals who have opted into contact databases maintained by the testing facilities will
be notified via email or phone about the opportunity to participate. Individuals who express an
interest in participating will be emailed the web-based screener. If they qualify based on
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responses to the web-based screener, they will be contacted by phone and administered the
phone-based screener. Individuals who qualify based on responses from the phone-based
screener will be scheduled.
6. PERSONALLY IDENTIFIABLE INFORMATION:
a. Is personally identifiable information (PII) collected? [ X ] Yes [] No
b. If Yes, is the information that will be collected included in records that are subject to
the Privacy Act of 1974? [ X ] Yes [ ] No [ ] Not Applicable
If applicable, what is the link to the Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA)?
The CFPB is currently drafting a Privacy Impact Assessment that will cover the information
collection outlined here.
c. If Applicable, has a System or Records Notice (SORN) been published?
[X ] Yes [ ] No [] Not Applicable
If Yes, provide Federal Register citation for the SORN 77 FR 60382.
7. INCENTIVES:
a. Is an incentive provided to participants? [X] Yes [ ] No
b. If Yes, provide the amount or value of the incentive? _$75_.
c. If Yes, provide a statement justifying the use and amount of the incentive.
While sessions will last about 60 minutes, participants are required to arrive 10
minutes early to sign in, and to ensure sessions begin on time. Upon completion of
the session, participants are required to sign out and receive their incentive. Thus,
they are in the office for about 75 minutes. Further, many participants have to travel
30-60 minutes to and from the facility. In our experience, a $75 incentive for a 60minute session allows for successful recruitment by reducing the amount of time
required to recruit (i.e., it is more difficult and takes longer to recruit participants
when we offer a lower incentive) and simultaneously increasing the attendance rate.
8. BURDEN ESTIMATES:
Information Collection

Number of
Respondents

Participation
Time
(hours)

Burden
Hours

Web-based Screener
100

.05

5

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Phone-based Screeners (High School and College
Graduate Groups)

College-bound students who have received a
financial aid offer from a college or university for
this financial aid season in an in-person 1-hour
usability test.
Adults who have current outstanding college loan
debt or have had to deal with loan repayment in an
in -person 1-hour usability test.
Totals:

50

.1

5

18

1.25

23

18

1.25

23

36* ////////////////////////

56

*The number of participants in the in-person usability tests is a subset of those screened.

9. FEDERAL COST: The estimated annual cost to the Federal government is

$99,800.32

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10. CERTIFICATION:
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By submitting this document, the Bureau certifies the following to be true:
The collection is voluntary.
The collection is low-burden for respondents and low-cost for the Federal Government.
The collection is non-controversial and does not raise issues of concern to other federal
agencies.
The results are not intended to be disseminated to the public.
Information gathered will not be used for the purpose of substantially informing influential
policy decisions.
The collection is targeted to the solicitation of opinions from respondents who have
experience with the program or may have experience with the program in the future.
The results will not be used to measure regulatory compliance or for program
evaluation.

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