In January 2024, the Department
convened a negotiated rulemaking committee, the Program Integrity
and Institutional Quality Committee, to consider proposed
regulations for the title IV, Higher Education Act of 1965, as
amended, (HEA) programs. Through the Notice of Proposed Rulemaking
(NPRM), docket number ED-2024-OPE-0050, the Secretary proposes new
regulations to promote program integrity and institutional quality.
The NPRM regulations would clarify, update, and consolidate certain
provisions that apply to distance education; the return of title
IV, HEA funds; and the Federal TRIO programs. The NPRM proposes the
following changes to the information collection 1845-0022 – Student
Assistance General Provisions. Section 668.22 Treatment of title IV
funds when a student withdraws. The proposed revision to 668.22
would require institutions to take attendance in distance education
courses, which would require schools to use actual attendance data
to determine a student’s withdrawal date for students enrolled
entirely in online courses for a particular payment period or
period of enrollment. The requirement would not apply to
dissertation research courses that are part of a doctoral program.
This request is to revise the current information collection to
include these new regulatory requirements.
This request is to revise the
currently approved information collection. These changes are due to
the proposed regulations offered through program change. The
proposed increase in burden to this information collection is based
on an estimated 153,105 hours for 684,822 responses from 3,732
institutions. The Department estimates the new combined total
information collection information at 2,046,660 responses and
2,738,785 hours.
$0
No
No
No
No
No
No
No
Beth Grebeldinger 202
708-8242
No
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.