New eCertification Possible for Forms 470 and 471!
Message Posted November 21, 2001
As I mentioned last week, there have been a few changes made to the E-rate program for Year 5 and I will be sending a summary of each one under a separate e-mail. The first is a much-welcomed new opportunity for applicants to make their 470 and 471 certifications and signatures online, thus eliminating the need to print, sign and mail the signature/certification pages when filing online. Below is a summary of the process, with a detailed Q & A following. Please pay careful attention to # 6.
1. In order to "eCertify", applicants may qualify to request a Personal Identification Number (PIN) and User Identification (User ID) by applying now for a PIN in the PIN Request Area of the SLD web site (http://www.sl.universalservice.org/) in the upper right corner where it says, "PIN Request Area"
2. The PIN follows the person -- not the institution. To obtain a PIN and User ID, an individual must be the authorized person identified on either (1) a funded Form 471 for Funding Year 2 or later or (2) a Form 486 for Funding Year 2 or later which was successfully data entered. If you are filing for the first time this year, you must wait and use eCertification next year. But if you have filed before, you can apply and use a PIN.
3. When the online PIN application process is successfully completed, a computer-generated PIN will be mailed to the authorized person in a secure mailer via the United States Postal Service (they are estimating a 5 day turnaround to receive your PIN).
4. With a valid PIN and User ID, an authorized person can submit certifications online for those forms. Applicants are reminded that using a PIN to certify a form online is equivalent to signing a form with a hand-written signature, and that they are affirming the certifications requested on the form just as if they had signed the form using their hand-written signature. Should the certifications prove untrue, authorized persons will be held to the same enforcement standards as those who affirm the certifications on paper.
5. If you want to start your application now while you are awaiting your PIN to arrive, you can apply for a PIN, begin the data entry of the form online, save your work, and then complete the application process - including the submission of the certifications online - after they receive a PIN and after the online certification functionality is added to the form.
6. Important: If you use eCertification for the 471, YOU STILL MUST MAIL YOUR ITEM 21 ATTACHMENTS TO THE SLD IN ORDER FOR YOUR APPLICATIONS TO BE DEEMED COMPLETE (really, the only drawback of eCertification). ALTHOUGH I WILL BE SENDING ADDITIONAL DETAILS ON THIS ITEM IN A FUTURE E-MAIL, THE SLD HAS NOW RULED THAT ITEM 21 ATTACHMENTS DO NOT HAVE TO BE RECEIVED OR POSTMARKED WITHIN THE WINDOW -- HOWEVER THE 471 CERTIFICATION AND SIGNATURES DO NEED TO BE SUBMITTED VIA ECERTIFICATION ONLINE OR POSTMARKED WITHIN THE WINDOW IF YOU CHOOSE TO PRINT AND MAIL THEM.
Some Q & A from the SLD.
Q1. For which forms will I be able to submit certifications online?
The capability for submitting certifications online will be added to one FCC form at a time, beginning with the Funding Year 5 Form 470 and Form 471. When each form is available for electronic certification, an announcement will be posted in the What’s New section of the SLD website.
Q2. What do I need to be able to submit certifications online?
An authorized person needs a PIN and a User ID to be able to submit certifications online. You must go to the PIN Request Area of the SLD web site to apply for a PIN and a User ID.
Q3. What is a PIN?
PIN is an acronym for Personal Identification Number - in this case, a computer-generated, four-digit number. An authorized person can use a PIN, together with a self-generated User Identification (User ID), to attach an electronic signature to - and therefore to electronically certify - a form.
Q4. What is an electronic signature?
The Government Paperwork Elimination Act (GPEA) defines an electronic signature as "a method of signing an electronic message that - (A) identifies and authenticates a particular person as the source of the electronic message; and (B) indicates such person’s approval of the information contained in the electronic message."
Q5. Who can receive a PIN?
E-rate applicant PINs are issued to individuals, not to entities. (PINs issued to Service Providers are handled differently from PINs issued to applicants.) The authorized person named on one of the following forms can apply for a PIN:
(1) a Form 471 for Funding Year 2 or later that was approved for funding or
(2) a Form 486 for Funding Year 2 or later that was successfully data entered.
The authorized person applying for a PIN must provide an e-mail address.
