E-rate Update - Year 1 Appeals and Missing 471s
Message Posted June 1, 1999
E-Rate Newsflash, Schools and Libraries Division/USAC
June 1, 1999
UPDATE AND REMINDERS ABOUT YEAR 1 APPEALS
The Schools and Libraries Division is pleased to offer this progress report on the Year 1 appeals process-including follow-up instructions regarding the Form 486, plus special guidance for those whose 1998 applications are now confirmed missing.
Most Appeals Now Resolved - Funding Letters Forthcoming
Approximately 1,500 applicants who received 1998 funding commitment decisions appealed those decisions, and all but a handful of these appeals have now been reviewed. Appellants first receive a letter titled "Administrator's Decision on Appeal," the last of which are going into the mail this week. Soon to follow for all those whose appeals have been granted will be a special funding commitment letter providing the exact dollar value of their successful appeal. We will post a notice on the SLD Web Site when the funding commitment letters are ready to be mailed.
When to File Form 486 -- and When NOT To
Even if you receive a favorable decision on your appeal, you must wait for your special funding commitment letter before attempting to file a Form 486 or BEAR form for any newly approved discounts that may flow on the basis of your appeal. Until you receive that funding commitment letter, our data system will show your original commitment amount for the Funding Request Number in question, so your Form 486 may be rejected if it is for an FRN that was originally denied or funded at a lower level. However, you may feel free to file Form 486 or a BEAR for any funds we committed to you in your original Funding Commitment Decision Letter prior to your appeal.
If Your 1998 Application Is Confirmed Missing
Following the last wave of regular 1998 Funding Commitment Decisions Letters, we posted guidance for those filed a 1998 Form 471 application within the window but did not get a response from us at all. Such applicants were urged to call our help line to initiate a search for their missing applications, and a number of you took us up on this offer of assistance. While we presume that we have now heard from all such individuals, we have now established a final deadline for wrapping up these cases. We invite all those who believe their in-the-window 1998 applications have been misplaced (including those who may be awaiting final word from our help line staff) to notify us with a written appeal as soon as possible. Your appeal package should include:
A copy of your 1998 Form 471 as originally submitted.
Copies of any documentation verifying that the application was received by us before midnight on April 15, 1998-for example, a postal or express delivery receipt or subsequent correspondence from us.
A letter BRIEFLY summarizing the events surrounding submission of your application, including any recent contact with us. Please send your appeal package (via certified mail or express delivery) so it is received by us no later than June 5, 1999 at the following address: Appeals/SLD, Box 125-Correspondence Unit, 100 South Jefferson Road, Whippany, NJ 07981.
Appeals Still Pending
Two additional categories of appeals are still awaiting final action, which we hope will be under way very soon. These categories are:
Appeals involving pre-commitment rejections and open policy issues. A very small number of such appeals are awaiting final review and policy decisions, and will be expedited as soon as possible.
Requests for waivers of the 1998 or 1999 Form 471 application window deadline. The FCC is currently resolving issues related to authorizing waivers of the window deadline. These requests will be reviewed once these issues are resolved.
If You Disagree with an Appeal Decision
Once you receive our decision on your appeal, you have a right to appeal that decision to the FCC within 30 days of issuance. For complete instructions on filing an appeal with the FCC, go to http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/appeals.asp on our Web Site, or call 800-959-0733 and key in document #511.
Julie L. Tritt
Executive Policy Specialist
Office of Educational Technology 717/705-4486
Pennsylvania Department of Education 717/787-7222 (fax)
333 Market Street, 10th Floor 00jtritt@psupen.psu.edu
Harrisburg, PA 17126 http://www.l2l.org
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