Topics for todays session 1.Purpose of form 471 2.Form 471:
Filing reminders 3.Form 471: Common errors (and how to avoid them)
4.Form 471: Go through the online application
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Form 471--What is it? It is often called the E-Rate
application. The form requires you to indicate The E-Rate eligible
services you want funded The service provider you want to provide
the services The $ amount you anticipate are needed for each
service for 2012-13 school year
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E-Rate Checklist 1.Write tech plan and e-mail to AEA or State
Library Only needed for priority 2 requests. Not needed for
telecommunications services and Internet. 2.File form 470 Hopefully
filed by now (must be filed no later than February 21, 2012) Put
any priority 2 requests on a separate form 470 (away from priority
1 requests)
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E-rate Checklist (cont.) 3. Develop bid evaluation criteria
document. see sample at
http://www.usac.org/_res/documents/sl/pdf/20
07_training/samples-checklist-vendor-selection- templates.pdf
http://www.usac.org/_res/documents/sl/pdf/20
07_training/samples-checklist-vendor-selection- templates.pdf 4.
Evaluate bids and sign contracts/make commitment to service
provider Wait at least 28 days after filing form 470 for this
step
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E-Rate Checklist (cont.) 5. File form 471 Deadline to file for
2012-13 school year is March 20, 2012. Put priority 2 requests on a
separate form 471 away from priority 1 (telecommunications services
and Internet.) 6. File form 471 Item 21 attachment Deadline to
submit Item 21 attachments for 2012-13 school year is March 20,
2012
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E-Rate Checklist (cont.) 7. Answer questions from USAC Program
Integrity Assurance These questions usually come via e-mail in
March-summer months 8. File form 486 Must wait for funding
commitment decision letter to arrive before filing form 486.
Funding letter usually arrives between May and late summer. Must
file form 486 no later than 120 days after the Service Start Date
(usually July 1) or 120 days after the date of the funding
commitment decision letter, whichever is later.
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E-Rate Checklist (cont.) 9. Contact service provider(s) to get
discounts on monthly bills 10. No discounts on monthly bills? File
form 472 (aka BEAR form) This form is only filed if no monthly
discounts are given. Usually filed either quarterly, semi-annually,
or annually, your choice! Must be filed AFTER receiving services
and after paying the full bills. Final BEAR form filed no later
than late September AFTER the funding year/school year ends.
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New: Beginning Funding year 2012 New CIPA requirement (applies
only to districts/schools/AEAs) By July 1, 2012, amend your
Internet safety policy (if you havent done so) to provide for
monitoring of online activities of minors and the education of
minors in appropriate online behavior, including interacting with
other individuals on social networking sites and in chat rooms,
cyberbullying awareness and response.
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New CIPA requirement For more details on the new CIPA
requirement for schools and districts, see form 470 webinar slides
at www.iptv.org/iowa_database/erate
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471 application window Filing window opened January 9, 2012
Filing window closes March 20, 2012 Reminder: You must complete
Item 21 attachment by the deadline of March 20, 2012
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Form 471 reminders 1.Block 1: Item 3b FCC Registration number
is needed (This item should pre-populate.but if not, see
http://www.iptv.org/iowa_database/erate/
http://www.iptv.org/iowa_database/erate/ Required E-Rate
Codes)
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Form 471 reminders 2. Block 1: Item 6 g asks for Consultant
Registration Number Do not complete this itemleave it blank (it is
only used by companies who are paid to complete E-rate
applications)
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Form 471 reminders 3. Block 2: a. Schools and districts
complete column 1 and libraries complete column 2. Indicate
services you are requesting on this application b. On block 2, you
must enter something on each line, even if it is zero (0)
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Form 471 reminders 4.Block 4 asks for additional information
Check boxes are included for New construction Administrative entity
Classifications (e.g. PreK, HeadStart, Dormitory, Non-
instructional facility). Do NOT check HeadStart! Do NOT check Adult
Education.
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Form 471 reminders 5.Item 21 attachments are due no later than
March 20 (close of the form 471 window)
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Form 471 common errors A.Applicants dont wait the full 28 days
after filing form 470 before choosing a service provider or signing
a new contract FIX: Wait at least 28 days!
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Form 471 common errors B: Old form 470 which led to a multi-
year contract did not allow for bandwidth growth in 2012. Example:
A 3-year contract was signed in early 2011. But the form 470
description of the service you filed last year was inadequate for
your 2012 needs. (e.g. you asked for exactly 10 mg of bandwidth on
your old form 470 but need 15 mg for 2012).
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Form 471 common errors FIX: If you are using an existing
multi-year contract that resulted from an old form 470, take a look
at your old form 470 to ensure the description of services and
quantity/capacity is adequate for 2012-13 time period. If the old
form 470 did not allow for needed bandwidth growth, file a new form
470 to allow for it.
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Form 470 from 2011. This form led to signing a 3-year
contract.
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Form 471 common errors C. Incorrect contract award and
expiration dates are listed in block 5 on form 471 (or incorrect
form 470 is cited) Fix: See guidance and examples of contract
scenarios on the next slides.
