Update on What Enrollment/NSLP Data to Use in FY 2021
November 19, 2020
Each year, schools are expected to update their enrollment and NSLP data in the EPC Profiles during the “Admin Window” in order to calculate their district-wide E-rate discounts and Category 2 budgets for the upcoming funding year. However, due to the pandemic, we know that this year’s NSLP participation and student counts are not typical, which has raised numerous questions about what data can and must be used. Based on a recent FCC Public Notice and discussions with PDE’s Bureau of Food and Nutrition, below are answers those questions.
· Utilizing Last Year’s Enrollment/NSLP Data for FY 2021 – Recognizing that student enrollment and NSLP data has been impacted by COVID-19, USAC will permit applicants to utilize their full-time enrollment and NSLP data from their FY 2020 FCC Form 471 applications for FY 2021. The FY 2020 numbers are already pre-populated in EPC (held-over from last year) and so if you updated your data last year, there’s nothing further you need to do in terms of updating this data during the Admin Window. If you did not update this data last year, you can’t use data from 2 years ago and you would need to update it this year (either with last year’s data or this year).
We understand from PDE that approximately 100 LEAs (combination of public and non-public) are operating NSLP programs this fall. I expect to receive the draft enrollment/NSLP data by mid December as I normally do, and will send that to the listserve. It will be up to those LEAs whether to use this new data or last year’s data. Typically, discount rates rarely go up or down from year to year, so it’s likely that most schools will use last year’s enrollment and NSLP data for their discount calculations to make life easier.
— > You are not permitted to use a combination of this year’s enrollment and last year’s NSLP data (or visa versa) for your discount calculations. It must be data from the same year.
· Updating Enrollment for Category 2 Budgets – Beginning in FY 2021, schools can use different enrollment numbers in their C2 budget profile than what is used in the discount calculation data. And then in future years they can increase the enrollment if it increases, but they are not required to adjust it downward if enrollment decreases. For FY 2021, the EPC system has already populated the C2 enrollment data using what was listed on the FY 2020 Form 471 application. My advice to schools:
— If your district’s overall enrollment has increased this year and you’re applying for Category 2 funding in FY 2021, update your Category 2 enrollment profile with the higher enrollment to obtain a higher C2 budget.
— > You are permitted to use this year’s enrollment data for C2, and last year’s enrollment/NSLP data for your discount calculations purposes.
— If your district’s overall enrollment has decreased this year, simply do nothing and let the enrollment in your C2 enrollment profile remain.
— If your enrollment increases during any of the next five years, you can then update your C2 enrollment profile in that year to claim the higher C2 budget for the remainder of this C2 budget cycle (FY 2021 – FY 2025).
· Counting Enrollment of Students Receiving Remote Instruction – The FCC has clarified that students enrolled at brick-and-mortar schools can be counted as full-time students regardless of whether they receive some or all instruction via distance/remote learning during school closures imposed by the COVID-19 pandemic.
I will be sending a guide in the next few days showing how to update your discount enrollment/NSLP as well as your district’s Category 2 enrollment data, should you choose to do so during this Admin Window. Regardless of whether you choose to use this year’s data or last year’s, you should be sure to add or remove any buildings (schools or NIFs) that will be opening or closing in FY 2021. Libraries just need to update the square footage, if any changes have been or will be made for FY 2021.
If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me at jtschell@comcast.net.
— Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
PA E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133
