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ERATE AND YOU A RELATIONSHIP MADE IN H

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Competitive Bidding Process ... Competitive bidding / Form 470. Calculating discounts. Funding requests ... Competitive Bidding / 470. Applicants. Request for ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: ERATE AND YOU A RELATIONSHIP MADE IN H


1
E-RATE AND YOUA RELATIONSHIP MADE IN H
2
WELCOME
  • TO DEATH by PowerPoint.

3
E-Rate and YouA Relationship Made in H
  • Mary Mehsikomer, State E-Rate Liaison
  • November 2007

4
Overview
  • Schools and Libraries Program
  • Provides discounts to eligible schools and
    libraries for Telecommunications Services,
    Internet Access, Internal Connections, and Basic
    Maintenance
  • Applicants can be schools, libraries, or
    consortia, but only eligible recipients of
    service can receive discounts
  • Applicants must apply for discounts each year
    (Form 471 application filing window)
  • Funding cap each year is 2.25 billion

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5
Overview
  • Funding year July 1 through following June 30
  • Competitive Bidding Process Form 470
  • July 28 days before end of 471 window
    (usually February)
  • Services Selected Form 471
  • November February (check website for exact
    dates)
  • (60 days after release of Eligible Services List
    from FCC)
  • Receipt of Services Confirmation Form 486
  • 120 days after USAC response from 471 letter or
  • 120 days after the service start date
  • Billing Entity Reimbursement Form Form 472 or
    Form 474
  • 120 days after date of the Form 486
    Notification Letter or
  • 120 days after the last date to receive service

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6
Overview
  • Forms for Applicants
  • Technology plan Letter from MDE
  • Form 470
  • Form 471
  • Form 486
  • Form 472 BEAR

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Overview
8
Overview
  • Application process
  • Eligibility
  • Technology planning
  • Competitive bidding / Form 470
  • Calculating discounts
  • Funding requests / Form 471
  • Application review / Funding commitments
  • Starting services / Form 486
  • Invoicing USAC / Form 472 (BEAR) or Form 474

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Calculating Discounts
Discount Matrix
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EligibilityApplicants
  • Eligible Entities - Schools
  • Must meet the statutory definition of elementary
    or secondary school found in the No Child Left
    Behind Act of 2001.
  • Must be a non-profit institutional day or
    residential school, including a public charter
    school, that provides elementary or secondary
    education, as determined under state law.
  • Must not be operating as a for-profit business.
  • Must not have an endowment exceeding 50 million.

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EligibilityApplicants
  • Eligible Entities - Schools
  • Pre-kindergarten, Adult Education, Juvenile
    Justice students/facilities may be eligible. In
    MN, Pre-K and Juvenile Justice are eligible.
  • Must provide elementary or secondary education as
    determined under state law.
  • USAC requests updated eligibility information
    from state departments of education every two
    years.

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EligibilityApplicants
  • Consortia
  • Eligible schools and/or libraries may form
    consortia with
  • Other eligible schools and/or libraries
  • Certain health care providers
  • Public sector (governmental) entities
  • Only eligible entities can receive discounts

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Eligible ServicesBoth
  • Priority 1 funded first
  • Telecommunications Services
  • Basic telephone service wireline or wireless
    phone service (local, cellular/PCS, and/or long
    distance)
  • Voice mail
  • Transmission services (T-1, DSL)
  • Internet Access
  • Basic conduit access to the Internet

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Eligible ServicesBoth
  • Priority 2
  • Internal Connections (switches, hubs, routers,
    wiring)
  • Basic Maintenance on Internal Connections
  • Priority 1 funded first, then Priority 2 begins
    with neediest applicants (90 first, then 89,
    88, etc.).
  • Internal Connections funded in only two out of
    five funding years. (may or may not make a
    difference).

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EligibilityApplicants
  • Educational Purposes
  • Activities that occur on school property are
    presumed to be integral, immediate, and proximate
    to the education of students or the provision of
    library services to library patrons and therefore
    qualify as educational purposes.
  • Customary work activities of employees of a
    school or library are presumed to fall under the
    definition of education purposes.

