Status of Year 2 Out of the Window Applications
Message Posted February 22, 2001
E-rate Update: Year 2 Out of Window Applications
If you filed a Year 2 Form 471 after April 6, 1999, but before March 31, 2000 (including the special March 2000 application window), that application is known as an "Out of the Window Application." Although no funds were available in Years 1 and 3 (and likely Year 4) to fund out of the window applications, there are funds available to fund many of those applications in Year 2. Approx. $360 million was requested.
These funding commitment decision letters are slated to be mailed in waves, beginning in March. There will be several waves, but probably less than 5.
As you may recall, because the September 30, 2000 deadline passed to spend any future Year 2 funding, the FCC released an Order stating that applicants that receive Year 2 Out of the Window Funding Commitment Letters will have until September 30, 2001 to spend these funds. It is likely that the 486's and BEAR forms will then be due in November, 2001.
The big question, of course, is whether the SLD will have enough money to fund everyone who submitted Out of Window Requests. Three things we're almost positive about:
1) Everyone who submitted their application between April 7, 1999 and March 1, 2000, and applicants in the 80% - 90% discount bands will be funded as long as their applications have met PIA approval.
2) There is a significantly more amount of funding available thanks to the applicants who returned Year 2 unspent funds using the Form 500. To those of you who did so in PA... thanks.
And finally, there are many unanswered questions about what if you need a different product or service than you originally requested in your application. These and other logistical details have been raised with the SLD staff and there likely will be guidance and flexibility afforded to applicants to cover these situations.
-- 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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