Supporting Statement 0314_Final

Supporting Statement A

Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form (Modified)

OMB Control No. 0915-0314

Highlighted text is the information changed from the last request.

Terms of Clearance: None

1. JUSTIFCATION

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form with revisions. The current approval (OMB #0915-0314) expires on April 30, 2017. The revised data form will collect less data that is limited to financial data and will not include nursing degree program data and student enrollee data. The data form is used to collect NFLP loan fund activity data from grantee schools receiving Federal funding to administer the NFLP. The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is an essential tool that HRSA uses to monitor performance and to determine future funding to grantees.

Legislative Purpose

The NFLP is authorized under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, Section 846A (42 U.S.C. 297n-1) to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty. The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), acting through the Administrator of HRSA, makes an award to the School of Nursing to establish a distinct account for the NFLP fund. The school makes loans to students enrolled full-time or part-time in eligible advanced degree nursing programs with an education component that will prepare them to teach. Following graduation from the nursing education program, loan recipients may cancel up to 85 percent of the loan in exchange for service as full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing. In fiscal year 2016, the NFLP appropriation was approximately $26.5 million.

Under the NFLP, HHS makes an award to the institution in the form of a Federal Capital Contribution (FCC). The institution uses the FCC to establish and operate a distinct account called the NFLP loan fund. The School must contribute an Institutional Capital Contribution (ICC) in the NFLP fund equal to at least one-ninth (minimum) of the FCC award. The School has the option of contributing a larger share to the NFLP loan fund. The NFLP fund may only be used: (1) for the deposit of the FCC and ICC; (2) to make loans to continuing and new NFLP student borrowers enrolled full-time or part-time in a master’s or doctoral nursing degree program; (3) for the deposit of collections of principal and interest on loans made from the NFLP fund and any other earnings of the fund; and (4) for the cost of collection of NFLP loans.

2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection

The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is used to monitor and evaluate institutional performance. The data form is an official reporting tool and is required by active NFLP grantee schools that operate the NFLP loan fund. The grantee must complete and submit the online data form semi-annually for the one-year project period beginning July 1^st through June 30^th of each year to provide the Federal Government with information to determine the effectiveness of the program. The deadline date for submission of the report is August 1^st of each year. The data is needed to analyze the grantee’s annual performance and to compile program data for fiscal reporting.

The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form captures the NFLP loan fund cash receipts and loan fund disbursements for the specified reporting period. Participating NFLP grantees must provide current and cumulative information on: (1) the number and amount of loans made, (2) the number of NFLP recipients and graduates, (3) the number and amount of loans cancelled, (4) the number and amount of loans in repayment or collection, (5) the number of NFLP graduates employed as nurse faculty, (6) NFLP loan fund receipts, disbursements, and related costs, and (7) the loan fund balance each year. The data form is also used to report the borrower account status under multiple categories (enrollment, graduation, employment, cancellation, repayment, default, forbearance, etc). Schools are expected to review the cash balance in the NFLP fund on at least a semi-annual basis to determine whether the unused accumulation (loan fund balance), compared with projected levels of expenditures and collections, exceeds its needs.

The unused accumulation of funds is reported each year on the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form to assist with the fiscal year award determination.

3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction

The electronic (online) NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form was fully developed and implemented as part of the existing HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) in fiscal year 2009. NFLP grantees are required to access the online performance report through the EHBs to submit annually. The data form is accessible to registered EHB users via the internet.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

The information requested in the electronic NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is specific to the grantee institution and is unique to this program. The information requested is not available from any other source.

5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities

The data collection does not involve small businesses or other small entities.

6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently

The process for submitting the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form occurs annually, following completion of the grantee’s one year project period. In the absence of collecting this data, the determination for future funding and analysis of the grantee’s performance cannot be carried out.

7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5

This information collection is consistent with 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2), except for 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)(v) through (viii); there are no special circumstances with respect to: 1) use of statistical data classifications, 2) pledge of confidentiality not supported by statute or regulation or required proprietary, and 3) trade secret, or other confidential information not protected by agency procedures.

8. Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice/Outside Consultation

A 60-day Federal Register Notice was published in the Federal Register on February 21, 2017, Vol. 82, No. 33, pg. 11228-29 (https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2017-02-21/pdf/2017-03316.pdf). There were no public comments.

9. Explanation of any Payment/Gift to Respondents

Respondents will not receive any payments or gifts.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality Provided to Respondents

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 522a) requires any agency to provide notification to individuals who supply information. The Privacy Act Notification Statement is provided to all NFLP applicants. This statement provides the statutory authority for collecting the information, and describes the purpose of the information collection and the potential disclosure.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

The data collection does not request sensitive information from the grantee school.

12. Estimates of Annualized Hour and Cost Burden

12A. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours

The burden for the revised collection decreased from 2,000 to 1,560 hours, reducing the burden by 440 hours.  Burden decreased because the data form will collect less data that is limited to financial data, and will not include nursing degree program data and student enrollee data.  Additionally, electronic submission of the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form reduces the burden for participating NFLP schools required to complete the report.

Form Name	Number of Respondents	Number of Responses per Respondent	Total Responses	Average Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Burden Hours
NFLP – Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	260	1	260	6	1560
Total	260		260		1560

12B. Estimated Annualized Burden Cost

The report is generally completed by accountant staff at the grantee school. The average hourly salary for an Accountant is $30.51 per hour. This salary amount is based on the 2016 occupational employment for institutions under the Business and Financial Operations category from the Bureau of Labor Statistics site at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_611300.htm.

Form Name	Tile of Respondent	Estimated Time (Burden in hours)	Average Hourly Rate (in dollars)	Total Cost Burden (in dollars)
NFLP – Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	Accountant	1560	$30.51	$47,595.60
Total Burden		1560	$30.51	$47,595.60

13. Estimates of other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers/Capital Costs

There are no annualized costs to respondents or record-keepers.

14. Annualized Cost to Federal Government

The approximate annualized cost to the government for this data collection effort is $6,149.14. The report is reviewed and approved by the designated Federal Public Health Analyst (or Project Officer) that monitors the program. The average hourly salary for the position of Nurse Consultant at the GS-13-Step 2 grade level is $46.94 per hour. The Federal hourly salary information is available on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2017/DCB_h.pdf.

Form Name	Total Responses	Estimated Review Time (in hours)	Estimated Hourly Federal Salary (in dollars)	Total Cost Burden (in dollars)
NFLP – Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	262	0.50	$46.94	$6,149.14
Total Burden	262	0.50	$46.94	$6,149.14

15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments

This is not a new activity. The revised data form will collect less data that is limited to financial data, and will not include nursing degree program data and student enrollee data. Additionally, electronic submission of the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form will reduce the burden for participating NFLP schools required to complete the report.

16. Plans for Tabulation, Publication and Project Time Schedule

Clearance is being requested for the maximum allowable time of three (3) years. The deadline for submission of the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data is expected by August 1 of each year. The information will be used for determination of future awards to grantees and for analysis of program activity. Statistical methods are not applicable and there are no plans for publication of the data requested.

17. Reason(s) Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate

The OMB Number and Expiration Date will be displayed on every page of every form/instrument.

18. Exception to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

There are no exceptions to the certification.

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