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EligibilityApplicants
  • Examples of Non-instructional Facilities (NIFs)
    that can receive Priority 1 services
  • SCHOOLS
  • Administrative buildings
  • School bus barns and garages
  • Cafeteria offices
  • Facilities associated with athletic activities

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EligibilityApplicants
  • Educational Purposes Priority 1
  • Wireless Telecommunications Services used offsite
    may be eligible. For example,
  • School bus drivers delivering children to and
    from school when cell phones are need to make
    sure no child is left behind.
  • Cell phones for teachers or other school staff
    accompanying students on a field trip or sporting
    event.

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EligibilityApplicants
  • Educational Purposes Priority 2
  • Priority 2 services to NIFs are NOT eligible
    unless those internal connections are essential
    for the effective transport of information to an
    instructional building of a school.

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Technology PlanningApplicants
  • Technology Plans
  • Not required for basic telephone service (but
    theyre a good idea anyway)
  • Must be written before Form 470 filing
  • Must be approved by a certified approver before
    the Form 486 is filed or discounted services
    start, whichever is earlier
  • Must cover entire program year
  • Must cover five specific elements

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Technology PlanningApplicants
  • Technology Plans
  • Must cover five specific elements
  • Goals / Strategies for using technology
  • Professional development
  • Needs assessment
  • Sufficient budget
  • Evaluation process

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Competitive Bidding / 470Applicants
  • Filing Form 470 opens a competitive bidding
    process.
  • Can also issue a Request for Proposals (RFP).
  • Applicants are responsible for ensuring an open
    and fair process and selecting the most
    cost-effective provider of the desired services.

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Competitive Bidding / 470Applicants
  • Request for Proposal (RFP)
  • Not required under FCC rules, but a good idea
  • Must comply with local and state procurement laws
  • Describes your project scope, location, other
    requirements in detail
  • Even if you have an RFP, you must describe the
    services you desire on your Form 470.

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Competitive Bidding / 470Applicants
  • Competition
  • Goal is to have as many bidders as possible
  • Promotes better service and lower prices
  • Fair and open process
  • All bidders treated the same
  • No advance knowledge of RFP information
  • No secrets in the process
  • All bidders know what is required of them.

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Competitive Bidding / 470Applicants
  • Selecting service providers
  • Applicants must choose the most cost-effective
    solution to their Form 470 or RFP, with price as
    the primary factor
  • Other factors can be considered, but price must
    be the most heavily weighted.
  • Evaluation process should be carefully documented
    and that documentation must be maintained.

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Competitive Bidding / 470Applicants
  • Form 470 Deadline
  • Absolute deadline is 28 days before the close of
    the Form 471 filing window.
  • However, if the applicant waits until that date
    to file a Form 470, the following must all occur
    on the last day of the window
  • Selecting a service provider
  • Signing a contract
  • Signing, dating and submitting Form 471.

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Competitive Bidding / 470Applicant Tips
  • Retain worksheets, bid evaluation criteria,
    winning AND LOSING bids
  • Prepare a memo to file if you received only one
    bid or no bids
  • File (and certify) online
  • Reduces errors and speeds processing
  • USAC will issue you a PIN

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What should I keep?
  • Keep all documents FIVE years after the last day
    of service for the E-rate funding year.
  • Applicants, service providers, and consultants
    should ALL retain E-rate documentation.

28
TOP 5 MISSING DOCUMENTS
  • Discount verification (NSLP, etc.)
  • Asset listings
  • Signed and dated contracts
  • Consultant agreement or LOA
  • Bid evaluation/award schedule

29
Competitive Bidding / 470Applicants
  • Form 470 Receipt Notification Letter (RNL)
  • Cover page of important reminders
  • Notifies applicant that Form 470 has been posted
    to the USAC web site
  • RNL generated before certification
  • Contains Allowable Vendor Selection / Contract
    Date

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Calculating DiscountsApplicants
  • Discounts are calculated using
  • Percentage of students eligible for National
    School Lunch Program (NSLP)
  • Urban or rural status of county in which school
    or library is located (from web site)
  • These two pieces of information are carried into
    the Discount Matrix

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Funding Requests / 471Applicants
  • Form 471
  • Provides specific information on services,
    service providers selected, and contracts
  • Provides discount calculation information
  • Must be filed for each funding year
  • Contains certifications of compliance
  • Can include one or more funding requests, but
    break out Form 471s based on service category.

