College Affordability and Transparency Explanation Form (CATEF) 2021-2023
Revision of a currently approved collection
No
Regular
03/05/2021
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
03/31/2021
544
631
1,251
2,063
0
0
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 2021-22, 2022-23, and 2023-24 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).
Minor changes are being requested to the data collection instruments that were approved in November 2012 (OMB# 1840-0822 v.2). We will continue to use two CATEF forms: (1) Net Price and (2) Tuition and Fees. Analysis of past open-ended data questions in both surveys revealed that the open-ended items could be replaced with multi-choice items, resulting in burden reduction of 812 hours.
US Code:
20 USC 1015a
Name of Law: Higher Education Opportunity Act (HEOA)
Changes in the survey instrument replacing the free-text questions with drop-down menu questions will result in a decrease in burden of 528 hours of program change.
There is also a decrease in burden of 284 hours due to the government's estimate of the number of respondents that will be required to complete the survey.
This submission reflects a total burden decrease of 812 hours due to burden estimate adjustment and change in question format.
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.