Schools and Libraries
About the Schools and Libraries Program:
- Overview of the Program
- Overview of the Process
- Outreach and Training
- Site Visits
- Filing Appeals
- Understanding Audits
Schools and Libraries Tools:
Electronic 500 Letter
Overview
Some service providers have requested an electronic letter, that is, a file containing the variable information that is in the paper format of the Form 500 Notification Letter to the service provider.
The implementation is to continue to produce paper letters in all cases and to create files to e-mail for those service providers requesting such a format. Each service provider will receive a file with information relevant to it. The filename will be the same as the service provider's email address.
In the e-mail files, there will be one or more FRN-specific records (from Block 2 of the Form 500). Each record ends in a carriage return and contains fields of information which are pipe delimited (separated by a vertical bar "|"). These fields are described in the table below.
If there is more than one FRN-specific record (from Block 2 of the Form 500) in the e-mail file, the service provider's SPIN value will be repeated for each record. Also, if a 471 application is referenced more than once among the FRN-specific records in the same e-mail file, the associated applicant and contact data (from Block 1 of the Form 500) will also be repeated for each applicable FRN-specific record. If a field in the FRN-specific record contains only a blank space ("| |"), this means there is no data for that field (e.g., a Contact Phone Extension value).
Layout of the E-mail File
Field # |
Description |
Valid Data |
1 |
SPIN (Service Provider Identification Number) |
9-digit numeric |
2 |
Funding Request Number (FRN) |
1-digit to 10-digit numeric |
3 |
471 Application Number (based on Funding Request Number) |
1-digit to 10-digit numeric |
4 |
470 Application Number |
15-digit numeric |
5 |
Applicant name (of school, school district, library or consortium) |
Alphanumeric |
6 |
Contact name |
Alphanumeric |
7 |
Reserved |
No value |
8 |
Contact street address |
Alphanumeric |
9 |
Contact city name |
Alphanumeric |
10 |
Contact state code |
2-character alphabetic |
11 |
Contact zip5 code |
5-digit numeric |
12 |
Contact zip4 code |
4-digit numeric or no value |
13 |
Contact fax area code |
3-digit numeric or no value |
14 |
Contact fax number |
7-digit numeric or no value |
15 |
Contact fax extension |
Numeric or no value |
16 |
Contact phone area code |
3-digit numeric |
17 |
Contact phone number |
7-digit numeric |
18 |
Contact phone extension |
Numeric or no value |
19 |
Contact e-mail address |
Alphanumeric or no value |
20 |
FRN Funding Commitment Status |
"Not Funded" or "Funded" |
21 |
Contract Number |
Alphanumeric or no value |
22 |
Service Description |
"Internal Connections", "Basic Maintenance", "Internet Access", or "Telecommunications Services" |
23 |
Service Shared |
"N/A" |
24 |
Billed Entity Number (BEN) |
1-digit to 10-digit numeric (representing ID of the specific school or library entity receiving the service) or "N/A" |
25 |
Entity Name |
Alphanumeric (if field #24 contains a numeric value; represents name of the specific school or library entity receiving the service) or "N/A" |
26 |
Service Start Date (SSD) - New Date |
"N/A" or if a date is given (MM/DD/YYYY format), the value (as changed by the Form 500) for the new start date of contract service for referenced FRN |
27 |
Contract Expiration Date (CED) - New Date |
"N/A" or if a date is given (MM/DD/YYYY format), the value (as changed by the Form 500) representing the new end date of contract for referenced FRN |
28 |
Fund Commitment Extended Cost Amount |