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Funding Requests / 471Applicants
  • Form 471 Deadline
  • Must be filed online or postmarked on or before
    the close of the Form 471 application filing
    window.
  • Forms 471 filed after the close of the window
    will be considered after all Forms 471 filed
    in-window.
  • Certifications for associated Forms 470 also must
    be filed online or postmarked before the close of
    the window.

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Funding Requests / 471Applicants
  • Contracts
  • Applicants and service providers must sign
    contracts for services that are not provided
    under tariff or under month-to-month arrangements
  • Contracts can cover more than one year or contain
    extensions, but applicant must indicate these
    options in the Form 470

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Funding Requests / 471 Applicant Dos and Donts
  • WAIT AT LEAST 28 DAYS BEFORE
  • Selecting a service provider
  • Signing a contract
  • Signing and dating the Form 471
  • Submitting the Form 471
  • These actions must occur in this order.
  • Refer to 470 RNL for allowable date.
  • Both applicants and service providers must sign
    and date all contracts.

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Funding Requests / 471 Applicant Tips
  • Remove ineligible costs from funding requests
  • Document ineligible costs carefully
  • 30 rule if 30 or more of the dollar value of
    the request is for ineligible products and
    services, the entire request will be denied
  • Work with your service provider(s) to create your
    Item 21 attachment(s)

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Funding Requests / 471 Applicant Tips
  • Dont combine Priority 1 and Priority 2 requests
    on the same Form 471.
  • Review of Priority 2 requests may hold up
    Priority 1 commitments.
  • When in doubt, split it out.
  • File (and certify) online
  • Reduces errors and speeds processing
  • USAC will issue you a PIN

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Funding Requests / 471Both
  • Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL)
  • Cover page of important reminders
  • Provides confirmation of certain information
    entered from Form 471
  • Data entry errors may be corrected
  • Applicants can request funding reductions but not
    funding increases

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Application Review Applicants
  • Forms 471 are reviewed by Program Integrity
    Assurance (PIA) for compliance with program rules
    concerning areas such as
  • Competitive bidding process
  • Contracts
  • Discount calculation
  • Sufficient budget
  • Establishing Form 470
  • Technology plan
  • Childrens Internet Protection Act

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Application Review Applicant Tips
  • Provide information to Program Integrity
    Assurance (PIA) promptly 15 days
  • Work with your service provider to comply with
    information requests.
  • Make sure your answers respond completely to the
    questions asked.
  • Ask for more time to respond if you need it.
  • However, if you ask for more time, your PIA
    representative will work on other applications
    and you may wait longer for a decision.
  • Check the 471 Application Status Tool.

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Funding Commitments Both
  • Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL)
  • Cover page of important reminders
  • Reports status of individual funding requests
  • Funded
  • Not funded
  • As yet unfunded (Priority 2 requests)
  • Cancelled
  • May receive more than one FCDL

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Funding CommitmentsApplicant Tips
  • Check all entries on the Funding Commitment
    Decision Letter (FCDL) carefully to make sure
    there are no data entry errors.
  • Use the information on the FCDL to prepare your
    Form 486.

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Starting Services / 486Applicants
  • Form 486
  • Notifies USAC that services have started and
    invoices can be paid
  • Certifies that Tech Plan (if required) meets
    program requirements.
  • Certifies the status under Childrens Internet
    Protection Act (CIPA).
  • Lead members of consortia may be required to
    collect CIPA certifications from consortium
    members on a separate form (Form 479).

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Starting Services / 486Applicants
  • Childrens Internet Protection Act (CIPA)
  • Applicants must certify compliance with
    requirements
  • Internet safety policy
  • Public notice or meeting
  • Technology protection measure (filter)
  • CIPA does not apply to requests for plain old
    telephone service, but does apply to any request
    for Internet access.

