Schools and Libraries
About the Schools and Libraries Program:
- Overview of the Program
- Overview of the Process
- Outreach and Training
- HATS Outreach
- Filing Appeals
- Understanding Audits
Schools and Libraries Tools:
Latest News from the Schools & Libraries Program
Below are current news announcements relevant to Schools and Libraries Program. You can access previous announcements by clicking on a year under the latest news archive.
USAC Launches its Payment Quality Assurance (PQA) Program
In August 2010, USAC rolled out its Payment Quality Assurance (PQA) Program. The PQA Program enables USAC to provide accurate, timely information about improper payments to the FCC, as required by the Improper Payments Information Act of 2002 (IPIA). Under this program, USAC assesses specific payments made to beneficiaries in all four USF programs (Schools and Libraries, High Cost, Low Income, and Rural Health Care) to determine if these payments were made in accordance with program rules. Using results of these assessments, USAC calculates estimates of improper payment rates across entire USF programs and provides this information to the FCC.
For more information about the PQA Program and to obtain specific PQA document requirements, please click here. For a list of FAQs that provide information about the program, what to do if you are selected, and how/when to submit documents, click here.
Update your Form 498 with electronic banking information to ensure continued timely USF disbursements!
REMINDER! Beginning August 31, USAC will withhold support payments to any entity that has not provided electronic banking information. If your company does not have electronic banking information on its FCC Form 498 for each of the programs in which it participates, you may not receive your USF disbursements! Banking information must be received in advance of August 31st, so make Form 498 updates using USAC's E-File System right away!
Note: E-File updates your information immediately, while paper forms take longer to process. Forms mailed too close to August 31st may not be processed by the deadline. USAC suggests using E-File.
USAC encourages all applicants to verify with their Service Providers that the necessary information has been provided to USAC to ensure prompt payment. USAC also encourages Service Providers who have provided banking information in the past to log onto E-file regularly to confirm that information is accurate and up to date.
On June 2, 2010 the FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau announced that all federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support payments must be made by electronic funds transfer starting August 31 (See Public Notice DA 10-270). If you have any questions, or need help logging in to E-File, please contact USAC Customer Operations at (888) 641-8722 or customersupport@usac.org.
Scheduled System Maintenance – Apply Online Outage
The Apply Online page including all online forms and most search tools will be unavailable from 10am Saturday May 15th, 2010 until 2:00 PM Saturday May 15th, 2010 due to scheduled system maintenance. During this time users will be unable to file, certify, and search for certain forms online.
(4/7/10)
Item 21 Attachments
If you have not certified your Form 471 or submitted your item 21 attachment please do so as soon as possible. USAC cannot process your Form 471 without the certification and Item 21 attachment(s). In other words, never in then never out.
USAC Provides Demand Estimate for Funding Year 2010 to FCC
On March 10, 2010, the Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) reported to the Federal Communications Commission that $3.92 billion in requested funding has been estimated for schools and libraries seeking discounts for Funding Year 2010. This estimate is based on the dollars requested in 42,713 applications received or postmarked by February 19, 2010, the close of the Form 471 application filing window.
There are several factors that will reduce ultimately the funds requested from the estimated level. First, while efforts have been made to eliminate duplicate requests, inevitably we will discover more duplication as we process these applications. Second, USAC's efforts to assure that funds are committed only for eligible services, for use by eligible entities with the appropriate discount rate, and are otherwise consistent with program rules, will further reduce the demand.
For detailed information, please refer to the FY2010 Demand Estimate [PDF, 692KB]}.
(3/5/10)
RAL Corrections
If you do not have any corrections to your Form 471, DO NOT submit a copy of your RAL to USAC. If you do have corrections to report, be sure to clearly identify your corrections, sign your RAL, provide your contact information, and submit your corrections in a timely manner following the instructions in the RAL.
USAC to Issue Schools & Libraries BEAR Payments Electronically in 2010
The FCC's Wireline Competition Bureau announced that all federal Universal Service Fund (USF) support payments must be made by electronic funds transfer (See Public Notice DA 09-2126, released September 28, 2009). Currently, USAC still issues Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) payments by check.
Beginning in 2010, USAC will issue BEAR payments electronically where there is banking information provided in Block 11 (Schools and Libraries Remittance Information) on the Service Provider's FCC Form 498. When a BEAR payment is issued electronically, an e-mail will be sent to the remittance contact in Block 11 of the Service Provider's FCC Form 498 to inform them of the payment. Remittance statements, which precede BEAR payments by approximately 2 weeks, will continue to be sent by either e-mail or hardcopy as requested on the Service Provider's FCC Form 498.
For now, USAC continues to issue checks for both Service Provider Invoice (SPI) FCC Form 474 and Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) FCC Form 472 payments to companies who have not provided electronic banking information. However, USAC reminds all Service Providers that the FCC's Public Notice indicates that, at some future date, payments will be held in the absence of electronic banking information. Again, USAC will provide more details once the FCC sets that specific date.
All newly filed Forms 498 now require Service Providers to provide electronic banking information to USAC. USAC encourages all service providers to update their Form 498 information using USAC's E-File System.
If you have any questions, please contact USAC Customer Operations at (888) 641-8722 or customerservice@bcd.universalservice.org. You may also visit us at www.usac.org.
FY2010 Application Filing Window Dates Established.
The FY2010 application filing window opened at noon EST on Thursday, December 3, 2009 and will close at 11:59 p.m. EST on Thursday, February 11, 2010. The filing window will be open for 71 days.
Applicants should note that FY2010 Forms 470 can be filed now.
Traditionally, a high percentage of Forms 471 arrive at USAC during the final week that the window is open. We urge you to file early so that:
- You have an opportunity to review your work and make corrections if necessary.
- You can re-file your form if an error you made cannot be corrected.
- USAC has your information and can start reviewing your application.
We also urge you to file online:
- The system notifies you of possible errors and allows you to correct them.
- The system does your calculations for you.
- You can review your information online before you submit it.
- Your information is submitted to us quickly and correctly.