Numeric to two decimal places (represents cost of service in funding year period). |
29 |
Discount Percentage Approved by SLD |
2-digit numeric (represents FRN discount percentage) |
30 |
FRN Original Commitment Amount |
Numeric to two decimal places (represents amount originally committed to referenced FRN) |
31 |
Retro Payment Indicator |
"Yes" or "No" (indicates if the applicant will request reimbursement for past expenses) |
32 |
FRN Cancel Indicator |
"Yes" or "No" (indicates if the FRN was canceled, i.e. due to being a duplicate of another FRN) |
33 |
Report Date |
Date (MM/DD/YYYY format) |
34 |
Billing Account Number |
Alphanumeric (for referenced FRN) or "N/A" |
35 |
Fund Year Start Date |
MM/DD/YYYY format |
36 |
Fund Year End Date |
MM/DD/YYYY format |
37 |
Fund Year |
4-digit numeric |
38 |
Service Start Date - Original Date (SSD) |
"N/A" or if a date is given (MM/DD/YYYY format), the value (before being changed by the Form 500) representing the previous start date of contract service for referenced FRN |
39 |
Contract Expiration Date - Original Date (CED) |
"N/A" or if a date is given (MM/DD/YYYY format), the value (before being changed by the Form 500) representing the previous end date of contract for referenced FRN |
40 |
New (Revised) Commitment Amount |
"N/A" or "0.00" (if FRN Cancel Indicator = "Yes") or the value representing new commitment amount (as revised by the Form 500) for referenced FRN |
At the bottom of the file will be the text:
"SLD 500 to Service Provider ; Total Records: [record count]"
Sample E-mail Letter
143001356|157|0000000259|807310000029688|CENTRAL S D|Michael Jones||123 ABC Street|Smith City|AK|07777||777|7777777||888|8888888||email@aol.com|Funded|T|Telecommunications Services|N/A|N/A|N/A|01/02/1999|N/A|2000.00|20|400.00|No|No|08/01/2000|(973)884-8000|07/01/1999|06/30/2000|1999|01/01/1999|N/A|N/A
143001356|158|0000000259|807310000029688|CENTRAL S D|Michael Jones||123 ABC Street|Smith City|AK|07777||777|7777777||888|8888888||email@aol.com|Funded|T|Telecommunications Services|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|08/15/2000|2000.00|20|400.00|No|No|08/01/2000|(973)884-8000|07/01/1999|06/30/2000|1999|N/A|07/15/2000|N/A
143001356|159|0000000259|807310000029688|CENTRAL S D|Michael Jones||123 ABC Street|Smith City|AK|07777||777|7777777||888|8888888||email@aol.com|Not Funded|T|Telecommunications Services|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|2000.00|20|400.00|No|Yes|08/01/2000|(973)884-8000|07/01/1999|06/30/2000|1999|N/A|N/A|0.00
143001356|160|0000000259|807310000029688|CENTRAL S D|Michael Jones||123 ABC Street|Smith City|AK|07777||777|7777777||888|8888888||email@aol.com|Funded|T|Telecommunications Services|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|N/A|2000.00|20|400.00|No|No|08/01/2000|(973)884-8000|07/01/1999|06/30/2000|1999|N/A|N/A|100.00
143001356|161|0000000259|807310000029688|CENTRAL S D|Michael Jones||123 ABC Street|Smith City|AK|07777||777|7777777||888|8888888||email@aol.com|Funded|T|Telecommunications Services|N/A|N/A|N/A|01/15/1999|01/15/2001|2000.00|20|400.00|No|No|08/01/2000|(973)884-8000|07/01/1999|06/30/2000|1999|01/01/1999|01/01/2001|300.00
Explanation for above sample:
- FRN #157 had the start date of its contract service changed from 01/01/1999 to 01/02/1999
- FRN #158 had the end date of its contract changed from 07/15/2000 to 08/15/2000
- FRN #159 was canceled and thus had a new (revised) commitment amount of $0.00
- FRN #160 had its commitment amount of $400.00 marked for change (reduction) to $100.00
- FRN #161 had the start date of its contract service changed from 01/01/1999 to 01/15/1999, the end date of its contract changed from 01/01/2001 to 01/15/2001, and its commitment amount of $400.00 marked for change (reduction) to $300.00
