tkt8763-01: iste-board: E-Rate deadline (fwd)

["Larry S. Anderson -- NCTP" <lsa1@ra.msstate.edu>]

Some good information here....I suggest you print a copy and file it in
your notebook.

Larry S. Anderson, Ed.D.                              LSA1@Ra.MsState.Edu
Assoc. Prof., Dept. of Technology & Education       Voice: (601) 325-2281
Founder, National Center for Technology Planning      Fax: (601) 325-7599
                    Mississippi State University
Chair, Council for Education Technology              State of Mississippi
         My personal home page URL-- http://www2.msstate.edu/~lsa1
                    NCTP web page -- http://www.nctp.com

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 27 Jan 1999 14:06:55 -0500
From: Adeena Colbert <acolbert@lharris.com>
Reply-To: iste-board@lists.uoregon.edu
To: 'ISTE board' <iste-board@lists.uoregon.edu>
Cc: "'sigcouncil@nevada.edu'" <sigcouncil@nevada.edu>,
    "'isteoa@lists.uoregon.edu'" <isteoa@lists.uoregon.edu>
Subject: iste-board: E-Rate deadline

"ISTE DC"

We wanted to alert you to an important deadline that is fast approaching!  

February 5, 1999 is the initial deadline to file for "E-Rate" discounts on
your district's phone service, Internet access and other telecommunications
services.  As you may know, your district can receive a discount of 20 - 90%
on these services through the "E-Rate."  (See attached Top Ten list for more
details or http://www.slcfund.org.)

We know the first year for the "E-Rate" program had many challenges - both
political and administrative.  However, school districts are now starting to
see their discounts for the first year and their hard work is paying off!
It is our belief that we can put the first-year controversies of the
"E-Rate" behind us and continue to work to make the "E-Rate" benefit all of
our students and staff.

To help you with year-two applications, the Schools and Libraries Division
of the Universal Service Administrative Company that administers the
"E-Rate" is hosting a free national teleconference:

Thursday, January 28, 1-3 p.m. ET
Coordinates: C-Band, GE-2/Transponder 18
Downlink Frequency: 4060 Mhz (Horizontal)
Audio Frequency: 6.2/6.8
Test: 1:00-1:05 p.m.
For technical assistance on day of videoconference: 
Call Julia at 202/467-0244 or 202/467-0245

Again, don't forget that the deadline for getting your form 470 posted is
February 5, 1999.  There is simply not enough time after that date to wait
the 28-days and then complete all the paperwork for the March 11, 11:59 ET
overall deadline to be included in the 100-day window.  Please do not delay
your discounts for telecommunication serves any longer.  

Thank you!

This message made possible 
with support from Bell Atlantic. 


TOP 10
REASONS YOU SHOULD FILE YOUR 
YEAR 2 E-RATE APPLICATION
NOW!

10.	Someone, somewhere, in your school or library will be using the
telephone or logging onto the Internet sometime from July 1, 1999 through
June 30, 2000.
	Telecommunication services and Internet access are "Priority One"
for E-rate funding for those eligible applicants who apply within the
application window. Whether or not you applied in 1998...and whether or not
you've heard about your funding yet, you know you're going to be using these
kinds of services every day. You can get a 20-90% break on your
telecommunications and Internet bills if you apply for the E-rate soon-but
you'll pay full price all year if you don't.

9.	You think you have until March 11, 1999 to apply within the E-rate
Year 2 application window.
	WRONG! There is a 100-day application window for Year 2 during which
the rule of first-come, first-served is suspended. But here's the catch:
Your entire application-Form 470, followed by Form 471 and all its
attachments filed no sooner than 28 days after Form 470-has to be received
by 11:59 p.m. ET on March 11 by the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of
the Universal Service Administrative Company, the folks that administer the
E-rate. That means that the true drop-dead date for beginning the process is
February 10, but that will work only if you have total immunity from
Murphy's Law. February 5 is the deadline you should be thinking of for
filing Form 470.

8.	You wish your students could use the Internet in the classroom...or
that your library patrons didn't have to draw straws for a few minutes on
the World Wide Web. 
	A lot of E-rate applicants need help with internal connections-the
local area networking that brings the outside world inside your building.
E-rate funding priorities say that, once funds have been set aside for all
Priority One requests received within the window, internal connections
commitments will go to in-the-window applicants in order of need (based on
their E-rate discount levels).  No one can predict how many high-discount
applicants will be seeking internal connections discounts in Year 2, or how
far these funds will stretch. But one thing is for certain: If you don't
apply for internal connections, you won't be funded for them-and if you
don't file SOON, that's almost the same as not filing at all.

