Commitments for Funding Years 2008 and 2007

Funding Year 2008. USAC will release FY2008 Wave 42 Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) March 10. This wave will include commitments for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance requests at 88% and above and denials at 86% and below. As of March 6, FY2008 commitments total just under $2.14 billion.

Funding Year 2007. USAC will release FY2007 Wave 79 FCDLs March 11. This wave will include commitments for approved Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance requests at 81% and above and denials at 80% and below. As of March 6, FY2007 commitments total just under $2.5 billion.

On the day the FCDLs are mailed, you can check to see if you have a commitment by using USAC’s Automated Search of Commitments tool.

Highlights of the RAL Correction Process

After you have submitted and certified a Form 471 and USAC has determined that the form is in-window, USAC will issue you a Receipt Acknowledgment Letter (RAL). This letter contains a summary of the data you reported on the Form 471 and gives you an opportunity to submit corrections to the information contained in many of the fields on the form.

• Note: If you submitted a Form 471 online but certified it after the window closed, USAC will not issue your RAL until after March 23. See the February 27, 2009 SL News Brief for more information on the processing of certifications filed online or postmarked after the close of the filing window.

If you find that the information on your RAL differs from the information that you believe you supplied on your form, follow the instructions in the RAL to submit corrections. In addition to the instructions in the RAL, review the RAL guidance on the website for information on where to submit your corrections.

Here are a few tips for the RAL correction process:

Compare the data in your RAL and in the Form 471 Display with the data in your file copy of the Form 471 to make sure that all of your entries are correct. The RAL includes most of the entries currently in our system, but you must use the Form 471 Display to view the information in Block 4 worksheets. Because Program Integrity Assurance (PIA) uses all of this information in its review of your application, it is important that you verify its accuracy.

• If incorrect information appears on the RAL, you can mark a line through the incorrect information and supply the correct information to the right of the incorrect entry. Note that the RAL correction process cannot be used to correct Billed Entity information.
• If the incorrect information appears on the Form 471 Display but not on the RAL – for example, if the incorrect information is in (or missing from) a Block 4 worksheet – follow the instructions in the RAL for correcting that information.

If all of the information matches, DO NOT submit a RAL correction. Submitting a RAL with no corrections only delays the review of your application.

If you submit a RAL correction, make sure you supply all necessary information. You don't need to include the first two pages of the letter or any pages of the letter that do not contain corrections. However, to make corrections to a Block 4 worksheet, you will need to include a copy of the worksheet and/or a separate sheet listing entities to be added or deleted. If you do not have a copy of the worksheet, you can use the Form 471 Display to print a copy.

Remember that not all errors can be corrected using the RAL correction process. For example, you can request corrections to the Billed Entity name, address, and phone and fax numbers on Block 1 of your form. However, these changes will be specific to that form only. If your Billed Entity name or contact information has changed, you must also contact the Client Service Bureau to make those changes in the database.

Submit your RAL corrections as soon as possible. Near the top of the first page of the RAL, USAC identifies the deadline for submitting RAL corrections. That deadline is within 20 days of the letter date above the recipient's address in the RAL. Although we may be able to process corrections after that date, it is to your advantage to submit RAL corrections as soon as possible so that we have accurate information when we begin your review.

Always include a signed copy of page 3 of your RAL, even if you are printing out and including other pages with corrections. We cannot process RAL corrections without a signature, printed name, title, contact information, and a date.

Check to make sure you have supplied current contact information. If we have questions about the information you submitted, we will attempt to contact you using the contact information you supplied. Requests to correct some fields – such as the category of service, contract award date, or contract expiration date – may require additional review and approval by USAC before they can be corrected. Also, if you are submitting multiple pages, it's a good idea to put identifying information – BEN, Form 471 Application Number, and contact person name and telephone number – at the top of each page.

Be prepared to answer questions about your requested corrections. In some cases, USAC may need more information from you or need to perform some review work before a requested change can be made. If you have the necessary information at hand, USAC can complete its review more quickly and determine if a change that must be reviewed is permitted under program rules.

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