FCC Form 472 Filing (BEAR Form)

Purpose of FCC Form 472

Applicants file an FCC Form 472 (Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement (BEAR) Form) to request reimbursement from USAC for the discount costs of the eligible products or services approved on the FCC Form 471, and which the applicant has received and paid for in full.

When to File FCC Form 472

The BEAR Form can be filed:

• After the applicant has filed an FCC Form 486 (Receipt of Service Confirmation and Children’s Internet Protection Act Certification Form);
• The service provider has filed an FCC Form 473 (Service Provider Annual Certification (SPAC) Form) for that funding year;
• Products were delivered or services have started;
• Products or services were pre-approved on the FCC Form 471; and
• The applicant has paid for those products or services in full.

You can file the BEAR Form as often as you wish (e.g. monthly, bimonthly, quarterly, annually). However, you must have received and have paid in full for the eligible products or services received before filing a BEAR Form.

Deadline: You must file the BEAR Form no later than 120 days after the latest of the following:

• Service Delivery Deadline (the last date to receive service);
• Date of the FCC Form 486 Notification Letter;
• Date of the approved post-commitment Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letter; or
• Date of an approved appeal Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letter on a previously denied or reduced funding request.

If there is a possibility you cannot file the BEAR Form by the invoice deadline, you should request a one-time 120-day invoice deadline extension. You must submit an Invoice Deadline extension request on or before the invoice deadline date.

If you need an invoice deadline extension but the deadline to request one has passed, you must first submit a waiver request to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). The FCC must grant your waiver request before USAC can extend the invoice deadline.

If you do not know your current invoice deadline, review your FCDL/RFCDL in EPC. To view the invoicing and other related deadlines for multiple FRNs, E-Rate’s Open Data tools are an additional resource.

How to File FCC Form 472

File this form online in the E-Rate program legacy system.

To file a BEAR Form, you must:

1. Set up an E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) account with USAC.
2. Next, obtain an applicant 498 ID by filing the FCC Form 498 (Service Provider and Billed Entity Identification Number and General Contact Information Form).
   • The FCC Form 498 has been updated to require a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) Number.  For more information, please see Obtain an Applicant 498 ID.
   • The FCC Form 498 collects contact and banking information so that USAC can reimburse you directly.
3. Once you verify your banking information, USAC will issue an applicant 498 ID after the verification process has been completed.
4. After receiving an applicant 498 ID, you must request access to the BEAR Form for the form to appear in your account for One Portal (USAC’s multi-factor authentication system).

You can practice filing on the BEAR training site.

If you need assistance, call the Customer Service Center (CSC) at (888) 203-8100.

After Filing FCC Form 472

USAC mails a BEAR Notification Letter to the applicant and the service provider upon successful certification of the BEAR Form.

USAC also emails an Electronic BEAR Remittance Statement to the General Financial Contact found on the approved applicant FCC Form 498.  This notice provides an explanation of the BEAR payments made to the banking account associated with the applicant’s approved FCC Form 498 ID.

In the BEAR Notification Letter and in a remittance statement, USAC identifies the reimbursed invoice line item(s), as well as erroneous or improperly formatted invoice line item(s) submitted on the associated form. Erroneous or improperly formatted invoice line item(s) are identified in the letter with a decision code and an explanation. The Invoice Decision Code table describes the most common invoice decision codes in plain language. It also includes historical decision explanations for letters issued before October 1, 2020.

For detailed information on disbursements issued, view the Invoicing section of the Tools page.