Supporting Statement

Supporting Statement A

Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form (Modified)

OMB Control No. 0915-0314

Terms of Clearance: None

1. Justification

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the modified Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) - Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form (OMB #0915-0314; Expired 3/30/2014. The modified data form will collect less data that is limited to financial data and will not include nursing degree program data and student enrollee data. The data form was previously titled the NFLP-Annual Operating Report and currently exist as part of the BHPR performance report form under OMB #0915-0061. The data form will be used to collect NFLP loan fund activity data from grantee schools receiving Federal funding to administer the NFLP. The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is an essential tool that HRSA will use to monitor performance and to determine future funding to grantees.

Legislative Purpose

The Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) is authorized under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, Sections 846A (42 U.S.C. 297n-1), as amended by the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, Public Law 111-148, Section 5311to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty. The Secretary of HHS, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), makes an award to the School of Nursing to establish a distinct account for the NFLP fund. The school makes loans to students enrolled full-time or part-time in eligible advanced degree nursing programs with an education component that will prepare them to teach. Following graduation from the nursing education program, loan recipients may cancel up to 85 percent of the loan in exchange for service as full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing. Applications to this program were first accepted for the 2003-2004 academic year. In fiscal year 2013, the NFLP appropriation was approximately $24.7 million. Funding for this program is expected to continue under future appropriations.

Under the NFLP, HHS makes an award to the institution in the form of a Federal Capital Contribution (FCC). The institution uses the FCC to establish and operate a distinct account called the NFLP loan fund. The School must contribute an Institutional Capital Contribution (ICC) in the NFLP fund equal to at least one-ninth (minimum) of the FCC award. The School has the option of contributing a larger share to the NFLP loan fund. The NFLP fund may only be used: (1) for the deposit of the FCC and ICC; (2) to make loans to continuing and new NFLP student borrowers enrolled full-time or part-time in a master’s or doctoral nursing degree program; (3) for the deposit of collections of principal & interest on loans made from the NFLP fund and any other earnings of the fund; and (4) for the cost of collection of NFLP loans.

2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection

The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is used to monitor and evaluate institutional performance. The data form is an official reporting tool and is required by active NFLP grantee schools that operate the NFLP loan fund. The grantee must complete and submit the online data form semi-annually for the one-year project period beginning July 1^st through June 30^th of each year to provide the Federal Government with information to determine the effectiveness of the program. The deadline date for submission of the report is 7/31/20xx each year. The data is needed to analyze the grantee’s annual performance and to compile program data for fiscal reporting.

The NFLP- Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form captures the NFLP loan fund cash receipts and loan fund disbursements for the specified reporting period. Participating NFLP grantees must provide current and cumulative information on: (1) the number and amount of loans made, (2) the number of NFLP recipients and graduates, (3) number and amount of loans cancelled, (4) the number and amount of loans in repayment or collection, 5) the number of NFLP graduates employed as nurse faculty, (6) NFLP loan fund receipts, disbursements, and related costs, and (7) the loan fund balance each year. The data form is also used to report the borrower account status under multiple categories (enrollment, graduation, employment, cancellation, repayment, default, forbearance, etc). Schools are expected to review the cash balance in the NFLP fund on at least a semi-annual basis to determine whether the unused accumulation (loan fund balance), compared with projected levels of expenditures and collections, exceeds its needs.

The unused accumulation of funds is reported each year on the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form to assist with the fiscal year award determination.

3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction

The electronic (online) NFLP-Annual Performance Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form was fully developed and implemented as part of the existing HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) in fiscal year 2009. NFLP grantees are required to access the online performance report through the EHBs to submit annually. The data form is accessible to registered EHB users via the internet at https://grants.hrsa.gov/webExternal/home.asp.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

The information requested in the electronic NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is specific to the grantee institution and is unique to this program. The information requested is not available from any other source.

5. Impact on Small Businesses or Other Small Entities

The data collection does not involve small businesses or other small entities.

