This Loan Verification Certificate (LVC) serves as the means by which the U.S. Department of Education (the Department) collects certain information from commercial holders of Federal Family Education Loan (FFEL) Program loans that a borrower wishes to consolidate into the William D. Ford Federal Direct Loan (Direct Loan) Program under a special initiative announced by the White House in an October 25, 2011 fact sheet titled "Help Americans Manage Student Loan Debt." Loans made under this initiative are known as Special Direct Consolidation Loans. The information collected on the LVC includes the amount needed to pay off the loans that the borrower wants to consolidate and other information required by the Department to make and service a Special Direct Consolidation Loan.
The purpose of the special consolidation initiative is to encourage borrowers who have both commercially-held FFEL Program loans and other loans that are held by the Department (either Direct Loan Program loans or FFEL Program loans previously sold to the Department by a FFEL Program lender) to consolidate their commercially-held FFEL Program loans into the Direct Loan Program. Currently, these borrowers have at least two loan servicers and are required to make at least two separate monthly payments on their federal education loans. This makes repayment more difficult and increases the likelihood of a borrower becoming delinquent or going into default. For a borrower who has both commercially-held FFEL Program loans and Department-held loans, consolidation of the commercially-held loans into the Direct Loan Program will simplify repayment by allowing the borrower to make a single monthly loan payment to one entity (a federal loan servicer under contract to the Department), thereby reducing the likelihood of delinquency or default. As an incentive for borrowers to consolidate under the special initiative, the Department is offering reduced interest rates on Special Direct Consolidation Loans.
US Code:
20 USC 1087a
Name of Law: Higher Education Act of 1965, as amended
On behalf of this Federal agency, I certify that the collection of information encompassed by this request complies with 5 CFR 1320.9 and the related provisions of 5 CFR 1320.8(b)(3).
The following is a summary of the topics, regarding the proposed collection of information, that the certification covers:
(i) Why the information is being collected;
(ii) Use of information;
(iii) Burden estimate;
(iv) Nature of response (voluntary, required for a benefit, or mandatory);
(v) Nature and extent of confidentiality; and
(vi) Need to display currently valid OMB control number;
If you are unable to certify compliance with any of these provisions, identify the item by leaving the box unchecked and explain the reason in the Supporting Statement.