Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection: Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Faculty Loan Repayment Program, OMB No. 0906-0082-Revision

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Published

August 21, 2026

Issuing agencies

Health and Human Services DepartmentHealth Resources and Services Administration

Abstract

In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the ICR.

Full Text

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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 161 (Friday, August 21, 2026)]
[Notices]
[Pages 54335-54337]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-17190]

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DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES

Health Resources and Services Administration

Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection:
Public Comment Request; Information Collection Request Title: Faculty
Loan Repayment Program, OMB No. 0906-0082--Revision

AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), Department
of Health and Human Services (HHS).

ACTION: Notice.

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SUMMARY: In compliance with the requirement for opportunity for public
comment on proposed data collection projects of the Paperwork Reduction
Act of 1995, HRSA announces plans to submit an Information Collection
Request (ICR), described below, to the Office of Management and Budget
(OMB). Prior to submitting the ICR to OMB, HRSA seeks comments from the
public regarding the burden estimate, below, or any other aspect of the
ICR.

DATES: Comments on this ICR should be received no later than October
20, 2026.

ADDRESSES: Submit your comments to <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#96e6f7e6f3e4e1f9e4fdd6fee4e5f7b8f1f9e0"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="631302130611140c1108230b1110024d040c15">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or mail the HRSA
Information Collection Clearance Officer, Room 13N82, 5600 Fishers
Lane, Rockville, Maryland 20857.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: To request more information on the
proposed project or to obtain a copy of the data collection plans and
draft instruments, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#1f6f7e6f7a6d68706d745f776d6c7e31787069"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="304051405542475f425b70584243511e575f46">[email&#160;protected]</span></a> or call Samantha Miller,
the HRSA Information Collection Clearance Officer, at (301) 443-9094.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Information Collection Request Title: Faculty Loan Repayment
Program OMB No. 0906-0082--Revision.
Abstract: HRSA administers the Faculty Loan Repayment Program
(FLRP). FLRP provides health professionals from disadvantaged
backgrounds, defined as a geographic and/or economic vulnerability, the
opportunity to enter into a contract with HHS to receive repayment of
qualifying educational loans in exchange for a minimum of 2 years of
service as a full-time or part-time faculty member at an eligible
health professions school. The applicant completes and submits an
electronic application that identifies for the Secretary of Health and
Human Services (Secretary) that the applicant comes from an
economically or geographically vulnerable background, has a contract
with an eligible health professions school to serve as a full-time or
part-time faculty member for a minimum of 2 years, and has qualifying
outstanding educational loans. In addition, for each undergraduate and/
or graduate loan for which repayment is sought, the applicant is
required to submit loan documentation verifying the establishment of
the educational loan(s) and lender account statements, promissory notes
including the original date, and current balance of the outstanding
educational loan(s).
This revised ICR contains two new forms. The first is the
Employer's Agreement to Loan Repayment Match/Request for a Waiver of
the Loan Repayment Match form, which is

[[Page 54336]]

