**Our mission is to ensure equal access to education and to promote educational excellence throughout the Nation.** 

### UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION

OFFICE OF POSTSECONDARY EDUCATION Higher Education Programs
August 29, 2013

Dear McNair Program Participants : As you know , the McNair Program provides Federal financial assistance in the form of discretionary grants to institutions of higher education and c om binations of those institutions for the purpose of providing academic and other support services to pre pare low

- income, first

- generation college students for doctoral study. Als o , McNair Program grantees are required to submit performance reports to collect consistent project data from all grantees. The Department uses the information collected to make decisions on whether to issue non

- competing continuation grants to funded gra ntees under the McNair Program. In addition, the information contained in the reports is used to assess prior experience points during the competitive cycle of the program. The TRIO Programs Annual Performance Report (APR) System collects individual stu dent records on individuals served by the Ronald E. McNair Postbaccalaureate Achievement Program. The individual student records include personally identifiable information such as social security number (SSN), name, date of birth, as well as information o n each individual’s eligibility for services and the student’s academic progress. **Privacy Act Statem ent**  In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974 (Public Law No. 93
- 579, 5 U.S.C. 552a), you are hereby notified that the Department of Education is authori zed to collect information to implement the Ronald E. McNai r Postbaccalaureate Achievement program under Title IV of the Higher Educati on Act of 1965, as amended (Pub

. Law 102
- 325, Sec. 402D). In accordance with this authority, the Department receives and maintains personal information on participants in the McNair program. The principal purpose for collecting this information is to administer the program, including tracking and evaluating participant progress. Providing the information on this form, includ ing a social security number (SSN) is voluntary; failure to disclose a SSN will not result in the denial of any right, benefit or privilege to w hich the participant is entitled. The information that is collected on this form will be retained in the program files and may be released to other Department officials in the performance of their official duties. **Paperwork Reduction Act Notice Paperwork Burden Statement**  : According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, no persons are required to respond to a collection of information unless such collection displays a valid OMB control number. Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to aver age 11 hours per response, including time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed, and completing and reviewing the collection of information. The obligation to respond to this collection is r etain or obtain benefit ( Public Law

104
- 13, as amended**) .**  Send comments regarding the burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to the U.S. Department of Education, 400 Maryland A ve., SW, Washington, DC 20210

- 4537 or email ICDocketMgr@ed.gov and reference the OMB Control Number XXXX

- XXXX. Note: Please do not return the completed application to this address. Sincerely, Federal TRIO Programs U.S. Department of Education