Department of Education June 2013 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Disability in Rural Areas. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve outcomes among individuals with disabilities in rural areas.

In accordance with the Privacy Act of 1974, as amended (Privacy Act), 5 U.S.C. 552a, the Chief Operating Officer for Federal Student Aid (FSA) of the Department of Education (Department) publishes this notice proposing to revise the system of records entitled ``National Student Loan Data System (NSLDS)'' (18-11-06), originally published on December 27, 1999 (64 FR 72395-72397), altered on September 7, 2010 (75 FR 54331-54336), and most recently altered on June 24, 2011 (76 FR 37095-37100). The Department proposes to revise the NSLDS to make necessary updates resulting from the Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21), Public Law 112-141, which amended the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA), to limit students' eligibility for Direct Subsidized Loans to no more than 150 percent of the published length of the educational program in which the student is enrolled. We are also expanding the system's categories of records, purposes, authority, and its routine uses to reflect programmatic disclosures needed to better evaluate the effectiveness of institutions and their title IV-eligible educational programs, and to make that information available to the general public on the Department's ``College Scorecard'' and the Department's ``Financial Aid Shopping Sheet.'' Finally, we are revising and streamlining programmatic routine use 1(c).

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Technologies to Support Successful Aging with Disability under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for a competition in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend to use this priority to improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a revision of an existing information collection.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce a priority for a Rehabilitation Research and Training Center (RRTC) on Research and Capacity Building for Minority Entities. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend this priority to improve outcomes among individuals with disabilities.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services proposes a priority under the Rehabilitation Training: Rehabilitation Long-Term Training program. The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus on training in an area of national need. This priority is designed to ensure that the Department funds high quality rehabilitation counseling programs that meet rigorous standards in order to provide students with the training necessary to become qualified rehabilitation counselors capable of meeting the current challenges facing State vocational rehabilitation (VR) agencies and related agencies.

For each award year, the Secretary publishes in the Federal Register a notice announcing the FAFSA information that an institution and an applicant may be required to verify. The notice also specifies what documentation is acceptable for verifying FAFSA information. For the 2014-2015 award year, the Secretary announces, through this notice, the FAFSA information subject to, and the documentation acceptable for, verification.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.

We announce our intention to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee to prepare proposed regulations for the Federal Student Aid programs authorized under title IV of the Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended (HEA) (title IV Federal Student Aid programs). The proposed regulations would establish standards for programs that prepare students for gainful employment in a recognized occupation. This committee will include representatives of organizations or groups with interests that are significantly affected by the subject matter of the proposed regulations. We request nominations for individual negotiators who represent key stakeholder constituencies for the issue to be negotiated to serve on the committee and we set a schedule for committee meetings. The Department continues to review and appreciates and values the testimony offered at the public hearings and the comments submitted through the public comment process regarding other proposed rulemaking topics, including: cash management of funds provided under title IV Federal Student Aid programs; regulations designed to prevent fraud; State authorization for programs offered through distance education or correspondence education; State authorization for foreign locations of institutions located in a State; clock to credit hour conversion; changes made by the Violence Against Women Reauthorization Act of 2013 to the campus safety and security reporting requirements in the HEA; the definition of ``adverse credit'' for borrowers in the Federal Direct PLUS Loan Program; and campus-based Federal Student Aid program reforms. We anticipate announcing our intention to establish a negotiated rulemaking committee or committees to consider some or all of these rulemaking issues in the coming months.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority for the Advanced Rehabilitation Research Training (ARRT) program under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). The Assistant Secretary may use this priority for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to ensure that NIDRR's resources are appropriately allocated across the three outcome domainscommunity living and participation, employment, and health and function. We intend this priority to (1) strengthen the capacity of the disability and rehabilitation field to train qualified individuals, including individuals with disabilities, to conduct high- quality, advanced multidisciplinary rehabilitation research; and (2) improve outcomes for individuals with disabilities across the domains of community living and participation, employment, and health and function.

The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces priorities under the Disability and Rehabilitation Research Projects and Centers Program administered by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR). Specifically, we announce priorities for a Rehabilitation Engineering Research Center (RERC) on Rehabilitation Strategies, Techniques, and Interventions (Priority 1), Information and Communication Technologies Access (Priority 2), Individual Mobility and Manipulation (Priority 3), and Physical Access and Transportation (Priority 4). The Assistant Secretary may use one or more of these priorities for competitions in fiscal year (FY) 2013 and later years. We take this action to focus research attention on areas of national need. We intend these priorities to improve community living and participation, health and function, and employment outcomes of individuals with disabilities.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing a new information collection.

On May 8, 2013, we published in the Federal Register (78 FR 26758) a notice inviting applications for new awards under the School Leadership Program. This notice corrects a typographical error in the applicant eligibility information for partnership applicants. Eligible applicants are high-need LEAs; consortia of high-need LEAs; and partnerships of high-need LEAs and either nonprofit organizations (which may be community- or faith-based organizations), or institutions of higher education.

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995 (44 U.S.C. chapter 3501 et seq.), ED is proposing an extension of an existing information collection.