Title: E-Rate for California Beginner Applicants
1E-Rate for CaliforniaBeginner Applicants
1
2E-Rate Acronyms
BEN Billed Entity Number CIPA Children's
Internet Protection Act FCDL Funding Commitment
Decision Letter FRN Funding Request
Number SPIN Service Provider Identification
Number SSD Service Start Date RAL Receipt
Acknowledgement Letter (Form 471) RNL Receipt
Notification Letter (Form 470) NSLP National
School Lunch Program NIF Non-Instructional
Facility PIA Program Integrity Assurance USAC
Link http//www.usac.org/sl/tools/reference-area.
aspx
BEN Billed Entity Number CIPA Children's
Internet Protection Act FCDL Funding Commitment
Decision Letter FRN Funding Request
Number SPIN Service Provider Identification
Number SSD Service Start Date RAL Receipt
Acknowledgement Letter (Form 471) RNL Receipt
Notification Letter (Form 470) NSLP National
School Lunch Program NIF Non-Instructional
Facility PIA Program Integrity Assurance USAC
Link http//www.usac.org/sl/tools/reference-area.
aspx
2
3Who Administers the E-rate Program?
- The federal E-rate program is overseen by the
Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and is
administered by the Schools and Libraries
Division (SLD) of the Universal Service
Administrative Company (USAC) - FCC makes the rules and regulations for the
E-rate program
3
4How is USAC related to the FCC?
- Comprehensive information about the E-Rate
program is available at the SLD website - http//www.usac.org/sl/
- USAC is a not-for-profit corporation appointed by
the FCC to act as the administrator of the E-Rate
program
4
5California Department of Education (CDE) State
Library Do Not Administerthe Federal E-Rate
program.
- CDE State Library have no statutory authority
to administer the federal E-Rate program - CDE State Library only provide general
information about the E-Rate program including
training and outreach, reference materials, and
other publicly available SLD/USAC resources
5
6Eligibility - Schools
- Schools must provide elementary or secondary
education as determined under state law. - Schools may be public or private institutional
day or residential schools, or public charter
schools. - Schools must operate as non-profit businesses.
- Schools cannot have an endowment exceeding 50
million.
6
7Pre-K and Adult Ed
- State law, in conjunction with E-Rate rules,
determines eligibility of Pre-K, Adult Ed and
Juvenile Justice - Reference the following for California
eligibility http//www.usac.org/sl/applicants/ste
p01/non-traditional-k-12/k-12-eligibility-table.as
px - In addition, Head Start can be eligible
7
8Eligibility Libraries
- Libraries must be eligible for assistance from
the California state library administrative
agency under the LSTA (Library Services
Technology Act) - Libraries must have budgets completely separate
from any schools (including, but not limited to,
elementary and secondary schools, colleges and
universities). - Libraries cannot operate as for-profit
businesses.
8
9Program Identification Numbers
- Billed Entity Number - BEN
- http//www.sl.universalservice.org/Utilities/Bille
dEntitySearch_Public.asp - Service Provider Identification Number - SPIN
- http//www.sl.universalservice.org/Forms/SPIN_Cont
act_Search.asp
9
10E-Rate Process
- E-rate Technology Planning What are my goals?
