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Read This If You Haven't Been Funded for FY 2011
October 26, 2011
In recent weeks, I have been contacted by numerous applicants asking why they haven't been funded yet for their FY 2011 Priority 1 requests.
According to my records, only about 74% of Priority 1 funding requests in PA has been funded. If you're one of the 26% that hasn't been funded, I believe it's because of one of the following reasons (my suggestions on steps to take to get funded immediately follow):
1) Your Form 471 contains both Priority 1 and Priority 2 funding requests (known as a polluted application). Because USAC funds Form 471s as a whole, they can't fund the P1 FRNs until they know if there is enough funding available to fund your P2 FRNs, which usually takes a long, long time.
Hint: In the future, never ever file P1 and P2 requests on the same 471.
What to do: If you don't want the P2 funding request, e-mail your PIA reviewer to cancel the P2 FRN. If you haven't been contacted by a PIA reviewer, e-mail Ruchi Patel at rrpatel@sl.universalservice.org <rrpatel@sl.universalservice.org%20> with the details of your application.
2) Your 471 contains a vendor that is receiving extra special attention from USAC. Again, because USAC funds Form 471s as a whole, they can't fund the other FRNs on your application until they are able to fund ALL funding requests. Hint: In the future, you may wish to put FRNs related to that vendor on a separate 471.
What to do: Wait.
3) Your application was initially reviewed by a PIA staff member that is no longer working at USAC or on PA applications, and therefore your application is stuck. The reviewers that I know of who have left are: Joseph Reilly, Jeff Barsky, and Peter Chung.
What to do: E-mail your PIA reviewer and asked to be reassigned.
Even though they've left, their e-mail accounts are being monitored by the PIA regional manager who will then redirect your application to another reviewer.
4) During the RAL correction process or during PIA initial review, you requested additional funding be added to your application. In previous years, such changes would be made quickly and not be a reason to hold your application. But this year, USAC is developing new procedures to ensure that only ministerial and clerical error increases can be made. Those procedures are still in development (this will be discussed in-depth at tomorrow's Veteran's Training Webinar).
What to do: If you would like to forgo your increase request so that you can receive your FCDL, e-mail back your PIA reviewer and let them know. This should break the log-jam. If you want to keep your increase request, you'll just have to wait for their new internal procedures to be developed and implemented (which could take 4-8 weeks).
I hope this message helps in getting some Pennsylvania applications moving.
If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact me.
-- Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 - o
717-730-9060 - f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org
Penn*link
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