{"id":36076,"date":"2025-09-24T22:46:03","date_gmt":"2025-09-25T02:46:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=36076"},"modified":"2025-09-24T22:46:04","modified_gmt":"2025-09-25T02:46:04","slug":"back-to-school-e-rate-update-sept-2025","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=36076","title":{"rendered":"Back-to-School E-rate Update &#8211; Sept 2025"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">September 24, 2025<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Happy September, E-raters!&nbsp; I hope everyone had a great summer and your back-to-school transition went smoothly.&nbsp; This time of year is filled with lots of E-rate activity, as you\u2019re wrapping up FY 2024, implementing FY 2025, and preparing to bid\/apply for FY 2026.&nbsp; Please take a few minutes to review these updates to ensure that your filings are on-track.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong><mark style=\"background-color:#00ff5a\" class=\"has-inline-color has-black-color\">Important\u00a0<\/mark>\u2013 Timing of FY 2026 PEPPM Mini-Bids:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0If you intend to use the PEPPM Mini-bid system as the procurement vehicle for your FY 2026 Category 2 equipment purchases<strong>, NOTE THAT YOU CANNOT RELEASE A PEPPM MINI-BID TO VENDORS UNTIL AT LEAST JANUARY 2, 2026<\/strong>.\u00a0 The reason is\u00a0that the current PEPPM contract expires at the end of 2025 and the next contract will not become available for use until January 2, 2026.\u00a0 Thus, no mini-bids can be issued to (what will be) the newly awarded vendors until at least that date.\u00a0 The Form 471 filing deadline is expected to be mid-late March, which means that, assuming your PEPPM procurement is conducted in early January, your C2 contracts will have to go to your school boards in late January or February. \u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Need an Extension for FY 2024 Equipment Installation?\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>September 30, 2025 is the deadline to receive\u00a0and install\u00a0your FY 2024 equipment.\u00a0 If you cannot have the equipment purchased AND installed by this date, you should submit a Form 500 in EPC now to receive a 1-year extension (through Sept 30, 2026).\u00a0 Important:\u00a0 All requests must be made before the September 30, 2025 deadline.\u00a0\u00a0 Note:\u00a0 Don\u2019t confuse this with FY 2025 equipment purchases (you already have until September 30, 2026 to purchase and install that equipment).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Cybersecurity Pilot<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 The CPP Form 471 application window closed September 15, 2025, but to date, no publicly available data has been released on those applications.\u00a0 We expect some data will be released in the coming month or two.\u00a0 Also, the PIA review procedures have been approved by the FCC, which clears the way for USAC to begin reviewing CPP applications.\u00a0<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>FY 2024 BEAR Reimbursement Filings for Recurring Services:<\/strong>\u00a0 Applicants who did not receive discounted vendor bills for FY 2024 recurring services must submit their BEARs by October 28, 2025, or request a one-time extension by this date.\u00a0 The Form 472 BEAR Filing Guide is available at:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=36027\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?p=36027<\/a>\u00a0and a list of FRNs that have had no FY 2024 disbursements for recurring services is available at:\u00a0\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/FY-2024-BEARs-Due-as-of-Sept-22.xlsx\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_xlsx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">FY-2024-BEARs-Due-as-of-Sept-22.xlsx<\/a>.<br><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>New USAC BPO Vendor<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 USAC has awarded a 5-year contract for Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) services to Ernst &amp; Young (EY), beginning January 1, 2026.\u00a0 The contract is inclusive of PIA pre and post commitment application processing, as well as invoicing review and processing.\u00a0 I ask that everyone be patient next spring during the transition from the previous BPO vendor to EY, who, I think, is going to be an outstanding BPO provider.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>FY 2025 Administrative Window<\/strong>\u00a0&#8211; The \u201cAdministrative Window\u201d is the period\u00a0<em>before<\/em>\u00a0the 471 application window, during which time schools update their enrollment and NSLP (or CEP%) data in each school\u2019s EPC profile and provide new Category 2 enrollment data (if you are applying for C2 in FY 2026), libraries update their square footage (if it changed and if they will be applying for C2 in FY 2026), and applicants ensure that all of their schools and library buildings are listed in their EPC profiles and that each school or library\u2019s type and subtypes are accurate.\u00a0 The administrative window\u00a0<strong>will open Wednesday, October 15, 2025\u00a0<\/strong>and will close\u00a0<strong>shortly before the FY2026 application filing window opens in early 2026 (early January)<\/strong>. \u00a0After the Admin Window closes, applicant profiles will be locked, and you will not be able to make changes to your profile information.\u00a0\u00a0In mid-December we will send to the listserve a spreadsheet from PDE that provides the enrollment, NSLP (or CEP%) data along with a guide\u00a0that will walk you through the process for updating each school\u2019s EPC profile.