- Form 470 - Starting the Application Process
- Competitive Bidding
- Form 471 Selecting Your Vendors
- PIA (Program Integrity Assurance) Review
- Funding Commitment
- Form 486 Receipt of Services Confirmation
- Form 472 BEAR and Form 474 SPI Invoicing
Getting the Money - Other Forms as needed
10
11E-Rate Cycle
- Funding 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 Opens mid to late
fall and closes late January to early February - This year Funding Cycle July 1, 2009 to June 30,
2010
11
121. E-Rate Technology Planning
12
13Required Elements
- For E-Rate Plan
- Goals
- Professional Development
- Needs Assessment
- Budget
- Evaluation Process
- Tech Plan Help
- www.usac.org/sl/
- applicants/step02/
- For EETT/Federal/State funding
- Executive Summary/Introduction
- Stakeholders
- Curriculum
- Professional Development
- Infrastructure
- Adult literacy
- Research
- Funding and Budget
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- E-Rate supplemental budget analysis and also
see - www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/rs/techplan.asp
13
14Technology Plan Help
Technology Plan Help
- Tech Plan Help
- http//www.usac.org/sl/applicants/step02/
- http//www.library.ca.gov/services/libraries/erate
.html - http//www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/rs/techplan.asp
- http//www.cde.ca.gov/ls/et/rs/ctapcoordinators.as
p (CTAP)
14
15Technology Plan
- Must be certified by a USAC approved agency
- http//www.usac.org/sl/tools/reference/tech/defaul
t.asp - Service Providers may not act as technology plan
approvers or aid in writing the tech plan - Must be approved by the start of services or the
filing of Form 486, whichever is earlier
15
16Technology Plan Reminders
- Must cover entire funding year
- Must be written prior to posting Form 470
- Applicant must document the existence of this
plan, i.e., e-mail with plan attached, memo from
cabinet level about the plan being written,
including the date. DATE STAMP - Must include all services that E-Rate discount is
being requested on Form 470 - Must be approved by a USAC Certified Technology
Plan Approver - Technology Plan approver for 486 purposes is
- If EETT E-rate, the approver is CDE
- If only E-rate, the approver is COE or State
Library - Private Schools see USAC tech plan approver list
16
17Discount Calculations
- Calculated based on two factors
- Percentage of students eligible for National
School Lunch Program http//www.usac.org/sl/applic
ants/step05/discount-matrix.aspx - Urban or Rural status of Entity
http//www.usac.org/sl/applicants/step05/urban-rur
al/
17
18Free and Reduced Lunch Information (NSLP)
- Reported to CDE in October of each year. (Posted
in Spring/Summer of following year) - Where the numbers come from
- Claim Reimbursement from Food Services Manager
for month of October - Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) looks at
Dataquest information that is available from CDE - Dataquest Link http//dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
- Keep all Free and Reduced lunch information in
your records for future USAC Inquiries
- Reported to CDE in October of each year. (Posted
in Spring/Summer of following year) - Where the numbers come from
- Claim Reimbursement from Food Services Manager
for month of October - Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) looks at
Dataquest information that is available from CDE - Dataquest Link http//dq.cde.ca.gov/dataquest/
- Keep all Free and Reduced lunch information in
your records for future USAC Inquiries
18
1919
20Discount Matrix Discount Matrix Discount Matrix
Eligible Students for NSLP Urban Rural
Less than 1 20 25
1 to 19 40 50
20 to 34 50 60
35 to 49 60 70
50 to 74 80 80
75 to 100 90 90
20
2121
22District Students Enrolled Students Enrolled Free and Reduced Lunches Free and Reduced Lunches Urban or Rural E-Rate Subsidy Weighted Average for District
Sample School District Sample School District Urban
Sample School 1 19 19 14 73.68 80 15.2
Sample School 2 836 836 323 38.64 60 501.6
Sample School 3 188 188 54 28.72 50 94
Sample School 4 121 121 65 53.72 80 96.8
Sample School 5 158 158 36 22.78 50 79
Sample School 6 1050 1050 204 19.43 40 420
TOTALS FOR DISTRICT 2372 2372 696 1206.6
WEIGHTED AVERAGE 50.87
22
23Billed Entity Number vs. Entity Number
- An entity is considered a Billed Entity" if it
is responsible for making payments directly to a
service provider - District is billed entity
- Each school site has its own entity number
- NIF (Non-Instructional Facility) must have an
Entity Number - The NIF must be included on Block 4 in order to
receive discounts at that site for the shared
services, i.e., telecom
23
24Non-Instructional Facilities (NIFs)
SCHOOLS LIBRARIES
