How to Complete the FY 2015 Form 486

May 27, 2015

~ Sample completed Form 486 attached ~
~ Can only be filed after receiving your FCDL ~

After you receive your E-rate Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL), the next step is to file the Form 486, available under the “Apply Online” section of the SLD’s website at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/menu.asp.  Use the “Create Form 486” version – not the “interview” version.  Please keep in mind that only FRNs that have been funded can be listed on a Form 486.  If you are requesting discounted bills from your service provider, you MUST submit the Form 486 before discounted billing can begin.   All of the information you need to complete the Form 486 is available on your Funding Commitment Decision Letter or your FY 2015 Form 471. You’ll need: Your Entity Number, FRN #s, and SPIN #s.  All funding requests, even if listed on separate Form 471s, can be included on the same Form 486 (just keep adding rows on Block 3).

Below are tips to help you complete the form.  Attached is a valuable reference document — a sample completed FY 2015 Form 486 that contains helpful comments about which boxes you need to check and which ones to skip.

Form 486’s 2 Functions:

a) It informs the SLD that they are authorized to pay invoices (either BEAR or SPIFs), and
b) It informs the SLD that your school or library is CIPA compliant.

Deadline to Submit Form:  120 days from funding commitment decision letter date, or October 28, 2015, whichever is later.

Important Notes and Tips for Completing the 486: 

1)  Beginning in FY 2015, there is no longer ANY technology plan requirement.  However, they haven’t updated the Form 486 to reflect this fact, so you should check the technology plan box (# 8) and then select ‘Other’ in the tech plan approver drop down box, then type ‘NONE’ in the text box when it appears.

2)  Be sure to print the Form 486 number and security code when it appears on your screen (after page 1).  You will need these numbers to access and print a copy of your submitted form.

3)  Check Item 6A if you file the 486 before July 31, 2015.  If you file the 486 on or after July 31, then you can ignore this box.

4)  Skip Item 6B if you’re CIPA compliant.

5)  Item 7, Column F: Service Start Date should generally list 07/01/2015 for Category 1 services (all recurring services), and the PO date for Category 2 (non-recurring services).

6)  Item 11A: If you are a single school, district or library (not a consortium), and you are CIPA compliant, you should only check 11A on that page (skip the rest).  Items 11 D, E, F, & G are for consortium applicants only.

7)  To print a copy of your submitted Form 486, go back to the “Apply Online” area, and click on “Display.”  You’ll need your 486 number and security code to access your submitted form, so be sure to print that page when it appears after you complete Section 1 of the form.

If you have any questions as you are completing this form, please contact me at jtschell@comcast.net.

— 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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