Today is 471 Deadline for Schools!

May 26, 2016

You’re almost there! Here are the most common questions over the last 2 days:

Does the vendor contract have to be signed by both the vendor and the applicant before the 471 is filed?
No! Just make sure it’s signed by the applicant. The vendor can sign later.

Do consortia and libraries have to file by May 26?
No! Consortia and libraries have until July 21 to file because of the interdependent relationships in EPC between these different applicant types. I think is a one-time solution and there will be some changes made in EPC so two 471 deadlines won’t be needed for next year.

I need to edit my incomplete 471 – how to get back into the 471?
— If you click on something that takes you out of the 471, or if you deliberately leave the 471, it’s easy to return where you left off. Simply go to your EPC Landing Page by clicking on the USAC Logo, and then under “My Tasks” click on the appropriate “FCC Form 471 – #xxxxxxxxx {Nickname You Gave the Form}.”

— Or if you’re on the ‘Review PDF’ page, click on Edit Form in the bottom left corner to get back into the form.

— Or if you clicked on Save and Share or Send for Certification, EPC has sent the form to all “full rights users” in your EPC account, and the form has disappeared from your Landing Page Task List. You’ll have to contact one of the full rights users in your organization and have them send it back to you.

How do I answer the Connectivity Questions at the end of the 471?
If you get to the end of the 471 and you see a message saying your Connectivity Questions haven’t been answered, you must return to EPC to complete this step. Simply return to your EPC Landing Page (click on the USAC Logo), then click on the name of your organization (top entry under “My Entities”), then “Related Actions,” then “Manage Connectivity Questions.” After you’ve answered the main district question (related to Internet) and then completed each school’s Connectivity Questionnaire (related to broadband and WIFI), return to the 471 (see #7) and your Connectivity Answers will now show on the last page of the form.

As of last night, here is a status of PA’s 471 filings:

Applicants: 881
471s: 1605
FRNs: 3393

There are about 70 PA school districts that haven’t yet submitted a 471 application, and I realize some of those may have chosen not to file because their voice reimbursements have expired or are only at a 10-20% discount, and they have no recurring broadband/internet costs.

If you have any questions, please let me know!

— Julie

Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator

717-730-7133 – o
717-730-9060 – f
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

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