7.	You've heard that applying for the E-rate is complicated,
time-consuming, and frustrating.
	There's no question that the start-up year for the E-rate was rife
with challenges. But more than 30,000 schools and libraries completed
applications in spite of those hassles, and they're now seeing their hard
work pay off with dollar signs. What's more, the SLD has dedicated itself to
improving the help that's available for E-rate applicants as they go through
the process. See for yourself. Log onto the SLD  Web Site (www.slcfund.org),
call the Client Service hotline (888/203-8100), or check out the toll-free
fax-on-demand service (800/959-0733).

6.	You applied last year but haven't heard an answer yet-so you figure
you'll file your 1999-2000 application when you get your funding letter for
1998, and not one minute sooner.
	It's only human to want to see a return on your investment before
you invest again. But here are some urgent reasons why you should get your
application moving for Year 2, no matter what:
*	Tens of thousands of your fellow E-rate applicants have already
gotten a funding commitment for 1998, and the SLD is determined to reach
virtually everyone by the end of January.
*	Meanwhile, the deadline for filing your Form 470 is coming up
fast-February 5 is the recommended last day. If you wait until that funding
decision letter is in your hands, you may run out of time to keep the E-rate
flowing for next year.
*	The funding priorities for the E-rate mean that all approved
telecommunications service and Internet access requests received within the
1998 filing window will be good to go. So unless you asked for something
ineligible, you can feel pretty sure about your funding commitments on that
front. Internal connections, which will be funded first for the neediest
applicants, may be a little more iffy-but as you can see from the next
question, there's no reason to let that keep you from starting your
application NOW, before it's too late.

5.	You filed last year, haven't heard an answer yet, and can't figure
out how to even begin applying this year without knowing what you'll be
funded for.
	As you gear up to apply for 1999-2000, it's useful to think about
your E-rate eligible services in two categories: those you're going to buy
whether or not you get E-rate funding (most people put phone service and
other ongoing services in this category) and those you just won't be able to
afford at all without the E-rate discount. You should include both kinds of
services on your Form 470 for Year 2, using the comments fields in Block 3
(Items 12-14/Column 5, and Item 15) to let vendors know what you will and
won't be buying for 1999-2000 if your 1998 funding commitments come through.
See the SLD's new Web guidance, "Quick Tips for Filing Your Form 470-Even If
You Don't Have a 1998 Funding Letter Yet." And remember: Form 470 doesn't
commit you to purchase anything.  After 28 days, when the time comes for you
to file Form 471, you should have all the information you need from the 1998
program year to complete Form 471 appropriately.

4.	You think you can skip Form 470 this year because you filed one last
year, got a great response from your Web Site posting, and signed a tasty
five-year contract.
	Sorry, but it's an E-rate fact of life that you have to apply for
the discounts every single year. You don't have to rebid that E-rate
qualified multi-year contract until it expires, but you will need to file
Form 470 listing it as an existing contract for which you are seeking Year 2
discounts. Don't let your E-rate benefits lapse: Re-up by filing your Form
470 without delay.

3.	You just hate getting timed out on the Web and being put on hold on
by customer service.
	The closer the E-rate window filing deadline comes, the greater the
number of frantic school and library people logging on to the SLD Web Site
(www.slcfund.org) and calling the toll-free help line, (888) 203-8100. Beat
the rush...start your application NOW.

2.	You're tired of your library always getting the short end of the
technology stick.
	You know how important it is to offer more, better, and faster
information for everyone in your community. That's the E-rate's reason for
being. Take advantage of it.

1.	The district across town applied for the E-rate last year and got
funded to the tune of $100,000. Suddenly, your boss and your school board
are VERY interested.
	That district technology coordinator is probably enjoying some
well-deserved pats on the back after months of sweating to keep the faith
(and a little credibility) as the E-rate cleared one daunting obstacle after
another. By comparison, Year 2 should be smooth sailing.  So what are you
waiting for? Launch your E-rate application today.



Adeena Colbert
Leslie Harris & Associates
2120 L Street, NW
Suite 400
Washington, D.C.  20037
(202)478-6302
acolbert@lharris.com

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