Experimental Sites Initiative Reporting Tool 2020

Loan Counseling School and Student Survey 30D Clearance

Public Burden Statement

According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number.  The valid OMB control number for this information collection is 1845-0150.  Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 21 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information.  The obligation to respond to this collection is required to obtain or retain benefit (Section 487A(b) of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended).  If you have any comments concerning the accuracy of the time estimate, suggestions for improving this individual collection, or if you have comments or concerns regarding the status of your individual form, application or survey, please contact the Experimental Sites Initiative (experimentalsites@ed.gov) directly.

	ICR Data Collection Item- School Survey- Loan Counseling
1	What is the institution’s six-digit OPEID number?
2	What is the name of the institution?
3	Describe any challenges to the institution in administering the experiment.
4	Describe any unintended benefits or consequences associated with the experiment.
5	In the most recently completed award year, when was your institution actively participating in the experiment? Select all that apply. Summer Fall Spring None of the above Other: _________
6	What changes took place at your institution during the last school year in response to COVID-19? Instruction. How was the teaching in the majority of classes changed? (Select all that apply): Moved in-person classes to online classes Moved in-person classes to a hybrid format combining online and in-person instruction Moved in-person classes to correspondence instruction Suspended instruction (no in-person, online, or correspondence classes) Reduced class sizes for in-person instruction Modified classrooms to facilitate social distancing for in-person classes Added more sections of in-person classes to compensate for smaller class sizes Created shorter instructional or course modules (For example, three 5-week modules instead of one 15-week semester) Modified the schedule or timing of the academic calendar Offered in-person classes for more hours per session to compensate for fewer in-person sessions Used new online learning resources or other new technology Changed from using a letter grading system (i.e., A, B, C, D, I) to some other grading system (e.g., credit/non-credit, pass/fail, etc.) No changes Other, please specify:_________ Source: Inside Higher Ed Survey: Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis: A New Survey of College and University Presidents, adapted question (Which of the following actions have you taken at your institution in response to COVID-19?).
7	Financial conditions at the institution. What were the financial implications of COVID-19 for your institution? Select all that apply. Reduced tuition, fees, room and board for students Furloughed or laid off financial aid staff Furloughed or laid off academic advising staff Furloughed or laid off career services staff Furloughed or laid off faculty Furloughed or laid off other staff Reduced number of programs of study that are offered Lower overall student enrollment Lower international student enrollment No changes Other, please specify:__________ Source: Inside Higher Ed Survey: Responding to the COVID-19 Crisis: A New Survey of College and University Presidents, adapted questions (Which of the following actions have you taken at your institution in response to COVID-19? and How likely is your institution to take the following actions in the future?).
8	Did you use funds from the CARES Act for any of the following? Select all that apply. Reimbursed institution for refunds to students for room and board, tuition, and other fees Purchased technology to enable students to transition to distance learning Paid per-student fees to a third-party service provider for distance learning technology. Provided additional emergency financial aid grants to students (beyond those provided from the student portion of the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund) Other, please specify Not applicable, my institution did not receive any funding from the CARES Act. Source: Categories are based on U.S. Department of Education guidance to colleges for how to use the institution portion of the Higher Education Emergency Financial Relief Fund https://www2.ed.gov/about/offices/list/ope/heerfinstitutionalfaqs.pdf
9	How was the administration of additional loan counseling affected by COVID-19? Check all that apply. Modified how students were informed of the additional required loan counseling. Changed the loan counseling approach from one developed by the institution to the F.A.C.T. or a commercial vendor. Changed the loan counseling approach from the F.A.C.T. or a commercial vendor to one developed by the institution. Stopped delivering loan counseling in-person or peer-to-peer Modified the content or curriculum of the required additional loan counseling Increased the amount of staff time devoted to providing the required additional loan counseling Decreased the amount of staff time devoted to providing the required additional loan counseling Increased the amount of time on average that individual students took to complete the required additional loan counseling Decreased the amount of time on average that individual students took to complete the required additional loan counseling Some students were not able to complete additional loan counseling No changes Other, please specify:
10	Approximately how many students received additional loan counseling before these changes were made? __________
11	Approximately how many students received additional loan counseling after these changes were made? _________
