All Things E-Rate – Next Steps

Alaska Department of Education and Early Development

Faye Tanner

April 21, 2026

An Excellent Education for Every Student Every Day

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Mission, Vision, and Purpose

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Strategic Priorities: �Alaska’s Education Challenge

Five Shared Priorities:

1. Support all students to read at grade level by the end of third grade.
2. Increase career, technical, and culturally relevant education to meet student and workforce needs.
3. Close the achievement gap by ensuring equitable educational rigor and resources.
4. Prepare, attract, and retain effective education professionals.
5. Improve the safety and well-being of students through school partnerships with families, communities, and tribes.

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education.alaska.gov/akedchallenge

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Application Process - Overview

PIA

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What is PIA?

• After you file and certify an FCC Form 471 within the filing window, Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) reviewers at USAC check the information on your form for completeness and accuracy and may have additional questions for you to answer.
• Applications go through an initial review and a final review, which may involve questions from PIA reviewers on one or more of the following topics:
• Eligibility of the entities receiving service;
• Eligibility of the equipment/services requested;
• Discount calculations;
• Contracts; and
• The competitive bidding process.

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PIA Outreach Types

• 15 Day – PIA first inquiry will have a 15-day response deadline.
• If you need more time, you can request one automatic 7-day extension. An additional 7-day extension has to be approved by the PIA manager.
• 15 Day Reminder Notice
• Regular 15-Day Incomplete Response Reminder – requires a response in 24 hours
• Summer Deferral Period – pauses application review
• Friday before Memorial Day through the Friday following Labor Day

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Responding to PIA Inquiries

• To avoid delays, provide:
• Complete responses to all questions
• Provide all requested documentation
• Who can respond to PIA inquiries?
• Applicants or authorized representatives of applicants
• Service providers can assist applicants with PIA inquiries about equipment/services being provided
• Contact your reviewer with questions.

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Check Point

True / False

1. PIA reviewers may ask questions about contracts, discount calculations, and the competitive bidding process.
2. A service provider can independently respond to PIA inquiries without involvement from the applicant.

MC

3. What happens if you do not respond to a regular 15-day incomplete response reminder?�A. Your application is automatically approved�B. You have 7 more days automatically added�C. You must respond within 24 hours�D. The application is moved to the next funding year

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Funding Request Status Description

• In Review – USAC received your certified form and is reviewing it
• Outreach – USAC has requested additional information and requires a response from you
• Awaiting Initial Review – Application has not yet been assigned to a PIA Initial Reviewer
• Assigned to IR – Application has been assigned to initial review
• 15 Day Notice – PIA has posted questions that need to be answered

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Funding Request Status Description Cont.

• Final Review – Application has gone through initial review and is now in final review. It may proceed to application wave ready status or may be returned to the PIA reviewer for additional review.
• Application Wave Ready – Review of the FRN has been completed and a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) will be generated in the next wave. FRNs may be removed from this status for additional review.
• Committed – USAC has issued a FCDL

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Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL)

• When the PIA review is complete, applicants and service providers receive an FCDL in their EPC News Feed that they should review carefully.
• The FCDL includes:
• Approved funding amounts
• Modified or denied funding amounts along with the reason(s) for the changes
• Next steps in the E-Rate process

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After Reviewing the FCDL

• After the FCDL is delivered, applicants can:
• Discuss service details with their service provider(s).
• File the FCC Form 486 once services have started.
• If applicants or service providers disagree with one or more of the decisions in the FCDL, they can appeal to USAC.
• Appeals must be lodged within 60 days of the date of the letter.
• Appeal decisions are delivered via Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letters (RFCDLs)

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Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA)

• Requires applicants enforce certain safety measures preventing minors from accessing obscene content on the internet.
• Entities must keep records.
• Maintain documentation demonstrating CIPA compliance.
• Maintain documentation showing CIPA compliance for all funding years.
• In the first year, applicants may show work toward CIPA compliance unless granted a waiver for the 2nd year. Must be compliant by the 3rd year.
• Three requirements of CIPA compliance are:
• Internet Safety Policy
• Technology Protection Measure
• Public Notice and Hearing or Meeting

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Check Point

True / False

1. “Application Wave Ready” status means the review is complete and an FCDL will be issued in an upcoming wave.
2. Applicants can file an appeal more than 60 days after receiving the FCDL if they disagree with the decision.

MC

3. After receiving the FCDL, what is the next required step once services have started?�A. Submit FCC Form 470�B. File FCC Form 486�C. Wait for Application Wave Ready status�D. Re-submit the FCC Form 471

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Invoicing Prerequisites

• The applicant and service provider must have received an FCDL with a positive commitment.
• The applicant must have certified an FCC Form 486 and established the actual service start date for their Funding Request Number(s).
• USAC must have reviewed and approved the FCC Form 486
• Decision to invoicing method is made on a per-FRN basis and is the applicant’s choice:
• Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR): Applicant invoices USAC.
• Service Provider invoicing (SPI): Service provider invoices USAC.
• Once USAC processes an invoice for an FRN, the invoicing method is set and cannot be changed without formal approval.

