The Schools and Libraries Division April 30 updated its online Form 470 application form to accommodate applications for the 2003 funding year.
The Schools and Libraries Division April 30 updated its online Form 470 application form to accommodate applications for the 2003 funding year (or what formerly would have been described as Year 6).
Under current E-rate program rules, a Form 470 application can be filed at anytime of the year to start the competitive bidding process for E-rate supported contracts. Applications covering services that will be purchased at tariffed rates, or on a month-to-month basis, cannot be filed until after July 1 of the year preceding the funding year.
The latest version of the application form includes one small revision: The certification page includes a statement that "Service provider involvement with preparation or certification of a Form 470 can taint the competitive bidding process and result in the denial of funding requests." Applicants are directed to Chapter 5 of the SLD's Service Provider Manual or to call the Client Service Bureau for more information about this requirement.
In contrast to the position it has taken on revised application forms in recent years, the SLD said it would continue to accept applications filed using the 1999 version of the Form 470 application, presumably because the latest version includes no new requests for information. In recent years, the SLD rejected applications filed by schools and libraries that failed to use the latest version of the Form 471.
