Beginner Training Session

1
Beginner Training Session

• E-rate Colorado
• DeLilah Collins

2
Overview

• What You Should Know Before Applying
• Eligibility (Applicant Service Providers)
• Eligible Services
• Calculating Discounts
• Funding Timetable

3
Overview

• The Funding Commitment Process
• Technology Planning What are my goals?
• Form 470 What do I want?
• Receipt Notification Letter (RNL) Was it
  received?
• Form 471 What do I need?
• Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) - Verify my
  order
• PIA review
• Funding Commitment Decision Letter How much do
  I get??
• Form 486 Services have started
• Invoicing (Form 472 or Form 474) Wheres my
  ?

4
Applicant Eligibility

• To be eligible, a school
• Must meet the statutory definition of an
  elementary or a secondary school in the
  Elementary and Secondary Education Act
• Must not be operating as a for-profit business
• Must not have an endowment exceeding 50 million

5
Applicant Eligibility

• To be eligible, a library
• Must be eligible for assistance from a State
  library administrative agency under the Library
  Services and Technology Act
• Must not be operating as a for-profit business
• Budget must be completely separate from any
  schools

6
Applicant Eligibility

• Head Start
• Must meet the statutory definition of a school by
  complying with the following state definition
• A Colorado public school is an institution that
  receives the majority of its funding from moneys
  raised by a general state county, or district tax
  and whose property is operated by a political
  subdivision of the state and

7

• Is an autonomous entity of a Pre k-12 District or
  BOCES,
• Has its own administrator who is not under the
  supervision of an administrator of another public
  school,
• Has a budget that is separate from any other
  public school,
• Provides a complete instructional program that
  allows students to proceed to the next grade
  level or to graduate.

8

• Reports students and staff on the following
  counts Student October, December, and End of
  Year.
• Student
• Student October
• December Special Education
• End of Year
• Other Student Counts
• Staff
• Human Resources December
• December Special Education
• Other Staff Counts
• Will be the school of accountability for state
  and federally mandated accountability
  requirements as appropriated to the grade
  configuration of that school.  This includes but
  is not limited to
• SAR
• CSAP
• CBLA
• AYP
• ACT

9
Applicant Eligibility

• Consortia
• Can include both eligible and ineligible entities
• Only eligible entities can receive discounts
• Consortia have record-keeping and administrative
  responsibilities

10
Service Provider Eligibility

• Must file Form 498, Service Provider Information
  Form
• Request a Service Provider Identification Number
  (SPIN)
• Provide/update contact information
• Must file Form 473, Service Provider Annual
  Certification (SPAC) Form
• Required for invoices that reference that Funding
  Year to be paid

11
Eligible Services

• Four categories of eligible services have been
  established by the Federal Communications
  Commission (FCC)
• Telecommunications Services
• Internet Access
• Internal Connections
• Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections

12
Eligible Services

• Priority 1
• Telecommunications Services
• (local and Long distance, wireline and wireless,
  voice/data/video)
• Internet Access
• (basic conduit access to the Internet)

13
Eligible Services

• Priority 2
• Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections
• Internal Connections (switches, hubs, routers,
  wiring, cabling)
• Internal Connections funded in only 2 in 5
  funding years
• NOTE End user equipment such as computers,
  monitors, or phone sets is NOT eligible
• Approved Eligible Service List on www.USAC.org

14
Discounts

• Schools and libraries can receive discounts on
  eligible services.
• Discounts range from 20 - 90 on eligible
  products and services
• Discount are based on
• Percentage of students in the school eligible for
  the National School Lunch Program
• Urban or rural location of the school

15
Discounts

• Discount Matrix

16
Discounts

• Calculating Discount Methods
• Primary Measure NLSP
• Alternative Methods
• Family income level at or below 185 of the
  federal poverty guideline.
• Participation in a program such as Medicaid or
  Food stamps.

17
Discounts

• Shared Discounts
• School districts use the weighted average of
  discounts of individual schools in the school
  district
• Libraries use the simple average discount of the
  school district in which they are located

18
Funding Timetable

• Fund Year is July 1 June 30
• Funding commitments are made by funding year
  (services starting on or after July 1 and ending
  on or before the following June 30)
• The Window
• Form 471 application window (mid-November to
  early February)

19
Funding Commitment Process

• Technology Planning
• Form 470
• Form 471
• Item 21 Attachment
• PIA Review
• Form 486
• Form 472 (BEAR) or Form 474 (SPI)

20
Technology Planning

• Not required for basic local, cellular, PCS,
  and/or long distance phone service/and or voice
  mail
• Must be written before FCC Form 470 filing
• Service Providers may offer NEUTRAL technical
  assistance
• Technology Plan timeframe should not exceed 3
  years
• Must be certified by an approved agency, usually
  at the state level Service Providers may not
  act as technology plan approvers
• Must be approved by the start of services or the
  filing of Form 486, whichever is earlier
• Must Document the creation date