Administrative buildings Administrative buildings Administrative buildings Administrative buildings
School bus barns and garages Cafeteria offices Facilities associated with athletic activities School bus barns and garages Cafeteria offices Facilities associated with athletic activities Bookmobile garages Interlibrary loan facilities Library technology centers Bookmobile garages Interlibrary loan facilities Library technology centers
Cafeteria offices Cafeteria offices
24
25Discount Calculations
- Instructional Facilities will have a discount
that comes straight from Matrix - Non-Instructional Facilities will use District
Weighted Average (District Office, Maintenance,
Bus Barn, Bookmobile Garages, Cafeteria, etc)
25
26Eligible Services - Categories
- Priority 1 (P1)
- Telecommunications
- Internet Access
- Priority 2 (P2)
- Internal Connections
- Basic Maintenance on Eligible Internal Connections
26
27Non-Instructional Facilities (NIFs)
- Are eligible for Priority 1 services,
telecommunications and internet access
27
28Eligible Services Basic Concepts
- Key reference Eligible Services List
http//www.usac.org/sl/tools/eligible-services-lis
t.aspx - This List is updated Annually
- Services must be used for Educational Purpose -
http//www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/educa
tional_purposes.asp - End-user devices and content generally not
eligible - PCs/PDAs -Printers -Television
- Laptops -Phones - VCRs
- Key reference Eligible Services List
http//www.usac.org/sl/tools/eligible-services-lis
t.aspx - This List is updated Annually
- Services must be used for Educational Purpose -
http//www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/educa
tional_purposes.asp - End-user devices and content generally not
eligible - PCs/PDAs -Printers -Television
- Laptops -Phones - VCRs
28
29Educational Purpose
- 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.
29
302. Form 470 Starting the Application Process
30
31Prepare For The E-rate Cycle
- Technology Plan MUST be Written
- Existing network structure, both
telecommunications and data - Expected growth in telecommunication and hardware
needs Preparing for the Bidding Process - Number of classrooms and computers with
phone/internet access - NSLP data for discount percentage
- Ensure (CIPA) Compliance, implemented, board
approval.
31
32Manage the Cycle - Teamwork
- Authorized signer ( Legally Authorized Signer )
- Designated contact person (Will receive E-rate
calls) - Organize paper trail
- Written Technology Plan
- Assessment of existing Contracts, with signatures
and dates (expiring contracts, etc) - Prior years submitted applications
- Correspondence from SLD, Service Providers, etc.
- All bids received and evaluation documents
- Calendar of Deadlines
32
332. Form 470
33
34Going On-line
- Web site
- http//www.usac.org/sl/
34
35Form 470 Contract Issues
- Block 2, Item 7 Summary Description of Needs or
Services Requested - Tariffed or Month-to-Month services
- Services for which a new written contract is
sought - Multi-year and/or a contract featuring voluntary
extensions - Should also state in Item 13
35
36Form 470
- Block 2, Items 8 9
- Describe services you desire from Eligible
Services List - Must fill this area out even if you have an RFP
- Allows for service provider to decide if they
qualify to bid - Form 470 could be considered invalid without this
information
36
37Submit and Certify Form 470
- Once the Form 470 is submitted you must
- Certify online using a PIN, or
- Print the certification page, sign and mail this
form ASAP-- certified mail - Print the Form 470 for your records, and note the
Allowable Contract Date (ACD) - Also provided in the Receipt Acknowledgement
Letter (RAL)
37
38Form 470 Reminders
- Allow adequate time for the following to be
completed - Do your Form 470 NOW Do not wait
- Competitive Bidding minimum of 28 days before
contract signing - Local Procurement
- Board Approval
- Signing Contracts
- Understand
- Your existing services contracts
- Products and services you will need in the coming
year - Identify E-rate category for each product and
service, P1 or P2
38
39Form 470 DOs and DONTsFrom SLDs Tip Sheets
- DO list your requested services on your Form 470
and your RFP if you have one. - DO list your requested services in the correct
categories of service (Telecommunications,
Internet Access, Internal Connections, or Basic
Maintenance of Internal Connections). - DO mark the correct boxes in Block 2 for
multi-year contracts and/or voluntary extensions. - DO certify your Form 470 prior to the close of
the Form 471 application window. - DONT allow a service provider that may bid on
your services to fill out your Form 470. - DONT wait until the Form 471 window opens to
file your Form 470.
