OMB83 Change Memo

United States Department of Education

January 11, 2021

MEMORANDUM

TO: Lindsay Abate

Office of Management and Budget Desk Officer

FROM: Christopher McCaghren

Deputy Assistant Secretary for Higher Education Programs

RE: Change Request for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Student Aid Certification and Agreement (1801-0005)

The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act (CRRSAA) (P.L. 116-260), enacted on December 27, 2020, provided $22.7 billion for assistance to institutions of higher education (IHEs) under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Section 314(a)(1) of this Act provides funding for financial aid grants to students at public and private nonprofit IHEs. In order for the U.S. Department of Education (Department) to award these funds, the Department is requesting that the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) consider a change request to the approved HEERF student aid certification and agreement (1801-0005). If this request is not approved, the Department will not be able to award these funds as required by the CRRSAA.

On April 9, 2020, under procedures established by 5 CFR 1320, OMB granted the Department emergency approval of a HEERF student aid certification and agreement in order to process awards authorized by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act. Since that time, ED has published 60-day and 30-day notices seeking public comment on the collection. On December 16, 2020, OMB approved this collection for use through December 2023.

The changes proposed by the Department will modify the approved certification to meet the requirements of Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA. The revised certification will be used only by IHEs that did not receive student aid funding under Section 18004(a)(1) of the CARES Act to request such funding under Section 314(a)(1) of the CRRSAA, estimated to be 180 institutions. (IHEs that received such funding under the CARES Act will receive CRRSAA funding as supplements and will not be required to provide any additional information to the Department beyond that which is already on file.) In order to account for the certification, as well as subsequent reporting required by the CRRSAA (similar to that required by the CARES Act and approved under 1801-0005), the Department has estimated five burden hours per respondent.

If this change request is not approved, these emergency financial aid grants to students would be delayed. Therefore, the Department is requesting approval of this change request no later than January 12, 2021 in order to issue the notice inviting applications and process awards in a timely manner.

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