The National Center for Education
Statistics (NCES) of the U.S. Department of Education (Department)
is required by regulation to develop an earnings survey to support
gainful employment (GE) program evaluations. The regulations
specify that the Secretary of Education will publish in the Federal
Register the survey and the standards required for its
administration. NCES has developed the Recent Graduates Employment
and Earnings Survey (RGEES) Standards and Survey Form. The RGEES
can be used in a debt-to-earnings (D/E) ratio appeal under the GE
regulations as an alternative to the Social Security administration
earnings data. Institutions that choose to submit alternate
earnings appeal information will survey all Title IV funded
students who graduated from GE programs during the same period that
the Department used to calculate the D/E ratios, or a comparable
period as defined in 668.406(b)(3) of the regulations. The survey
will provide an additional source of earnings data for the
Department to consider before determining final D/E ratios for
programs subject to the gainful employment regulations. Programs
with final D/E ratios that fail to meet the minimum threshold may
face sanctions, including the possible loss of Title IV federal
student financial aid program funds.
US Code:
20 USC 1088, 1094 Name of Law: The Higher Education Act of
1965, as amended
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.