Overview
Title
Agency Information Collection Activity Under OMB Review: Request for Restoration of Educational Assistance
Agencies
ELI5 AI
The Veterans Department wants to ask people to fill out a form if their school has closed down or can't get VA education benefits anymore. They need a special approval from another group to do this, and they think it will take all the people 955 hours in a year to fill out the forms.
Summary AI
The Veterans Benefits Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs is seeking approval for an information collection under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995. This collection will gather data using VA Form 22-0989, allowing students to request the restoration of VA education benefits if their school has closed or lost approval to receive these benefits. This submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) is categorized as a revision of a currently approved collection and has an OMB Control Number of 2900-0859. The estimated annual burden for this information collection is 955 hours, with an estimated 3,821 respondents affected.
Abstract
In compliance with the Paperwork Reduction Act (PRA) of 1995, this notice announces that the Veterans Benefits Administration, Department of Veterans Affairs, will submit the collection of information abstracted below to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and comment. The PRA submission describes the nature of the information collection and its expected cost and burden and it includes the actual data collection instrument.
Keywords AI
Sources
AnalysisAI
The Veterans Benefits Administration of the Department of Veterans Affairs is proposing an important information collection initiative. The notice details a submission to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), as required by the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, seeking approval for VA Form 22-0989. This form allows students to apply for the restoration of educational benefits if their school closed or lost approval after January 1, 2015. The process is part of an ongoing effort to manage educational benefits more effectively and ensure that veterans do not lose out due to circumstances beyond their control.
General Summary
The document outlines the purpose of collecting information via VA Form 22-0989 and highlights the necessity of these details for restoring VA education benefits. With a focus on schools that have closed or lost their eligibility to receive VA benefits, the information collection aims to support affected students. This submission is considered a revision of an already approved collection, with the OMB Control Number 2900-0859. The document estimates an annual burden of 955 hours for this collection, impacting approximately 3,821 respondents.
Significant Issues or Concerns
Several key issues are notable in the document:
Cost Details: The document lacks specifics regarding the expected cost associated with the collection. This information could help evaluate the efficiency of spending.
Purpose Clarity: While the necessity of the collection is mentioned, there is limited detail on why these specific data points are vital and how they will be used to benefit veterans.
Comment Utilization: There's an opportunity to inform the public about how their input via comments will be utilized, potentially contributing to more transparent decision-making.
Calculation of Burden: The document does not explain how the estimated annual burden of 955 hours or the average of 15 minutes per respondent was determined.
Terminology: Terms like "restoration of entitlement for VA education benefits" might be unclear to those unfamiliar with VA processes. A simpler explanation could improve understanding.
Previous Notices: The document references a prior Federal Register notice but does not indicate whether changes were made in response to comments from that notice.
Impact on the Public
Broadly, this document could impact the public by clarifying and improving access to education benefits for veterans. The initiative recognizes the challenges faced by students when educational institutions discontinue operations or lose approval, aiming to alleviate financial losses for these individuals.
Impact on Specific Stakeholders
Veterans and students particularly stand to benefit from this initiative. When schools close or lose approval for VA benefits, it could disrupt the educational pursuits of veterans, impacting their career plans and financial stability. This process ensures that they have a means to reclaim lost benefits, thus offering a form of protection against such disruptions.
Educational institutions are indirectly impacted as this framework may place additional scrutiny on their operations, which could affect their standing with potential students reliant on VA benefits.
While positive in its intentions, the initiative's execution, particularly how comments are used and costs managed, will play a critical role in determining its success and the extent of its positive impact on the intended beneficiaries.
Issues
• The document lacks detailed information on the expected cost associated with the information collection, which could be useful to determine if any spending is wasteful.
• The purpose and the necessity of the information collection are briefly mentioned, but the text could be more elaborate on why these specific data points are vital and how they will be used.
• The document does not specify the process for how the comments and recommendations submitted within 30 days will be utilized, which could lead to opaqueness in the decision-making process.
• There is no explanation provided on how the estimated annual burden of 955 hours was calculated, nor how the estimated average burden per respondent was determined to be 15 minutes.
• The term "restoration of entitlement for VA education benefits" might be unclear to individuals who are not familiar with VA processes. Providing a simpler explanation could be beneficial.
• The document mentions that a Federal Register Notice was published previously, but does not indicate if any changes were made to the collection in response to that prior notice or comments received.