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Invoicing Prerequisites Cont.

• All service providers and all E-Rate participants that receive USF disbursements must have a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) on their FCC Form 498, an active SAM.gov account, and must have a valid bank account associated with the SAM.gov account. Annual registration with SAM.gov is required to keep their account active.
• FCC Form 473 (Service Provider Annual Certification (SPAC)) must be completed by the service provider, certifying that they will comply with Schools and Libraries (E-Rate) program rules and guidelines.
• SPACs must be filed for each funding year a service provider participates in the E-Rate program. It must be on file with USAC before USAC pays an invoice.
• For BEAR, applicant must file an FCC Form 498 and obtain a 498 ID.

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Invoicing Prerequisites Cont.

• The service provider must have started the installation/delivery of funded equipment and services.
• The invoice must be filed before the Invoice Deadline Date.
• Invoice USAC only for FCC Form 471 approved eligible equipment and services, in the correct quantity and rates, and delivered only to the approved Recipients of Service (ROS).
• Invoiced amount must be for actual charges up to the amount committed through the E-Rate program. Billed rates must not exceed the contracted rates. USAC will only pay up to the contracted rate.

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Service Provider Annual Certification (SPAC)

• Failure to submit a SPAC by service provider prevents invoicing USAC by neither the applicant nor the service provider, depending on the mode selected.
• On May 7, 2025, the FCC released order DA-25-394.
• In this order, the FCC has directed USAC to refer service providers to the FCC Enforcement Bureau, on a go-forward basis, who have refused or failed to submit their annual FCC Form 473 (SPAC), which prevents applicants from receiving reimbursement through the BEAR invoicing process.

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SPI Invoicing

• The service provider bills the applicant for any costs for ineligible portions/services and non-discounted share before submitting the FCC Form 474.
• Applicant pays the service provider for ineligible portions/services and the non-discount share.
• Service provider invoices USAC for the discount amount using the FCC Form 474.
• Service providers file the FCC Form 474 in EPC:
• Certify an FCC Form 474.
• Complete the entire process of submitting and certifying an invoice.
• The invoiced amount must be actual charges, not the amount committed on the FCDL.
• Only include eligible services on service provider invoices.

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BEAR Invoicing

• Applicant pays the service provider in full.
• Applicant invoices USAC the discounted portion of the bill for approved equipment and services delivered to the approved Recipient(s) of Service at the quantities and rates not to exceed what was listed on the FCC Form 471.
• Applicant invoices USAC for the discount amount using the FCC Form 472.
• Applicants file the FCC Form 472 in EPC:
• Certify an FCC Form 472.
• Complete the entire process of submitting and certifying an invoice.
• The invoiced amount must be actual charges, not the amount committed on the FCDL.
• Only include eligible services on the invoices.

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Check Point

True / False

1. Under SPI invoicing, the service provider invoices USAC first and then bills the applicant for the non-discounted share afterward.
2. If a service provider fails to submit a SPAC (FCC Form 473), neither the applicant nor the service provider can invoice USAC.

MC

3. Which of the following is required specifically for participants using the BEAR invoicing method?�A. The service provider must submit FCC Form 474�B. The applicant must have a UEI, an active SAM.gov account, and a valid bank account linked to SAM.gov�C. The applicant must invoice the service provider before invoicing USAC�D. The service provider must complete installation after invoicing USAC

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Appeal a USAC Decision

• If applicant disagrees with a USAC decision, the applicant has 60 days from the date of that decision to request a review of the decision. This request is referred to as an appeal.
• An appeal is filed in the EPC
• What to be included in the appeal:
• Applicant’s billed entity number (BEN) or Service Provider’s SPIN
• Contact information, name, address, telephone, and email address of the person who can discuss the appeal with USAC in detail.
• Funding Year of the decision being appealed.
• Funding Request Numbers (FRNs) associated with he appeal.

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USAC Granting Appeals

• USAC may grant appeals under the following limited circumstances:
• When the appeal makes clear that USAC made an error in its initial review (for example, the PIA reviewer made an error).
• The appeal provides USAC with new information and/or documentation it did not provide when the original request was made.
• When USAC receives a policy clarification, or a new policy impacts the original decision.
• After USAC makes an appeal decision, you might still disagree with the outcome, and you may appeal USAC’s decision to the FCC.
• On the other hand, when seeking a waiver of FCC rules (e.g., waiver of form deadlines, extension of a service delivery date, late-filed FCC Form 471, etc.), one may file a request for waiver directly with the FCC. USAC cannot waive FCC rules.

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DEED School Finance E-Rate Page

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Stay Connected

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