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Dear E-rate Friends:
Message Posted May 17, 2002
I am writing to let you know that I will be on maternity leave beginning the end of next week and continuing through the end of August. I will return part-time in September. (and no, the baby's middle name will NOT be E-rate : ) ).
If you have any questions concerning E-rate, you will have to deal with the SLD directly in my absence. If the SLD requests information from you that you need specifically from the Department of Education, please contact Dotty Hajdu (dhajdu@state.pa.us) and she will try to assist you.
Also, you may continue to see postings from my e-mail account over the summer, as staff will continue to send funding wave information and other important updates.
Before I go, I leave you with these last words of E-rate advice...
1) Provide summer contact information. If you haven't been funded yet, contact the SLD at 888-203-8100 to let them know where you can be contacted over the summer. You don't want to leave school for the summer, only to have your 471's put in jeopardy because the SLD can't reach you, or reach someone else at your school that gives them poor information. Unfortunately, there is no way to do a global contact change... you will need to give them each one of your 471 application numbers and have them list summer contact information.
1) Always appeal. You now have 60 days from the date on your denial letter to file your appeal letter. Make your argument a strong one... and only send to the SLD if they have made an error. All other appeals should go to the FCC. We've seen several rule changes made as a result of applicant appeals, so I would never hesitate to appeal a denial.
2) File your 486s on time. Because of the new CIPA deadlines, they are very strict about how long you have to file your Form 486. My advice is to file it as soon as you get your FCDL or immediately after services begin (July 1). If you wait until after October to file, you start to lose funding.
3) Start preparing to file your Year 6 (2003-2004) E-rate applications now. Identify who will be the lead E-rate contact for your entity, and do the research to see what additional services you could be receiving with E-rate discounts. You may file your Form 470 now (I'll send a more detailed message on this soon), and then file your 471 after the application window opens (usually in early November).
4) Use the PA E-rate website http://www.pde.state.pa.us/ed_tech/cwp/view.asp?=3&Q=70696&ed_techNav=|4217|835| to find a wealth of useful information, such as archives of listserve messages, eligible services lists, SPIN information, discount calculations, etc. Also, check the SLD's website frequently at www.sl.universalservice.org . They update their What's New page (homepage) about twice weekly.
Best of luck to you in your E-rate endeavors... and I hope you each have awonderful summer!
-- Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
jtschell@comcast.net
(717) 730.7133 (voice)
(717) 730.9060 (fax)
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