Updates to Form 498 Banking Data Filing Guide

June 2, 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 ASAP so USAC can quickly process your reimbursement payment as soon as it’s submitted (after July 1).

The most common question: Why won’t the system allow me to enter the General Financial Contact person’s contact info? Answer: This is because the GFC must be an EPC user. You have two choices:

1) Have the EPC Account Administrator go into Related Actions, and then Add a New User (which then sends an e-mail to the new user and asks them to log-into EPC and accept their Terms and Conditions).
2) Make any existing school or library official who is an EPC user the General Financial Contact. The only person that cannot be the General Financial Contact is an E-rate consultant.

New step: After you’ve filed the Form 498, USAC will contact you to request a copy of a voided check or bank statement, proving the banking information you just provided in the Form 498. After you fax this information to USAC, they will then approve the 498 and send an e-mail with your new Form 498 Filer ID.

Attached is an updated 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 (must be an EPC user and must be a school or library official)
• Name of Remittance Contact (can be anyone, regardless of whether they’re in EPC)
• 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

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