ALAWON v7n147 (November 20, 1998) URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/alawon/alawon-v7n147.txt ALAWON: American Library Association Washington Office Newsline Volume 7, Number 147 November 20, 1998 In this issue: [1] SLC TO START SENDING COMMITMENT LETTERS [2] E-RATE FUNDING COMMITMENTS 20 QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS) FOR=20 UNDERSTANDING THE "WAVES" OF FUNDING COMMITMENT DECISIONS LETTERS:=20 NOVEMBER 17, 1998 [1] SLC TO START SENDING COMMITMENT LETTERS There is a tentatively scheduled event on Monday, November 23 at=20 the Martin Luther King Memorial Library in Washington, D.C. It is=20 expected that the Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC) will=20 announce their schedule for mailing commitment letters to all E- rate applicants. We will keep you posted and report on Monday's event=20 and other SLC activities as soon as we get more information. You=20 may wish to check the EdLiNC Action Kit at=20 http://www.itc.org/edlinc/action/index.html for suggested action items=20 in anticipation of the rollout. [2] E-RATE FUNDING COMMITMENTS 20 QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS) FOR=20 UNDERSTANDING THE "WAVES" OF FUNDING COMMITMENT DECISIONS LETTERS:=20 NOVEMBER 17, 1998 Note: The following is a November 17 release from the Schools and=20 Libraries Corp. 1. WHY ARE E-RATE FUNDING COMMITMENT DECISIONS LETTERS BEING SENT=20 IN WAVES INSTEAD OF ALL AT ONCE?=20 We want to get information into applicants' hands as soon as=20 possible, so we will be issuing funding commitment decision=20 letters when they are ready to go, rather than waiting for all=20 30,000-plus applications to be fully processed before a single=20 letter goes out.=20 2. ARE THESE WAVES OF COMMITMENT LETTERS SENT ONLY TO APPLICANTS=20 WHO COMPLETE THEIR REQUESTS WITHIN THE 75-DAY WINDOW? Yes, we are currently processing and making funding commitments=20 only on completed applications received within the 75-day=20 application window.=20 3. WHEN WILL THE FIRST WAVE OF LETTERS GO OUT, AND OVER WHAT=20 PERIOD OF TIME? The first wave of letters will go out in mid-November through=20 December, with the last wave sometime in January. When the precise=20 date of the first wave is known, we will post it on our Web Site=20 and send out a newsflash to our listserv. Following the release of=20 the first wave, we will outline a schedule for the balance of the=20 waves.=20 4. HOW MANY WAVES WILL THERE BE, AND HOW MANY LETTERS WILL BE IN=20 EACH WAVE? There will be at least four waves. The size of the waves will=20 vary, and as each wave goes out, SLC will announce its size.=20 5. HOW DO I KNOW WHICH WAVE MY LETTER IS IN?=20 While there is no definitive way to know in advance which wave a=20 particular funding commitment letter might be in, understanding=20 how the waves are formed can provide a general sense of the=20 timing of your funding commitment. Questions 13-20, below, offer=20 concrete examples to further clarify understanding of the waves.=20 6. WERE NOT ALL THE APPLICATIONS RECEIVED IN THE WINDOW SUPPOSED=20 TO BE CONSIDERED AS IF THEY HAD ARRIVED ON THE SAME DAY? Applications received in the window are, in effect, still=20 "considered as if they had arrived on the same day." The new rules=20 of priority issued by the Federal Communications Commission in=20 June 1998 state that requests for discounts received within the=20 75-day application window for telecommunications services and=20 Internet access are to be funded as a first priority. Then, with=20 funds remaining, discount requests for eligible internal=20 connection projects are considered, beginning with those=20 applicants at the highest (90%) discount level. We know that funds=20 are more than sufficient to cover "priority one" discount requests=20 received within the window. Funding for internal connections for=20 the neediest applicants, therefore, can begin in the first waves.=20 7. I FILED MY APPLICATION AFTER THE 75-DAY WINDOW HAD CLOSED. WILL=20 I BE INCLUDED IN THE WAVES?=20 At this point, we are processing and making funding commitments=20 based only on complete applications (Forms 470 and 471) received=20 within the window. It appears that available funding may be=20 exhausted before we reach the lowest discount internal connections=20 requests in applications received within the window, in which case=20 there will be no funds available for applications received after=20 the close of the window. But we will not know for certain whether=20 funds will be available for "outside the window" applications=20 until after we have made funding commitments for those received=20 inside the window.=20 8. HOW IS EACH WAVE FORMED?=20 The waves of funding commitment letters will be formed based on=20 three criteria:=20 a. The FCC rules of priority.=20 b. The date when the application was successfully entered into the=20 SLC database.=20 c. The completion of all SLC decisions for that application.=20 We have set aside funds to cover top priority requests according=20 to the FCC rules: all approved telecommunications and Internet=20 access requests. Given that there is more than enough funding for=20 all priority one requests, funds have also been set aside for all=20 approved internal connections requests at the 90% discount level.