eRate News

What Should I Be Doing This Summer?

Stacy Peters

Even though schools are closed for the summer, applicants can, with a few simple steps, make sure applications continue to be reviewed, invoices continue to be paid, and documents continue to be processed. Here are a few tips for how you can help speed these forms and requests along.

Reminders for PIA Review

Stacy Peters

Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) is actively reviewing FY2008 applications. Here are a few tips to help you through the process:

Organize all of your documentation. If all of your relevant documentation ˆ including your technology plan, winning and losing bids, bid evaluation criteria and the bid evaluation itself, contracts, and so on ˆ is readily available, you will be able to more easily respond to PIA questions.
Monitor your preferred mode of contact for communications from PIA.
File your Item 21 Attachments. Remember that you risk denial of your funding requests if your PIA reviewer asks for your Item 21 Attachment and you don't respond in a timely manner.
If you have an FRN for FY2008 that is a duplicate of an FRN for FY2007 and your FY2007 FRN has been funded, cancel your FY2008 FRN. You can ask your PIA reviewer for details.
If some of your questions involve technical details of the products and services in an FRN, talk to your service provider. Your service provider may be able to help with descriptions, network diagrams, cost allocations, and other details requested by PIA.

PIA Review Process

Stacy Peters

Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) is the process used by USAC to review applications for compliance with program rules and policies. During this process, USAC reviews the information on your Form 471 and may contact you with additional questions on specific items.

The review process has two components:

Initial Review, which includes a Services Review
Final Review, which includes a Quality Assurance (QA) review process as an additional check on the work done during Initial Review

To read more about PIA Reviews, click here.

Submitting an Item 21 Attachment

Stacy Peters

The Item 21 Attachment is an important part of the Form 471. Applicants MUST file an Item 21 Attachment for each Form 471 Block 5 funding request to describe in detail the products and services featured on that request. Although an Item 21 Attachment can be submitted after the application filing window closes, it must be available to Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) before the review of an application can begin.

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"470 no 471" Letters Issued

Stacy Peters

USAC issued about 26,000 notification letters to applicants. These letters are titled "Notification of Form 470 Posted But No Associated Form 471." USAC issues a letter to each Form 470 Block 1 applicant that, on or before January 10, posted a Form 470 to the USAC website but had not yet filed a Form 471 featuring that Form 470 in a funding request (Form 471 Block 5 Item 11).

This letter is NOT an invitation to file a Form 471 as soon as possible. Applicants must still wait at least 28 days after the posting date of the Form 470 to close their competitive bidding process, evaluate bids received, select a service provider, sign and date a contract, and sign and submit the Form 471. This letter is only a confirmation that, according to USAC's database, no FY2008 Form 471 has yet been filed that cites a Form 470 posted by the applicant named on the letter.

Here is how USAC identifies the letter recipients and prepares the mailing:

The day following the last day to post a Form 470 (in other words, 27 days before the Form 471 filing window deadline), USAC compares the list of all Forms 470 filed to the list of all Forms 470 cited on any posted Form 471.
USAC identifies every Form 470 that is not on both lists.
USAC prepares the letter file. If an applicant has filed more than one Form 470 not cited on a Form 471, USAC will issue a letter for each Form 470.
USAC sends the file for printing and mailing, which takes about a week to complete.
The notification letters are mailed giving the applicant 20 days' notice (15 days plus five days to allow for mail receipt).

Form 470 Filing Deadline

Stacy Peters

If you have not yet filed your FY2008 Form 470, don't send it in on paper ˆ file it online. Next Thursday, January 10, 2008, is the LAST DAY TO POST a Form 470 to the USAC website and still be able to complete all competitive bidding requirements and file a Form 471 before the close of the filing window.

E-Rate Workday

Stacy Peters

E-Rate Workday
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
9:30 AM to 3:30 PM
ESU 10 - PC Lab
Kearney, NE

Register at: https://odie.esu10.org/workshops/SectionDetails.aspx?SectionID=1209

ESU 10 will have our lab open all day and Sue Rains and Stacy Peters will be available to assist you with filing your E-rate forms. Please register for the workday so we have an idea of the number of participants. Feel free to come and go as you need. Remember the Deadline is 11:59 p.m. CST February 7, 2008.

Information Needed for Form 471

Stacy Peters

Hopefully you all know that the window for filing the Form 471 is opened November 7^th at 11:00 a.m. Central Time.

As Stacy and I prepare to file your Form 471 applications there is specific information that we will need in order to prepare the forms. Please check the list and send us any information that you have not already provided to us. You can send all information to erate@esu10.org or fax it to 308-233-9066, make sure to put it to the attention of Stacy or I. If you have ANY questions please give us a call.

· Service Provider Invoice Amounts (You can use the attached spreadsheet if you wish.)

· Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN)

· Expiration Dates for any contracts that have been signed.

· Student Count & Free & Reduced Lunch Information (If you have not already sent this information)

· Number of Classrooms with Phone Service

· Internet Access Service Speed

· Number of Buildings served with Internet Access

· Number of Classrooms with Internet Access

· Direct Connections to the Internet: Number of Drops ( I usually take the number of classrooms and multiply by 4 to get a good estimate/average)

· Information on ANY CHANGES or ADDITIONS in services or service providers.

FY2008 471 Application Filing Window Dates Revised

Sue Rains

The FY2008 application filing window will open at noon EST on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 and will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 7, 2008. The filing window will be open for 93 days.

Traditionally, a high percentage of Forms 471 arrive at USAC during the final week that the window is open. We urge you to file early so that:

You have an opportunity to review your work and make corrections if necessary.
You can re-file your form if an error you made cannot be corrected.
USAC has your information and can start reviewing your application.

We also urge you to file online:

The system notifies you of possible errors and allows you to correct them.
The system does your calculations for you.
You can review your information online before you submit it.
Your information is submitted quickly and correctly.

USAC Announces Form 471 Filing Window for Funding Year 2008

Sue Rains

October 22 , 2007

USAC approved the opening and closing dates of the E-rate Form 471 application filing window for Funding Year 2008.

The Form 471 filing window will open at noon Eastern Time on Wednesday, November 7, 2007 sand will close at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time on Thursday, January 24, 2008. This means that applicants will have 78 days in which to file their applications for funding for the upcoming E-rate funding year. Thursday, December 27, 2007 is the last date on which a Form 470 may be filed in time to be referenced on a Funding Year 2008 request .

USAC also announced that there will be "slight modifications" to the certifications found on the FCC Forms 470 and 471. It is not known at this time when the new versions of the forms will be available.

Funding Year 2008, which will be the program's eleventh year, runs from July 1, 2008 and will conclude on June 30, 2009. For one-time deliveries of products in the "Internal Connections" category of funding, applicants will have until September 30, 2009 for installation under program rules.