April 26, 2019 

TIP OF THE WEEK: Register for the upcoming Starting Services: FCC Form 486 webinar, on Wednesday, May 15, 2019. We will explain the purpose of the FCC Form 486 and the requirements for filing the form, including information about Children’s Internet Protection Act (CIPA) compliance. Click here to register.

Applicant Profiles Unlocked

USAC has now unlocked the applicant profiles in EPC that were locked on January 15 in advance of the FY2019 application filing window opening. Applicants can now go into their profiles and update profile information.

Changes that you make to your profile will not be reflected in FCC Forms 471 filed during the FY2019 application filing window. If you need to make corrections to FCC Forms 471 filed during the FY2019 application filing window, submit a Receipt Acknowledgement Letter (RAL) modification. The corrections made in the RAL modification will then be available to your reviewer during the review of your application (see below).

To submit a RAL modification:

• Log in to your account in EPC.
• Use the search function in the FCC Forms and Post-Commitment Requests section of your organization's landing page to locate your FCC Form 471.
• Click your form's application number to access the form.
• Choose the Related Actions menu at the top of the form, then choose Submit Modification Request (RAL).
• Follow the prompts to provide the corrected information. You can also attach one or more documents.
• Review your entries and then click Submit.

Selective Review Overview

Each year, some applicants undergo a selective review as part of USAC's review of their FCC Form 471. Selective review is a more detailed review to verify that the applicant correctly followed the program rules related to the competitive bidding process. A selective review can run concurrently with a PIA review.

Selective reviews take place at the billed entity level. If your billed entity is chosen for a selective review, we will review all the FCC Forms 471 that you certified for the funding year.

Here is an outline of the selective review process:

1. USAC issues the selective review questions.

USAC sends an email from portal@usac.org to the contact person on the FCC Form 471 to notify you that a Selective Review Information Request (SRIR) is available in EPC. The subject line will include the FCC Form 471 application number (or one of them, if you certified more than one) and the words "E-rate Review Information."

You can access the SRIR by clicking the link provided in the email and logging in to EPC.

2. You confirm receipt of the SRIR.

You can confirm receipt by calling or emailing the reviewer using the reviewer's contact information featured on the email notification.

3. You respond to the selective review request and provide the appropriate documentation.

You can enter answers to the selective review questions in the fields provided in the SRIR in EPC.

For answers that also require documentation, you can upload documents or files by clicking the Choose File link or the +Add Document link and following the instructions.

If USAC has additional questions, we will contact you with another inquiry through EPC with details about the information we need.

4. You can request an extension if needed.

As with other reviews, you can request an extension of time to respond by choosing the appropriate extension option in the SRIR. Your first request is granted automatically for an additional seven days. You can ask for a second extension, but that extension must be approved by USAC.