April 28, 2017<\/p>\n
~ Form 471 Deadline is May 11 ~<\/strong><\/p>\n So far, 443 PA schools and libraries have submitted their FY 2017 Form 471s \u2013 Congratulations to those entities!\u00a0 But this also means that there are about 650 entities that still have to file their applications before the May 11 deadline.\u00a0 If you haven\u2019t yet started your application, please do so soon.\u00a0 Although the Copy FRN functionality will certainly save you time if you have generally the same data as last year, unless you\u2019re an expert navigating the EPC portal, it can still take a few hours to file an application.<\/p>\n Below are links to the Guides I\u2019ve put together to make the FY 2017 application process as easy as possible.\u00a0 Please use them!\u00a0 And of course, you can always e-mail me for assistance \u2013 jtschell@comcast.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n Copy FRN Guide<\/strong><\/p>\n The FY 2017 Form 471 now allows you to Copy a previously created FY 2016 or FY 2017 FRN to your FY 2017 application \u2013 a step that will save you time when submitting your FY 2017 Form 471s.\u00a0\u00a0 Copy FRN will be most useful for recurring service FRNs, such as Category 1 and Basic Maintenance, but can be used for Category 2 requests as well (such as when you realize a mistake after the 471 has been certified and want to start over on a new 471).\u00a0 For more details about the Copy FRN feature and to view the Guide, see:\u00a0 https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=19301<\/a>.<\/p>\n FRN Line Items Bulk Upload Guide<\/strong><\/p>\n Category 1 and Category 2 Filing Guides<\/strong><\/p>\n Category 2 Cost Allocation Guide for Shared Equipment<\/strong><\/p>\n If a piece of Category 2 equipment is shared by two or more schools, the cost of the equipment must be allocated from the C2 budgets of the schools sharing the equipment (core switches and wireless controllers are good examples of shared equipment).\u00a0 Deciding which cost allocation method to choose \u2014 and making sure you do so correctly on your Form 471 \u2014 is important because you\u2019ll want to use your Category 2 school budgets judiciously.\u00a0 See:\u00a0 https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=12651<\/a>.<\/p>\n FY 2017 RAL Corrections\/Cancellations<\/strong><\/p>\n Several applicants have filed Form 471s and would like to make changes to those applications, cancel individual FRNs or cancel the 471 entirely.\u00a0 That function is performed using the \u201cRAL Correction Process\u201d found with your Form 471, which is now operational for FY 2017.\u00a0\u00a0 For specific instructions on where to find and how to use the RAL Correction Process, see:\u00a0 https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=19551<\/a>.<\/p>\n Starting last year, school and library applicants must answer \u201cConnectivity Questions\u201d in EPC related to Internet Access, building-by-building broadband capacity, and building-by-building WIFI availability.\u00a0 These answers are then automatically ported over into your Form 471 before the final Certification page.\u00a0 You are only required to update this information if your data has changed; if nothing has changed, no updates are required.\u00a0 If you added a school or library for FY 2017 during the February \u201cAdmin Window\u201d then you\u2019ll need to provide their Connectivity Data prior to starting the 471 or the application won\u2019t allow you to proceed to the certification page.\u00a0 See: https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=18731<\/a>.<\/p>\n If you have any questions at all, please don\u2019t hesitate to contact me!<\/p>\n Happy filing!<\/p>\n — Julie<\/p>\n Julie Tritt Schell Penn*link<\/p>\n\n\n
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\nPA E-rate Coordinator
\n717-730-7133 – o
\n717-730-9060 – f
\njtschell@comcast.net<\/a>
\nwww.e-ratepa.org<\/a><\/p>\n