21
Technology Planning

• Must contain five elements
• Goals/Strategies for using technology
• The plan must establish clear goals and a
  realistic strategy for using telecommunications
  and information technology to improve education
  or library services.
• Professional Development
• The plan must have a professional development
  strategy to ensure that staff know how to use
  these new technologies to improve education or
  library services.
• Needs Assessment
• The plan must include an assessment of the
  telecommunication services, hardware, software,
  and other services that will be needed to improve
  education or library services.
• Evaluation Process
• The plan must include an evaluation process that
  enables the school or library to monitor progress
  toward the specified goals and make mid-course
  corrections in response to new developments and
  opportunities and they arise.
• Sufficient Budget
• The plan must provide a sufficient budget to
  acquire and support the non-discounted elements
  of the plan the hardware, software, professional
  development and other services that will be
  needed to implement the strategy.
• Budget

22
Budget

• Operating budget (draft)
• Has dates that cover the funding year (July
  June)
• Secure applicant share prior to the Form 471 is
  certified

23
Budget

• Budget documentation should clearly identify
  applicants share (e.g., expense line item)

24
Budget

• Purpose is for you to show us you can fund your
  share
• Operating budget (or draft) has dates that cover
  the funding year (July June)
• Budget documentation should clearly identify
  applicants share (e.g., expense line item)
• Can provide letter for reasonable expectation

25
Budget

• More about reasonable expectation
• You dont have the money in your hands now but
  expect to have it after July 1
• We understand that your budget cycle may not
  coincide with our review cycle
• Will have to show the money during Form 486
  review for the entire BEN for the year
• If a shortfall, we will work with you to cancel
  FRNs

26
Necessary Resources

• Do you have the other necessary resources?
• Are there end user computers?
• Must have reasonable plans to fully utilize all
  internal connections for which they are
  requesting discounts (e.g., 2 year plan to get
  computers for all network drops).
• Do you have software to run on the computers?
• Staff trained on how to use the technology?
• Electrical capacity?
• Can you maintain your eligible and ineligible
  equipment?

27
FCC Form 470
28
FCC Form 470

• Competitive Process - What I Want
• FCC Form 470 opens the competitive bid process.
  In addition to FCC Form 470, applicants can also
  issue a Request For Proposal (RFP)
• Form 470 request should be in line with the
  technology plan
• Applicants are responsible for ensuring an open
  and fair process and selecting the most
  cost-effective provider with price being primary

29
FCC Form 470

• Service Provider Involvement
• Service providers are prohibited from filing and
  signing Form 470 or representing applicant in
  bidding process
• Service providers can provide neutral information
  on technical issues

30
FCC Form 470

• Posting FCC Form 470
• Filed by applicants to start competitive bidding
  process
• Filed online or on paper, posted on USAC web site
• Filed certification online (PIN e-certify) or on
  paper
• Must be posted for at least 28 days before
  selecting service provider or signing contract or
  agreement
• May be filed months in advance of Form 471

31
FCC Form 470

• Multi-year or Annual Posting
• Can be filed once for multi-year contracts, but
  FCC Form 470 and RFP must indicate intent to sign
  multi-year contract.
• Tariff or month-to-month services must post FCC
  Form 470 annually

32
Receipt Notification Letter

• Receipt Notification Letter (RNL)
• Confirms the posting of the FCC Form 470
• Important dates and reminders
• Allowable Vendor Selection/Contract Award Date
• Make allowable corrections to FCC Form 470
  without posting another FCC Form 470
• Contact Information
• Certification Authorized Signature, Date
• Number of Entities Receiving Service
• Billed Entities

33
Bid Evaluation

• Next Step
• Once 470 has been posted for 28 days, evaluate
  each bid
• Evaluate each bid using bid evaluation document
• Choose the most cost effective proposal with
  price being the primary factor

34
Bid Evaluation
Bid Selection Worksheet
35
URL    usactrain.solixinc.com Dummy Entity
Number 145909 Dummy Certifier Name John
Smith Dummy PIN blahs
Lets take a look at the Form 470
FCC Form 470
36
FCC Form 471
37
FCC Form 471

• Filing Form 471
• Filed by applicants during filing window (usually
  mid-November to early February)
• Filed online or paper
• Must be filed each year, even if services are
  under a multi-year contract

38
FCC Form 471

• Contains specific information on services
  ordered, quantities, from whom, at what price
• Shows discount rate calculation
• Applicant certifies compliance with rules
  ensuring they have the necessary hardware
  software, staff training, budget, and
  infrastructure

39
FCC Form 471

• Filing Tips
• File Priority 1 and Priority 2 funding requests
  on separate forms
• Remove all ineligible costs from funding request
• Distinguish between non-recurring and recurring
  cost for each funding request
• Verify the entities that are receiving Internal
  Connections for each funding request
• Verify discount calculations
• Verify contact information to ensure you receive
  RAL
• File FCC Form 471 and certification before the
  close of the Window

40
FCC Form 471

• Service Provider Involvement
• Service provider should always provide correct
  SPINs and contact information
• Service providers are encouraged to
• Provide guidance to the applicant on its services
  and functionality
• Assist with providing information for the Item 21
  attachment
• Assist in providing with billing account numbers
  and contract numbers

41
FCC Form 471

• Contracts
• Applicants must sign contracts before the FCC
  Form 471 is certified.
• Contracts can cover more than one year or contain
  extensions, but these options must be indicated
  in the establishing FCC Form 470.