12	Which of the challenges below, if any, has your institution encountered while administering the Additional Loan Counseling experiment? (Add “note to survey programmer: add option to select whether or not each challenge selected was a result of COVID-19”) A. Please check all that apply. Choosing the type of additional loan counseling to require (e.g., approach and delivery method) (b) Cost/procedures to obtain license for the additional counseling chosen (if third-party) (c) Finding time/staff to develop the counseling curriculum/materials (if institutionally developed) (d) Integrating counseling into existing school technology (if utilizing online delivery) (e) Staffing (e.g., assigning or hiring appropriate school personnel to provide or assist students in completing the additional loan counseling) (f) Identifying borrowers eligible for the additional loan counseling requirement (e.g., flagging the appropriate students in your data system) (g) Using the last digit of students’ SSN to determine which of them are subject to the additional loan counseling requirement (the treatment group) (h) Notifying treatment group students about their additional counseling requirement (i) Negative student response or negative reaction to the additional loan counseling requirement (j) Other (Please specify: ____________________) B. Please identify the top three challenges by entering the letter of the challenge descriptions listed above in the appropriate place below: 1. My institution’s most significant challenge was ______ 2. My institution’s second most significant challenge was _____ 3. My institution’s third most significant challenge was _____
13	How did the institution inform borrowers in the treatment group of the additional required loan counseling and that information about them would be reported to the U.S. Department of Education?
14	How did the institution inform borrowers in the control group that they are part of an experiment and that information about them would be reported to the U.S. Department of Education?
15	Does the institution offer voluntary loan counseling to students? If so, describe the types of voluntary loan counseling provided to students outside of the experiment. Include what kind of counseling is provided, the core curriculum, and the students targeted to receive this additional voluntary counseling.
16	What was the mode(s) of delivery used for the additional counseling required under the experiment (e.g. online, in-person, hybrid)?
17	Which counseling approach was used for the additional counseling required under the experiment (e.g. FACT, third-party servicer, third-party counseling product, institutionally developed, or other)?
18	Please describe the main components of your institution's additional loan counseling curriculum, the expected amount of time required to complete the counseling, and any personalized information presented to students (e.g., showing students their NSLDS portal to look at their current loan amounts).
19	How much staff time was dedicated to conducting the experimental additional loan counseling for all students in the treatment group?
20	How much time did students typically take to complete the experimental additional loan counseling?
21	How did your institution inform students in the experiment’s treatment group (borrowers with an even number in the last digit of their SSN) of the additional required loan counseling and that information about them would be reported to the U.S. Department of Education? Please check all that apply. Through communication (letters, emails, etc.) to students in the treatment group accompanying their financial aid award Through communication (letters, emails, etc.) to students in the treatment group that was separate from their financial aid award Communication efforts that targeted all students or groups of students Other (Please specify: _______________________)
22	Who developed the additional counseling approach your institution uses for the experiment? Please check all that apply and provide the name of the counseling product or curriculum, if applicable. U.S. Department of Education (Office of Federal Student Aid, Financial Awareness Counseling Tool or F.A.C.T) Third-party loan servicer (Please specify: ________________) Some other vendor from whom your school purchased or leased a commercial product (Please specify: _________________) A non-profit organization from whom your school obtained curriculum or other materials for free or minimal cost (Please specify: _______________) Our institution (Please specify: _______________) Other (Please specify: _______________)
23	How is the additional counseling required under the experiment delivered? Please check all that apply. Online In-person Peer-to-peer Hard copy, written materials Other (Please specify: _______________)
24	Does the content or curriculum of the required additional loan counseling include any of these features? Please check all that apply. An activity where students go to their NSLDS/loan servicer portal to look at their loan amount or outstanding balance Other material tailored to individual students’ loan amount or balance Development of a budget for students’ remaining years of education A way for students to see expected starting salaries in their occupation of interest General financial literacy education (e.g., explaining interest compounding or present value discounting) An assessment to determine if students understood the material A survey to identify students’ expected loan repayment methods
25	What amount of staff time, expressed in the Full-time Equivalent (FTE) metric, would you estimate is devoted to providing the required additional loan counseling to students over the entire award year? ___.___ FTE
26	How much time on average do you estimate individual students assigned to the treatment group took to complete the additional loan counseling required in the experiment? Please check one category. 30 minutes or less 30 - 60 minutes 61 -120 minutes More than two hours
27	What kind of voluntary loan counseling does your institution offer to students, if any? Please check all that apply. My institution does not offer voluntary loan counseling Students may drop by or schedule time to talk with financial aid counselors Students are encouraged to access our institution’s entry counseling each year or as needed Our institution offers a separate loan counseling program for those who need and/or are interested in additional counseling (distinct from required entry and exit counseling) The voluntary counseling students can access is tailored to their borrowing amount and status The voluntary counseling is targeted to students with certain borrowing amounts The voluntary counseling is targeted to other type(s) of students (Please specify:___)
28	Were there any unanticipated benefits or positive outcomes, above and beyond improving student knowledge of and appreciation for the consequences of using federal Direct Loans to finance higher education, associated with your institution’s implementation of the Additional Loan Counseling experiment? Yes. (Please briefly describe: __________________) No.