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Starting Services / 486Applicants
  • Form 486 Deadline
  • Form 486 must be filed online or postmarked no
    later than
  • 120 days after the Service Start Date OR
  • 120 days after the date of the Funding Commitment
    Letter whichever is later.
  • If the Form 486 is late, discounts will be
    reduced to reflect the submission date.

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Starting Services / 486 Both
  • Form 486 Notification Letter (486NL)
  • Cover page of important reminders
  • Provides confirmation that a Form 486 has been
    successfully data entered.
  • Reports Service Start Date or Adjusted Service
    Start Date
  • USAC will accept invoices from applicants (Form
    472 - BEAR) or service providers (Form 474) once
    the Form 486 is certified.

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Starting ServicesBoth
  • Obligation to Pay Non-discount Share
  • Applicants are required to pay their share of the
    cost (the non-discount portion or share) this
    share cannot be donated, forgiven or ignored.
  • Service providers cannot waive or credit the
    applicants share.
  • Offers to reduce price must be incorporated into
    the total pre-discount amount.
  • Service provider must bill the applicant for
    non-discount share of services.

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Invoicing / 472 or 474Both
  • Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) Form
    472 is filed by the applicant and certified by
    the service provider after the applicant receives
    services and pays for the services in full.
  • Service Provider Invoice (SPI) Form 474 is filed
    by the service provider when the bills to the
    applicant are directly discounted by the
    provider.

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Invoicing / 472 Applicant Dos and Donts
  • Form 472 (BEAR Form)
  • DO verify that your service provider has signed
    the last page of the form before you submit it.
  • DO check your calculations.
  • Make sure you have service provider bills that
    agree with your reimbursement request.
  • DO make sure you have paid your non-discount
    share.

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Invoicing / 472 Both
  • Invoicing deadlines
  • Form 472 (BEAR) must be filed online or
    postmarked no later than
  • 120 days after the last date to receive service
    OR
  • 120 days after the date of the 486 NL
  • whichever is later.
  • If using BEAR do them quarterly.
  • If the invoice is late, payment will be denied.
  • Extensions of invoicing deadlines may be
    requested under certain conditions.

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Invoicing / 472
  • BEAR Notification Letter
  • Cover page of important reminders
  • Provides confirmation that a Form 472 has been
    successfully data entered.
  • Indicates what amounts are being paid and reasons
    for reductions or denials.
  • Invoice Status Report / E-notification
  • Indicates what amounts are being paid and reasons
    for reductions or denials.
  • Sent only to service providers.

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Invoicing / 472
  • Quarterly Disbursement Report
  • Sent only to applicants
  • Authorized person
  • Billed Entity (BEN) address.
  • Contains all invoice (Form 472 and Form 474)
    payment authorization amounts for the Billed
    Entity for all funding years approved during that
    quarter.

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Appeals
  • USAC decisions can be appealed to USAC and to the
    FCC.
  • Applicants MUST appeal first to USAC.
  • Can appeal to the FCC if USAC does not grant the
    appeal.
  • Can be filed electronically or on paper.
  • Must be filed electronically or postmarked within
    60 days of the USAC decision.
  • Requests for waivers of rules must be filed with
    the FCC.

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General Tips
  • If you submit something to USAC
  • Check your work
  • Sign and date it (online or on paper)
  • Submit it by the deadline
  • Keep a copy and proof of submission
  • If USAC sends something to you
  • Read it
  • Take all appropriate actions
  • Save it for AT LEAST FIVE YEARS.

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Assistance
  • Schools and Libraries / USAC web site
  • http//www.universalservice.org/sl/
  • Client Service Bureau
  • Use the Submit a Question link on the web site
  • Fax toll-free at 1-888-276-8736
  • Telephone toll-free at 1-888-203-8100
  • Form instructions

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Assistance (continued)
  • Mary Mehsikomer, Minnesota State E-Rate Liaison
  • (651) 582-8827
  • mary.mehsikomer_at_state.mn.us
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