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How to handle existing contracts Make sure that there was an
establishing form 470. A.Old format: 470 had item 7b checked
(including multi-year contract box) and 470 was posted at least 28
days before contract was signed. B.New format: 470 was posted at
least 28 days before contract was signed.
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How to handle contracts Scenario 1: Three-year contract was
signed two years ago (January 2010). Form 470 was correctly filed
at least 28 days prior to contract signing with adequate bandwidth
growth for 2012. Scenario 1 process: A.Use the old establishing
2010 form 470 number on line 12, block 5. B.Use the funding request
number from last years 471 on line 15d. C.Use the date the original
contract was signed on line 18.
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Use the old establishing 470 number
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This will be pre-populated when you complete line 12
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This number may be found on last years form 471 or on your FCDL
Use date contract was signed Use date contract expires
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How to handle contracts Scenario 2: Contract was signed in
August 2011. No form 470 was filed prior to signing the
contract.
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How to handle contracts Scenario 2 process: 1.List and describe
the service on a new form 470. 2.Wait 28 days. Consider all bids.
3.If accepting the existing contract as the winning bid, send your
self an e-mail memorializing the existing contract. (Make sure you
go through the bid evaluation process first!) 4.Use the date of the
e-mail in #3 above as the date the contract award date.
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use this years 470 number
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Do not fill in box 15d 17 will be pre- populated when you
complete line 12 Use date of your memorializing e-mail to yourself
Use actual contract expiration date
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Form 471 common errors D. Too little bandwidth/speed for
Internet is requested on form 471 FIXES: 1.Be sure you didnt limit
your quantity/capacity on form 470 (e.g. No less than 3 mbps or
approximately 3 mbps or WAN service to all district buildings) 2.
Request enough bandwidth and dollars on form 471
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Form 471 common errors E. Form 471 is filed after the window
closes FIX: Because you must wait 28 days after filing form 470 to
file your form 471, be sure to get the form 470 completed soon!
(absolute last day to file form 470 is February 21).
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From 471 common errors F.Item 25d has a zero ($0)
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Item 25d? Fix: Do NOT put zero in the box. Add up the total for
items such as Undiscounted amount for eligible services (what
E-Rate wont pay) Hardware and Software (districts: See most recent
Certified Annual Financial Report or current local budget documents
for these figures)
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Form 471 common errors G. Item 25f is checked
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Item 25f? Fix: Dont check this box by item 25f!!!!!
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Form 471 common errors H.Internal connections and basic
maintenance (priority 2) funding requests are on the same form 471
application as telecommunications services and Internet (priority
1)
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Internal connections requests? Fix: If you are requesting
internal connections or basic maintenance of internal connections
(priority 2), put each request on a separate form 471. If you put
priority 2 with priority 1, your application will be delayed for
review and funding
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What can I do in advance to prepare for form 471?
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Get ready for form 471 Your district/library entity number The
entity number of each building in your district, including
buildings with no students (e.g. bus barn) The free/reduced
eligibility numbers for each attendance center
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Get ready for form 471 Each service providers name and SPIN
number Amount of monthly service (or annual service, if thats how
you pay for the service)
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Get ready for form 471 Make a chart Chart template at
http://www.iptv.org/iowa_database/erate Form 471: Preparing for
Block 5 Form 471: Preparing for Block 5 You might also want to
describe the service as well
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Get ready for form 471 You will need a detailed description of
services ( for online Item 21 attachment) Description of service
MUST include eligible funding items!
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Form 471: How many forms should I file? Important: if you are
filing for internal connections or basic maintenance of internal
connection, file a separate 471 for these services. Do NOT put
priority 2 items on the same form 471 as priority 1 items. For
priority 1 only, you may file more than one Form 471, or you may
file a single Form 471.
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Questions? We are ready to go through online filing. What
questions do you have before we go through a practice 471
filing?
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Lets file form 471! www.sl.universalservice.org (online form
471) www.sl.universalservice.org
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Sample 471 For training purposes, I will show a make- believe
school district named Applicant. Applicant has three schools plus a
separate administration building. Two of the schools plus the
administration building are served by Windstream as a local phone
company. The other school is in a separate town with a different
phone provider.
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Sample 471 (cont.) The district also has the following: Long
distance provided to all sites by AT&T on month-to-month basis
(no contract) Cellular service, including data plan, provided to
all sites on an old 3-year contract (signed last year) Internet
provided to all sites by Iowa Communications Network on a newly
signed 3- year contract.
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Very important Item 21 attachments are due no later than March
20 Your 471 form will NOT be reviewed until Item 21 attachments are
received by SLD.
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What if I make an error on form 471? Some errors can be
corrected once receipt acknowledgment letter arrives. See sample
letter at http://www.universalservice.org/_res/docum
ents/sl/pdf/sampleletters/471RAL.pdf
http://www.universalservice.org/_res/docum
ents/sl/pdf/sampleletters/471RAL.pdf
Slide 71
Questions and Answers Question: How long must we retain E-rate
records/documents? Answer: Must retain records for five years from
the last date you receive E-rate services