OMB83C Change Memo

United States Department of Education

July 21, 2021

MEMORANDUM

TO: Lindsay Abate

Office of Management and Budget Desk Officer

FROM: Karen Epps

Director, Emergency Response Unit

RE: Change Request for the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) (a)(2) Certification and Agreement (1840-0843)

The American Rescue Plan (ARP), Public Law 117-2, enacted on March 11, 2021, provided $39.6 billion for assistance to institutions of higher education (IHEs) under the Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF). Section 2003(a)(2) of ARP authorizes the Secretary to make additional awards under parts A and B of title III, parts A and B of title V, and subpart 4 of part A of title VII of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), to address needs directly related to the coronavirus. 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 (a)(2) certification and agreement (1840-0843). If this request is not approved, the Department will not be able to award these funds as required by ARP.

On April 30, 2020, under procedures established by 5 CFR 1320, OMB granted the Department emergency approval of a HEERF (a)(2) 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 8, 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 2003(a)(2) of ARP. The revised certification will be used only by IHEs that did not receive funding under Section 18004(a)(2) of the CARES Act or Section 314(a)(2) of CRRSAA to request such funding under Section 2003(a)(2) of ARP, estimated to be 50 institutions. (IHEs that received such funding under the CARES Act or CRRSAA will receive ARP 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 ARP (similar to that required by the CARES Act and CRRSAA), the Department has estimated five burden hours per respondent.

If this change request is not approved, these emergency funds would be delayed. Therefore, the Department is requesting approval of this change request no later than July 27, 2021 in order to issue the notice inviting applications and process awards in a timely manner.

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