{"id":31281,"date":"2019-06-06T15:19:36","date_gmt":"2019-06-06T15:19:36","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/e-ratepaorg.local\/?p=31281"},"modified":"2019-06-07T15:23:26","modified_gmt":"2019-06-07T15:23:26","slug":"june-2019-schools-out-e-rate-update","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=31281","title":{"rendered":"June 2019 &#8220;School&#8217;s Out&#8221; E-rate Update"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #222222;\">June 6, 2019<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Summer has unofficially begun!\u00a0 E-rate never takes a vacation, so please take a minute and review these E-rate updates as you head to the beach or pack the camper.<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>FY 2019 Funding Commitments:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0FY 2019 funding started off with a bang, but has slowed in recent weeks, likely because the new USAC contractor (that handles all application and invoice processing) is through with the easy, mostly Category 1 applications.\u00a0 Overall, 57% of FRNs have been decided thus far (compared with 84% this date last year), while 70% of the remaining FRNs being for Category 2 equipment\/services.\u00a0 If you\u2019d haven\u2019t yet been funded, don\u2019t worry \u2013 you will be.\u00a0 If you\u2019d like to know what stage of review your application resides, &gt; Log into EPC Landing Page &gt; Search for your Form 471 at the bottom of the page &gt; Click on the Form 471 Application Number &gt; Look at the top of the page for the 471 Status Bar.\u00a0 If you need assistance with understanding the overall PIA review process, please see:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=30611\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p%3D30611&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1560001381981000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEvn-YMzjpqV-4bJwA2ReaiCkEuyw\">https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=30611<\/a>.\u00a0 If you need assistance with responding to a PIA inquiry, please e-mail me!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Remember to File Your Form 486:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0The next step after receiving a FCDL (funding commitment decision letter) is to file the Form 486. It\u2019s a very easy form to submit and I strongly encourage you to file it on the day you receive the FCDL so you don\u2019t forget.\u00a0 Two reminders:\u00a0 Check the \u2018Early Filing Box\u2019 if filing the 486 before July 31, and be careful not to be \u201cclick happy\u201d on the CIPA certifications.\u00a0 Full instructions on the Form 486 can be found at:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=30931\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p%3D30931&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1560001381981000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHo8YvXIEBXB-Lz1qDKfSxWokpuGA\">https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=30931<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Purchasing Category 2 Equipment Now:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0Applicants are allowed to purchase their C2 equipment now, even if they haven\u2019t yet received their FCDLs, because E-rate rules permit the purchase\/installation of equipment after April 1 (3 months ahead of the start of the funding year).\u00a0 Vendor invoices to schools\/libraries are permitted to be dated on or after April 1, but BEARs or vendor SPIs cannot be submitted to USAC for reimbursement until July 1 (or the FCDL\/486 submission date, whichever is later).\u00a0 If you do purchase equipment before receiving the FCDL, know that vendors may want you to pay 100% of the cost and then seek reimbursement from USAC via the BEAR.\u00a0 \u00a0When purchasing C2 equipment, please review these purchasing\/documentation guidelines:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=30711\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p%3D30711&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1560001381981000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHnIltc7T-msSnkWRc3nsju-c5ULg\">https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=30711<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Changing EPC Account Administrators\/Adding New EPC Users<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Summer often brings staffing changes and it\u2019s important that the new staff get set up in EPC so they are prepared to file for FY 2019 this fall.<strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Hints:\u00a0 Only AA\u2019s can create new EPC user accounts and assign User \u2018permissions.\u2019\u00a0 Only AAs can transfer their AA \u2018credentials\u2019 to another existing EPC User.\u00a0 If the AA is the new staff member and the previous AA is no longer with the school or library, contact CSB at 888-203-8100 and they will set up a new EPC AA account (only CSB can do this).\u00a0 Also, if you need any new E-rate contacts added to the PA E-rate Listserve, please e-mail me their contact information.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Changing 471 Contacts:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>If you have a new staff member taking over handing E-rate \u2013 one that is different than the name listed on the 471 \u2013 please submit a RAL Modification in EPC at to make this change so the PIA reviewer knows where to send the PIA inquiry.\u00a0 For help with RAL Modifications, see:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=29751\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p%3D29751&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1560001381982000&amp;usg=AFQjCNEkjBIKnqZrre1aq4-E8Rnz_a2RPg\">https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=29751<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Don&#8217;t Forget to Cancel Expiring Contracts:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0If you are changing service providers beginning July 1, 2019 or no longer need a particular service, don&#8217;t forget to notify your existing vendor in writing that your service will be terminating on June 30.\u00a0 Many contracts, even if they contain an expiration date, require that notice must be provided X number of days in advance or the contract will continue for another year.\u00a0 You don&#8217;t want to be caught having to pay for service you don&#8217;t want simply because you forgot to give the required notice.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>BEAR Reimbursement Filings<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0 Starting July 1, 2019, applicants can begin to submit BEARs for FY 2019 equipment purchases that were made after April 1.\u00a0 This is also about the time when applicants who did not receive discounted vendor bills for FY 2018 will begin to submit those BEARs as well.\u00a0 I\u2019ll provide more detailed information on filing that form in the coming weeks, but I wanted you to be aware that this date is approaching.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Phantom 471 Reminder E-mails<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>I\u2019ve received multiple reports of 471 \u201creminder\u201d e-mails being sent to applicants.\u00a0 If you get one of these, don\u2019t worry.\u00a0 It means you have an unfinished (abandoned) 471 sitting in EPC that you started, but then didn\u2019t submit.\u00a0 Simply go to your EPC Landing Page, and under My Tasks, click on the 471 link.\u00a0 Then click \u201cDiscard Form\u201d and *poof* those reminder e-mails will go away.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li><strong>Category 2 Rulemaking:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0We have learned that the FCC has developed a \u201cCategory 2\u201d Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (NPRM) which is expected to be released in the next month or so.\u00a0 As soon as the NPRM is released, we\u2019ll have a good idea what the Commission is planning in terms of the future of C2.\u00a0 Comments will be requested from the stakeholder community on what changes they propose and I will be sure to prepare a summary for the listserve as soon as it\u2019s released.\u00a0 Fingers crossed for a reset of C2 budgets and district-wide budgets!<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>If you have any questions, please don&#8217;t hesitate to contact me at\u00a0<a href=\"mailto:jtschell@comcast.net\">jtschell@comcast.net<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Happy Summer, E-raters!\u00a0 Wear sunscreen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8212; Julie<\/p>\n<p>Julie Tritt Schell<br \/>\nPA E-rate Coordinator<\/p>\n<p>717-730-7133 &#8211; o<br \/>\n717-730-9060 &#8211; f<br \/>\n<a href=\"mailto:jtschell@comcast.net\">jtschell@comcast.net<\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/www.e-ratepaorg.local\/\" data-saferedirecturl=\"https:\/\/www.google.com\/url?q=http:\/\/www.e-ratepaorg.local&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1560001381982000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHto7pPXq2fjFyDuS6M6Rrnvp2GIg\">www.e-ratepa.org<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n<div class=\"twitter-share\"><a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?via=eratepenn\" class=\"twitter-share-button\" data-size=\"large\">Tweet<\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>June 6, 2019<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[52],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-31281","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-listserve_archive"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31281","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=31281"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31281\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=31281"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=31281"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=31281"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}