=20 For those top priority requests, the other two criteria-date of=20 data entry and completion of all SLC decisions-will affect only=20 the timing of when a funding commitment letter is sent, not the=20 availability of funding. For internal connections requests below=20 the 90% discount level, "completion of all SLC decisions" includes=20 the determination of whether funds are available for these=20 requests.=20 9. DOES THAT MEAN I WILL HEAR ABOUT MY TELECOMMUNICATIONS AND=20 INTERNET ACCESS REQUESTS FIRST-AND MY INTERNAL CONNECTIONS=20 REQUESTS LATER?=20 No, unless you filed separate Form 471 applications for each of=20 these services. We will provide a complete response for each Form=20 471 application in a single letter. If you included all three=20 categories of service (telecommunications, Internet access, and=20 internal connections) in one Form 471 application you will receive=20 a funding commitment letter when we have reached a determination=20 on all of the requests, line item by line item, included in your=20 Form 471 application. Applicants who filed separate Forms 471 for=20 the different categories of service may receive commitment letters=20 for their separate applications in different waves (see questions=20 14-17, below).=20 10. IF FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE FOR INTERNAL CONNECTIONS REQUESTS BELOW=20 THE 90% DISCOUNT LEVEL, HOW WILL SLC MAKE THESE FUNDING DECISIONS? Consistent with FCC rules, we will consider internal connections=20 requests below the 90% discount level by ten-point discount=20 "bands"-for example, 80-89%, 70-79%, and so on. If there are=20 sufficient funds to grant all approved requests within a band, we=20 will set aside funds for the approved requests in that band. A=20 funding commitment letter will be issued for each application when=20 we can fully respond to all the requests in that application.=20 11. HOW DOES THE MONEY FLOW FROM WAVE TO WAVE?=20 Given that available funds cover all requests for priority one=20 services, the first waves will also include funding for internal=20 connections at the 90% discount level. So, for example, if your=20 Form 471 includes telecommunications services, Internet access,=20 and internal connections at the 60% discount level, we will set=20 aside funds to cover your telecommunications and Internet access=20 right away, but you may not receive your funding commitment letter=20 until one of the later waves, when we can give a definitive answer=20 on your internal connections.=20 12. IS THERE ANY DANGER THAT THE FUNDS WILL RUN OUT BEFORE YOU GET=20 TO MY APPLICATION?=20 The SLC funding commitment system is designed to assure that=20 sufficient funds are available for all of your approved=20 telecommunications and Internet access requests regardless of=20 which wave your commitment letter falls into. In essence, the=20 system first sets aside funds to cover priority one funding=20 requests before considering any funding commitments for internal=20 connections requests.=20 13. WHAT IF I APPLIED ONLY FOR BASIC PHONE SERVICE?=20 If your application consists only of requests for=20 telecommunications services (such as basic phone service), then=20 you meet one of the criteria for an early-wave letter: the FCC=20 funding priorities. Remember, however, that there are two other=20 criteria: date of entry into our database, and completion of all=20 SLC decisions. If your application-whenever it arrived during the=20 window-cleared both data entry and Program Integrity Assurance=20 review relatively early, you will probably hear from us in one of=20 the first waves. But if your application required more extensive=20 review at either stage, your letter might come later. (See=20 questions 19 and 20, below, for examples.)=20 14. I SUBMITTED THREE FORMS 471 FOR MY SCHOOL: ONE FOR MY=20 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES, ONE FOR INTERNET ACCESS, AND ONE FOR=20 INTERNAL CONNECTIONS. I QUALIFY FOR A 90% DISCOUNT IN ALL THREE=20 CATEGORIES. HOW WILL THE CRITERIA FOR THE TIMING OF THE WAVES=20 AFFECT ME?=20 We will inform you of the results of our review of each of your=20 Forms 471 when we complete our decisions on each one. Your=20 applications fit one of the criteria for early-wave letters: the=20 FCC funding priorities. Depending on when each of your=20 applications was successfully entered into the database and when=20 it cleared Program Integrity Assurance review, you may receive=20 funding commitment letters for all three in the same wave, or they=20 may come in different waves.=20 15. I AM A 62% DISCOUNT LIBRARY, AND I PUT MY TELECOMMUNICATIONS=20 SERVICE, INTERNET ACCESS, AND INTERNAL CONNECTIONS TOGETHER ON ONE=20 APPLICATION. WHEN CAN I EXPECT TO HEAR? We will send you a funding commitment letter when we have made a=20 determination on all of the requests in your application. After we=20 set aside funds for your approved telecommunications services and=20 Internet access requests, we will consider internal connections=20 requests by discount "band" (see questions 9-11, above). Assuming=20 your application has also cleared data entry and Program Integrity=20 Assurance review, we will send out your funding commitment letter=20 when we have a complete answer-either Funded, Denied (due to=20 ineligibility), Partially Funded, or Unfunded (because funds are=20 exhausted)-on your internal connections requests.