Helpful Guides for Filing C1 and C2 Funding Requests

April 28, 2017

~ Form 471 Deadline is May 11 ~

So far, 443 PA schools and libraries have submitted their FY 2017 Form 471s – Congratulations to those entities!  But this also means that there are about 650 entities that still have to file their applications before the May 11 deadline.  If you haven’t yet started your application, please do so soon.  Although the Copy FRN functionality will certainly save you time if you have generally the same data as last year, unless you’re an expert navigating the EPC portal, it can still take a few hours to file an application.

Below are links to the Guides I’ve put together to make the FY 2017 application process as easy as possible.  Please use them!  And of course, you can always e-mail me for assistance – jtschell@comcast.net.

  • Contract Module Guides
  • These guides show where to find the Contract Module in EPC and explain exactly what data should be input for each field.

Copy FRN Guide

The FY 2017 Form 471 now allows you to Copy a previously created FY 2016 or FY 2017 FRN to your FY 2017 application – a step that will save you time when submitting your FY 2017 Form 471s.   Copy FRN will be most useful for recurring service FRNs, such as Category 1 and Basic Maintenance, but can be used for Category 2 requests as well (such as when you realize a mistake after the 471 has been certified and want to start over on a new 471).  For more details about the Copy FRN feature and to view the Guide, see:  http://e-ratepa.org/?p=19301.

FRN Line Items Bulk Upload Guide

  • When creating Internal Connections FRNs with multiple FRN Line Items or multiple Recipients of Service, applicants can use a Bulk Upload feature where a Template is created off-line and then uploaded into the FRN.  It’s a true lifesaver for some applications!   For more details about the Bulk Upload feature and to view the Guide, see:  http://e-ratepa.org/?p=19371.   You’ll likely need the Guide to figure out this feature.

Category 1 and Category 2 Filing Guides

Category 2 Cost Allocation Guide for Shared Equipment

If a piece of Category 2 equipment is shared by two or more schools, the cost of the equipment must be allocated from the C2 budgets of the schools sharing the equipment (core switches and wireless controllers are good examples of shared equipment).  Deciding which cost allocation method to choose — and making sure you do so correctly on your Form 471 — is important because you’ll want to use your Category 2 school budgets judiciously.  See:  http://e-ratepa.org/?p=12651.

FY 2017 RAL Corrections/Cancellations

Several applicants have filed Form 471s and would like to make changes to those applications, cancel individual FRNs or cancel the 471 entirely.  That function is performed using the “RAL Correction Process” found with your Form 471, which is now operational for FY 2017.   For specific instructions on where to find and how to use the RAL Correction Process, see:  http://e-ratepa.org/?p=19551.

  • Updating the EPC Connectivity Questions FY 2017

Starting last year, school and library applicants must answer “Connectivity Questions” in EPC related to Internet Access, building-by-building broadband capacity, and building-by-building WIFI availability.  These answers are then automatically ported over into your Form 471 before the final Certification page.  You are only required to update this information if your data has changed; if nothing has changed, no updates are required.  If you added a school or library for FY 2017 during the February “Admin Window” then you’ll need to provide their Connectivity Data prior to starting the 471 or the application won’t allow you to proceed to the certification page.  See: http://e-ratepa.org/?p=18731.

If you have any questions at all, please don’t hesitate to contact me!

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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