Form 498 Filing Guide
May 5, 2016
~ New banking-data form required for all applicants using BEARs ~
Beginning July 1, 2016, E-rate applicants who have opted to use the BEAR reimbursement process (in lieu of discounted bills) will receive their BEAR reimbursement payments directly from USAC instead of being passed through the service provider. The payments will be electronically transferred from USAC to the applicant’s bank account. In order for USAC to know where to transfer the funds, all BEAR-users must complete the Form 498 in order to provide USAC with their bank account and bank routing information.
The Form 498 is available now in EPC. I encourage you to submit the 498 by mid-June so USAC can quickly process your reimbursement payment as soon as it’s submitted (after July 1).
Attached is a step-by-step guide to filing the Form 498. It’s an easy form to complete if you have this data available:
- Name of General Financial Contact
- Name of Remittance Contact
- Name of Bank
- School or Library’s Federal EIN Number
- DUN and Bradstreet Number (DUNS) (the Guide explains where to quickly find this data)
- Financial Institution Account Number for ACH
- ACH Financial Institution Transit Number
Note: The Form 498 may be drafted by a consultant, but it must be certified by an EPC user who is designated as a “School or Library Official.” The attached Guide explains where see the EPC User Permissions.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jtschell@comcast.net.
Happy Filing!
– Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
717-730-9060 – f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org
penn*link