New collection (Request for a new OMB Control Number)
No
Regular
08/10/2026
table that charts list comparision
Requested
Previously Approved
36 Months From Approved
60
0
30
0
1,065
0
The National Center for Education Evaluation (NCEE) at the Institute of Education Sciences (IES) within the U.S. Department of Education (ED) requests clearance from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to conduct new data collection activities for the Shaping the Future of Loan Repayment: Participation and Repayment Progress in Federal Student Loan Plans study.
Little information exists on what borrowers understand about how repayment plan features such as longer repayment period, forgiveness, a payment cap, an interest subsidy, or income-driven monthly payment, affect aspects of repayment and how borrowers may prioritize these different plan features. Improving the borrower repayment experience requires understanding how borrowers choose repayment plans, including their understanding of available options, comprehension of plan features and how those features affect their ability to pay back their loans, and the priorities that guide their decisions. In this study, ED seeks to understand which borrowers do and do not enroll in IDR plans, why they do so, how long they stay in their plans, their repayment behaviors, and other household finance and life course outcomes, as feasible.
The 60-day Federal Register notice was published on March 19, 2026, Vol. 91., No. 53 page 13297. Four comments were received on the studyâs recruitment and proposed data collection plan. No comments expressed opposition to or concerns about the proposed data collection. Broadly, commenters emphasized the importance of acknowledging broader factors in the framing for the study and highlighted the need to account for the diversity of borrowers and their complex repayment experiences in sampling, recruitment, and interview methods. After reviewing the public comments, the study team revised selected measures of household financial circumstances in the interview protocol. No changes are recommended to the IDR sampling plan, recruitment strategy, data collection plan, or the analytic focus.
This request covers telephone/virtual interviews with federal student loan borrowers in repayment. This is the first and only request for the collection of data for this study.
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.
NCEE IDR TO2 OMB Appendix B Recruitment Materials_03.09.2026 Revised 06.30.2026_clean.docx
Shaping the Future of Loan Repayment