Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Data Collection Form – Federal Register
Title of Collection: Higher Education Emergency Relief Fund (HEERF) Data Collection Form.
OMB Control Number: 1840-NEW.
Type of Review: A new information collection.
Respondents/Affected Public: State, Local and Tribal Organizations; Private Sector.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Responses: 5,170.
Total Estimated Number of Annual Burden Hours: 7,756.
Abstract: This information collection supports the annual collection of data pertaining to the uses of funds under the Higher Education Emergency Education Relief Fund (HEER Fund). Section 18004(a) of the CARES Act, Public Law 116-136 (March 27, 2020), authorized the Secretary of Education to allocate formula grant funds to participating institutions of higher education (IHEs). Section 18004(c) of the CARES Act allows IHEs to use up to one-half of the total funds received to cover any costs associated with the significant changes to the delivery of instruction due to the coronavirus (with specific exceptions). This information collection request includes the reporting requirements in order to comply with the requirements of the CARES Act and obtain information on how the funds were used. The information will be reviewed by U.S. Department of Education (Department) employees to ensure that HEER funds are used in accordance with section 18004 of the CARES Act, and will be shared with the public to promote transparency regarding the allocation and uses of funds.
HEER Reporting Requirements: Data collected through this information collection will inform Department monitoring and oversight, and public reporting and is in addition to reporting already required under the Federal Funding Accountability and Transparency Act of 2006 (FFATA), Public Law 109—282, as amended by the Digital Accountability and Transparency Act (DATA Act), Public Law 113—101.
HEER Reporting Timeframe: The anticipated reporting periods and associated deadlines for this information collection are as follows: