Fall PA E-rate Training Workshops Scheduled

September 27, 2024

~ Register Now! ~

On behalf of the PA Department of Education, I’m pleased to announce this fall’s E-rate trainings as we gear up to apply for Funding Year 2025.  The workshops will consist of the annual veterans’ workshop, newly eligible E-rate hotspot training, beginners’ training, and C1/C2 eligibility and Form 470 bidding training.  All trainings will be conducted virtually and as always, archives of the PP presentations will be available at https://e-ratepa.org/?page_id=745 for later viewing.  We also will record the sessions and make the downloads available upon request after each training.  A description of each workshop is below, with dates/times/registration information following.  Please note:  The PA trainings are for school and library officials only (no vendors or consultants).

  • Veteran Applicants – Kicking Off FY 2025! — There will be a 90-minute workshop for PA applicants who are already familiar with E-rate (our “veterans”) to kick off the new filing season.  Please join me to learn what’s new for Funding Year 2025 and make sure you’re prepared to file. 
  • E-rate Hot Spot Lending Training — This workshop will explain the rules for this newly E-rate eligible item and how to calculate your annual budget caps, and will demonstrate how to create a Form 470 service request for hotspots and associated internet access.
  • Beginner Applicants – Let’s Learn E-rate! — There will be 3 beginners’ training workshops – public schools, nonpublic schools, and libraries, each lasting approx. 2 hours.  The only two prerequisites to attending beginners’ training are:  1) you be a true beginner or need a basic refresh, and 2) you become set up as a “User” in your school or library’s EPC account prior to training and have successfully logged into EPC.  (Only your school or library’s EPC Account Administrator (AA) can create a new User.  If you’re unsure who is your EPC AA or if they need assistance in creating a new User, contact USAC at 888-203-8100 for help with that process.)   
  • Category 1 and Category 2 Eligibility and Competitive Bidding/ Form 470 Training — There will be one Category 1 (all applicants) and two Category 2 Eligibility and Competitive Bidding/Form 470 Trainings (one for public schools and one for nonpublic schools/libraries) conducted.  The trainings will build on the knowledge gained from the beginners’ trainings and provide a more in-depth training of what services and equipment are eligible, what the unique bidding requirements are for applicant type, and provide a demonstration of the relevant Form 470 bidding form. 

Dates/Times/Registration: 

Session TitleDateTimeRegistration
Veterans’ TrainingWednesday, 10/16/20241 – 2:30 pmRegister
Hotspot Lending Program TrainingThursday, 10/17/202410 – 11 amRegister
    
E-rate Beginners’ Training for Public SchoolsTuesday, 10/22/20241:00 – 3:00 pmRegister
E-rate Beginners’ Training for Non-Public SchoolsWednesday, 10/23/20249:00 – 11:00 amRegister
E-rate Beginners’ Training for LibrariesThursday, 10/24/20241:00 – 3:00 pmRegister
    
Category 1 Form 470Wednesday, 11/6/20249:30 – 11:00 amRegister
Category 2 Eligibility & Form 470/Bidding for Public SchoolTuesday, 11/12/20249:30 – 11:00 amRegister
Category 2 Eligibility & Form 470/Bidding for Non-Public Schools and LibrariesThursday, 11/14/202410:00 – 11:30 amRegister

USAC Trainings:  USAC has announced their fall training series for applicants and service providers that wish to learn more about the program and how to participate.  The training sessions are virtual, and registration/copies of previous presentations are now available on the Webinars page. The sessions are for E-Rate program participants at all levels.

If you have any questions about the trainings, please let me know. 

— Julie

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

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