Supporting Statement

Supporting Statement A

Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) – Program Specific Data Form

OMB Control No. 0915-XXXX

Terms of Clearance: None

1. Justification

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

The Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) requests the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) Program Specific Data Form. The NFLP-Program Specific Data Form will be used to collect the data required to make award determinations for eligible applicants. The NFLP-Program Specific Data Form was previously approved under OMB# 0915-0061. The NFLP program specific data portion was removed (and discontinued) from the existing 0915-0061 data form since the NFLP program specific data was determined to be pre-award data rather than post-award performance data which was not consistent with the purpose of the 0915-0061 data collection.

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 5311 to increase the number of qualified nurse faculty. The HHS, acting through HRSA, may enter into an agreement with schools of nursing and make an award to establish and operate a distinct NFLP loan fund. The NFLP loan fund is used by the applicant school of nursing to make loans to eligible students pursuing an advanced nursing degree program that will prepare the student to become qualified as a nursing faculty. Applications to this program were first accepted for the 2003-2004 academic year. In fiscal year 2013, the NFLP was allotted approximately $24.7 million by HRSA. 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 a distinct account called the NFLP fund. The School must contribute an Institutional Capital Contribution (ICC) to 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 fund.

2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection

Approval of the NFLP-Program Specific Data Form will facilitate an automated data collection capability for the NFLP. The electronic data collection capability will streamline the application submission process, enable an efficient award determination process, and serve as a data repository to facilitate reporting on the use of funds and analysis of program outcomes. Additionally, the data will be used to ensure programmatic compliance with the legislative authority and program guidance and to formulate and justify the appropriation to the Office of Management and Budget and Congress.

The NFLP-Program Specific Data Form will capture program-related information provided by the applicant. NFLP applicants will complete and submit the NFLP-Program Specific Data Form as an electronic attachment with the required application materials. The form will provide the Federal Government with specific data from the applicant which include: (1) the amount of the Federal funds requested by the applicant, (2) the expected contribution from the applicant, (3) the student enrollment and graduation data based on current and prospective NFLP loan recipients, (4) the graduate nursing education programs supported under NFLP, (5) the program accreditation status, (6) the current tuition and fee information for graduate nursing education programs, and (7) the projected NFLP loan fund balance that may be considered as part of the award determination. The data provided in the NFLP-Program Specific Data Form are essential for the formula-based criteria used to determine the award amount to the applicant schools.

3. Use of Improved Information Technology and Burden Reduction

The NFLP-Program Specific Data Form was implemented within the HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) in fiscal year 2009. The data form is accessible via the World Wide Web. NFLP applicants may access an online copy of the data form through the EHBs that is included as part of the online NFLP application package. The online form considerably streamlines the application submission process and reduces the burden to the respondents through the conversion from a paper data form to an on-line data form.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

The information requested in the form is specific to the applicant and 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 making NFLP awards occurs annually, prior to the academic school year. In the absence of collecting these data, the review, selection and approval of funding for qualified applicants 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

8a. A 60-day notice was published in the Federal Register on November 11, 2013, vol. 78, pp. 65674. There were no public comments.

8b. Consultation outside of the agency was conducted with the NFLP schools and agencies below during the month of November, 2013. No comments were provided.

• 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

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 respondents.

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
Record-keeper, Accountant	NFLP – Program Specific Data Form	150	1	8	1,200
Total Burden		150	1	8	1,200

12B. Estimated Annualized Burden Costs

The application and required information is generally completed by accountant staff at the grantee school. The average hourly salary for an Accountant is $26 per hour. This salary amount is based on the occupational employment for institutions under the Business and Financial Operations category from the Bureau of Labor Statistics site at http://www.bls.gov/oes/current/naics4_611300.htm.

Type of Respondent	Total Burden Hours	Hourly Wage Rate	Total Respondent Costs
Accountant	1,200	$26	$31,200
Total Costs	1,200	$26	$31,200

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 application data is reviewed and approved by the designated Federal Public Health Analyst (or Project Officer) that monitors the program. The average hourly salary for the position of Public Health Analyst at the GS-13-Step 2 grade level is $45 per hour. The Federal hourly salary information is available on the OPM web site at https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/salary-tables/pdf/2014/DCB_h.pdf.

Form Name	Total Responses	Estimated Review Time	Estimated Hourly Federal Salary	Total Cost Burden
NFLP – Program Specific Data Form	150	0.50	$45	$3,375
Total Burden	150	0.50	$45	$3,375

15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments

This is a new information collection.

16. Plans for Tabulation, Publication and Project Time Schedule

Clearance is being requested for the maximum allowable time of 3 years. The deadline for submission of the program specific data is expected to be the late March 2014. The awards are finalized by July 1^st each year. The program specific data will be used for determination of awards to applicants 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.

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