39
40Receipt Notification Letter (RNL)
- GOLDEN Opportunity to review application and
correct minor errors - http//www.universalservice.org/_res/documents/sl/
pdf/sampleletters/470RNL.acc.pdf
40
413. Competitive Bidding
41
42Cornerstone of E-Rate
- All expiring and new contracts must be
competitively bid to receive E-rate funding - Form 470 starts the bidding process with a
minimum of 28 days to receive bids - Must respond to ALL vendors
- If you choose not to, you MUST have a good
reason, i.e., Spam
42
43Competitive Bidding and Program Compliance
- http//www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/BestP
ractices.asp - Keep copies of all bids, winning and losing
- Keep documentation on the award process and bid
evaluation criteria for your award - Keep all correspondence through the bidding
process - Evaluation Criteria needs to be established
BEFORE you release the RFP/Form 470 - Complete copies of all related contracts
- FOLLOW LOCAL PROCUREMENT POLICIES
43
44Program Compliance
- Best Practice Use standard evaluation process
for all bids. Keep evaluation documentation for
each bid. - If you get NO bids document this for audit
purposes - Same is true if you get only ONE bid
- You may need to be proactive in soliciting for
bids local procurement rules prevail
44
45Evaluation Criteria
- Price must be the most heavily weighted factor
- Can choose most responsive and responsible
response, but must DOCUMENT the choice and
process - Have District official SIGN and DATE the
completed rubric as acknowledgement at the time
of the decision by the district
45
46SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE SAMPLE
Vendor A Vendor A Vendor B Vendor B
Raw Weighted Raw Weighted
Selection Criteria Weight () Score Score Score Score
Prices/Charges Prices/Charges 40 1 0.4 2 0.8
Understanding of Needs Understanding of Needs 15 2 0.3 1 0.15
Prior E-Rate Experience Prior E-Rate Experience 10 2 0.2 1 0.1
Prior District/Service Prov experience Prior District/Service Prov experience 10 2 0.2 1 0.1
Completeness of Response Completeness of Response 15 2 0.3 1 0.15
References References 10 2 0.2 1 0.1
Overall Ranking 100 1.6 1.4
46
47Form 470 Multi-Year Contracts
- You may not need to file Form 470 every year if
- The language on the Form 470/RFP covered all
services on the contract AND - The applicant indicated on the Form 470 that a
contract was being sought AND - The applicant indicated on the Form 470/RFP that
a multi-year contract was being sought (perhaps
w/voluntary extensions) - Determine if the Form 471 from the previous year
(s) included a multi-year contract
47
48Competitive Bidding Reminders
- DO ensure a fair and open competitive bidding
process. All service providers must be treated
equally and cannot be given biased or privileged
knowledge of the bid. - DO select the most cost-effective service
provider, with price as the primary factor. - DO keep ALL records relating to the bid
evaluation process (correspondence with potential
vendors, winning and losing bids, worksheets,
evaluation criteria, contract, etc.). Note in a
memo if one (or no) bids are received. - DO remember that contracts must be signed and
dated by the applicant and service provider
before filing the Form 471. - DONT sign a contract until after the Form 470
has been posted for a minimum of 28 days.
