[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 9 (Friday, January 12, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 2217-2218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2024-00486]


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DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

[Docket No.: ED-2024-SCC-0005]


Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Joint 
Consolidation Loan Separation Application

AGENCY: Federal Student Aid (FSA), Department of Education (ED).

ACTION: Notice.

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

DATES: Interested persons are invited to submit comments on or before 
March 12, 2024.

ADDRESSES: To access and review all the documents related to the 
information collection listed in this notice, please use http://www.regulations.gov by searching the Docket ID number ED-2024-SCC-0005. 
Comments submitted in response to this notice should be submitted 
electronically through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov by selecting the Docket ID number or via postal 
mail, commercial delivery, or hand delivery. If the regulations.gov 
site is not available to the public for any reason, the Department will 
temporarily accept comments at <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#165f555279757d73625b716456737238717960"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="377e747358545c52437a504577525319505841">[email protected]</span></a>. Please include the 
docket ID number and the title of the information collection request 
when requesting documents or submitting comments. Please note that 
comments submitted after the comment period will not be accepted. 
Written requests for information or comments submitted by postal mail 
or delivery should be addressed to the Manager of the Strategic 
Collections and Clearance Governance and Strategy Division, U.S. 
Department of Education, 400 Maryland Ave. SW, LBJ, Room 6W203, 
Washington, DC 20202-8240.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For specific questions related to 
collection activities, please contact Beth Grebeldinger, (202) 377-
4018.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Department, in accordance with the 
Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (PRA) (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)), 
provides the general public and Federal agencies with an opportunity to 
comment on proposed, revised, and continuing collections of 
information. This helps the Department assess the impact of its 
information collection requirements and minimize the public's reporting 
burden. It also helps the public understand the Department's 
information collection requirements and provide the requested data in 
the desired format. The Department is soliciting comments on the 
proposed information collection request (ICR) that is described below. 
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; (3) is the estimate of burden accurate; (4) 
how might the Department enhance the quality, utility, and clarity of 
the

[[Page 2218]]

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: Joint Consolidation Loan Separation 
Application.
    OMB Control Number: 1845-NEW.
    Type of Review: New ICR.
    Respondents/Affected Public: Individuals or Households; Private 
Sector.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 74,000.
    Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 24,051.
    Abstract: This is a new collection. The Joint Consolidation Loan 
Separation Act (JCLSA), amended the Higher Education Act of 1965, as 
amended (HEA) to allow joint consolidation co-borrowers to apply to 
separate an existing joint Direct Consolidation Loan or Federal 
Consolidation Loan into individual Direct Consolidation Loans. The HEA, 
as amended by the JCLSA, requires joint consolidation loan borrowers to 
apply to the U.S. Department of Education if they wish to separate an 
existing joint consolidation loan into one or more individual Direct 
Consolidation Loans. The JCLSA allows for either joint application or 
separate application. Under the joint application option, each joint 
consolidation loan co-borrower applies for an individual Direct 
Consolidation Loan. Unless the co-borrowers agree on an alternate 
amount specified in a divorce decree, court order, or settlement 
agreement, each co-borrowers new individual Direct Consolidation Loan 
will be made for an amount equal to the co-borrowers' portion of the 
remaining outstanding balance of the joint consolidation loan. Under 
the separate application option, a co-borrower who certifies that they 
have experienced an act of domestic violence or economic abuse from the 
other co-borrower, or that they are unable to reasonably reach or 
access the loan information of the other co-borrower, may apply 
separately for a new individual Direct Consolidation Loan, without 
regard to whether or when the other co-borrower applies. In this 
circumstance, the applying co-borrowers new Direct Consolidation Loan 
will be made for an amount equal to that individual's portion of the 
joint consolidation loan, determined as described above for the joint 
application option.

    Dated: January 8, 2024.
Kun Mullan,
PRA Coordinator, Strategic Collections and Clearance, Governance and 
Strategy Division, Office of Chief Data Officer, Office of Planning, 
Evaluation and Policy Development.
[FR Doc. 2024-00486 Filed 1-11-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4000-01-P


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