BEAR Deadline Approaching for FY 2023 Recurring Service FRNs
September 26, 2024
Attached: FY-2023-BEARs-Due-as-of-Sept-26.xlsx
~ FRNs w/Deadlines Attached ~
There are 149 recurring services funding requests (FRNs) from Funding Year 2023 that have quickly approaching invoice deadlines. The last day to receive FY 2023 recurring services was June 30, 2024 and therefore October 28, 2024 is the deadline to submit the Form 472 — BEAR — to USAC for services in which you paid vendor bills from July 1, 2023 – June 30, 2024. Attached is a list showing the FY 2023 FRNs where no BEAR or SPI has been submitted for reimbursement to USAC, including non-recurring FRNs that have a later invoice deadline.
Where to File BEAR: In November 2023, the Form 472 BEAR was migrated from the legacy system into the EPC system. Previously, the BEAR was a separate module when you logged into EPC (the middle option), but it is now a link from within the EPC E-rate portal, with a much-improved BEAR! A BEAR Filing Guide is available at: https://e-ratepa.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Form-472-BEAR-Filing-Guide-New-BEAR-July-2024.pdf to help you navigate the fields.
To access the BEAR/EPC Invoicing System, log into EPC and select “EPC E-rate Invoicing” from the shortcuts menu in the top right corner of your Landing Page. If you don’t see this link, it means that your EPC Account Administrator must change your User Permissions in their EPC portal (see Slide 11 for instructions on changing User Permissions). Hint: the new BEAR allows (not requires) you to upload a copy of the relevant vendor invoice and I encourage you to do so for Category 2 funding requests.
Form 498 – Direct Deposit Banking Data Form: When completing the BEAR, be sure a Form 498 ID is showing. If the Form 498 ID is blank, it means that USAC does not have your school or library’s banking information in their systems which means that your BEAR cannot be processed because reimbursements can be directly deposited into your account. The Form 498 is only submitted one time and the only time it must be modified is if your school or library changes banks, band account numbers, and/or BEAR remittance contacts within your institution (the remittance contact receives the BEAR approval e-mails).
A few important Q & A’s:
1) Can I put all of my reimbursement requests on a single BEAR?
A. Yes! The new BEAR system no longer limits each BEAR to a single SPIN.
2) Am I required to have the service provider approve the BEAR before it’s submitted?
A. No. Your BEAR will be submitted directly to USAC for processing.
3) How long will it take for my BEAR reimbursement to arrive?
A. BEAR reimbursements will be directly deposited to the bank account that is in your SAM.gov account as soon as a few days of BEAR submission. However, USAC often requests additional information, such as a copy of the vendor invoice(s), as part of an invoice review (common with C2 BEARs). Beginning in early October 2024, disbursements will be sent on Mondays (only).
4) I was committed more funding than I actually spent. Can I request reimbursement for the full amount that was originally committed?
A. No. Applicants may 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 only request E-rate reimbursements based on the $6,000). Please know that USAC has increasingly been requesting copies of invoices when they review the BEARs as proof that you are requesting the accurate amount.
5) I spent more than what was committed on my funding commitment letter (my cap). What should I list on my BEAR — the cap or the actual amount spent?
The new BEAR will only allow you to list up to the cap – no more. So if your actual eligible expenses were higher than your cap, you should just claim up to your funding cap.
6) What if I receive my BEAR Remittance Letter and it lists that $0 was approved?
A. This typically means that there was an error made on the BEAR Form and the applicant must correct the error and resubmit to USAC. There is an explanation on the BEAR explaining what was incorrect to help identify the error. If you’re still unsure of the error, call CSB at 888-203-8100 and they can give you a more detailed explanation. The most common denial reason is that you selected an FRN from the wrong funding year. Note: If the deadline to invoice has not passed, you can simply resubmit a corrected BEAR – no need to appeal.
7) What if I actually received a slightly different service/equipment than what was originally listed on my Form 471 application?
A. USAC has increased scrutiny of the BEARs to make sure that reimbursement requests are for exactly what services were approved for on the FCDLs. If you changed services from what you originally listed on your Form 471, you should first seek a “correcting service substitution request” from USAC by using the Service Substitution link in the upper right side of the EPC Landing Page.
8) What should I do if I didn’t use the equipment and want the C2 funds returned to my C2 budget for use in future years?
A. File a Form 500 and reduce or cancel the FRN. The Form 500 must be filed in EPC where you will find the link in the upper right side of the EPC Landing Page.
If you have any questions about the FY 2023 or FY 2024 Invoice Deadlines or completing the BEAR, please contact me at jtschell@comcast.net.
— Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org