2010 supportingstatment-0915-0149

Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students

Application and Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students Performance Report (SDSPR)

Supporting Statement

1. Justification

1. Circumstances of Information Collection

This is a request for OMB approval for the Application and Performance Report forms used by the Scholarships for Disadvantaged Students (SDS) Program. The expiration date for the current approval is 9/30/2010. There are a few new questions added to the application and performance report. (OMB No. 0915- 0149).

The SDS program is authorized by sections 725(f)(2) and 737(h)(2) of the Public Health Service (PHS) Act, as amended by the Disadvantaged Minority Health Improvement Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-527), as amended and renumbered by the Health Professions Education Extension Amendments of 1992 (Public Law 102-408), and amended by the Health Professions Education Partnerships Act of 1998, Public Law 105-392, 42 U.S.C. 293a). The purpose of the SDS program is to provide funds to eligible schools for the purpose of providing scholarships to full-time financially needy students from disadvantaged backgrounds enrolled in health professions and nursing programs.

To qualify for participation in the SDS program, a school must be carrying out a program for recruiting and retaining students from disadvantaged backgrounds, including students who are members of racial and ethnic minority groups (section 737(d)(1)(B) of the PHS Act). A school must meet the eligibility criteria to demonstrate that the program has achieved success based on the number and/or percentage of disadvantaged students who graduate from the school. In awarding SDS funds to eligible schools, funding priorities must be given to schools based on the proportion of graduating students going into primary care, the proportion of underrepresented minority students, and the proportion of graduate working in medically underserved communities (section 737(c) of the PHS Act).

Schools that are eligible for the SDS program are health professions, nursing, allied health, public health, behavioral and mental health and physician assistant.

2. Purpose and Use of Information

Information collected for the SDS application is needed by HRSA to determine whether applicant schools meet the requirements of enabling legislation, to determine eligibility for program participation, and to establish priority for funding. Applicant schools are requested to complete an application for each discipline or program. Data are provided on numbers of full-time student enrollment, racial/ethnicity data, disadvantaged full-time enrollment by class year, full-time students graduated, full-time disadvantaged students graduated, and full-time graduates serving in Medically Underserved Communities. Numbers of full-time graduates serving primary care must be provided only for schools of medicine, osteopathic medicine, dentistry, nursing (graduate degree program), and physician assistants.

Each school will determine the eligibility of students based on financial need and whether a student is from a disadvantaged background.

SDS APPLICATION AND PROGRAM GUIDANCE

The SDS application is for electronic preparation and submission through the Electronic Hand Book. Applicants use the SF 424 R & R as the Application Face Page. In order to submit the application electronically, all applicants must register in grants.gov.

Program Specific Form:

1. Full-time Students in your Program for Academic Year and Their Ethnic/Racial Backgrounds. The schools are to identify their students under the following categories of:

Ethnic backgrounds: Hispanic or Latino or Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino

Racial Background: American Indian or Alaska Native, Asian, Asian Underrepresented, Black or African American, Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander, White and More than one race.

2. Total Full-time Enrollment and Full-Time disadvantaged Enrollment by Class Year for Students in the Program for Academic Year. Schools must report the total full-time disadvantaged enrollment, the number of students enrolled who are from economically disadvantaged backgrounds (according to the Department’s established low-income threshold level).

3. Total Number of Full-time Students Graduated, Total Number of Full-time Graduated that received SDS funds, and Number of Full-time disadvantaged Students Graduated From the Program for Academic Year.

4. Graduates serving in Primary Care and/or Medically Underserved Communities and Graduates Serving in Primary Care and or Medically Underserved Communities that received SDS.

5. Cost of Tuition for Full-Time Students for this Program

5. Length of Program

5. Certification and Eligibility Questions

5. Point of Contact

Below are new data questions added to the application:

PERFORMANCE PROGRESS REPORT (SF-PPR-2)

5. Requested Award Amount

5. Students Supported

5. Public or Any other Non-Profit Accredited Institution

5. American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA)

5. Accreditation

Name of Accrediting Body and Expiration Date

SDS Performance Report (SDSPR)

The SDS PR is for electronic preparation and submission through the Electronic Hand Book.

Information collected for the SDS report is needed by HRSA to determine how many students receive SDS scholarship awards, the number of SDS students that graduated and their ethnic/racial background.

The instructions for completing the SDSPR are attached to this submission.

Below is the data collection for the SDSPR:

1. Funding Information for Document Number

1. Total Federal Funds Authorized for the Funding Period

B. Total Amount of Line 1.A Disbursed

C. Unused Balance of Federal Funds (line 1.A minus 1.B)

D. Check to indicate zero disbursements:

2. Hispanic or Latino Students by Race/Ethnicity

• Number of Students Receiving Awards That Did Not Graduate

• Number of Graduates that Received Awards

*Did your BHPr funding program have students “Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino ethnicity” between July 1 and June 30? Yes. No.

3. Non-Hispanic or Non-Latino Students by Race/Ethnicity

• Number of Students Receiving Awards That Did Not Graduate

• Number of Graduates that Received Awards

Below are two new questions added to the SDSPR form:

4. Enter total number of Full-time students who have graduated in the specified academic year and are serving, or in residencies, in medically underserved communities during this reporting period.

5. Enter total number of Full-time students who have graduated in the specified academic year and are practicing, or in residencies, in primary care during this reporting period.