=20 16. I SUBMITTED ONE DISTRICT-WIDE APPLICATION. OUR SHARED=20 TELECOMMUNICATIONS SERVICES AND INTERNET ACCESS REQUESTS ARE AT AN=20 80% DISCOUNT, BUT OUR SITE-SPECIFIC INTERNAL CONNECTIONS RANGE=20 FROM 50% TO 90%. WHAT SHOULD I EXPECT?=20 We will send your funding commitment letter when we have made a=20 definitive decision on ALL of the requests in your application,=20 line item by line item, including all of your internal connections=20 requests (see question 9-11, above). We may be able to fund some=20 of those internal connections requests fully, some partially, and=20 some not at all, depending on discount level and availability of=20 funds.=20 17. MY STATE TELECOMMUNICATIONS NETWORK FILED ONE APPLICATION=20 COVERING INTERNET ACCESS FOR EVERY SCHOOL IN THE STATE. IT WAS A=20 VERY LARGE AND COMPLEX APPLICATION, AND SEEMED TO GENERATE A LOT=20 OF FOLLOW-UP REQUESTS FOR INFORMATION FROM YOUR PROCESSING AND=20 REVIEW STAFF. WHEN CAN WE EXPECT TO HEAR SLC'S FUNDING DECISION?=20 As a request for Internet access, this application is top priority=20 in terms of the FCC rules. The timing of the funding commitment=20 decision letter, though, will also depend on how rapidly and=20 easily the state network was able to respond satisfactorily to our=20 follow-up requests, and how quickly the application moved through=20 data entry and Program Integrity Assurance review. If all of those=20 procedures went smoothly, we should be able to make our funding=20 commitment decision and issue a letter in an early wave.=20 Otherwise, the state network may hear from us in a subsequent=20 wave.=20 18. I FILED MY FORM 471 WITH SLC AT THE EARLIEST POSSIBLE=20 DATE-FEBRUARY 28, 1998. HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE TIMING OF MY=20 LETTER?=20 What is relevant is when your application was successfully data=20 entered, not when it was received. If you filled it out correctly=20 so there was a minimum of Problem Resolution activity (see=20 question 19, below), then your application probably moved quickly=20 through data entry into the next stages of review. If it also=20 cleared Program Integrity Assurance review quickly because there=20 were no questions about eligibility or discount level or because=20 you answered such questions promptly, AND if your requests=20 coincide fully with the FCC funding priorities, then your letter=20 may be in the first waves. Otherwise, you will hear in one of the=20 later waves.=20 19. MY APPLICATION SPENT A LONG TIME IN PROBLEM RESOLUTION. I WAS=20 GETTING PHONE CALLS AND FAXES FROM SLC OFFICES IN IOWA AND KANSAS=20 WELL INTO AUGUST. HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE TIMING OF MY LETTER?=20 The date of successful entry into the data system is one of the=20 three key criteria for forming the waves. The Problem Resolution=20 process was focused completely on readying applications for data=20 entry, so a lengthy Problem Resolution process would mean a later=20 data entry date and therefore later delivery for review by the=20 Program Integrity Assurance team. If your application did not=20 require lengthy review by our Program Integrity Assurance team,=20 however, and your requests correspond to the top funding=20 priorities, you may still receive your letter in one of the=20 earlier waves.=20 20. I HAVE SOME ISSUES STILL OUTSTANDING WITH YOUR PROGRAM=20 INTEGRITY ASSURANCE TEAM BASED IN NEW JERSEY. THE EXTRA=20 DOCUMENTATION THEY ARE LOOKING FOR MIGHT TAKE ME SEVERAL MORE DAYS=20 TO COMPLETE. HOW WILL THAT AFFECT THE TIMING OF MY LETTER?=20 To receive a funding commitment, applications must have completed=20 Program Integrity Review, so you will not get your letter until we=20 have resolved any outstanding program integrity issues with you.=20 We have, however, set aside funds to cover your telecommunications=20 and Internet access requests, and have included your internal=20 connections requests in our working estimate of demand in your=20 discount band (see questions 8-12, above), so that the delay in=20 review will not affect your actual funding, only the timing of=20 your funding commitment decisions letter.=20 IF YOU HAVE ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS, PLEASE CALL THE SLC CLIENT=20 SERVICE BUREAU AT (888) 203-8100.=20 ****** ALAWON (ISSN 1069-7799) is a free, irregular publication of the=20 American Library Association Washington Office. All materials=20 subject to copyright by the American Library Association may be=20 reprinted or redistributed for noncommercial purposes with=20 appropriate credits. To subscribe to ALAWON, send the message: subscribe ala-wo=20 [your_firstname] [your_lastname] to listproc@ala.org or go to=20 http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. To unsubscribe to ALAWON, send=20 the message: unsubscribe ala-wo to listproc@ala.org or go to=20 http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon. ALAWON archives at=20 http://www.ala.org/washoff/alawon.=20 ALA Washington Office, 1301 Pennsylvania Ave., N.W., Suite 403,=20 Washington, D.C. 20004-1701; phone: 202.628.8410 or 800.941.8478=20 toll-free; fax: 202.628.8419; e-mail: alawash@alawash.org; Web=20 site: http://www.ala.org/washoff. Editor: Lynne E. Bradley;=20 Managing Editor: Deirdre Herman; Contributors: Mary Costabile,=20 Adam Eisgrau, Anne Heanue, Carol Henderson, Peter Kaplan,=20 Claudette Tennant and Rick Weingarten.