SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

The Department, 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. The Department is soliciting comments on the proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. The Department 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) Service Obligation Certification and Suspension Request Forms.

OMB Control Number: 1845-0158.

Type of Review: An extension without change of a currently approved ICR.

Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals and Households.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 54,495.

Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 17,982.

Abstract: This is a request for an extension without change of the currently approved OMB Control #1845-0158 which covers TEACH Grant Certification of Qualifying Teaching (Certification) and five Service Obligation Suspension Requests (Suspension Requests).

The College Cost Reduction and Access Act (Pub. L. 110-84) (the CCRAA) established the Teacher Education Assistance for College and Higher Education (TEACH) Grant Program under Part A, Subpart 9, of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (the HEA). The regulations governing the TEACH Grant Program are in 34 CFR 686.

The TEACH Grant Program provides grants of up to $4,000 per year to undergraduate and graduate students who are completing, or who intend to complete, coursework necessary to begin a career in teaching. In exchange for receiving a TEACH Grant, a grant recipient must agree to complete four years of qualifying teaching service within eight years of ceasing enrollment at the institution where they received their TEACH Grants, and must regularly provide documentation of their progress toward satisfying the service obligation. Under conditions that are specified in the TEACH Grant Program regulations, a grant recipient may request and receive a temporary suspension of the eight-year period for completing the service obligation, and a grant recipient who is subject to an extended call to active-duty military service may receive a discharge of some or all of the four-year service obligation.

If a grant recipient fails to complete the service obligation or does not meet requirements for documenting the service obligation, the TEACH Grants that the individual received are converted to Direct Unsubsidized Loans that must be repaid, with interest charged from the date of each TEACH Grant disbursement.

91 FR 64146