6. Consequences of Collecting the Information Less Frequently

The process for submitting the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form occurs semi-annually, following completion of the grantee’s project period. In the absence of collecting this data, the determination for future funding and analysis of the grantee’s performance cannot be carried out.

7. Special Circumstances Relating to the Guidelines of 5 CFR 1320.5

This information collection is consistent with 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2), except for 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)(v) through (viii); there are no special circumstances with respect to: 1) use of statistical data classifications, 2) pledge of confidentiality not supported by statute or regulation or required proprietary, and 3) trade secret, or other confidential information not protected by agency procedures.

8. Comments in Response to the Federal Register Notice/Outside Consultation

• A 60-day Federal Register Notice was published in the Federal Register on November 20, 2013, vol. 78, pp. 69697. There were/were no public comments.

Consultation outside of the agency was conducted with the organization and institutions listed below during the month of November, 2013.

Carrie Steere-Salazar

University of California, San Francisco

Phone: (415) 502-8296
Fax: (415) 476-6652
Email: carrie.steere-salazar@ucsf.edu

Sharon Cameron

Campus Partners

Audit and Compliance Specialist

Phone: (800) 458-4492 X2060

Email: scameron@campuspartners.com

Ronald Somervell

Marymount University

Phone: (703) 526-6941 Ext: 6941
Fax: (703) 284-1650
Email: ronald.somervell@marymount.edu

9. Explanation of any Payment/Gift to Respondents

Respondents will not receive any payments or gifts.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality Provided to Respondents

The Privacy Act of 1974 (5 U.S.C. 522a) requires any agency to provide notification to individuals who supply information. The Privacy Act Notification Statement is provided to all NFLP applicants. This statement provides the statutory authority for collecting the information, and describes the purpose of the information collection and the potential disclosure.

11. Justification for Sensitive Questions

The data collection does not request sensitive information from the grantee school.

12. Estimates of Annualized Hour and Cost Burden

12A. Estimated Annualized Burden Hours

Type of Respondent	Form Name	No. of Respondents	No. of Responses per Respondent	Average Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Burden Hours
Accountant	NFLP – Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	250	1	8	2,000
Total		250	1	8	2,000

12B. Estimated Annualized Burden Costs

The salary amount is from the Bureau of Labor Statistics site at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_611300.htm. The average hourly salary for Accountant ($26) and Financial Specialist ($25) for Institutions under the Business and Financial Operations category is provided.

Type of Respondent	Total Burden Hours	Hourly Wage Rate	Total Respondent Costs
Accountant	2000	$25	$50,000
Total	2000	$25	$50,000

13. Estimates of other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record-keepers/Capital Costs

Other than their time, there are no annualized costs to respondents or record-keepers.

14. Annualized Cost to Federal Government

The estimated hourly Federal salary is based on the level GS-13 pay scale.

Form Name	Total Responses	Estimated Review Time	Estimated Hourly Federal Salary	Total Cost Burden
NFLP – Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	250	0.50	$45	$5,625
Total	250	0.50	$45	$5,625

15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments

The number of grantees was increased from 150 to 250, an increase of 100, to reflect the correct number of active NFLP grantees that are required to submit the semi-annual performance report. Active grantees are those schools that currently operate an existing NFLP loan fund.   

16. Plans for Tabulation, Publication and Project Time Schedule

Clearance is being requested for the maximum allowable time of 3 years. The information will be used for determination of future awards to grantees and for analysis of program activity. Statistical methods are not applicable.

17. Reason(s) Display of OMB Expiration Date is Inappropriate

The expiration date will be displayed.

18. Exception to Certification for Paperwork Reduction Act Submissions

This information fully complies with the guidelines set forth in 5 CFR 1320.9. The required certifications are included in the package. No exception is required.

B. ATTACHMENTS TO SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Attachment 1: 60-Day Notice

Attachment 2: NFLP Legislation

Attachment 3: Online NFLP-Annual Operating Report Copy

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