1 / 77

Demystifying E-RATE

Demystifying E-RATE. Overview. Schools and Libraries Program Discounts to eligible schools and libraries for Telecommunications Services, Internet Access, Internal Connections, and Basic Maintenance

wylie-durham
Download Presentation

Demystifying E-RATE

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. DemystifyingE-RATE

  2. Overview • Schools and Libraries Program • 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 • Annual Applicants must apply for discounts each year (471) • Funding cap each year is $2.25 billion 2

  3. Overview • Technology Plan • Form 470 & RFP • Form 471 Application Filing Window • Receipt of recurring services • July 1 – June 30 (12 months) • Receipt of non-recurring services • July 1 – September 30 (15 months) 3

  4. Overview • Demystifying E-Rate contains: • The application process for applicants • The Do’s and Don’ts for your application • Suggestions that may help applicants complete the application process successfully. 4

  5. Overview • Application process • Eligibility • School / School District • Library • Technology planning • Written • Approved • Form 470 / RFP • Competitive bidding 5

  6. Overview • Application process • Selecting Vendor • Calculating discounts • Form 471 / Funding requests • Application review / Funding commitments • Starting services / Form 486 • Invoicing USAC / Form 472 or Form 474 6

  7. Overview • Forms, Documents and LettersTechnology plan • Form 470 • Receipt Notification Letter (RNL) • Form 471 • Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) • Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) • Form 486 • Form 486 Notification Letter (486NL) • Form 472 or Form 474 • BEAR Notification Letter — Form 472 only • Quarterly Disbursement Report 7

  8. 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. 9

  9. EligibilityApplicants • Eligible Entities - Schools • Pre-kindergarten, Adult Education, Juvenile Justice students/facilities may be 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. 10

  10. EligibilityApplicants • Eligible Entities - Libraries • Must meet the statutory definition of library or library consortium in the Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) of 1996. • Must be eligible for assistance from a state library administrative agency under LSTA. • Budget must be completely separate from that of any schools. • Must not be operating as for-profit businesses. 11

  11. 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 12

  12. 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 13

  13. 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. 14

  14. EligibilityApplicants • Educational Purposes • Activities that occur on library or 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. 15

  15. SCHOOLS: Administrative buildings School bus barns and garages Cafeteria offices Facilities associated with athletic activities LIBRARIES: Administrative buildings Bookmobile garages Interlibrary loan facilities Library technology centers EligibilityApplicants • Examples of Non-instructional Facilities (NIFs) that can receive Priority 1 services 16

  16. EligibilityApplicants • Educational Purposes – Priority 1 • Wireless Telecommunications Services used offsite may be eligible. For example, • School bus drivers delivering children to and from school • Library staff providing library services on a library’s mobile library unit van • Teachers or other school staff accompanying students on a field trip or sporting event. 17

  17. 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 or to a non-administrative building of a library. 18

  18. EligibilityService Providers • Providers of Telecommunications Services must be authorized as Telecommunications Carriers • Must contribute to the Universal Service Fund, if applicable. • Must provide telecommunications services on a common carriage basis to be deemed a Telecommunications Carrier. 20

  19. Technology PlanningApplicants • Technology Plans • Not required for basictelephone service • 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 all 12 months (or all months of service) 23

  20. Technology PlanningApplicants • Technology Plans • Must cover five specific elements: • Goals / Strategies for using technology • Professional development • Needs assessment • Sufficient budget • Evaluation process 24

  21. Technology PlanningApplicant Do’s and Don’ts • DO write your technology plan before submitting your Form 470. • DO make sure your technology plan covers and is approved for the entire period (usually 12 months) that discounted services will be delivered. • DO make sure that your technology plan approver is certified by USAC. • DO verify that your certified approval is dated before services begin and before your Form 486 is filed. • DO verify that your plan contains all five required elements. 25

  22. Technology PlanningApplicant Tips • PRINT A COPY of your certified approval for your records. • Prepare a technology plan if any of your services fall outside of basic telephone service (such as Centrex, PBX, T-1). • www.sedl.org/eplan 26

