TIP OF THE WEEK: Even if you don't have all of your Form 471 information ready, start your form online now with the information you do have in order to save yourself time later. For example, if you have your entities' student count information but have not yet closed your competitive bidding process, fill out your Block 4 worksheets now and complete your Block 5 funding request once you have the additional information.

Commitments for Funding Years 2008 and 2007

Funding Year 2008. USAC will release FY2008 Wave 38 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) February 3. These waves will include commitments for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance requests at 88% and above and denials at 85% and below. As of January 30, FY2008 commitments total just over $1.96 billion.

Funding Year 2007. USAC will release FY2007 Wave 76 FCDLs February 4. This wave will include commitments for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance requests at 81% and above and denials at 80% and below. As of January 30, FY2007 commitments total just under $2.5 billion.

On the day the FCDLs are mailed, you can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC’s Automated Search of Commitments tool.

Extended Call Center Hours for Window Close

In order to assist applicants with any last-minute filing issues, the Client Service Bureau (CSB) will be open during the following hours for the last week of the filing window. All times in the table below are Eastern Standard Time (EST):

FAQs for Form 471 Filers

Following are answers to the most common questions CSB is receiving during these last few weeks of the filing window.

GENERAL QUESTIONS

1. I don't have a decision yet for my FY2008 funding request for non-recurring services. How should I file for FY2009?

If you wish, you can file for those services again in FY2009. To do this, check the box in Item 10 of your FY2009 Form 471 funding request and provide the Funding Request Number (FRN) for your duplicate FY2008 request. Complete the remainder of the information for the FY2009 funding request, including the Item 21 Attachment. By checking Item 10, you alert Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) that your request is a duplicate so that you do not have to demonstrate the budgetary and other resources necessary to support both requests.

Once PIA is ready to issue a commitment for either your FY2008 or FY2009 funding request, your reviewer will contact you to ask you to cancel the duplicate request.

2. My school is closing. How does that affect my application?

If the school is closing before July 1, 2009 and you have already filed a Form 471, you can remove that school from your Block 4 worksheet through the Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) correction process. Instructions for submitting corrections to a Block 4 worksheet are contained in the RAL.

Please note that removing the entity from the worksheet may be only one of the corrections you will need to make. For example, if the students in the school that is closing will attend other schools, you may also need to correct the student counts on the Block 4 worksheet(s). If you are transferring equipment from the closed school, you may be required to notify USAC. We suggest that you call CSB with the details of the school that is closing so that they can help you identify all of the actions you must take.

3. I just certified my Form 471 online. Where do I mail the certification page?

DO NOT mail a copy of the certification page to USAC if your online certification was successful. When you successfully certify online, a popup window will appear with your Cert ID. The Cert ID is a unique number that demonstrates that you have successfully certified your form online. You should print a copy of the resulting certification page with your Cert ID in the signature line to keep for your records.

You can also use either the Form 471 Application Display tool or the Form 471 Application Status tool to verify that your form status is "Certified."

BLOCK 4 WORKSHEETS

4. How do I get an entity number for a new entity?

You can request a new entity number through the Submit a Question feature on the USAC website (choose "Entity Number" from the Topic Inquiry menu and then "I need an entity number for a new entity" from the Specific Inquiry menu). You can also fax your request to CSB at 1-888-276-8736 or call CSB at 1-888-203-8100.

If you need more than two new entity numbers, use the Submit a Question or fax options. Also, don't wait until the last week of the window to submit your request.

5. What do I do if I don't have an NCES or FSCS code?

NCES codes for schools and FSCS codes for libraries are assigned by the National Center for Education Statistics. If your school or library has a code but you do not know what it is, you can search for it on the NCES website. If you do not have a code, check with your school district, library system, state department of education, or state library to find out how to apply for a code.

You can complete a Form 471 online or on paper without NCES or FSCS codes. However, PIA will ask you for the appropriate code for each entity on your Block 4 worksheet during application review if we do not already have it.

6. My service provider doesn't have a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN). Can I still file my Form 471 online?

Yes. If you call CSB, you can get a temporary number called an "interim SPIN" to complete your Form 471 funding request for that service provider. Please note, however, that USAC cannot issue a funding commitment without a valid SPIN.

You can update your funding request after USAC issues a SPIN to your service provider through the RAL correction process or during PIA review.

7. I am filing a library application. Why do I need to enter my school district in Block 4?

The discount for a library outlet/branch is calculated as follows:

• Divide the total number of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program in the school district in which the library outlet/branch is located by the total number of students in that school district.
• Determine the urban or rural status of the county or census tract in which the library outlet/branch is located.
• Take these two pieces of information to the Discount Matrix to determine the correct discount.

The discount for a library system is the simple average of the discounts of that system's outlets/branches.

PIA can use the student counts from the appropriate school district to verify the library discount calculation.

8. We are building a new school that will open in the fall of 2009. How do I apply for discounts for that school?

There are many different issues around new school or library construction. If you are in this situation, call CSB first and provide as many details as you have so that they can help you decide how you should apply.

ELIGIBLE SERVICES

9. Is intranet web hosting eligible?

Intranet web hosting which generally requires a user name and password to log in to view web pages is not an eligible web hosting service. Vendors that provide this service along with hosting an applicant’s public website must cost allocate the costs associated with the protected content.

10. Can a vendor hosting an ineligible application (for example, an online grading system) cost allocate the application and have discounts applied to the costs of the web hosting of that application?

No. The costs for the web hosting of ineligible applications are not eligible. USAC will only fund the web hosting of the actual school or library website(s).

11. Regarding Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), if my local area network functions without dependence on a leased router, is that router eligible for funding as on-premise Priority 1 equipment?

The eligibility of the leased router depends on whether the internal voice communications network – not the local area data network – functions independently without the router. For example:

• If you have your own VoIP system or PBX that can route calls internally, then your internal voice communications network will function without dependence on the router. If the other on-premise Priority 1 requirements are met, then the router can be eligible as Priority 1.
• If you do not have your own VoIP system or PBX and the router is located on-premise, the internal voice communications network would not work if the router is removed. In this case, calls from classroom to classroom would fail, so the router is only eligible as Priority 2 Internal Connections.

CHANGES AND CORRECTIONS

12. Can I make changes to my Form 470?

You can make a limited number of changes to a Form 470 using the Receipt Notification Letter correction process. To submit a request for changes, read and follow the instructions in the letter.

13. How do I make changes to my Form 471 if I have already submitted it?

You cannot make changes online to a Form 471 after you have clicked the "Submit" button. If you need to make changes, first certify the form either online or on paper. When you receive your RAL, follow the instructions in the letter to submit allowable corrections.

You can also request corrections during PIA review.

14. How do I make changes to my Item 21 Attachment if I have already submitted it?

You can submit an Item 21 Attachment online, through Submit a Question, by fax, or by mail. If you file online, the system will not allow you to make changes once you have clicked the "Submit Item 21" button.

If you need to revise your Item 21 Attachment, we suggest that you submit a revised attachment. You should mark your revision "REVISED" and clearly identify the earlier attachment that PIA should ignore.

For example, if you submit an Item 21 Attachment online and then fax a revision, your faxed revision could include the words "REVISED - Please ignore the Item 21 Attachment submitted online on 01/31/2009" at the top of each page. 

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