Intro

1
Intro

• Jeannene Hurley
• Michigan Department of Education
• 2006, Year 9
• Funding Year

2
Overview

• Form 471 Application Filing Window
• Issues that affect window for FY2006
• Release of final Eligible Services List by the
  Federal Communications Commission (FCC)
  
• Special Katrina window
• Applicants File Form 470 now
• Receipt of recurring services
• July 1 June 30 (12 months)
• Receipt of non-recurring services
• July 1 September 30 (15 months)

2
3
EligibilityApplicants

• Educational Purposes
• Activities that occur on library or school
  property are presumed to be integral, immediate,
  and proximate to the education of students or the
  provision of library services to library patrons
  and therefore qualify as educational purposes.
• Customary work activities of employees of a
  school or library are presumed to fall under the
  definition of education purposes.

3
4
EligibilityApplicants

• Examples of Non-instructional Facilities (NIFs)
  that can receive Priority 1 services

• SCHOOLS
• Administrative buildings
• School bus barns and garages
• Cafeteria offices
• Facilities associated with athletic activities

• LIBRARIES
• Administrative buildings
• Bookmobile garages
• Interlibrary loan facilities
• Library technology centers

4
5
Technology PlanningApplicants

• Technology Plans
• Not required for basic telephone service
• Must be written before Form 470 filing
• Must be approved by a certified approver before
  the Form 486 is filed or discounted services
  start, whichever is earlier
  
• Must cover all 12 months (or all months of
  service)
  
• Must cover five specific elements

5
6
Competitive Bidding / 470Applicants

• Filing Form 470 opens a competitive bidding
  process.
  
• Can also issue a Request for Proposals (RFP).
• Applicants are responsible for ensuring an open
  and fair process and selecting the most
  cost-effective provider of the desired services.

6
7
Competitive Bidding / 470Applicant Tips

• Applicant Personal Identification Numbers (PINs)
• Will be issued by secure mailer to all authorized
  persons on FY2005 Forms 470, 471 and 486.
  
• Will be automatically issued to any new
  authorized persons filing FY2006 Forms 470, 471
  and 486.
  
• After accepting Terms and Conditions, can be used
  immediately to certify online.

7
8
Calculating DiscountsApplicants

• Discounts are calculated using
• Percentage of students eligible for National
  School Lunch Program (NSLP)
  
• Urban or rural status of county in which school
  or library is located (from web site)
  
• These two pieces of information are carried into
  the Discount Matrix

8
9
Funding Requests / 471Applicants

• Form 471
• Provides specific information on services,
  service providers selected, and contracts
  
• Provides discount calculation information
• Must be filed for each funding year
• Contains certifications of compliance
• Includes one or more funding requests

9
10
Funding Requests / 471Applicants

• Contracts
• Applicants and service providers must sign
  contracts for services that are not provided
  under tariff or under month-to-month
  arrangements
• Contracts can cover more than one year or contain
  extensions, but applicant must indicate these
  options in the Form 470

10
11
Funding Requests / 471Applicants

• State Master Contracts
• If the state filed a Form 470, then the applicant
  can cite the states Form 470 on its Form 471
  Funding Request.
  
• If the applicant filed a Form 470, the applicant
  can consider a state master contract as one of
  the bids, and can choose it as the winning bid if
  it is the most cost-effective solution.
• The state master contract can meet the FCC
  requirements for a signed contract.

11
12
Funding Requests / 471 Applicant Tips

• Dont combine Priority 1 and Priority 2 requests
  on the same Form 471.
  
• Review of Priority 2 requests may hold up
  Priority 1 commitments.
  
• File (and certify) online
• Reduces errors and speeds processing
• USAC will issue you a PIN after successful
  certification of your Form 471 if you do not
  already have one.
  

12
13
Funding Requests / 471 Applicant Tips

• Block 4 Upload
• The feature itself will not be available until
  window opening, but the file spec will be made
  available at least three weeks prior to that. 
  You'll build a separate file for each worksheet
  of the Block 4.

13
14
Funding Requests / 471 Applicant Tips

• Item 21 Online Submission
• http//204.76.13.171/MFPIN/epdpublic/_Item21/frmit
  em21_Demo1.aspx
  

14
15
Application Review Applicants

• Forms 471 are reviewed by Program Integrity
  Assurance (PIA) for compliance with program rules
  concerning areas such as
  
• Competitive bidding process
• Contracts
• Discount calculation
• Sufficient budget
• Establishing Form 470
• Technology plan
• Childrens Internet Protection Act

15
16
Funding Commitments Both

• Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL)
• Cover page of important reminders
• Reports status of individual funding requests
• Funded
• Not funded
• As yet unfunded (Priority 2 requests)
• Service provider does not receive this status
• Cancelled
• May receive more than one FCDL

16
17
Starting Services / 486Applicants

• Form 486
• Notifies USAC that services have started and
  invoices can be paid
  
• Certifies that Tech Plan (if required) meets
  program requirements.
  
• Certifies the status under Childrens Internet
  Protection Act (CIPA).
  
• Lead members of consortia may be required to
  collect CIPA certifications from consortium
  members on a separate form (Form 479).

17
18
Starting ServicesBoth

• Obligation to Pay Non-discount Share
• Applicants are required to pay their share of the
  cost (the non-discount portion or share) this
  share cannot be donated, forgiven or ignored.
  
• Service providers cannot waive or credit the
  applicants share.
  
• Offers to reduce price must be incorporated into
  the total pre-discount amount.
  
• Service provider must bill the applicant for
  non-discount share of services.
  

18
19
Invoicing / 472 or 474Both

• BEAR (Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement) Form
  472 is filed by the applicant and certified by
  the service provider after the applicant receives
  services and pays for the services in full.
• SPI (Service Provider Invoice) Form 474 is filed
  by the service provider after providing services
  and billing the applicant for its non-discount
  share.

19
20
Invoicing / 472 or 474 Both

• Quarterly Disbursement Report
• Sent only to applicants
• Authorized person
• Billed Entity (BEN) address.
• Contains all invoice (Form 472 and Form 474)
  payment authorization amounts for the Billed
  Entity for all funding years approved during that
  quarter.

20
21
AppealsBoth

• USAC decisions can be appealed to USAC or to the
  FCC.
  
• Generally, appeal first to USAC.
• Can appeal to the FCC if USAC does not grant the
  appeal.
  
• Can be filed electronically or on paper.
• Must be filed electronically or postmarked within
  60 days of the USAC decision.
  
• Requests for waivers of rules must be filed with
  the FCC.
  

21
22
General TipsBoth

• If you submit something to USAC
• Check your work
• Sign and date it (online or on paper)
• Submit it by the deadline
• Keep a copy and proof of submission
• If USAC sends something to you
• Read it
• Take all appropriate actions
• Save it

22
23
AssistanceBoth

• Schools and Libraries / USAC web site
• Client Service Bureau
• Use the Submit a Question link on the web site
• Fax toll-free at 1-888-276-8736
• Telephone toll-free at 1-888-203-8100
• Form instructions

23
24
Questions?
24