E-rate Updates: 7 Things You Should Know
Message Posted February 23, 1999
Dear E-rate Friends:
In an effort to send as few E-rate e-mails as possible, I have combined several snippets that have occurred over the last 2 weeks. Because of
this, please excuse the length of this e-mail.
-- Julie
EXTENSION TO SPEND 1998 DISCOUNTS
It appears that funding for internal connections will extend through the 70 percent level. However, if applicants receive Commitment Letters in late February, it will be impossible in many cases to install internal wiring by June 30, as the rules currently require. The FCC is moving to extend the period schools and libraries can install internal connections at least through the summer. We asked for a six month extension, but allowing schools to install wiring through the summer is a start. This extension would also apply to one-time connection fees for telecommunications services.
APPEAL IF SLD LUMPED SERVICES AS INTERNAL CONNECTIONS
If you submitted a Form 471 that contained categories services (or buckets) that were mistakenly mixed together, you have or will be receiving a letter that states that the SLD reclassified all of those services as internal connections, believe it or not. Thus, if your discount is below 70%, the letter states that requests for these services cannot be funded because you don't qualify for internal connections. This has been the case especially for applicants who have contracted with turnkey providers for internet access, telecom services, and internal connections. For example, if one of the lines on your Form 471 contained internal connections and
internet access payable to one SPIN, the SLD has lumped that funding request all into the internal connections category.
If you have received such a letter, I strongly urge you to file a written appeal to the SLD indicating that at the time of the Form 471 filing, there was no way of knowing that this type of reclassifying would be made, and applicants had no way of knowing funding priorities for different services because the FCC didn't set priorities until June 12, 1998.
CONTRACTS EXPIRING BEFORE 12/31/98 MAY BE ELIGIBLE FOR 6 MO. CONTRACT EXTENSION
When the FCC extended the funding year with its Order last June, it ruled that all contracts for telecommunications and Internet service that expired before 12/31/98 could not be extended for the additional 6 months. Because many schools and libraries ended contracts a few days before Dec. 31, 1998, they were not allowed the extra 6 months of E-rate funding. Hence, states have asked them to reconsider this decision because applicants thought they were only filing for funding through December 31 when submitting applications last April. The FCC is reconsidering this and probably will allow extensions, or additional funding for affected applicants.
FILE NOW FOR 1999-2000 FUNDING YEAR
The next E-rate filing window has been extended until April 6. This means that you really should have your Form 470 submitted to the SLD by March 3 -- JUST ONE WEEK FROM NOW -- to give yourself enough time to wait 28 days, complete your Form 471 and have it received by the SLD by the April deadline.
FORM 471 MINIMUM PROCESSING STANDARDS CHECKLIST POSTED
To help applicants be sure they meet the Form 471 Minimum processing standards, the SLD has posted a checklist on their site.
SLD UPDATED DOCUMENTS ON WEB SITE
Since Dec. 1, 1998, The SLD has been revising and updating many of their reference documents, fact sheets and helpful hints and posting them on the
www.slcfund.org web site to assist applicants in their efforts to apply for the program. These updates haven't always been announced in the "What's
New" section of the Web site or via e-mail News Flashes. Most of the updates seem to be minor corrections or clarifications rather than major
changes in policies or procedures. I have included a full list, along with their respective URLs, at the end of this message.
SLD POSTS TIPS FOR COMPLETING REIMBURSEMENT FORM (BEAR FORM)
10 BEAR TIPS: Important Reminders for Completing Your Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) Form
If you are among the thousands of E-rate applicants receiving a funding commitment decisions letter in Wave 8 (in the mail now) or Wave 9
(scheduled for next week), you may be preparing to file a Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) Form for the first time. Officially known as
FCC Form 472, the BEAR Form is the tool you use to request reimbursement for E-rate discounts on approved services you've already paid for. The BEAR
Form comes with your funding commitment letter; it's also available on the Schools and Libraries Division Web site (www.slcfund.org) as a downloadable
PDF file and as a type-in/print out form.
Here are some reminders about how the BEAR process works-and some tips to make it work well for you.
1. The BEAR Form can only be used to request discounts on bills you have actually paid through December 31, 1998 (see #9 below), and only up to the
dollar amount of your total funding commitment for that particular service. Please do not use the BEAR form to request more than we have committed to
you in a funding commitment letter, or for services you have yet to pay for. Your care in accurately presenting your request will make processing
your reimbursement very straightforward--for you and your service provider.
2. You must complete a separate BEAR Form for each service provider/SPIN listed on your funding commitment letter.
3. Within each BEAR form, please complete just ONE line of Block 2 for each Funding Request Number (FRN) for which you are seeking reimbursement. Even
if you have received and paid for several months worth of service for that FRN, you should add those monthly amounts together on one line of
Block 2, Column 14, subtract any ineligible costs, then apply your approved discount to arrive at your total in Column 15. Use additional lines of
Block 2 ONLY if you have other FRNs associated with this same service provider/SPIN.
4. Your service provider must sign Block 4 of your BEAR Form, but this signature need NOT be original. You should complete everything on your BEAR
Form except Block 4, make a copy of the whole form, and send a copy to your service provider (see #5, below). Your service provider will sign Block 4
and return it to you to attach to your completed BEAR, which you will then submit to SLD. Please do not send us your BEAR without a service provider
signature; it will simply be returned to you.
5. Each service provider has designated a BEAR contact to handle your paperwork. For help finding the right contact, use the SPIN/BEAR Contact
database on the SLD Web site (www.slcfund.org) in the Reference Area, or call our help line at 888/203-8100.
6. To process and approve your BEAR Form, we must have a Form 486 on file from you, with Column E correctly completed to let us know that these
services have begun. You may file your BEAR and Form 486 at the same time, but don't file a BEAR before you've sent in your Form 486.
7. When we have approved your BEAR Form, we will send you AND your service provider a BEAR Notification Letter. We will then issue a check to the
service provider within 20 days. Within 10 days of receiving our check (but before cashing it), your service provider must provide your reimbursement.
If your reimbursement is in the form of a check, your service provider will send that check to the address and contact you listed on your most recently
filed Form 486.
8. Your service provider may need additional information from you about your account and the services for which you've requested discounts in order
to process your reimbursement. Service providers CAN require you to provide such information; if they feel it is necessary for you to complete
additional paperwork--as opposed to providing the information verbally--it is reasonable to expect them to assist you.
9. The current BEAR process is intended to provide reimbursements for services you've received and paid for through December 31, 1998. If you've
received your funding commitment letter after January 1, 1999--or have been paying in full for E-rate approved services since January 1, 1999 for any
reason--please watch for instructions from us soon about how we will handle your receipt of discounts.
10. Please read the BEAR Form instructions carefully before completing the form, and call our help line at 800/203-8100 if you get stuck.
Julie L. Tritt
Executive Policy Specialist
Office of Educational Technology
Pennsylvania Department of Education
333 Market Street, 10th Floor
Harrisburg, PA 17126
Tel: (717) 705-4486
Fax: (717) 787-7222
00jtritt@psupen.psu.edu
www.L2L.org
| 
Back to 1999 Archives Main