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April 11, 2016
Two EPC Improvements to the Online FCC Form 471
Tonight we will deploy two improvements to the online FCC Form 471.
CEP percentage no longer rounds down
Applicants with schools that participate in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) do not enter the number of students eligible for NSLP in their schools' profiles. These schools enter the total number of students in each school and the approved direct certification percentage. The system calculates the number of students eligible for NSLP by multiplying the total student count by the direct certification percentage, then multiplying the result by the national multiplier, currently 1.6. The total number of NSLP-eligible students cannot exceed the total number of students.
Right now, if the exact CEP percentage entered goes to one or more decimal places, the system always rounds the percentage down to the lower whole number. For example, a CEP percentage of 43.72 is rounded down to 43, which results in a lower number of students eligible for NSLP.
Starting tomorrow, the CEP percentage will not round, but will calculate based on the actual entry, decimal places and all.
There is one place where the system will still round. If the calculated number of NSLP-eligible students has one or more decimal places, the system will continue to round the result up to the next whole number.
Simply put, the student count will continue to be rounded up; the CEP percentage will never round DOWN.
Shared monthly quantities can be allocated in fractional numbers
Applicants who choose Data Transmission and/or Internet Access and indicate that the connections (or lines or circuits) are directly to a school, library, or non-instructional facility (NIF) must allocate the connections to the entities sharing the connections.
To determine the number of connections that must be allocated, the system uses the entry in the Monthly Quantity field in the Cost Calculation section of the FRN line item. The allocation questions refer to "number of lines."
Although some entities may share a single connection, such as three co-located schools in one building, the current system does not allow allocations of less than a whole number.
Starting tomorrow, applicants will be able to enter allocations fractionally, carried to two decimal places.
However, please note that the allocations must still add up exactly to a whole number. For example, if three entities are sharing a connection equally, the allocations must be 0.33, 0.33 and 0.34.
If you have been waiting for these improvements before continuing your form, you will be able to continue tomorrow.
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