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Year 4 Update: It's time to file your 470's!
Message Posted August 15, 2000

E-rate for Beginners Workshops to be Held

(3rd of 3 E-rate updates)

To apply for Year 4 E-rate Discounts

Believe it or not, it is now time to apply for the 4th year of the E-rate program (which is funding year July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002).

Because of last year's rule change which removed the 470 application from the "filing window", applicants are now able to submit their Form 470s at any time of the year. (The only exception to this is if you are filing for tariffed services -- 470 applications for these services must be submitted on or after July 1 every year because tariffed service must be purchased on an annual basis. And because July 1 has passed, you also can apply for these services now too.)

As you know, the Form 470 is the application which you must submit either online or via paper in order to competitively bid the services that you want discounted for the following year (July 1, 2001 - June 30, 2002). It's the first step in applying for E-rate discounts for the following year and must be posted to the SLD web site at least 28 calendar days before you can sign a contract.

The 471 window dates have not yet been announced, but we understand that they again will run from mid November through mid January.

Although you certainly are able to file 470s closer to the 471 window, I strongly encourage you to begin the process now.

1st step: Visit the E-rate eligible services list at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/eligible.asp and determine what services you would like discounted. Pay particular attention to services in the telecommunications and internet categories, as these are priority one services and are the first to be funded. The funds that remain after these categories have been funded are given to internal connections applicants beginning with those that have the highest discounts.

2nd step: Submit a 470 to competitively bid either online at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp or using the paper format at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/Reference/forms.asp. Again, this can be done anytime -- but MUST be done at least 28 calendar days before you submit your Form 471.

Be sure that if you file online you remember to also mail your certification/signature page to make your application "whole."

3rd step: After your 470 has been posted for at least 28 calendar days, review the bids that providers have submitted to you and determine which vendor best meets your needs. You may not sign a contract before the end of the 28 days -- but one must be signed before you submit your Form 471 (which will be somewhere in the mid-November - mid-January time frame).

Confused?

E-rate Workshop for Beginners

We will be holding 2-3 E-rate Workshops for Beginners around the state in mid - late October. The workshops are full-day and include information in the program's history, what is and isn't eligible, what are the deadlines, what are the forms and how do you complete them, and an "E-rate Manual" with a ton of important information.

Dates, locations and registration information will be sent in the next few weeks. There is no fee to attend, but registrants must guarantee to stay for the entire presentation. Also, any public school, nonpublic school or library official is invited to attend. Service providers also are invited, although most of the content is applicant-related.

This workshop is idea for entities that have never applied for E-rate before -- as well as for entities that have applied, but have had a turnover in E-rate knowledgeable personnel.

-- Julie

Julie Tritt Schell

Executive Policy Specialist

Pennsylvania Department of Education

333 Market Street, 10th Floor

Harrisburg, PA 17126

(717) 705-4486

(717) 787-7222 - fax

jtritt@state.pa.us

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