  23. 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. 28

  24. 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. 29

  25. 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. 30

  26. 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. 31

  27. 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. 32

  28. Competitive Bidding / 470Applicant Do’s and Don’ts • DO run an open and fair competitive bidding process. • DO wait at least 28 days before selecting your service provider. • DO certify your Form 470 promptly. • DO indicate a multi-year contract or contract with extensions if appropriate. 34

  29. Competitive Bidding / 470Applicant Do’s and Don’ts • DO list services sought in the correct category of service. • If USAC moves your request to another category of service, your Form 470 must have featured that category of service. • DO use price as the primary factor when selecting the most cost-effective solution 35

  30. 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 after successful certification of your Form 470 if you do not already have one. 36

  31. Competitive Bidding / 470Applicant Tips • Applicant Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) • Will be issued by secure mailer to all authorized persons on FY2006 Forms 470, 471 and 486. • Will be automatically issued to any new authorized persons filing FY2007 Forms 470, 471 and 486. • After accepting Terms and Conditions, can be used immediately to certify online. 37

  32. Competitive Bidding / 470Applicant Do’s and Don’ts • Service Providers must : • not complete, sign, or file the Form 470 • not prepare or be involved in the preparation of the RFP. • remain neutral at all times during the applicant’s competitive bidding process. 38

  33. 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 41

  34. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Discounts are calculated using • % of students eligible for National School Lunch Program (NSLP) • Urban or rural status of county (from web site) http://www.universalservice.org/sl/applicants/step05/urban-rural/default.aspx • These two pieces of information are carried into the Discount Matrix 42

  35. Calculating DiscountsApplicants Discount Matrix 43

  36. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Calculation for individual school • Percentage of students eligible for NSLP for individual school • Urban/Rural status • Find discount from Discount Matrix 44

  37. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Calculation for school district • Determine discount for each individual school in the school district • Calculate the weighted average of the discounts for all schools in the district • Discounts of individual schools with more students will be weighted more heavily 45

  38. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Calculation for library outlet/branch • Percentage of students eligible for NSLP in the school district in which the library outlet/branch is located • Urban/Rural status • Find discount from Discount Matrix 46

  39. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Calculation for library system • Determine discount for each individual outlet/branch in the library system • Calculate the simple average of the discounts for all outlets/branches in the library system 47

  40. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Calculation for consortium • Determine the discount for each consortium member • Calculate the simple average of the discounts of all consortium members 48

  41. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Non-instructional facilities (NIFs) are eligible for their school district or library system discount • Online - calculate school district or library system discount, then enter that discount for each NIF (“non-matrix discount”) • School NIFs with classroom(s) — calculate as with individual schools using the student count in the classroom(s) 49

  42. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Schools with transient populations • Take a snapshot of the student population on a specific day • Report the NSLP eligibility of that student population • RETAIN DETAILED DOCUMENTATION OF YOUR CALCULATION 50

  43. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Alternative Discount Mechanisms for determining student NSLP eligibility • Must be based on income — family units whose income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines (Income Eligibility Guidelines) • Must be collected from a survey or from existing sources • Must tie to individual students (with one exception, projections are not allowed) 51

  44. Calculating DiscountsApplicants • Examples of Alternative Discount Mechanisms • Participation in food stamps, Supplementary Security Income, Federal public housing assistance, Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program • Existing sources that are based on federal poverty guidelines • Matching siblings 52

  45. 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 • Includes one or more funding requests 53

  46. 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. 54

  47. 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 55

  48. Funding Requests / 471Applicants • State Master Contracts • If the state filed a Form 470, then the applicant can cite the state’s Form 470 on its Form 471 Funding Request. • If the applicant filed a Form 470, the applicant can consider a state master contract as one of the bids, and can choose it as the winning bid if it is the most cost-effective solution. • The state master contract can meet the FCC requirements for a signed contract. 56

  49. Funding Requests / 471 Applicant Do’s and Don’ts • 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. 57

  50. Funding Requests / 471Applicant 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) 58

More Related