48
49CONTRACT REMINDERS
- Contract Reviews Do not wait until the last
minute - Leave time for board approval processes and
signatures - Know what constitutes a fully executed contract,
i.e., Board Approval, etc. - Other contracts may require 2 or more
signatures/dates to be fully executed
49
504. Form 471 Selecting your Vendors
50
51Form 471 Your Application for Funds
- Detailed information on services, service
providers selected, and contracts - Discount calculation information
- Must be filed every funding year
- (even on multi-year contracts)
- Contains certifications of compliance
- Includes one or more funding requests
51
5252
53Online Demonstration of Form 471
- http//www.universalservice.org/sl/
53
54Form 471 Deadline
- Best Practice
- File Online (Deadline changes every application
year) - Do not combine Priority 1 and Priority 2
services on the same Form 471 - Submit BEFORE close of window
- Certify BEFORE close of window
- Online if using PIN
- By trackable mail if you do not use your PIN
- Bishop Perry Order 15 day grace period for
certifications made after the deadline
http//www.usac.org/_res/documents/sl/pdf/List-of-
Correctable-Ministerial-and-Clerical-Errors.pdf
54
55RAL Process
Applicants should carefully review the Form 471
RAL and must notify USAC of any data entry errors
within three weeks of the postmark date of the
RAL. http//www.usac.org/_res/documents/sl/pdf/sa
mpleletters/471RAL.pdf
55
56Item 21 Attachments
- Used to prove your request
- Substantiating documentation that proves the
pre-discount cost of services or products - Should be clear and concise
- Samples available on USAC website
- http//www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/Form4
71item21Attachments.asp
56
57Item 21 Attachment
- Identify and remove ineligible costs
- Work with service provider(s) to create your Item
21 attachment(s) - Include your Item 21 with your application
- Ensure that your Item 21 and Form 471 totals match
57
58Recurring vs. Non Recurring Costs
- Separate Recurring from Non-recurring costs in
Block 5 of the Form 471 - (Note A funding year starts on July 1, and ends
on June 30) - Services for recurring costs must ALWAYS be
received by June 30 - Services for non-recurring costs must be received
by September 30 following the Funding year
(deadline can be extended for certain
circumstances)
58
59Missed Deadline?
- Form 471 is not submitted before the close of
the window or is not certified within the grace
period - The application will not be considered for funding
59
605. PIA (Program Integrity Assurance) Review
60
61Program Integrity Assurance (PIA)
- Applications are reviewed for compliance with
program rules concerning areas such as - Properly executed contracts
- Discount calculation
- Establishing Form 470
- Eligibility of services being requested
- Eligibility of entities requesting discounted
services - Proper completion of all of blocks/Item 21
61
62Item 21 and PIA
- Read PIA carefully do not ignore it or it will
be denied - 15 days to respond. Dont wait till the last
day! - Take action! Involve Service Providers when
possible - TAKE ACTION!
62
63Item 21 and PIA
- Opportunity to correct new as of Funding Year
2007 - Read reviewers suggested answers
- Provide different cost allocation based on
tangible criteria - Question reviewers eligibility assessment of
product 3rd party supporting documentation
required - Split product/amount to different FRN
63
64Be Responsive
- Respond promptly, answering questions in their
entirety (you are given 15 days initially) - Document communication with PIA,
- e-mail is preferred (acknowledgement of receipt)
- Ask for more time if you need it
- May delay your application
- Dont assume that Reviewer has your original Item
21 attachment - The PIA person can help clarify their questions
- Establish a working relationship
- Contact your service provider immediately when
you need response information from them - Contact the CDE for site validations, etc.
64
656. Funding Commitment
65
66What Happens After PIA Review?
- A Decision Funding Commitment Decision Letter
(FCDL) - Funded
- Not Funded
- As Yet Unfunded (Priority 2 requests)
- Cancelled
- IMPORTANT Check all entries in the FCDL
carefully to make sure there are not data entry
errors.
66
67Funding Commitment Decision LetterFCDL
- Should be your trigger to file subsequent forms
both for USAC and Service Providers - Starts deadline clock for appeal on denial(s)
60 Days - http//www.usac.org/sl/applicants/step09/
67
687. Form 486Receipt of Services Confirmation
68
69Purpose of 486
- Notifies USAC that services have started or are
scheduled to start and invoices can be paid - Certifies that Tech Plan is approved and meets
program requirements - Certifies the status of Childrens Internet
Protection Act (CIPA) compliancy - Do NOT miss the 486 deadline for your district
- http//www.universalservice.org/sl/applicants/step
10/form486-filing-information.aspx
69
70What is the deadline?
- Filed AFTER receipt of FCDL
- Form 486 must be filed online or postmarked no
later than - 120 days after the Service Start Date OR
- 120 days after the date of the FCDL
- Whichever is later
- Grace period from USAC letter giving additional
20 days to file 486 (Alaska Gateway order) - Take this letter seriously
70
71Missed deadline?
