Updating EPC Profile Guide and NSLP Data Released
February 3, 2016
E-rate FY 2017 “Admin Window” is Open
~ Schools and Libraries Should Update Profile Data Now ~
~ Libraries will NOT enter enrollment/NSLP data ~
~ Helpful Guide and New NSLP Attached ~
The special FY 2017 E-rate Admin Window is now open, and schools and libraries have until Sunday, February 26 to update their school and library profiles. After that, the data will be “locked down” and the Form 471 window will open on February 27. After the Admin Window closes, it will not be possible to update this data in the EPC profiles because that data will be linked to active library and consortia applications.
What Should You Update in EPC?
- Review the entities in your EPC Portal and contact USAC at 888-203-8100 to have any new entities added, such as new schools, libraries, NIFs, etc. To see a complete list of what entities/data is currently in your EPC Portal, download the Entity List at: https://data.usac.org/publicreports/EntityDownload/Entity/Download. It will give you a report for the entire state, and then you can filter by your Parent Entity (Column D). The enrollment/NSLP data currently in a school’s EPC profile can be found in Columns BR-BX.
- Public and nonpublic schools should update the enrollment and NSLP for each school and the NSLP File is attached to this message, containing the data that was submitted to PDE in October 2016. You may also use alternative data (such as surveys, more recent data, etc.), or last year’s data, but regardless of which data you use, you cannot mix funding years. If a school is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, “CEP” will be noted in the Free/Reduced Lunch Column (Column I) in which case that school’s EPC Profile should mark YES the Community Eligibility Provision and then enter the CEP% number from Column J in the required EPC field.
- Attached is a Guide to Updating EPC Profiles which contains screenshots of the EPC profile pages for both CEP schools and non CEP schools. Use this Guide and you will succeed!
Where Should You Update EPC Profiles?
You must access each school’s EPC Profile page to update this information. Follow these steps:
> Log-In to EPC at: https://portal.usac.org/suite/. Passwords are only good for 60 days so if it’s been longer than that, you’ll have to reset it. If you don’t have an EPC account, call CSB at 888-203-8100 and have them create one for you.
> Go to your EPC Landing Page (home screen). Click on the USAC Logo in the top left side of the page to get there.
> Click on the School’s name for which you want to modify (tab through to see other schools as they only show 5 to a page)
> This screen will show the school’s data currently in the system. To modify this data, click on Modify Organization at the top right side of the page
> Scroll down to the School Information Section and enter the relevant data. Note: The data currently in the fields is what you inputted for FY 2016.
> Note, the system will require you to fill in 0 for the part time fields if you only have full time students. It also will require you to select NONE if you didn’t use an Alternative Discount Mechanism.
> After you click Submit, the system will ask you to assign a Nickname to this change. You can just click the space bar to get past this page.
> To return to the list of schools, click on the USAC Logo on the top left side of the page to return to your Landing Page. Start the process over for the next school in the list.
A few important notes:
- Please review your schools’ data carefully to ensure that it is accurate and if it is not, contact PDE’s Bureau of Food and Nutrition immediately at 717-783-6558 and let me know as well (each year a handful of schools notice glaring clerical errors that were made when their food service official updated their information in the PDE database).
- This spreadsheet only contains buildings that have students participating in the NSLP program. If your school does not participate in the NSLP, they still must be included in your EPC Portal and have enrollment and NSLP eligibility data entered. If you do not have the NSLP data and cannot obtain it from other sources, you can list 0 and receive the minimum 20% E-rate discount for that school.
- Don’t forget: Your EPC profiles must contain ALL of the buildings that are receiving E-rate discounted services, including your non-instructional facilities (NIFs), such as bus barns, administration buildings, etc. If you have not yet added those NIF buildings into your EPC Portal, call USAC at 888-203-8100 and have them added.
- Column G contains your E-rate entity number for that building, but you will notice that some cells are blank. If you have these entity numbers, will you please e-mail them to me so I can update this spreadsheet before submitting to USAC?
- When the SLD’s PIA staff reviews your applications, they use the attached data to validate your discounts. If you have other data (such as from an income survey or more recent NSLP data), you may use it but you should expect a call from the PIA staff requesting thorough documentation to validate your figures.
- Each school’s profile page has fields for State School and LEA Codes and NCES codes. You are not required to enter this data. Warning, if the system gives you an error for these fields, just erase the data and hit Submit.
- There is a template to upload the enrollment/NSLP or CEP data into EPC instead of going through this process school by school (which will be useful for large school districts). It’s available under > Related Actions, then > Upload Entity Profile Data.
- Consortia will NOT enter this data for their member schools/districts. In fact, they cannot enter this data for their members (it all has to be done at the district level).
- If you have any questions about your NSLP information, contact the PDE Bureau of Food and Nutrition at 717-783-6558. If you have questions about your CEP information, contact Eliza Hanft at ehanft@pa.gov.
– 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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