When an individual requests a PIN, he or she agrees, among other things, that using the PIN is equivalent to a hand-written signature, and that he or she will abide by the terms and conditions regarding the use of the PIN.
Q6. How can I request a PIN?
If you are an authorized person as described above, you can apply for a PIN in the PIN Request Area of this web site. A PIN request cannot be made unless the SLD already has a signature on file. (See Q4 above for the discussion of an authorized person.)
In the PIN Request Area you will be asked to provide certain information to obtain a PIN and to create a User ID. You will also be asked to make certain certifications about the use of your User ID and your PIN.
Q7. What information do I need to provide to get a PIN?
When you request your PIN online, you will be asked to provide the following information during the PIN application process:
Your first and last names
Your date of birth
The type of form previously signed by you (Form 471 or Form 486) which features at least one funded Funding Request
The entity number of the entity identified in Block 1 of the form you selected (Form 471, Item 3 or Form 486, Item 2)
One funded Funding Request Number from the form you selected
Your User ID (four to 13 alphanumeric characters of your own choosing)
Your Pass-Phrase answer (a word or short phrase, such as your mother’s maiden name or the name of a pet, used to validate authenticity in the case of a lost or forgotten PIN or User ID)
Your Pass-Phrase question (a hint that will help you remember the Pass-Phrase answer)
Your e-mail address (for User ID reminders)
Your affirmation that you will comply with PIN usage requirements
Q8. How do I receive my PIN?
Your PIN will be mailed to you the next business day in a secure mailer via the United States Postal Service. PINs will only be mailed to you at an address already on file in the SLD database.
You can request that your PIN be sent to you at the address of an entity other than the one identified on the relevant Form 471 or Form 486, but you cannot specify an address different from the address the SLD has on file for that entity. You will need to provide the entity number for that entity in order to receive your PIN at that address.
If the address on file for an entity in the SLD database is incorrect, please call the Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100 for information on the process for correcting the address on file.
Q9. What happens if I encounter a problem during the PIN application process?
If you encounter a problem online that prevents you from completing the PIN application process, your computer will display an error code.
If you do not understand why you are unable to complete the application process, you may call the Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100 for assistance. The Client Service Bureau will ask you for the error code displayed in order to assist you.
When you complete the PIN application process, your computer will display a confirmation page indicating that your PIN request was successful. You are advised to print a copy of this page.
Q10. How do I use my PIN?
You can use your PIN to electronically certify forms that are completed online through the Apply Online area of the SLD web site and that have the capability to be certified electronically. Instructions will be provided on each electronic form for properly completing the electronic certification for that form. You will be instructed to print a copy of the form after you have electronically certified and submitted the form. The printed version of the form will include signature data to indicate that the form was electronically certified.
Q11. Can I choose my PIN?
You cannot currently choose your PIN. Your PIN is generated by computer when you complete the PIN application process.
Q12. What happens if I forget my PIN or my User ID?
If you forget your PIN, SLD can re-send it to you. To request that SLD mail you a copy of your PIN, go to the "Reprint your PIN" link in the PIN Request Area . You will be asked to provide some of the identifying information you provided when you first applied for your PIN. If your request is successfully processed, your PIN will be mailed to you as described in Q8 above.
If you forget your User ID, SLD can e-mail it to you. To request that SLD e-mail you your User ID, go to the "Forgot User ID" link in the PIN Request Area . You will be asked to provide some of the identifying information you provided when you first applied for your PIN. If your request is successfully processed, your User ID will be e-mailed to you at the e-mail address on file with the SLD.
Q13. Can I deactivate my PIN?
In the PIN Request Area of this web site, you can also request that your PIN or User ID be deactivated.
Q14. What happens if I change jobs?
A PIN is assigned to an individual, not an entity. Your PIN remains active unless you deactivate it. You are not required to notify the SLD if you change jobs or job locations. However, the SLD will only send PIN information to an address on file in the SLD database.
Q15. How can I get help with the PIN Application Process?
You can call the Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100 or send an e-mail to question@universalservice.org
Julie Tritt Schell
Director, Office of Educational Technology
Pennsylvania Department of Education
(717) 705-4486
(717) 787-7222 - fax
www.L2L.org
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