First Deadline Approaches for E-rate Applications
Message Posted March 4, 1999
PDE ENCOURAGES SCHOOLS AND LIBRARIES TO APPLY NOW FOR E-RATE
Schools and libraries planning to apply for E-rate discounts for the 1999-2000 funding year are reminded that the opportunity for filing your
Form 470 is coming to a close. The official deadline is March 8, 1999 but the SLD and PDE are recommending that applicants file by March 5 at the
latest. These dates are to assure that you have waited the requisite 28 days before posting your Form 471 and still be considered inside the window
of opportunity. In 1998, more than $49.6 million in E-rate discounts were committed to PA's schools and libraries -- don't miss out on your
opportunity to receive your share of next year's funds.
A few important reminders:
* If you post your Form 470 online, you still much print out the certification pages, sign them, and mail them to the SLD. The SLD does NOT
have to receive your 470 certification page by March 8, it simply must be received in the window (April 6).
* If you post your Form 471 online, you still must print out and sign the certification pages, include the required attachments, and have them
RECEIVED at the SLD by April 6. If you post your application on time, but don't have the certification pages received until April 7, your application
will NOT be funded because you will be out of the window.
* You must file your Form 470 and wait at least 28 days before filing your Form 471. If you post your 470 online, the 28 days begin immediately. If
you mail-in your 470, the 28 days begins when the SLD enters your application into their computers. Therefore we strongly recommend that you
post your Form 470 online considering that it is nearing the deadline.
* You must have your completed Form 471 RECEIVED by the SLD by April 6 to be considered in the window. Even if post your Form 471 online, the signed
certification pages and attachments still must be received by the SLD by April 6 to be considered in the window. This means that the last possible
day to submit a Form 471 online is April 5, assuming that you sign the certification pages, with attachments, and OVERNIGHT mail it to the SLD.
(Please don't put yourself in this situation.)
* You must rebid ALL tariffed services, even if you think you have no competition in your area for those services. Therefore you shouldn't
check Form 470, Item 10 indicating that your application is for an existing contract.
* You must rebid ALL services unless you have an existing contract that was signed on or before July 10, 1997, or was signed after being posted for 28
days on the SLC website sometime between Jan 30, 1998 - Nov. 30, 1998. Therefore you shouldn't check Form 470, Item 10 indicating that your
application is for an existing contract.
* Voluntary extensions of contracts are NOT allowed unless you stipulated in your original contract that such extensions could be included.
* If you file both forms in the window, you are basically guaranteed a discount on your telecommunications services and Internet access services
between July 1, 1999 and June 30, 2000 because of the FCC Rules of Priority.
* You must file both forms in the window to be considered for internal connections funding, although they will be subjected to priority based on
need with the funds available after all telecommunications and Internet access services have been funded. Hopefully next year the SLD will be able
to fund more internal connections requests than this year because of previous one-time requests already being funded, or perhaps the FCC will
commit more funds than this year.
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
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