The Office of Postsecondary Education (OPE) is seeking a renewed three-year clearance for the College Affordability and Transparency Explanation Form (CATEF) data collection. OPE has collected this information since 2011-12 and the collection of information through CATEF is required by §132 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 as amended (HEA), 20 U.S.C. § 1015a with the goal of increasing the transparency of college tuition prices for consumers. This submission is for the 2017-18, 2018-19, and 2019-20 collection years. CATEF collects follow-up information from institutions that appear on the tuition and fees and/or net price increase College Affordability and Transparency Center (CATC) Lists for being in the five percent of institutions in their institutional sector that have the highest increases, expressed as a percentage change, over the three-year time period for which the most recent data are available. The information collected through CATEF is used to write a summary report for Congress which is also posted on the CATC website (accessible through the College Navigator).
US Code:
20 USC 1015a
Name of Law: Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA)
No changes are being requested to the data collection instruments approved in November 2014 (OMB# 1840-0822 v.3). We will continue to use the same two CATEF forms: (1) Net Price and (2) Tuition and Fees. However, because the responding institutions in 2016-17 reported a lower average time per response than what we estimated in the last approved submission. We are adjusting the total annual estimated burden to 3.27 hours per form. This submission reflects a total burden time decrease of 109 hours due to burden estimate adjustment.
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.