Year 2 "In the Window" E-rate Update
Message Posted November 21, 2000
FCC Gives Extension to Certain Applicants to Spend Year 2 Funds
BEAR Deadline Extension
Year 2 SLD Appeals
This message pertains to Year 2 Applications that were Received "Inside the
Window." A separate message regarding Year 2 "Out of the Window" or "March
Applications" is forthcoming.
Unspent Year 2 Funds
If you were one of the 182 Pennsylvania entities that was funded for
Year 2 and did not submit a 486 or BEAR form, the deadline to have those
forms to the SLD was yesterday, Nov. 20. Even if you did miss the deadline
you should still submit these forms. The SLD's deadline is somewhat soft.
They say that:
"Although the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service
Administrative Company (USAC) is still accepting BEARs or invoices for Year
Two commitments, please be aware that we do have an absolute deadline for
USAC to make payments. While we will make every attempt to process your BEAR
or invoice, we cannot promise that they will be paid if they are received
after the November 20 deadline. Each day beyond the November 20 deadline
increases the risk that your payment may not be fully processed."
So, if you haven't sent in these Year 2 forms, send them in just as soon as
you possibly can.
If you have left over unspent commitments, please submit a Form 500 to
irrevocably release these funds back to the SLD. The more unused
commitments returned, the more funding the SLD will have for Year 2 Out of
the Window Applications.
New Deadline for Certain Year 2 Applicants for Receipt of Non-Recurring
Services
In an Order released on November 1, 2000, the FCC recognized certain
categories of applicants that, through no fault of their own, had not been
able to meet the September 30, 2000 deadline for receipt of non-recurring
services for Year 2. The order established a new deadline of September 30,
2001 for such categories of applicants.
The order acknowledges that some applicants did not receive their funding
commitment decision letters, or a determination on their service provider
changes or service substitution requests from USAC in time to implement
non-recurring services. Additionally, some applicants may have been unable
to meet the September 30, 2000 deadline because their funding disbursements
were delayed while USAC investigated the applicant's program compliance, or
because their service provider was unable to complete implementation due to
reasons beyond the service provider's control.
The FCC established April 4, 2000 as a key decision milestone. Applicants
who: (1) received, or will receive a Year 2 Funding Commitment Decision
Letter dated April 4, 2000 or later, or (2) were authorized by SLD on April
4, 2000 or later to change their Year 2 Service Providers or to make Year 2
service substitutions, or (3) were left on September 30, 2000 with
unfinished, non-recurring projects because service providers were unable to
complete the work for reasons stated above, will have until September 30,
2001 to implement non-recurring services supported by Year 2 E-rate funds.
The categories above include those applicants whose requests were received
outside the Year 2 window and which are now under consideration by SLD.
The Schools and Libraries Division is currently working on the extension
process details and will soon post more information about taking advantage
of the extension.
Appeals
According to the SLD, all Year 2 Appeals submitted to the SLD for
consideration (not the FCC) have been considered and applicants should have
received a letter detailing whether their appeal had merit or did not. If
the SLD deemed that the appeal did have merit, a Funding Commitment Letter
then was sent to the applicant listing what funds had been approved.
According to the SLD, all letters, including all funding commitment letters,
have been mailed, except for a minor few that are still pending.
If you submitted a Year 2 appeal and have not received the
administrator decision letter indicating whether your appeal was meritorious
or not, please let me know via e-mail so I can forward the information to
the SLD.
-- 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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