E-rate Filing Window Now Open for Funding Year 2008
Edmond, Okla. (Nov. 12, 2007) – The Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company, which administers the E-rate program, has announced the opening and closing dates of the Funding Year 2008 E-rate Form 471 filing window. The window opened Nov. 7, and will close on Feb. 7. Applicants have a total of 93 days in which to submit their applications for funding for the upcoming E-rate funding year. Funding Year 2008, which will be the program’s eleventh year, runs from July 1, 2008, and will conclude on June 30, 2009.
Once an E-rate applicant has developed a technology plan, announced they are seeking E-rate support and selected a service provider, the next step is to submit a Services Ordered and Certification Form, also known as Form 471. The form notifies the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company which service provider was selected, the goods and services for which the applicant is requesting E-rate support, and the cost of those goods and services.
Last month Funds For Learning, the nation’s leading E-rate funding compliance services firm, introduced the Form 471 Wizard, a new component of E-rate Manager for Applicants. The new module allows applicants to access and complete the Form 471 online, reviews the form to highlight areas of concern and provides tips throughout the process to ensure applicants stay in compliance and receive maximum benefit from the E-rate program. When complete, the Form 471 can be submitted online, or printed for applicants to submit via mail.
More Information
The Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company administers the E-rate program; details available at www.usac.org.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the E-rate program and Funds For Learning, the company has published “E-rate Review: 10 Years and Counting” (PDF, 944KB), a white paper on the success of the E-rate program and its impact on stakeholders.
Other background material: History of the E-rate Program, The E-rate Application Process, and Latest E-rate News.
About E-rate
The E-rate program, officially known as Universal Service Funding for Schools and Libraries, was created as the result of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Federal Communications Commission created the E-rate program to help schools and libraries, especially those in economically disadvantaged and rural areas, obtain telecommunications services such as phone service and access to the Internet. Before the E-rate program, only three percent of the nation's classrooms were connected to the Internet. Today, more than 95 percent of classrooms have Internet access, thanks to the funding schools and districts receive from the E-rate program every year.
About Funds For Learning
Funds For Learning, LLC, is an E-rate compliance firm specializing in guiding E-rate applicants and service providers through the complex and ever-changing E-rate regulatory process. With more than 10 years of experience in providing professional advice and assistance relating to the E-rate program, Funds For Learning exists to provide high-quality solutions for the needs of E-rate stakeholders. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Edmond, Okla. Visit www.fundsforlearning.com or phone 405-341-4140 for more information.
Contacts
Funds For Learning, LLC
Scott Weston
405-471-0953
sweston at fundsforlearning dot com
www.fundsforlearning.com
C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
Emily Murphy
608-839-9800
emily at cblohm dot com
www.cblohm.com
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