Item Number	ICR Data Collection Item- Student Survey- Loan Counseling
1	What is the student’s first name?
2	What is the student’s last name?
3	What is the student’s date of birth?
4	What is the student’s Social Security number?
5	What experiment is the institution reporting on with regard to the student?
6	List any other experiments in which the student is participating.
7	What is the reporting award year?
8	What was the student’s cumulative postsecondary grade point average (or other alternative measure) at the end of the most recently completed award year?
9	What was the student's enrollment status at the beginning of the first award year in which the student was part of the experiment?
10	What was the student's enrollment status at the end of the most recently completed award year?
11	To the best of your knowledge, did the applicant enroll in a program of study at your institution not involved with the experiment or enroll at another postsecondary institution during the most recently completed award year? (Select one: “Yes,” “No,” “Unknown”)
12	What was the student's grade level at the beginning of the most recently completed award year?
13	What was the student's grade level at the end of the most recently completed award year?
14	How many postsecondary credits/hours were attempted by the student in the most recently completed award year?
15	How many postsecondary credits/hours were earned by the student in the most recently completed award year?
16	How much was the student assessed for tuition and other mandatory fees for the most recently completed award year?
17	What was the amount of the student’s indirect costs that were included in the student’s COA for the most recently completed award year (including books and supplies)?
18	What was the total non-Title IV grant or scholarship aid received by the student for the most recently completed award year?
19	What was the total non-Title IV loan aid received by the student for the most recently completed award year?
20	What was the total amount of PLUS Loans initially awarded to the parent of the student for the most recently completed award year?
21	What was the total amount of PLUS Loans disbursed to the parent of the student for the most recently completed award year?
22	What was the total amount of FSEOG initially awarded to the student for the most recently completed award year?
23	What was the total amount of FSEOG disbursed to the student for the most recently completed award year?
24	What was the total amount of Perkins Loans initially awarded to the student for the most recently completed award year?
25	What was the total amount of Perkins Loans disbursed to the student for the most recently completed award year?
26	What was the amount of Federal Work Study (FWS) funds awarded to the student for the most recently completed award year?
27	What was the amount of Federal Work Study (FWS) funds earned by the student for the most recently completed award year?
28	Did the student complete the academic program associated with the student’s participation in the experiment?
29	What was the Department of Education assigned status for each student: treatment or control?
30	Did the student receive voluntary loan counseling during the most recently completed award year?

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