Change Memo

December 17, 2025

M E M O R A N D U M

To: Bev Pratt, OMB/OIRA

From: Matthew Soldner, NCES

Through: Ross Santy, OCDO

RE: Non-substantive Change Request for OMB #1850-0582

Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS)

In this memo, NCES requests a non-substantive change to the currently approved IPEDS collection, ICR reference number 202508-1850-001.

We ask to make identical changes to two exhibits in “ACTS Package ICR and Instructions Revision 3 – 20251216 – CLEAN,” titled Undergraduate Admissions Codebook and Graduate Admissions Codebook, to simplify the collection of a variable that is identical across each. Specifically, we seek to change the continuous “Family Income” variable to a categorical “Family Income Band” variable. Specifically, we ask to change the definition of the variable as shown on the following pages.

If you have questions regarding this request, please contact Ross Santy (ross.santy@ed.gov) and me (matthew.soldner@ed.gov) at your earliest convenience.

As Approved:

Variable Name	Section Name	Variable Coding	Applies To	Variable Definition	Notes
Family Income Band	Family Characteristics	Numeric value, expressed in US Dollars ($) OR -1: Unknown	[All first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate applicants,] or [All degree/certificate-seeking graduate applicants,] where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for Fall 2019 admission as described in the cohort definition at the top of this tab.	The income that was used by your financial aid office to determine the student’s Student Aid Index (SAI). For dependent students this will include the parents’ adjusted gross income and the student’s adjusted gross income. For independent students this will include the student’s adjusted gross income. For unaided students, include family income if it is known from a different source.	Enter a numeric value with no decimals, commas, or dollar signs. Round values with decimals to the nearest whole number. Enter -1 if the student's family income is unknown.

Proposed:

Variable Name	Section Name	Variable Coding	Applies To	Variable Definition	Notes
Family Income Band	Family Characteristics	1: $0-$30,000 2: $30,001-$58,000 3: $58,001-$94,000 4: $94,001 - $153,000 5: $153,001+ -1: Unknown	[All first-time degree/certificate-seeking undergraduate applicants,] or [All degree/certificate-seeking graduate applicants,] where an applicant is an individual who has fulfilled the institution's requirements to be considered for Fall 2019 admission as described in the cohort definition at the top of this tab.	A categorical indicator of family income. For dependent students this should include the parents’ adjusted gross income and the student’s adjusted gross income. For independent students this should include the student’s adjusted gross income. For unaided students, include family income if it is known from a different source.	Enter a value from the list of valid values. Enter -1 if the student's family income is unknown.