Ed will provide a briefing to OMB before the next renewal of this collection on 1) the IRS data retrieval tool to discuss how future submissions can include a calculation of automatic data retrieval and lessen the burden on applicants and schools; and 2) discussion of comments received and suggestions on how to improve the FAFSA process.
Inventory as of this Action
Requested
Previously Approved
12/31/2014
12/31/2014
12/31/2013
46,099,008
0
46,447,024
25,959,853
0
29,357,853
0
0
0
Public Law 89-329, Sections 401-495, the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), mandates that the Secretary of Education '...shall produce, distribute, and process free of charge common financial reporting forms as described in this subsection to be used for application and reapplication to determine the need and eligibility of a student for financial assistance...'.
The determination of need and eligibility are for the following Title IV, HEA, federal student financial assistance programs: the Federal Pell Grant Program; the Campus-Based programs (Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant (FSEOG), Federal Work-Study (FWS), and the Federal Perkins Loan Program); the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan Program; the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant; and the Iraq and Afghanistan Service Grant.
Federal Student Aid, an office of the U.S. Department of Education (hereafter 'the Department'), subsequently developed an application process to collect and process the data necessary to determine a student's eligibility to receive Title IV, HEA program assistance. The application process involves an applicant's submission of the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). After submission and processing of the FAFSA, an applicant receives a Student Aid Report (SAR), which is a summary of the processed data they submitted on the FAFSA. The applicant reviews the SAR, and, if necessary, will make corrections or updates to their submitted FAFSA data.
The Department is reporting a net burden reduction of 3,398,000 hours, attributed to both a program change and an adjustment. The program change portion of the reduction in burden is estimated at -3,758,702 burden hours while the adjustment portion is estimated at 360,702 burden hours.
The program change is due to the Department's continued effort to simplify FAFSA on the Web, which is utilized by the majority of applicants who apply for aid. Updated completion times were calculated for each component and have been used to estimate the burden. If completion times were calculated using the same application volume used previously (therefore no increase in application volume), the changes in completion time as a result of simplifying FAFSA on the Web, are estimated to result in a total reduction in burden of almost 13%.
However, an increase in the number of applicants is expected for the 2013-2014 FAFSA. This increase in applicants accounts for the increase in burden (the adjustment).
Accounting for both the increase in total applicants and the decrease in individual applicant burden, the net change is an overall decrease of 3,398,000 hours.
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.
Federal Student Aid Application
1845-0001 2013-2014 FSA Andrea Morgan Comment and responses 30 Day Period.docx
Federal Student Aid Application