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Hi and happy Summer! As you may (or may not) know, summer in E-rate land is that time of year where we have 3 funding years rolling at the same time. We're finishing up the year that just ended, moving along with the current year, and getting ready to file for the next year. Sound confusing? It totally is! However, hopefully this will help with that confusion. Let's go through it in order: Funding Year 2018 (FY 2018 -2019) (Form 472) Our first stop is finishing up with Funding Year 2018, Fiscal Year 2018/ 2019. For those who do not receive a discounted bill for your services, your last thing to do is to file your Form 472 BEAR form in order to actually get your reimbursement. You'll need a copy of your funding commitment decision letter (FCDL), a copy of your bills for the fiscal year, and your PIN number. Don't have your FCDL? You can pull it up in the Portal at the top of your landing page. Don't have a copy of your bills? You've got time to pull them together, or if you know (really know) that all of your charges are eligible, you can work off of a total. Don't have a PIN? Get one here - https://www.usac.org/sl/tools/forms/pin.aspx Please keep in mind that if you paid more than what you put down as your pre-discount total (it's in your FCDL), you can only ask for the maximum that you were funded. If you didn't pay as much as you were funded, then you can only ask what you paid for. This is the only form that is not in the portal. To file, just go here - https://slweb.usac.org/bear/login.aspx The deadline for filing Form 472 is 120 days past your service end date, so if your last date of service is 6/30, then your deadline is October 28th. Funding Year 2019 (FY 2019-2020) (Form 486) Next is Funding Year 2019, Fiscal Year 2019/2020. If you have already received your FCDL for this funding year, your next step is to file Form 486. You'll need your FCDL, and your portal login to file this form. Don't have a FCDL yet? No worries, they're coming out weekly right now, so you'll be funded soon. Don't have a portal login? You can call the SLD helpdesk at 888-203-8100, and they can set you up with one. The deadline for this form is 120 days after your service start date or your FCDL date, whichever is later. So, if you received your FCDL before July 1 and your start date is July 1, your deadline is October 29th. If you received your FCDL after July 1, you can calculate your deadline by going here - https://www.usac.org/sl/tools/deadlines/Default.aspx , and clicking on FCC Form 486 on the left side of the screen. Just input your SCDL date on the left calendar, and your service start date on the right and click calculate. Funding Year 2020 (FY 2020-2021) (Form 470) Finally, we're at Funding Year 2020, Fiscal Year 2020/2021. We're starting the cycle again with Form 470, which is the first form. You'll need your portal login to file this form. This is also a great time to check your library information in your portal, to be sure that everything you need is in there. Keep in mind, they will lock your profile once the Form 471 opens, so you have a limited time for updates! Form 470 is about setting the stage - no vendor or pricing information is needed. This is about generalities. What kind of service are you looking for? Will you be looking at just category 1, or will you be dipping your toe into category 2 or jumping in head-first? There's no deadline for this form as of yet. That won't be set until Form 471 is released. Keep in mind, there has to be a minimum of 28 days between filing Form 470 and Form 471, so you can count back from the last day that Form 471 can be submitted to 28 days before that for the deadline for Form 470. Chances are the deadline will be sometime this winter. Questions, questions, and more questions... Woah, how am I supposed to keep all these dates/forms straight? I've created a flowchart to navigate E-rate that will hopefully help keep things a little straighter. What's a discounted bill? You can set up with your internet provider to automatically deduct your E-rate discount from your monthly bill. If you have that set up, then you don't have to file Form 472 for that service. Can't I use my portal login as my PIN for Form 472? Unfortunately no, your portal login and your PIN are two totally separate logins so they will be different. Luckily, unlike your portal login, your PIN won't change, so once you have it, you don't have to update it or anything. It's already time to file Form 470, really? It is! It typically opens in June/July. If you have questions, if you're in the regional system, you can talk to the regional Assistant Director. I'm also available to anyone as far as questions go. Just contact me off-list, please. Happy Monday, Jennifer Jennifer Cowan-Henderson Director of Planning and Development State E-rate Coordinator for Public Libraries Tennessee State Library and Archives Office of Tennessee Secretary of State Tre Hargett 403 7th Avenue North Nashville, TN 37243 p 615-741-1923 f 615-532-9904 [log in to unmask]<mailto:[log in to unmask]> This electronic mail may be subject to the Tennessee Public Records Act, Tenn. Code Ann. §10-7-503 et seq. Any reply to this email may also be subject to this act. The mission of the Office of the Secretary of State is to exceed the expectations of our customers, the taxpayers, by operating at the highest levels of accuracy, cost-effectiveness, and accountability in a customer-centered environment. Secretary of State Social Media Links: www.facebook.com/TennesseeSecretaryofState<http://www.facebook.com/TennesseeSecretaryofState> www.facebook.com/TNStateLibraryArchives/timeline<http://www.facebook.com/TNStateLibraryArchives/timeline>