42
FCC Form 471

• State Master Contracts
• If the state conducted a competitive bid.
  Applicants can cite state-filed FCC Form 470 on
  their FCC Form 471
• If an applicant filed its own FCC Form 470,
  considers the State Master Contract as one of
  their bids, and then selects the State Master
  Contract as a winning bid, the applicant may do
  so as long as it is the most cost effective
  solution.

43
URL    usactrain.solixinc.com Dummy Entity
Number 145909 Dummy Certifier Name John
Smith Dummy PIN blahs
Lets take a look at the Form 471
FCC Form 471
44
Item 21 Attachment

• Consists of these items
• Narrative overview or description
• Line item detail of the products and services
  requested
• Any additional details, if needed, such as
  equipment locations or other information to
  support the funding request
• A quote or bill from the vendor
• A copy of the contract for the service

45
Item 21 Attachment

• Submission
• An online submission http//www.sl.universalservic
  e.org/menu.asp
• Mail The attachment should include this
  information
• A label of "Form 471 Item 21 Attachment"
• The applicant's name
• The Attachment Number specified on Form 471 for
  the Item 21 Attachment
• Submit ASAP!

46
Receipt Acknowledgment Letter

• Applicants and services providers receive RALs
• Confirms the filing of the FCC Form 471
• Important dates and reminders
• (Corrections Due Date, Fund Year)
• Informs applicants of Allowable Corrections

47
Receipt Acknowledgment Letter

• Applicants can make allowable corrections to FCC
  Form 471 without filing another form

48
PIA Review

• File Online
• Forms filed on paper may need to go through
  Problem Resolution (PR)
• Forms are checked for compliance with program
  rules, eligibility of entities and services,
  verification of service types/costs by Program
  Integrity Assurance (PIA)

49
PIA Review

• Tips
• Provide information to PIA promptly
• Provide complete responses to PIAs questions
• Ask for more time to respond if you need it
• (this may delay your FCDL)
• Check the Form 471 Application Status Tool for
  the progress of your application
  (http//www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp)
• Service providers can assist applicants in
  responding to technical request and information
  requests.

50
Funding Commitments

• Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL)
• Funding status at individual request level (FRN)
• Funded (based on program rules)
• Not funded
• As yet unfunded
• Funds approved for specific services from
  specific service providers at the applicants
  approved discount rate

51
Funding Commitments

• May receive more than one FCDL
• Multiple Applications, As Yet Unfunded Status
• Check all entries on the FCDL
• Use the information on the FCDL to prepare your
  Form 486

52
FCC Form 486
53
FCC Form 486

• Notifies USAC that service has started and
  invoices can be paid
• Certifies that technology plan meets program
  requirements Technology Plan Approvers
  Certification
• Certifies that the status under Childrens
  Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
• Lead member of consortia may be required to
  collect CIPA certifications from consortium
  members on Form 479

54
FCC Form 486

• Filing FCC 486
• Filed online or paper postmarked no later than
• 120 days after the Service Start Date or
• 120 days after the date of the FCDL whichever is
  later
• If the Form 486 is late, the date 120 days before
  the Form 486 online filing or postmarked date
  will become the start date for discounted service
  and funding may be reduced

55
FCC Form 486

• Service Start Date
• Cannot before July 1 of the funding year
• Can be as early as the date the service provider
  ships the product to the applicant or earlier
• 486 Online Tutorial

56
FCC Form 473
57
FCC Form 473

• Service Provider Annual Certification (SPAC) Form
• Service providers are required to file on an
  annual basis
• USAC will only pay invoices for a funding year if
  a SPAC is on file for that year
• SPACs are required for both BEARs and SPIs.
• SPIN Search Tool lists funding years for which a
  SPAC is on file

58
Invoicing
59
Invoicing

• FCC Form 472
• Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) Form
  
• Filed if applicant PAID for services in full
• Reimbursement handled through service provider
• Cash or credit reimbursement

60
Invoicing

• FCC Form 474
• Service Provider Invoice (SPI) Form
• Filed by service provider
• Applicant gets discounted bills
• Submitted AFTER applicant has received service
  and been billed by service provider

61

• Contact Us