ICRAS 1423 1845

- 0049 v9

– Affected Public

- Individuals 08/15/2013

Application for Ability

to Benefit Testing Approval This request is for extension of the approval of the reporting and recordkeeping requirements that are contained in the information collection 1845

- 0049. These regulations govern the application for and approval by the Secretary

of assessments by

a private test publisher or State that are used to measure a student’s skills and abilities. The administration of approved abilit y to benefit (ATB) tests may be used to determine a student's eligibility for

as sistance for the Title IV student financial assistance programs authorized under the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) when the student does not have a high school diploma or its recognized equivalent. The HEA, as amended by the Consolidated Appropriation Act, 2012 (Pub. L . 112

- 74) changed the Federal student aid eligibility criteria for students without a high school diploma or the recognized equivalent of a high school diploma. The statute retained the completion of a homeschool program as an eligibility alternative, but removed the passing of an independently administered Department approved ATB test as an eligibility criteria previously

available to aid applicants. This change was effective for students who first enrolled in a program of study on or after July 1, 2012. Official guidance from the Department maintains that for students who previously

attended an eligible program prior to July 1, 2012 and need to establish Title IV eligibility after July 1, 2012, the provisions of Public L a w 112

- 74 do not apply and will not prevent those students from using prior ATB alternatives including passing an ATB test.

**34 CFR Section**  **668.150 (b)(2) and (b)(17)** 

Section 668.150(b) (2) requires that each test publisher or State to obtain a certificat ion statement from each prospective test administrator indicating that he or she is not currently decertified and that if the test administrator becomes decertified b y another test publisher or State that the test administrator will immediately notify all other test publishers or States for whom the test administrator administers ATB tests. We estimate that it will take each prospective test administrator .17 hours (10 minutes) to access, read, certify

and submit the written certification to the test publ isher or State, as applicable. 1,887 In dividuals X 1 response X .17 hours = 321 hours

Section 668.150(b)(17) requires that all certified test administrators are required to report to the test publisher or State, respectivel y, the nature of the disabilit y and any accommodations provided when approved ATB tests are given to individuals with disabilities. Census information indicates that 12 % of the U.S. population is severel y disabled; we estimate that 28,906 of the ATB test takers will be individuals wi th disabilities. We estimate that on average it will take .08 hours (5 minutes) per case to report the nature of the disability and any accommodation that the test administrator made for the test taker. Test administrators: 240,882 ATB test takers X 12% with disabilities = 28,906 cases X .08 hours per case reported = 2,312 hours

TOTAL S Responses 30,793 Respondents 30,793 Burden Hours 2,633