[Federal Register Volume 88, Number 227 (Tuesday, November 28, 2023)]
[Notices]
[Pages 83112-83113]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2023-26215]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2023-SCC-0157]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to the 
Office of Management and Budget for Review and Approval; Comment 
Request; 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students (BPS:20/25) Field 
Test

AGENCY: National Center for Educational Sciences (NCES), Department of 
Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, 
the Department is proposing a revision of a currently approved 
information collection request (ICR).

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
December 28, 2023.

ADDRESSES: Written comments and recommendations for proposed 
information collection requests should be submitted within 30 days of 
publication of this notice. Click on this link www.reginfo.gov/public/do/PRAMain to access the site. Find this information collection request 
(ICR) by selecting ``Department of Education'' under ``Currently Under 
Review,'' then check the ``Only Show ICR for Public Comment'' checkbox. 
Reginfo.gov provides two links to view documents related to this 
information collection request. Information collection forms and 
instructions may be found by clicking on the ``View Information 
Collection (IC) List'' link. Supporting statements and other supporting 
documentation may be found by clicking on the ``View Supporting 
Statement and Other Documents'' link.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Carrie Clarady, (202) 245-6347.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department is especially interested in 
public comment addressing the following issues: (1) is this collection 
necessary to the proper functions of the Department; (2) will this 
information be processed and used in a timely manner;

[[Page 83113]]

(3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) how might the Department 
enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of the information to be 
collected; and (5) how might the Department minimize the burden of this 
collection on the respondents, including through the use of information 
technology. Please note that written comments received in response to 
this notice will be considered public records.
    Title of Collection: 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students 
(BPS:20/25) Field Test.
    OMB Control Number: 1850-0631.
    Type of Review: Revision of a currently approved ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or households.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 6,927.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 1,279.
    Abstract: The 2020/25 Beginning Postsecondary Students Full-Scale 
(BPS:20/25) is conducted by the National Center for Education 
Statistics, part of the Institute of Education Sciences, within the 
Department of Education, and is part of the Beginning Postsecondary 
Students Longitudinal Study data collection program at https://nces.ed.gov/surveys/bps/. BPS is designed to follow a cohort of 
students who enroll in postsecondary education for the first time 
during the same academic year, irrespective of the date of high school 
completion. The study collects data on students' persistence in and 
completion of postsecondary education programs; their transition to 
employment; demographic characteristics; and changes over time in their 
goals, marital status, income, and debt, among other indicators. Data 
from BPS are used to help researchers and policymakers better 
understand how financial aid influences persistence and completion, 
what percentages of students complete various degree programs, what are 
the early employment and wage outcomes for certificate and degree 
attainers, and why students leave school.
    The BPS:20/25 field test will include approximately 3,280 students 
who first began in the 2018-19 academic year. BPS:20/25 will be a 
nationally-representative sample of approximately 34,240 students who 
were first-time beginning students during the 2019-20 academic year. 
These students will be asked to complete a survey and administrative 
data will also be collected for them. Administrative data matching will 
be conducted with sources including the National Student Loan Data 
System (NSLDS), containing Federal loan and grant files; the Central 
Processing System (CPS), which houses and processes data contained in 
the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) forms; the 
National Student Clearinghouse (NSC) which provides enrollment and 
degree verification; vendors of national undergraduate, graduate, and 
professional student admission tests; and possible other administrative 
data sources such as the Veterans Benefits Administration (VBA). These 
data will be obtained through file matching/downloading.
    This submission is designed to adequately justify the need for and 
overall practical utility of the full study, presenting the overarching 
plan for all phases of the data collection and providing as much detail 
about the measures to be used as is available at the time of this 
submission. As part of this submission, NCES will publish a notice in 
the Federal Register allowing first a 60- and then a 30-day public 
comment period. Field test materials, procedures, and results will 
inform the full-scale study. After completion of the field test, NCES 
will publish a notice in the Federal Register allowing an additional 
30-day public comment period on the final details and materials of the 
BPS:20/25 full-scale study.

    Dated: November 22, 2023.
Stephanie Valentine,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2023-26215 Filed 11-27-23; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P