Post-Filing Corrections and Other Considerations

Corrections Before Commitment

USAC issues an FCC Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) to both the applicant and the service provider in the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) after an FCC Form 471 application is certified. Applicants can submit corrective Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) changes through the RAL modification process while the form is still under review. Please view the FCC Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter Modification Guide for more information.

Corrections After Commitment

Corrective SPIN changes cannot be made if the original FCC FRN was denied. Denials must be addressed through the appeals process.

Applicants must submit post-commitment SPIN change requests in the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC). To change the Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN) on a funding request, the applicant can request a SPIN/498 ID change.

Corrections to FCC Form 471

To submit corrections to an FCC Form 471 (Description of Services Ordered and Certification Form), applicants must submit an FCC Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL) modification in EPC. If you notice incorrect information in the service provider RAL, you should notify the applicant so corrections can be made.

To correct contact, remittance, and/or payment information in the USAC database, you must file an update to your FCC Form 498 (Service Provider and Billed Entity Identification Number and General Contact Information Form). Updates must be filed online using the E-File system.

If program rules have been violated, USAC may be required to reduce the amount of a funding request – known as a commitment adjustment or COMAD – which may include the recovery of improperly disbursed funds (RIDF). If funds have been disbursed in error, you must return those funds to USAC.

Invoice Filing Deadline Extensions

Applicants and service providers may request and receive a one-time 120-day invoice filing deadline extension as long as the request is submitted prior to the original deadline. You or the applicant can request an invoice deadline extension to extend the deadline for submitting invoices.

Service Delivery Deadline Extensions

To extend the deadline for delivery and installation of non-recurring services, you or the applicant can request a service delivery extension.

• Generally, the deadline for delivery and installation of non-recurring services is September 30 following the close of the funding year, and under some circumstances, this deadline may be extended automatically. If you do not receive an automatic extension, the service delivery extension requested by the applicant on the FCC Form 500 must be certified on or before the deadline for service delivery.
• The deadline to complete special construction projects is June 30 of the relevant funding year. Special construction must be completed in time for the fiber to be lit (or for a self-provisioned network involving another technology to be in use) by the end of the relevant funding year, i.e., June 30. If applicants cannot meet this deadline, they may file an FCC Form 500 to request a one-year extension of the June 30 deadline. This extension request must be filed by June 30 of the relevant funding year. To receive an extension of the special construction installation deadline, applicants must demonstrate that construction was unavoidably delayed due to weather or other reasons.

• To change the Service Start Date or contract expiration date on a funding request, the applicant can file an FCC Form 500 (Funding Commitment Adjustment Request Form). If a contract must be extended to allow for the delivery and installation of non-recurring services, (1) the applicant must negotiate a contract extension with you, (2) the applicant must submit a service delivery extension request on or before the deadline (see below), and (3) the applicant can file an FCC Form 500 to report the extended contract expiration date. USAC issues an FCC Form 500 Notification Letter via the EPC Newsfeed after processing this form.
• To substitute a product or service for another that provides the same or similar function, you or the applicant can request a service substitution. You will initiate the request if you are no longer offering a product or service but are offering a replacement instead. This is referred to as a “global” service substitution.
• If one or more schools or libraries are opening, closing, merging, or separating, the applicant should contact USAC to provide the information specific to the situation. The resolution of the change(s) may affect the associated funding commitments.
• If you disagree with a USAC decision, you or the applicant can file an appeal with USAC within 60 days of the date on the decision letter. Copy your applicant on all appeals.
• If an invoice has been rejected or payment has been reduced because you made an error, and your deadline to file invoices for the approved FCC FRN has not passed, you can simply submit a new invoice. Use the E-Rate Invoicing Requirements Guide to avoid common errors with the invoice you are submitting.
• Applicants can dispose of or trade in obsolete equipment no sooner than five years after the date the equipment was installed. The applicant is not required to notify USAC, but its inventory or asset register should be updated to reflect the disposal or trade-in of the equipment.
• All E-Rate program service providers are required to maintain documentation that demonstrates compliance with the statutory or regulatory requirements for all E-Rate program purchases of equipment and services for at least 10 years. For more information, visit the Document Retention page.