Revised: Deadline to Update EPC Profiles is Now Jan 12

January 3, 2024

Attached: E-rate Timeline FY 2024 (1)

USAC has issued a clarification and changed the deadline to update your EPC profiles to Friday, January 12 (the previous published deadline was January 15).  The Form 471 filing window will still open on Wednesday, January 17 and close on Wednesday, March 27, 2024.  A revised FY 2024 E-rate timeline is attached.

Also, I have received multiple requests for an updated draft NSLP report from PDE that includes data from the LEAs that were missing from the original report (those that had not filed their October NSLP claim form).  I hope to have the updated data to share with you tomorrow.

— Julie

From: PA E-RATE List <PL-ERATE@LISTS.PSU.EDU> On Behalf Of Julie Tritt Schell
Sent: Saturday, December 2, 2023 12:49 PM
To: PL-ERATE@LISTS.PSU.EDU
Subject: Update School Enrollment/NSLP or Library Square Footage in EPC Now!

Update School Enrollment/NSLP or Library Square Footage in EPC Now!

~ Draft Enrollment/NSLP/CEP Data Attached ~

~ Helpful Guide to Quickly Updating Data Attached ~

~ Also Update C2 Enrollment or Library Square Footage if Increased and You’re Applying for C2 in FY 2024 ~

The Funding Year 2024 E-rate ”Admin Window” is open and the PDE data is now available!  During this window, several steps in the E-rate process are done:  schools must update the enrollment/NSLP data in each of their schools’ EPC profiles, schools can update their Category 2 enrollment data (if enrollment has increased and they’re applying for C2 in FY 2024), libraries can update their square footage data, and schools and libraries must add any new schools/libraries/admin buildings that will be receiving E-rate services for FY 2024.  After the Admin Window closes, the data will be “locked down” and it will not be possible to update this data in the EPC profiles because that data will be linked to active library and consortia applications.  The Admin Window deadline has not yet been announced, but I expect it to be the second week in January.  As soon as the Admin Window closes, the Form 471 Filing Window for FY 2024 will open.  *Try to update your school data in EPC before leaving for holiday break*

Important:  The official PDE NSLP Data File will not be available until after the Admin Window has closed; but the PDE Bureau of Food and Nutrition has again provided us with the unofficial data that was submitted by each LEA on their October 2023 NSLP Claim Form (which is the month that is used by USAC to validate your discounts).  Official disclaimer:  LEAs technically have until December 30, 2023 to make revisions to this data in the PDE PEARS system, and therefore there’s a chance that this data could change from the official data that is submitted to USAC.

Details about the Data: The data that you will use is on the 1st tab (named:  Oct ’23 NSLP Draft Data), which contains the Enrollment and NSLP that should be used in each school’s EPC profile.  If a school is a CEP-participating school, they will use the Enrollment and then CEP Percentage shown on the CEP % tab of the spreadsheet (note, this is technically the Identified Student Percentage, but USAC calls it the CEP Percentage).  Use the attached Guide to explain how to update this data in EPC.

Missing Data:  There are 82 LEAs that have not yet submitted their October 2023 NSLP Claim Forms to PDE (see 3rd tab No Oct 23 NSLP Claim Filed).  If your LEA’s name is not on the list, you should contact your Food Service Director and remind them to file this October 2023 claim form ASAP, and then have them provide to you the data they submitted so you can enter it in your EPC profiles.  You are not permitted to rely on last year’s data.

Schools that No Longer Participate in NSLP:  If your school does not participate in the NSLP, the school still must be included in your EPC Portal and have enrollment and NSLP eligibility data entered.  If you do not have the NSLP data and cannot obtain student family income levels from other sources, you can list 0 and receive the minimum 20% E-rate discount for that school.

Updating Category 2 Enrollment/Square Footage:  C2 budgets are calculated based on the C2 multiplier ($167/student for schools and $4.50/sq ft for libraries – or a minimum of $25,000/building) and the Category 2 enrollment or library square footage from the first year that you receive Category 2 funding in this C2 cycle. The school enrollment or library square footage figure used for C2 budgets can be different from the enrollment used for discount calculations.  Applicants are permitted to use the same enrollment (schools) or square footage (libraries) data for the entire 5-year C2 budget cycle, or if enrollment (or square footage) increases, they may increase their C2 enrollment (square footage) in EPC and request a Category 2 Replacement Budget (C2BR).  The C2BR process doesn’t happen automatically – see Slide 36 of the attached Guide to understand this process).

What To Do Now

  1. Review the entities in your EPC Portal and contact USAC at 888-203-8100 to have any new entities added, such as new schools, libraries, non-instructional facilities (NIFs), etc.
  2. Update the Enrollment and NSLP (or CEP) data in each school’s EPC profile for discount calculations.  Although I encourage everyone to use the October 2023 data in the attached file, schools are permitted to use alternative data (such as surveys, more recent data, etc.).  If you use data different from the Oct. 2023 data, just be prepared to validate/prove this data during PIA review.   If a school is participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, Column F will indicate “Y”, and the Free/Reduced Column (Column I) will indicate to find the CEP % in the second tab.  When updating the EPC profiles, CEP schools should mark YES for the Community Eligibility Provision and then enter the CEP % number in the required EPC field.
  3. Update the school Category 2 enrollment or library square footage if you’re seeking Category 2 funding in FY 2024 and your data has increased this year.

Where Should You Update EPC Profiles? 
You must access each school’s EPC Profile page to update this information.  There are two places to find a list of schools in EPC:  1) On the Landing Page (5 per page), or 2) on the Discount Rate Page (10 per page).  Personally, I recommend that you use the Discount Rate Page so you can then easily ensure that your totals are accurate, and determine the discount for FY 2024.  Use the attached “Guide to Entering Enrollment-NSLP in EPC” which contains screenshots of the EPC profile pages for both CEP schools and non-CEP schools.  The Guide also explains where to enter Category 2 Budget updates, and how to request a C2 Replacement Budget.  Use this Guide and you will succeed!

A Few Additional Notes:

  1. Please review your schools’ data carefully to ensure that it is accurate and if it is not, have your food service director update this data in the PEARS system before December 30, 2023.
  2. Don’t forget:  Your EPC profiles must contain ALL of the buildings that are receiving E-rate discounted services, including your non-instructional facilities (NIFs), such as bus barns, administration buildings, etc.  If you have not yet added those NIF buildings into your EPC Portal, call USAC at 888-203-8100 and have them added.
  3. Each school’s profile page has fields for State School and LEA Codes and NCES codes.  You are not required to enter this data.  If you choose to enter this data, and if the system gives you an error for these fields, just erase the data and hit Submit.
  4. Consortia will NOT enter this data for their member schools/districts.  In fact, the EPC system does not have functionality to allow them to enter this data for their members (it all has to be done in the district-level EPC portals).  If you’re a consortia lead and want to enter this data, you should obtain an E-rate Consultant Registration Number (CRN).
  5. If you’re using an E-rate consultant, please forward this message to them so they can update your EPC profiles (which they can do from their consultant EPC accounts).
  6. If you have any questions about your NSLP or CEP information, contact Jennifer Jarrett in the PDE Bureau of Food and Nutrition at 800.331.0129 (option 4) or jejarrett@pa.gov.  If you have questions about E-rate or entering this data in EPC, please e-mail me at jtschell@comcast.net.

Happy updating!
— Julie

Julie Tritt Schell
Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org

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