Year 8 (2005-2006) BEAR/SPIF Deadline for Recurring Services is October 30!
Message Posted October 17, 2006
* PA has 1948 FRNs - worth $15,952,949 - that need BEARs submitted for recurring services ASAP
* Attached spreadsheet shows all affected entities and FRNs
* Submit Form 500 if not using FRNs
Applicants and service providers only have until Monday, October 30, 2006 to file Form 472s (BEARs for applicants) or Form 474 (SPIFs for service providers) to collect Year 8 (2005 - 2006) funding for recurring services. If you cannot meet this deadline, you must request an extension before October 30 (procedures at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/InvoicingDeadlines.asp) and you must cite one of the allowable conditions for seeking such an extension.
Unless you are receiving discounted bills, you must file a Form 472 BEAR to seek reimbursement. This form must be filed manually (print and mail it) and is available at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/form/. The good news is that the .pdf versions can be typed into and printed out so you don't have to hand-write them or use a typewriter.
Because of the magic of the SLD's Data Retrieval Tool, I am able to filter through the data and determine exactly who still has funding remaining. Attached to this message is a spreadsheet containing a list of all PA entities that, as of Oct. 17, have more than 40% of an FRN's funding remaining. Meaning, if you have invoiced 61% or more of an FRN, that FRN would not be counted on the list (I assumed you didn't spend the small remaining amount and thus won't be invoicing the SLD for it). The spreadsheet contains the service provider's name, the amount that was committed, and the amount that has been invoiced (if any), the amount remaining in each FRN, the percentage invoiced thus far, and the invoice deadline date. The list does NOT include FRNs for internal connections funding (those invoices may be submitted up until January 28 -- see below), or FRNs where it is obvious that vendors are providing discounted bills.
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IF YOU ALREADY SENT YOUR BEAR, BUT YOUR NAME IS ON THE ATTACHED LIST, PLEASE DON'T CALL OR WRITE ME. The SLD's website only provides information on what reimbursements have been authorized, not whether a BEAR has been submitted yet.
After the SLD has reviewed and approved your BEAR, they will mail to you a BEAR Approval Letter, listing the amount of your check. Your check is mailed to your service provider 20 calendar days after the mailing of the approval letter. Service providers are required to mail you a check for the same amount within 20 calendar days of receiving the check from the SLD.
For FAQs on completing the BEAR, refer to: http://www.e-ratepa.org/Listserve-Archive/2006/10-03-06_2.htm. Also, below are a few important reminders:
1) Applicants should only seek reimbursement for the exact amount paid for the service instead of just listing the full funding cap (for example, if you were committed $10,000, but then only spent $6,000, you can't invoice the SLD for the full amount -- only the amount you spent). Please know that the SLD has increasingly been requesting copies of invoices when they review the BEARs, as proof that you are requesting the accurate amount. Don't send the invoices with the BEAR, but know it might be requested.
2) How should you complete the BEAR if you spent more than your funding cap? The SLD would like you to complete the BEAR with the actual figures of what you spent for the service, and not just list your cap. For example, if you spent $10,000, and had a 50% discount, you would list $10,000 in Column 14 and $5,000 in Column 15, even if you were only committed $4,000. The reason is that the SLD would like to show how much applicants are actually spending on services and also so they know that you are not just listing the funding commitment amount, but have actually added up how much was actually spent in each of the 12 months. Unfortunately, they will only reimburse you up to the amount that you were committed.
3) The BEAR Form -- 472 -- cannot be submitted electronically to the SLD; however, you can complete it online using the .pdf format, print it, and then mail it to the SLD (after getting the service provider to sign, of course).
4) Don't forget that you need the service provider's signature on the Form before you submit it to the SLD. To find the fax number of your service provider, use the SLD's SPIN search database (http://www.sl.universalservice.org/Forms/SPIN_Contact_Search.asp) and call the number listed. The only exception is AT&T Long Distance which has conveniently provided a completed BEAR on their website (http://www.att.com/erate/) for you to print and attach to your BEAR. AT&T does not want you to fax a copy of your BEAR to them. Be sure to fill in the date on the AT&T pre-signed page.
5) Make sure the service provider signs the last page -- the Service Provider Certification Page, and not the Application Certification Page, which looks very similar. Also make certain that the provider includes the date beside their signature; dates are considered a minimum processing standard.
6) The SLD has increased scrutiny of the BEARs to make sure that reimbursement requests are for exactly what services were approved for on the FCDLs and Item 21 attachments. If you changed services during the 2004-2005 funding year from what you originally listed on your Item 21 attachments, you should first seek a "correcting service substitution request" from the SLD. The instructions for submitting a service substitution can be found at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/ServiceSub.asp. Likewise if you discover that you changed service providers from what was originally listed on your Year 7 application, file for a SPIN change ASAP. Instructions for making this change can be found at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/reference/SpinChange.asp. If you are granted a SPIN change, you automatically will be given extra time to submit your Year 8 BEAR.
7) For non-recurring services (mostly priority 2), the deadline to submit the BEAR is 120 days after the last date to receive service (September 30), making the deadline January 28, 2007. (The exception to this is if you received your funding commitment letter on or after March 1, 2006... in which case you have an extra year to receive the service/equipment.) Again, if you have received the equipment, file your Form 486, and then promptly file your BEAR to seek reimbursement if your invoice was not discounted by the service provider. Don't wait until January 2007 to seek reimbursement.
8) If you realize that you're on the attached list because you were funded for a service you no longer need, you should submit a Form 500 to the SLD in order to release funding for a particular FRN. Keep in mind that after the funding has been released, there is no way to get it back.
If you have any questions about completing your BEAR, please don't hesitate to contact me at jtschell@comcast.net.
-- Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
717-730-7133 - o
717-730-9060 - f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org
Penn*link
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