81 FR 66642 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment Request; Application for Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment Form

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

Federal Register Volume 81, Issue 188 (September 28, 2016)

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information collection.

[Federal Register Volume 81, Number 188 (Wednesday, September 28, 2016)]
[Notices]
[Pages 66642-66643]
From the Federal Register Online  [www.thefederalregister.org]
[FR Doc No: 2016-23400]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No. ED-2016-ICCD-0075]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; Application for Borrower Defense to Loan Repayment Form

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

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 
U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information 
collection.

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
October 28, 2016.

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-2016-ICCD-
0075. 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 2E347, 
Washington, DC 20202-4537.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Beth Grebeldinger, 202-377-4018.

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

[[Page 66643]]

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: Application for Borrower Defense to Loan 
Repayment Form.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-NEW.
    Type of Review: A new information collection.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individual or Households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 10,000.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 10,000.
    Abstract: The Department of Education (the Department) requests 
approval of this new collection of an Application for Borrower Defense 
to Loan Repayment form (``Universal Borrower Defense Form'') to ensure 
that all borrowers have a consistent platform to petition for relief, 
and to facilitate the Department's receipt of clear and complete 
information necessary to process applications efficiently. This form 
will facilitate processing claims from student borrowers who believe 
that they have a Borrower Defense claim regarding their Federal Loans. 
The form will provide borrowers with an easily accessible and clear 
method to provide the information necessary for the Department to 
review and process claim applications efficiently. The Universal 
Borrower Defense Form will set forth examples of the types of 
activities that could form the basis of borrowers' claims for Borrower 
Defense relief. A successful Borrower Defense claim would provide a 
full or partial discharge of a borrower's loans, as well as 
reimbursement of amounts previously paid (if appropriate).

    Dated: September 23, 2016.
Kate Mullan,
Acting Director, Information Collection Clearance Division, Office of 
the Chief Privacy Officer, Office of Management.
[FR Doc. 2016-23400 Filed 9-27-16; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4000-01-P