- If the Form 486 is late, your Service Start Date
will be adjusted to 120 days prior to the online
submission or 120 days prior to the postmark. - WILL affect telecommunications and internet
access - Funding will more than likely be reduced
- MAY affect internal connections
- Depends on installation date compared to service
start date
71
72Form 486 Notification Letter (486NL)
- Letter received after filing of Form 486
- Verify that ALL FRNs are on letter
- Verify service start dates for each FRN
- USAC is now ready to begin receiving invoices for
payment on these FRNs - Form 472 filed by Applicant OR
- Form 474 filed by Service Provider
72
738. Invoicing - Getting the MoneyForm 472
BEAR(Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement)Form
474 SPI (Service Provider Invoice)
73
74Receipt of Funds
- One of two ways
- Applicant pays entire bill up-front and gets
reimbursed - Form 472, BEAR filed by Applicant
- (Note Form 472 amount must represent actual
eligible costs) - Service Provider applies discounts to bills and
submits to USAC for reimbursement - Form 474, or SPI filed by Service Provider
- Note Telecommunications that are eligible for
CTF Discounts must use SPI process - You cannot file BOTH a BEAR and SPI on the same
FRN. - You must choose one or the other
74
75Form 472
- Use actual expenses to determine Total
Reimbursement Amount Block 1, line 8 and Block
2. - Use Block 2, Item 12 for recurring services
- Use Block 2, Item 13 for non-recurring services
- Create one BEAR for each service provider.
- Can put multiple FRNs on one BEAR, as long as the
service provider is the same.
76Form 472-BEAR
- Once form is filled out, it must be signed by
- Applicant
- Service Provider
- Form is then mailed to SLD
- SLD reviews the form
- BEAR Notification is sent to both Applicant and
Service Provider - From the date Service Provider receives funds
from USAC, they have 20 days to - reimburse Applicant.
76
77Form 474 - SPI
- Used by Service Providers
- Puts discount on the bill
- Applicant pays only their non-discounted portion
- Service provider Forms such as Grid and Data
Gathering Form - Every service provider has their own process
suggested deadline - Follow up with Service Provider to ensure receipt
of funds - PLEASE return GRIDS to Service Providers PROMPTLY
77
78Reminders
- After Posting the Form 470
- WAIT AT LEAST 29 DAYS BEFORE
- Selecting a service provider
- Signing a contract
- Signing and dating the Form 471
- Submitting the Form 471
- MUST OCCUR IN THIS ORDER
- Both Applicant and Service Provider must sign and
date all contracts. - Work with Telecom to consolidate their bills
- Form 471 must be filed before filing window closes
78
79Form 471 TipsFrom SLDs Tip Sheet-Dos
- Do verify that services ordered match the
category requested on the correct Form 470. - DO file separate Form 471 applications for
Priority 1 services and Priority 2 services. - DO read the Eligible Services List and request
discounts only on eligible services. - DO complete your Item 21 Attachment and include
the pre-discount prices of the services. - DO split out requests of questionable eligibility
into separate Funding Request Numbers - (FRNs).
- DO check your math. The Form 471 and the Item 21
attachment totals should match. - DO file electronically and DO certify online
before the close of the window. - DO keep a record of postmark or electronic
submission.
79
80Reminders
- Keep E-Rate files organized
- Create YOUR OWN timeline of E-Rate deadlines
- Opening and closing of the Form 471
- Form 486 deadline based on FCDL
- Be aware of timelines and adhere to them
- Not all dates are set in stone
- Share this information with others at your site
- Print and retain copies of everything
- USAC Link to Document Retention
http//www.usac.org/sl/about/audits/e-rate-binder.
aspx.
80
81Contact Information
- State Library Rushton Brandis, (916) 653-5471,
rbrandis_at_Library.ca.gov - CDE John Vardanega, (916) 323-2241,
- jvardane_at_cde.ca.gov
- CDE Tech Plans Bill Fong, (916) 322-5894,
- bfong_at_cde.ca.gov
- K-12 HSN/Butte COE Russ Selken,
530-532-5678 rselken_at_bcoe.org
81