3. Use of Improved Information Technology

The entire application and performance report process is completed on-line.

The SDS application website is http://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/home.asp

The SDS Performance Report is http://grants.hrsa.gov/webexternal/login.asp

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication

Information requested in the application and the report is specific to the applicant and is unique to this program.

5. Involvement of Small Entities

This data collection will not have a significant impact on a substantial number of small entities. Only the minimum information necessary to make awards is requested.

6. Consequences if Information Collected Less Frequently

The information requested in the application and report is collected annually. In the absence of collection of these data, the review, selection, and approval of qualified applicants could not be carried out.

7. Consistency with the Guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)

The information collected is consistent with the Guidelines in 5 CFR 1320.5(d)(2)

8. Consultation Outside the Agency

The following SDS schools were contacted during February 2010 by program staff regarding the format, content of data to be collected, and time to complete the application. Based upon program experience in the past and recent comments from the schools, an average of 13 hours is required to complete the application.

Dr. Valerie Smith Stephens

Assistant Dean/Director of the Educational Opportunity Fund

Rutgers University College of Nursing

226 Conklin Hall

175 University Avenue

Newark, NJ 07102

(973) 353-1091

Ms. Ellen Spilker

Executive Director, Student Financial Planning

The Trustees of Columbia University

W. 168th Street

New York, NY 10032

(212) 305-4100

Dr. Andrea Krauss

York College/The City University of New York

Guy R. Brewer Blvd.

Jamaica, NY 11114

(207) 892-2691 Ext. 6766

9. Remuneration of Respondents

There will be no remuneration of respondents.

10. Assurance of Confidentiality

The HRSA Privacy Act Coordinator has determined that a system of records notice is not required because the student records associated with these programs are maintained by participating institutions. Only aggregate data are sent to the HRSA.

11. Questions of a Sensitive Nature

There are no questions of a sensitive nature.

12. Estimates of Annualized Burden

The following is an estimate of the total reporting burden:

Form	Number of Respondents	Responses per Respondents	Total Annual Response	Hours per Response	Total Burden Hours	Dollar Wage Rate	Total Hour Cost
SDS App	600	1	600	13	7,800	$40.00	$312,000

Form	Number of Respondents	Responses per Respondents	Total Annual Response	Hours per Response	Total Burden Hours	Dollar Wage Rate	Total Hour Cost
SDS Report	600	1	600	1	600	$30.00	$1,800

Basis for Estimates for the Application:

Applicants: The number of SDS applicants is estimated to be approximately 600 next year. Each applicant must complete one application. The application consists of general information, instructions, and a data form. Some information should be readily available and some tracking of graduates will be necessary in order to comply with the mandated statutory requirements. Based on conversations with schools that are familiar with the program, they estimate that will take approximately 13 hours to review the instructions, collect data, and complete the form (600 applicants X 13 hours/response = 7,800 hours of response burden).

We estimate that the costs to the public will be $ 312,000 (13 hours X $40.00/hour = $ 520 x 600 applicants = $ 312,000). An average wage rate for processing the form for the SDS program application is $ 40.00 per hour.

Basis for Estimates for the Report:

Applicants that are funded: The number of SDS reports is estimated to be approximately 600 next year. Each applicant that receives funds must complete one report. The report consists of general information and requests for how many students receiving SDS scholarship awards, the number of SDS students that graduated and their racial/ethnic background. Most information should be readily available. Based on conversations with schools that are familiar with the program, they estimate that will take approximately 1 hour to complete the report (600 applicants that were funded X 1 hour/response = 600 hours of response burden).

We estimate that the costs to the public will be $ 1,800 (1 hour X $ 30.00/hour = $ 30.00 X 600 applicants that are funded = $ 1,800)

13. Estimates of Annualized Cost Burden to Respondents:

Schools will have no capital and start-up costs and no operational and maintenance costs.

14. Estimates of Annualized Cost to the Government

The estimated annual cost to the government is $85,440.

The staff cost for application, report, program guidance development, data input, and processing for an estimated 600 applicants and 600 reports submitted per year is expected to be $ 25,440.

Application & program guidance development,

Data input, review, analysis and approval $ 25,440

One GS-13 develops the application format and program guidance, reviews, analyzes and approves the applications.

Electronic Hand Book Application and performance report development, enhancement and maintaining database is provided by the contractors, REI systems, Inc. for an estimated 600 applicants and 600 performance reports is expected to be

$ 60,000.

15. Changes in Burden

There are currently 10,500 hours in the OMB Inventory for 0915-0149. We are requesting 8,400 hours for a decrease of – 2,100 burden hours.

This change is due to the following:

The SDS application and SDSPR has been integrated within the HRSA’s Electronic Handbook (EHBs). As a result of this change, it provides complete electronic support for the SDS program specific collection of data, application reviews and SDS reports are now being performed optimally. In addition, the application and SDSPR data collection has been streamlined and a technical assistance teleconference was held to answers questions and concerns regarding the transition from the Web Reporting System (old system) to the EHBs (new system).

16. Time Schedule, Publication and Analysis Plans

Tabulation and analysis is currently performed on the information collected to improve program management, evaluate the program outcomes, and report as needed to the Congress and the Department.

17. Exemption for Display of Expiration Date

The expiration date will be displayed.

18. Certifications

This fully complies with the guidelines set forth in 5 CFR 1320.9. The certifications are included in the package.