Funds For Learning was quoted in a news article about the Filing Window and Eligible Services List published by eSchoolNews. You can check it out here.

A year ago today, the Form 471 Filing Window for Funding Year 2009 opened. That makes one think about when the filing window will open for the next Funding Year. Before the filing window can open, a few events must take place.

The Protecting Children in the 21st Century Act does not define some of the terms that are found within the new requirements. We have put together the following definitions to help you understand some of the terminology used in the Act.

In the coming weeks, schools and libraries across the country will start posting Forms 470 in greater numbers. Once all of the bids are in, applicants must fully document the vendor selection process in order to demonstrate compliance with E-rate regulations regarding the selection of Service Providers. In this article, we will look at a few ways that schools and libraries can help ensure that they are properly documenting this phase of the E-rate process.

Last Friday, USAC posted the presentations that they will be using over the coming weeks at training events across the country. They posted the full PowerPoint slide files on their website for attendees to download and print for reference during the presentations. (After the jump, download some printer (and tree) friendly versions of the presentations.)

If PIA were like a "Where's Waldo" book, and Waldo represented consistency, Waldo would never be found. Anywhere. On the pages.  Of the book. What seems to be missing from PIA is consistency; consistency in the line of questioning, consistency in the PIA reviewer program knowledge bank and consistency in the application of program rules. More often than not, program rules are misinterpreted, applied incorrectly or just plumb made up. One area in which we see a tremendous amount of inconsistency is in the correct application of discount percentages and NSLP data validation.

Just like any good 80's rock ballad dramatic pause, the SLD web site will be on pause within the next few weeks, as they update their IT systems.  Vacation from the land of E-rate you say? Well yes and no. While the "interactive" sections of the web site will be inoperable during this time, not all things E-rate will be put on hold.  Unfortunately, E-rate stakeholders will still be subjected to the adherence of program deadlines.

For the most part I think the majority of E-rate stakeholders would agree that audits are an integral part of any government subsidized benefit program.  I would venture to say that some E-rate stakeholders might even agree that despite some of the hiccups and chinks, the E-rate audit process works relatively smoothly.  However, one has to wonder "what were they thinking" in the following examples. 

In the FCC Office of Inspector General's latest report, they recommend that USAC step up efforts to help ensure that E-rate disbursements are made only for those items which are approved under a funding commitment and eligible under program rules. This is nothing new, of course. The OIG has consistently encouraged USAC to put tighter controls in place over invoice review and payment.

Here at FFL World Headquarters, we get a lot of mail.  Some of it is good, some not so much, and some of it is just plain confusing.

Case in point:  as of late, we've been receiving a lot of advertisements from companies across the country proudly proclaiming their recent success in becoming "E-rate approved" and hocking their wares.  Our curiosity as to why receive these ads in the first place when we do not purchase any products with E-rate discounts notwithstanding, we find these ads troublesome.