| Schools and Libraries News
Brief
September 4, 2009
TIP OF THE WEEK: If you are
mailing paper forms to USAC, please do not staple the pages
together. Staples must be removed before the forms can be
processed, which causes extra work and increases the risk of torn pages
and possible loss of information.
Commitments for
Funding Years 2009 and 2008
Funding Year 2009. USAC
will release FY2009 Wave 20 Funding Commitment Decision Letters
(FCDLs) September 8. This wave includes commitments
for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance requests
at 85% and above. As of September 4, FY2009 commitments total just under
$925 million.
Funding Year 2008.
USAC will release FY2008 Wave 67 FCDLs September 8.
This wave includes commitments for approved Internal Connections
and Basic Maintenance requests at 88% and above and denials at 86% and
below. As of September 4, FY2008 commitments total just under $2.35
billion.
Please note that the
above waves may not show up in the Automated
Search of Commitments tool until the system upgrade is complete (see
below).
Update on Fall
Applicant Training
There is still space
available in some of USAC's fall applicant training sessions. To
register, visit the 2009
Schools and Libraries Fall Applicant Trainings page. You can also find
information on the conference hotel for each training session. Remember
that registering with USAC does not automatically reserve a hotel room for
you at the conference hotel.
Below are the cutoff
dates for reservations at the various hotels, together with information
about the current status of reservations if the cutoff date is this week
or next week.
| Location |
Training Date |
Hotel Reservation Cutoff Date |
| Washington DC |
September 22 |
September 2 - No rooms available |
| Newark NJ |
September 24 |
Extended to September 9 |
| Atlanta GA |
September 30 |
September 15 |
| Chicago IL |
October 2 |
Extended to September 24 |
| Orlando FL |
October 8 |
Extended to September 14 |
| Los Angeles CA |
October 13 |
September 15 |
| Portland OR |
October 15 |
Extended to September 21 |
| Houston TX |
October 21 |
September 21 at 5:00 p.m. CDT |
If you have registered
for a training session and your plans change, please email USAC to cancel your
registration so USAC can open a slot for someone else.
USAC IT Upgrade
Reminders
The USAC IT upgrade has
begun, and most online forms and search tools will be unavailable until
the upgrade is complete and USAC's systems are back online. Below we have
provided some reminders of what you can and cannot do during the
upgrade.
You can continue to
access the USAC website itself. This includes program guidance
information, downloadable forms and instructions, and any search tools
that are wholly maintained by USAC (e.g., the Deadlines
tool).
-
The Automated Search of Commitments tool will continue to operate.
However, it might not feature the funding waves that will be issued
next week (see above), and dollar amounts will not change during the
upgrade.
-
Forms 470 that were
posted to the USAC website on or after July 21, 2009 are available as
*.PDF files from the Form
470 Search Posted tool. You can access this tool from the Search
Tools menu on the left-hand side of Schools and Libraries web pages.
You can also go directly to the table of Forms 470 using the Form
470 Search Posted link on the Schools and Libraries main page. -
Paper Forms 470
that pass a visual inspection for correctness and completeness
will be scanned and posted to the Form 470 Search Posted table as well.
(USAC will contact the applicant to make any necessary corrections
following the customary procedures for processing paper forms.) Note
that if a paper Form 470 is not ready for posting by September 10
at 1:00 pm EDT, it will be held for processing
until after the upgrade is complete.
-
Service providers
will be able to submit Form 498 and Form 499 online. The system that
processes these forms is not affected by the upgrade.
-
Program forms on
paper (Forms 472, 473, 474, 486, and 500) – as well as electronic
invoices (Forms 474 emailed to USAC in a comma-delimited
format) – can be submitted. USAC will hold these forms for
processing until after the upgrade is complete. - Appeals can be
submitted as usual (mail, fax, or email) following the Appeals
Guidance on the website.
During the
upgrade:
- No FCDLs will be issued
after the September 8 waves mentioned above.
- No payment files will
be run after the September 3 payment file run.
- Forms 470 cannot be
completed and posted ONLINE. However, applicants can still submit
Forms 470 ON PAPER and mail them to us, following the form instructions.
- Service providers will
not be able to submit a SPI Form 474 online or approve a BEAR Form 472
online.
- Most USAC website
search tools will not be available.
- The Client Service
Bureau will not have access to USAC's online systems. They will not be
able to create or update entity numbers and entity information or
provide status information on program forms or requests. They can,
however, confirm receipt of forms submitted on paper.
- Submit a Question will
not be available. Service Substitutions, SPIN Changes, Good Samaritans
and other requests can be faxed or emailed following the instructions in
the appropriate guidance material on the USAC website. USAC will process
your requests after the upgrade is complete. You should retain a copy of
your fax confirmation or proof of postmark for your records.
We expect to complete
the upgrade and have systems available on Monday, September 14, at 9:00 am
EDT. Additional information on the upgrade is available in the FAQs
posted in the Schools and Libraries section of the USAC website. If
you have additional questions about the upgrade, please call the Client
Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100.
Thank you for your
continued patience and understanding.
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