Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program (TEACH Grant Program) Agreement To Serve

AGENCY:

Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION:

Notice.

SUMMARY:

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

DATES:

Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before April 6, 2018.

ADDRESSES:

To access and review all the documents related to the information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2018-ICCD-0007. Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. Please note that comments submitted by fax or email and those submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail or delivery should be addressed to the Director of the Information Collection Clearance Division, U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland Avenue SW, LBJ, Room 216-34, Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

For specific questions related to collection activities, please contact Jon Utz, 202-377-4040.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department of Education (ED), in accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's information collection requirements and provide the requested data in the desired format. ED is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department of Education is especially interested in public comment addressing the following issues: (1) Is this collection necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this information be processed and used in a timely manner; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this collection on the respondents, including through the use of information technology. Please note that written comments received in response to this notice will be considered public records.

Title of Collection: Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education Grant Program (TEACH Grant Program) Agreement to Serve.

OMB Control Number: 1845-0083.

Type of Review: A revision of an existing information collection.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 50,793.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 25,397.

Abstract: As a condition for receiving a TEACH Grant, a student must sign an Agreement to Serve. A new Agreement to Serve must be signed for each award year during which a student wishes to receive a TEACH Grant. By signing the Agreement to Serve, a TEACH Grant recipient agrees to meet the teaching service obligation and other terms and conditions of the TEACH Grant Program that are described in the Agreement to Service. In accordance with these terms and conditions, if a TEACH Grant recipient does not fulfill the required teaching service obligation or otherwise fails to meet the requirements of the TEACH Grant Program, any TEACH Grant funds the individual received will be converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan that the grant recipient must repay in full, with interest. The Agreement to Serve also explains the repayment terms and conditions that will apply if a TEACH Grant is converted to a Direct Unsubsidized Loan.