FINAL Supporting Statement 5-8-2020

Supporting Statement A

Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)

Nurse Program Specific Data Form and Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form

OMB Control No. 0915-0314 - Revision

Terms of Clearance: None

1. JUSTIFCATION

1. Circumstances Making the Collection of Information Necessary

The Health Resources and Services Administration’s (HRSA) Bureau of Health Workforce is requesting the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) approval of the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP)-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form. The current approval (OMB #0915-0314) expires on July 30, 2020.

This clearance request is for approval of both the Nurse Faculty Loan Program (NFLP) Program Specific Data Form and the Annual Performance Report (APR) Financial Data Form. The APR Financial Data Form is currently approved under OMB Approval No. 0915–0314 and the Program Specific Data Form is currently approved under OMB Approval No. 0915–0378, both with the expiration date of July 31, 2020. The APR Form was previously titled as the Nurse Faculty Loan Program, Annual Operating Report. For program efficiency, HRSA is combining these previously separate ICRs under OMB No. 0915-0314 and will be discontinuing OMB No. 0915-0378.

Specifically the APR Financial Data Form will collect less data that is limited to financial data and will not include nursing degree program data and student enrollee data. The data form will be used to collect NFLP loan fund activity data from grantee schools receiving Federal funding to administer the NFLP. The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is an essential tool that HRSA will use to monitor performance and to determine future funding to grantees.

In addition, the NFLP Program Specific Data Form will be used to collect the data required to make award determinations for eligible applicants. The data provided in the form, such as the school’s default rate, the applicant’s loan fund balance, etc. is essential for the formula-based criteria used to determine the award amount to the applicant schools. Continued approval of the revised NFLP – Program Specific Data Form will allow HRSA to more efficiently capture data to generate the formula-based award.

Legislative Purpose

The NFLP is authorized under Title VIII of the Public Health Service Act, Section 846A (42 U.S.C. 297n-1) to increase the number of qualified nursing faculty. The Secretary of HHS, acting through the Administrator of HRSA, makes an award to the School of Nursing to establish a distinct account for the NFLP fund. The school makes loans to students enrolled full-time or part-time in eligible advanced degree nursing programs with an education component that will prepare them to teach. Following graduation from the nursing education program, loan recipients may cancel up to 85 percent of the loan in exchange for service as full-time nurse faculty at a school of nursing. In fiscal year 2016, the NFLP appropriation was approximately $26.5 million.

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 and operate a distinct account called the NFLP loan fund. The School must contribute an Institutional Capital Contribution (ICC) in 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 loan fund. The NFLP fund may only be used: (1) for the deposit of the FCC and ICC; (2) to make loans to continuing and new NFLP student borrowers enrolled full-time or part-time in a master’s or doctoral nursing degree program; (3) for the deposit of collections of principal and interest on loans made from the NFLP fund and any other earnings of the fund; and (4) for the cost of collection of NFLP loans.

2. Purpose and Use of Information Collection

The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form is used to monitor and evaluate institutional performance. The data form is an official reporting tool and is required by active NFLP grantee schools that operate the NFLP loan fund. The grantee must complete and submit the online data form semi-annually for the one-year project period beginning July 1^st through June 30^th of each year to provide the Federal Government with information to determine the effectiveness of the program. The deadline date for submission of the report is August 1^st of each year. The data is needed to analyze the grantee’s annual performance and to compile program data for fiscal reporting.

The NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form captures the NFLP loan fund cash receipts and loan fund disbursements for the specified reporting period. Participating NFLP grantees must provide current and cumulative information on: (1) the number and amount of loans made, (2) the number of NFLP recipients and graduates, (3) the number and amount of loans cancelled, (4) the number and amount of loans in repayment or collection, (5) the number of NFLP graduates employed as nurse faculty, (6) NFLP loan fund receipts, disbursements, and related costs, and (7) the loan fund balance each year. The data form is also used to report the borrower account status under multiple categories (enrollment, graduation, employment, cancellation, repayment, default, forbearance, etc). Schools are expected to review the cash balance in the NFLP fund on at least a semi-annual basis to determine whether the unused accumulation (loan fund balance), compared with projected levels of expenditures and collections, exceeds its needs.

The unused accumulation of funds is reported each year on the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form to assist with the fiscal year award determination.

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 OMB 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 electronic (online) NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form and the NFLP- Program Specific Data Form were fully developed and implemented as part of the existing HRSA Electronic Handbooks (EHBs) in fiscal year 2009. NFLP grantees are required to access the online performance report through the EHBs to submit annually. The data forms are accessible to registered EHB users via the internet.

4. Efforts to Identify Duplication and Use of Similar Information

The information requested in the electronic NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form and the NFLP- Program Specific Data Form are specific to the grantee institution and are 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 submitting the NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form occurs annually, following completion of the grantee’s one year project period. In the absence of collecting this data, the determination for future funding and analysis of the grantee’s performance cannot be carried out.

The process for submitting the NFLP- Program Specific Data Form 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

A 60-day Notice published in the Federal Register on February 7, 2020, vol. 85, No. 26; pp. 7315-7316. There were no public comments.

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 the grantee school.

12. Estimates of Annualized Hour and Cost Burden

12A. Estimates of Annualized Burden Hours

Form Name	Number of Respondents	Number of Respondents per Respondent	Total Responses	Average Burden per Response (in hours)	Total Burden Hours
Nurse Faculty Loan Program- Program Specific Data Form	90	1	90	8	720
Nurse Faculty Loan Program - Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	260	1	260	6	1560
Total Burden	350	--	350	--	2280

12B. Estimated Annualized Burden Cost

The report is generally completed by accountant staff at the grantee school. The average hourly salary for an Accountant is $30 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.

Form Name	Title of Respondent	Estimated Time (Burden in hours)	Average Hourly Rate (in dollars)	Total Cost Burden (in dollars)
NFLP – Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	Accountant	1560	$30	$46,800
NFLP – Program Specific Data Form	Accountant	720	$30	$21,600
Total		2280		$68,400

13. Estimates of other Total Annual Cost Burden to Respondents or Record Keepers/Capital Costs

There are no annualized costs to respondents or record-keepers.

14. Annualized Cost to Federal Government

The report 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 Nurse Consultant 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 (in hours)	Estimated Hourly Federal Salary (in dollars)	Total Cost Burden (in dollars)
NFLP – Annual Performance Report Financial Data Form	260	0.50	$45	$5,850
NFLP – Program Specific Data Form	90	0.75	$45	$3,038
Total	350			$8,888

15. Explanation of Program Changes or Adjustments

The current burden inventory for the 0915-0314 information collection request is 1560 hours. This request is for an increase to account for the addition for the NFLP Program Specific Data Form.

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 NFLP-Annual Performance Report Financial Data is expected by August 1 of each year. The information will be used for determination of future awards to grantees 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.

ATTACHMENTS TO SUPPORTING STATEMENT

Attachment 1: 60-Day Notice

Attachment 2: NFLP Legislation

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