needed to ensure applicant eligibility and school compliance with the
statute. The second is the Semi-annual In-Service Verification form,
which is sent to current participants and the institution twice each
year to confirm their employment status. The addition of these forms
and an increased number of respondents/applicants to the FLRP will
increase the estimated burden hours.
This proposed ICR also contains updated terminology with respect to
Disadvantaged Background and accompanying definitions by updating the
following:
<bullet> Changing form title to ``Certification Regarding
Vulnerable Background,''
<bullet> Replacing ``disadvantaged'' with ``vulnerable'' throughout
the form, and
<bullet> Replacing ``environmentally disadvantaged'' with
``geographically vulnerable.''
These changes are needed to align the form with the
Administration's priority of reinforcing programs that direct resources
to areas of greatest need to improve health outcomes. The FLRP statute
defines eligible individuals as coming from ``disadvantaged
backgrounds'' (42 U.S.C. 293b(a)) but does not define the term. HRSA's
use of ``vulnerable background'' operationalizes the statutory term by
identifying individuals whose geographic or economic circumstances
inhibited their ability to obtain the knowledge, skills, and abilities
required to enroll in and graduate from an eligible health professions
school. This approach remains consistent with the statute's intent
while incorporating more current terminology. These updates were made
throughout the form to improve consistency and help ensure that
applicants and reviewers understand the criteria using current
terminology.
FLRP will define ``vulnerable background'' as ``coming from a
geographically vulnerable background or an economically vulnerable
background that has inhibited the individual from obtaining the
knowledge, skills, and abilities required to enroll in and graduate
from an eligible health professions school.''
Examples of indicators that an individual comes from a
geographically vulnerable background include, but are not limited to:
<bullet> Individuals who graduated from a high school with low
average SAT/ACT scores or below average state test results.
<bullet> Individuals from a school district where 50 percent or
less of graduates go to college.
<bullet> Individuals raised in households where language barriers
affected education access.
<bullet> Individuals from a high school where at least 30 percent
of enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced-price lunch.
<bullet> Individuals who are the first generation in their family
to attend college.
An individual from an economically vulnerable background is defined
as someone who:
<bullet> Comes from a low-income family. Low-income family is
defined as a family that has an annual income below the 200 percent of
HHS's poverty guidelines;
<bullet> Is eligible for a Pell Grant; and/or
<bullet> Comes from a family that receives public assistance (e.g.,
Temporary Assistance to Needy Families, Supplemental Nutrition
Assistance Program, Medicaid, public housing).
The Secretary defines a `low-income family' for programs included
in Titles III, VII, and VIII of the Public Health Service Act as having
an annual income that does not exceed 200 percent of HHS's poverty
guidelines, which are based on the U.S. Census Bureau's low-income
threshold. This threshold is simplified to facilitate the determination
of financial eligibility for some federal programs and further adjusted
by the Secretary based on the Consumer Price Index. Family is defined
as a group of two or more individuals related by birth, marriage, or
adoption who live together, or an individual who is not living with any
relatives.
Need and Proposed Use of the Information: The information collected
will be used to evaluate applicants' eligibility to participate in the
FLRP and to monitor FLRP related activities and compliance with program
requirements.
Likely Respondents: FLRP applicants and institutions providing
employment to the applicants.
Burden Statement: Burden in this context means the time expended by
persons to generate, maintain, retain, disclose, or provide the
information requested. This includes the time needed to review
instructions; to develop, acquire, install, and utilize technology and
systems for the purpose of collecting, validating, and verifying
information, processing and maintaining information, and disclosing and
providing information; to train personnel and to be able to respond to
a collection of information; to search data sources; to complete and
review the collection of information; and to transmit or otherwise
disclose the information. The total annual burden hours estimated for
this ICR are summarized in the table below.

Total Estimated Annualized Burden Hours
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Number of Average burden
Form name Completed by Number of responses per Total per response Total burden
respondents respondent responses (in hours) hours
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Eligible Applications..................... Applicant................... 225 1 225 1.00 225.00
Institution/Loan Repayment Employment Form Institution, on behalf of 225 1 225 1.00 225.00
applicant.
Authorization to Release Information Form. Applicant................... 225 1 225 0.25 56.25
Certification Regarding Vulnerable Applicant................... 225 1 225 0.20 45.00
Background Form.
Employer's Agreement to Loan Repayment Institution, on behalf of 225 1 225 1.00 225.00
Match/Request for a Waiver of the Loan applicant.
Repayment Match Form.
Participant Semi-Annual In Service Institution, Participant.... 150 2 300 0.50 150.00
Verification Form.
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Total................................. ............................ * 600 .............. 1,425 .............. 926.25
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* The total number of unique respondents is estimated to be 600, consisting of 225 applicants and 225 institutions completing forms on behalf of the
applicant. Additionally, an estimated 75 participants receiving the loan repayment and 75 institutions verifying service will complete the semi-annual
In-Service Verification Form.

Maria G. Button,
Director, Executive Secretariat.
[FR Doc. 2026-17190 Filed 8-20-26; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 4165-15-P

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