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Register Now for Fall E-rate Training<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 Registration for the Fall 2025 PA E-rate trainings is now open!\u00a0 Trainings workshops will consist of the annual veterans\u2019 workshop, beginners\u2019 training, and C1\/C2 eligibility and Form 470 bidding training.\u00a0 If you are new or newish to E-rate, please be sure to attend these trainings so you are prepared to begin FY 2026.\u00a0 Register now at &#8211;\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?page_id=745\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/?page_id=745<\/a>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>School Bus Wi-Fi and Off-Campus Hotspot Eligibility to Be Rescinded<\/strong>\u00a0\u2013 On September 30, the FCC is\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.fcc.gov\/September2025\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">slated to vote<\/a>\u00a0to rescind both School Bus Wi-Fi and Off-Campus Hot Spot E-rate eligibility. \u00a0USAC has not been actively reviewing these FY 2025 applications.\u00a0 When these measures pass, the FCC will direct USAC to deny pending FY 2025 funding requests related to these services.\u00a0 In FY 2025, PA schools and libraries requested\u00a0$1,285,297.70 in Off-Campus Hotspot funding and $239,648.36 in School Bus Wi-Fi Funding.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Status of FY 2025 Funding Commitments<\/strong><strong>:\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>As of September 24, 92% of PA funding requests have been decided.\u00a0 PIA continues to actively review applications so if your application has not yet been decided, be checking your e-mail for PIA inquiries.\u00a0 If you need assistance with understanding the PIA review process or where to find the PIA reviewer\u2019s questions, please see:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/02\/PIA-Review-Guide-FY-2025.pdf\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">PIA-Review-Guide-FY-2025.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 If you need assistance with responding to a PIA inquiry, please e-mail me. \u00a0If you have an application still pending and have not received any PIA inquiries, or it\u2019s been 30+ days since your last PIA correspondence, please send me your Entity Name, BEN, 471 #, and last date of PIA correspondence (not including Wi-Fi- hotspots or school bus Wi-Fi FRNs).\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><u>Reminders<\/u><\/strong><strong>:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>File Your FY 2025 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<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/Form-486-Filing-Guide-FY-2025.pdf\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Form-486-Filing-Guide-FY-2025.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0 I\u2019ll send out a 486 reminder in a few weeks with the list of applicants that haven\u2019t yet filed.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Label and Inventory Category 2 Equipment<\/strong><strong>:<\/strong>\u00a0 If you applied for Category 2 discounts this year, don\u2019t forget to label the equipment before it\u2019s installed, and add the equipment to your asset inventory.\u00a0 For more details on these requirements, in addition to other C2-related issues, please review the Category 2 Purchasing Guide, available at:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/03\/Equipment-Purchasing-Guide-FY-2025.pdf\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Equipment-Purchasing-Guide-FY-2025.pdf<\/a>.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Request Discounted Bills:\u00a0<\/strong>\u00a0Be sure to tell your vendors if you want to receive discounted bills where the vendor then seeks reimbursement.\u00a0 If you prefer to pay your vendor invoices in full and then submit the Form 472 BEAR to seek reimbursement, that\u2019s your option, but you must stick with one invoicing method or the other for the entire funding year for each FRN.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Changing EPC Account Administrators\/Adding New EPC Users:\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 E-rate forms as soon as they\u2019re due.\u00a0 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 CSC at 888-203-8100 and they will set up a new EPC AA account (only CSC can do this).\u00a0 For a complete guide on how to add\/remove EPC users, or change AAs, see:\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/11\/EPC-How-To-Guide-as-of-Nov-2024.pdf\" class=\"mtli_attachment mtli_pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">EPC-How-To-Guide-as-of-Nov-2024.pdf<\/a>. \u00a0Also, 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\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">If you have any questions, please don\u2019t hesitate to contact me at\u00a0jtschell@comcast.net.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8212; Julie<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Julie Tritt Schell<br>Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator<br>717-730-7133 &#8211; o<br>jtschell@comcast.net<br>www.e-ratepa.org\u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/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>September 24, 2025<\/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-36076","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\/36076","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=36076"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36076\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=36076"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=36076"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/e-ratepa.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=36076"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}