Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Comment Request

DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:

Comment Request

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public

comment on proposed data collection projects (section 3506(c)(2)(A) of

Title 44, United States Code, as amended by the Paperwork Reduction Act

of 1995, Pub. L. 104-13), the Health Resources and Services

Administration (HRSA) will publish periodic summaries of proposed

projects being developed for submission to OMB under the Paperwork

Reduction Act of 1995. To request more information on the proposed

project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans, call the HRSA

Reports Clearance Officer on (301) 443-1129.

Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the proposed collection of

information is necessary for the proper performance of the functions of

the agency, including whether the information shall have practical

utility; (b) the accuracy of the agency's estimate of the burden of the

proposed collection of information; (c) ways to enhance the quality,

utility, and clarity of the information to be collected; and (d) ways

to minimize the burden of the collection of information on respondents,

including through the use of automated collection techniques or other

forms of information technology.

Proposed Project: The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) Program:

Application Form--0915-0038--Extension, No Change

The Health Education Assistance Loan (HEAL) program provides

federally-insured loans to students in schools of allopathic medicine,

osteopathic medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine, optometry,

podiatric medicine, pharmacy, public health, allied health, or

chiropractic, and graduate students in health administration or

clinical psychology. Eligible lenders, such as banks, savings and loan

associations, credit unions, pension funds, State agencies, HEAL

schools, and insurance companies, make HEAL loans which are insured by

the Federal Government against loss due to borrowers' death,

disability, bankruptcy, and default. The basic purpose of the program

is to assure the availability of funds for loans to eligible students

who need to borrow money to pay for their educational costs.

The HEAL program is being phased out and no new loans will be made

after September 30, 1998 unless reauthorization is enacted. We are,

however, requesting a 3-year extension of the OMB approval of the HEAL

Application Form HRSA-700 because lenders will continue to use this

form for consolidation loans through FY 2000. Students use the

application to apply for HEAL loans (through FY 98) and consolidation

of loans, schools use the application to determine a student's

eligibility and maximum approval amount of each loan (through FY 98

only), and lenders use the application to determine student eligibility

and the amount of the installment or disbursement to be given to the

borrower, and to process consolidation loans.

The estimate of burden for the application form for FY 98 is as

follows:

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Responses Total Burden per Total

Type of respondent Number of per number of response burden

respondents respondent responses (minutes) (hours)

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Applicants..................................... 8,230 1 8,230 25 3,429

Schools........................................ 190 41 7,730 32 4,123

Lenders........................................ 11 748 8,230 35 4,801

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Total.................................... 8,431 ........... 24,190 ........... 12,353

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The estimate of burden for the application form for FY 1999 and

2000 (for consolidation loans only) is as follows:

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Burden per

Nunber of Responses Total hour Total

Type of respondent respondents per number of response burden

respondent responses (minutes) (hours)

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

Applicants..................................... 500 1 500 25 208

Lenders........................................ 11 45 500 35 292

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Total.................................... 511 ........... 1,000 ........... 500

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Send comments to Patricia Royston, HRSA Reports Clearance Officer,

Room 14-36, Parklawn Building, 5600 Fishers Lane, Rockville, MD, 20857.

Written comments should be received within 60 days of this Notice.

[[Page 43543]]

Dated: August 8, 1997.

Jane Harrison,

Acting Director, Division of Policy Review and Coordination.

[FR Doc. 97-21564 Filed 8-13-97; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 4160-15-P