The FCC is putting the final touches on a Notice of Proposed Rulemaking that will incorporate changes to the E-rate program to comply with the Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act. The Act, which was signed into law in October 2008, requires schools and libraries receiving E-rate funding for services other than basic telephone service to make additional certifications related to the online activities of minors.

The USAC Schools and Libraries Committee held a non-quarterly Board meeting and approved a recommendation to the FCC requesting authorization to issue commitments for priority two requests at 85% and above for the 2009 E-rate Funding Year. On July 31, the FCC authorized $900 million in unused funds from previous years to be used to supplement the amount of funding available for FY 2009

Online Suite of Tools Assists Schools and Libraries in their Pursuit of E-rate Funding

The Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) is in the process of improving its Schools and Libraries Division information technology systems.  As part of this effort, several features on the organization's Web site will be unavailable from Wednesday, Sept. 2 through Sunday, Sept. 13.  To help applicants manage the E-rate process during this downtime, Funds For Learning, the nation's leading E-rate funding compliance services firm, is offering a free trial of E-rate Manager for Applicants during the month of September.

According to USAC, the interactive areas of their Web site, in which applicants file forms and conduct searches, will be unavailable during the site maintenance.  With E-rate Manager for Applicants, users will have the ability to quickly find the information that will be unavailable through the USAC Web site, including:

• Status and details about funding requests and commitments
• Dates and amounts of authorized reimbursements
• Copies of Form 470 and 471 paperwork as it appears on the USAC Web site
• SPIN contact information
• Billed entity numbers 

E-rate Manager for Applicants allows schools and libraries to easily track their E-rate funding information, quickly create payment paperwork forms, and safely store documents throughout the entire E-rate application process, even during the downtime of the USAC Web site.

Applicants can take advantage of this free offer by visiting www.eratemanager.com/activate.

At the end of the free access period, users will be offered an annual subscription for E-rate Manager for Applicants at an affordable price, which starts at $249 per user.

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.  For more information, visit www.FundsForLearning.com or phone 405-341-4140.

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The Apply Online section of USAC's SLD website will be unavailable from Wednesday, September 2, 2009 through Sunday, September 13, 2009, according to an announcement posted on the SLD's website.  This window of downtime will allow USAC to upgrade and move their systems in advance of functionality enhancements that are expected in the coming months.

The FCC hosted several education-related panels to discuss potential impacts of increased broadband access on education and potential new applications for the increased bandwidth.  The American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 or known as the "Stimulus Bill" that was signed into law earlier this year authorized the FCC to create a National Broadband Plan which will be released sometime in 2010.

The Federal Communications Commission will hold a workshop of Thursday, August 20 at 1PM Eastern Time to help inform the public about broadband policies can impact educational outcomes. A portion of the workshop will examine the future of the E-rate program as it related to national broadband policy.

Mel Blackwell, Vice-president of the Schools and Libraries Division of USAC has informed attendees of the monthly Service Provider conference call that certain features of the SLD's website will be unavailable for two to three weeks as it undergoes a system-wide upgrade. Mr. Blackwell indicated that the static pages of the SLD's website will be available for reference. However, the tools on the SLD's website, such as the "Apply Online" section and database tools--will be inaccessible during this time.

In its quarterly report to the Federal Communications Commission, the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) reported that approximately $1.1 billion in unused funds from previous Funding Years could be used to supplement future requests for E-rate discounts.

The Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) has released the details of the fifteenth funding decision wave for FY 2009. In this wave, 361 applicants receive funding decisions for their priority one funding requests for the current funding year. Approximately $17 million in funding was committed in this week's wave.

The FCC Office of Inspector General (OIG) released their bi-annually report to Congress outlining their activities over the last six months. The report details their activities from October 1, 2008 to March 31, 2009. During this time, the OIG focused intensively on investigations, audits, and Universal Service Fund oversight. Within the report, they indicate that their concerns continue to increase about improper payments to E-rate beneficiaries.