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Greetings all, I am excited to report that I have helped several newcomers to the E-Rate process. I decided that it might be helpful to share some general form filing information with everyone. Each Funding Year begins July 1st and ends June 30th. For example, we are currently in Funding Year 4 which began July 1, 2002 and will end June 30, 2003. The form filing process begins at least nine months prior to the Funding Year. So, even though we are currently in Funding Year 4, we are starting to file the paperwork for Funding Year 5, which doesn't begin until July 1, 2003. Each Funding Year begins with a 470 and ends with receipt of the discount. Naturally, there are several steps in between! But, it really helps to keep all of the paperwork in order if you think about the following step-by-step process: * File 470 (anytime after July 1st, but no later than 28 days before the close of the 471 window!) expected timeframe:[July through Nov.] * * Receive Receipt Notification Letter (RNL) [approximately 30 days after filing 470] * * File 471 (within the 471 window -- usually opens early November and closes mid-January -- 470 must be posted minimum of 28 days before filing 471) [early Nov through mid-January} * * Receive Receipt Acknowledgement Letter (RAL) [30 days after filing 471] * * Receive Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) (informs you of funding status: approved, denied, partially funded, etc.)[May/June] * * File 486 (must have all necessary certifications completed by this form - i.e. technology plans approved, NCIPA compliance, etc. - file by October or within 120 day of service start date) [June through Oct] * * Receive 486 Letter of Receipt [approximately 30 days after filing 486] The next steps apply if you are NOT receiving the discount automatically on your monthly bills: * File BEAR (Form 472) covering service July through December (you can file this monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually -- the example for this document is twice per year) [Jan/Feb] * * Receive Reimbursement Check [Feb/Mar] * * File BEAR (Form 472) covering service January through June (you can file this monthly, quarterly, semi-annually, or annually -- the example for this document is twice per year) [July/Aug] * * Receive Reimbursement Check [Aug/Sep] Each Funding Year, your file would at least contain copies of the above mentioned documents/forms. That file should also contain any correspondence or supporting documentation for certifications. I would recommend that it contain copies of the phone bills and/or copies of any reimbursement checks. If you've participated in E-Rate, then maybe you are already aware that they color code each year. For example, Funding Year 4 is blue. Funding Year 5 is yellow. This color coding is meant to help you quickly and easily distinguish between Funding Years. It is quite possible to be dealing with more than one Funding Year at a time. For example, we just finished the last of the paperwork (BEAR forms) for Funding Year 3 (July 1, 2001 through June 30, 2002). So, we closed out Funding Year 3. At the same time, approved applicants were busy filing the Form 486 for Funding Year 4 (the current year - July 1, 2002 through June 30, 2003). We still have a few items to file for Funding Year 4. And now, it is time to be filing the Form 470 and the Form 471 for Funding Year 5 (July 1, 2003 through June 30, 2004). However, if you think about the fact that each Funding Year has a distinct beginning and end, it becomes easier to juggle the paperwork. Actually, I recommend using a checklist for each file folder -- similar to the one above. Label the top of the list with the Funding Year and then check off each item as it is completed. Or mark your calendar with the appropriate activities in the appropriate time frames. Whatever works best for you! Remember, this is only general information! You can get more specific information at http://www.sl.universalservice.org/ My contact information is below, so do not hesitate to contact me if you need additional information. Good luck -- and HAPPY E-RATEing! Marilyn *********************** Marilyn Johnson Library Technology Consultant Texas State Library & Archives Commission 512 463-6624 [EMAIL PROTECTED] --------------------------------------------- To unsubscribe, send to [EMAIL PROTECTED] Include in body: unsubscribe ctls-l For information on CTLS-L please visit: http://www.ctls.net/document/ctls-l.htm
