{"id":23971,"date":"2018-01-11T01:51:28","date_gmt":"2018-01-11T01:51:28","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e-ratepaorg.local\/?p=23971"},"modified":"2018-01-19T01:52:50","modified_gmt":"2018-01-19T01:52:50","slug":"fy-2018-form-471-window-now-open","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=23971","title":{"rendered":"FY 2018 Form 471 “Window” Now Open!"},"content":{"rendered":"

January 11, 2018<\/p>\n

~ Form 471 Deadline is March 22, 2018 ~
\n~ Post 470\u2019s NOW if you haven\u2019t done so already! ~<\/p>\n

At noon today, the FY 2018 Form 471 Application Window officially opened; it will close at 11:59 p.m. on March 22, 2018.\u00a0 The absolute final day to post a Form 470 and still have enough time to submit a Form 471 is February 22, but PLEASE DO NOT WAIT THIS LONG as it will only give you a single day to negotiate a contract, obtain board approval (if required), create the EPC Contract Record, and complete the Form 471.\u00a0 For public schools, I recommend that you file all 470s at least 40 days before your February board voting meeting.\u00a0 For nonpublic schools, libraries and other entities that don\u2019t require board approval, I recommend that you have all 470s filed no later than February 1.<\/p>\n

We\u2019ve been told there are a few minor changes to this year\u2019s Form 471, and after I\u2019ve nailed those down, I\u2019ll create a Form 471 Guide and schedule webinar trainings.<\/p>\n

Reminders Before Starting Form 471:<\/strong><\/p>\n

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  1. CONNECTIVITY SURVEY:<\/strong>\u00a0 Be sure your Connectivity Data Module in EPC is up to date.\u00a0 If no changes have been made in your Internet bandwidth, building broadband levels or building WIFI connectivity since last year, no updates are required.\u00a0 If you have experienced changes in one of these areas, don\u2019t forget to update this information in the Connectivity Data Module in EPC prior.\u00a0 If you do nothing, the data you entered in last year\u2019s Connectivity Data Module will remain and be brought forward to your FY 2018 Form 471.\u00a0 \u00a0Remember, this is just a survey and has no direct connection to your Funding Requests.<\/li>\n
  2. CONTRACT RECORDS:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0 If you have signed a new contract for FY 2018, a new Contract Record must be created in EPC prior to starting the Form 471.\u00a0 If you are submitting an FRN for FY 2018 based on a multi-year contract for which you created a Contract Record in EPC in a previous year, you should NOT create a new Contract Record for FY 2018 \u2013 just cite that same contract record that\u2019s in your Contract Module when prompted to do so in the Form 471.<\/li>\n
  3. EPC PROFILE UPDATES:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n