Step 2. Relax. There's a 28-day waiting period.

Once you've filed Form 470, you must wait a minimum of 28 days prior to moving to the next step of the process. During this time period your request for services is posted online, which permits SLD-approved vendors to make bids for your school's business. Please note that your school is not required to change phone companies or service providers, or to accept the lowest bid. You are free to stay with your current service provider, having already made sure that they are an SLD-approved vendor. However, you will have the option of deciding to do business with any vendor identified through the competitive bidding process.

When the SLD receives and accepts your completed Form 470, you will receive a Receipt Notification Letter. Keep this document in a place where it can be easily accessed. It will contain information you will need when you complete the next form.

Step 3. Complete and File Form 471.

Form 471 asks schools to list the eligible telecommunications-related services they have ordered and estimate the annual charges for them so that the Fund Administrator can set aside sufficient support to reimburse providers for services.

You may either download and print Form 471, or you may complete the form online. Once again, we strongly encourage you to opt for the former approach.

• Download and print Form 471.

• Download the SLD Companion Document to Form 471 This document will walk you through the process of completing the form, item-by-item. Refer to it as the final authority as necessary.

Form 471 consists of six blocks of required information.

Block 1 asks for information about the billed entity, much the same as Block 1 of Form 470.

The funding year in question in item 2 is July 1, 2002 thru June 30, 2003.

Block 3 asks for information regarding the estimated impact of the services for which a discount is sought by your current application.

Complete item 9a only.

• Use Worksheet A to calculate your school's discount rate. You will only need to fill in numbers for one row across the eight columns of the worksheet. You will need to know the number of students in your school who are eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program (regardless of whether they actually participate or not).

• View the eligibility criteria for participation in the National School Lunch Program.

• The discount matrix is found above, in this document.

____ YES      ____ NO

Example: If there are 5 people in your household and your combined income is less than $38,240 a year, or less than $3,187 a month, or less than $736 a week, place a check next to the word "YES." Otherwise, place a check next to the word "NO."

• If you choose to conduct a survey, please explain that the information will be used to help the school to receive a discount on its monthly telephone bill and assure respondents that the information they provide will be held in strictest confidence.

• Once you have completed the worksheet and entered the appropriate figures for your school, skip worksheets "B" and "C."

• Check "Telecommunications Service" on item 11.

• In order to answer item 13, you'll need your service provider's SLD identification number, or "SPIN." This information can be accessed through the SLD web site. You will be able to retrieve the name and contact number of your telephone service provider. We strongly encourage you to phone this contact. In addition to verifying their SLD service provider number, ask them to provide you with the information you will need to complete item 21 on Form 471.

• Enter "T" in item 15.

• To complete item 17, please refer to the Receipt Notification Letter you will have received after submitting Form 470.

• Leave item 18 blank.

• For item 19a, insert "07/01/2002."

• On item 19b, enter "06/30/2002."

• Leave item 20 blank.

• As was previously suggested, get in touch with your service provider contact for assistance in completing item 21.

• List your school's "Entity Number" in item 22.

• Item 23a asks you to indicate your monthly charges (for telephone service). Since your phone bill varies from month to month, use several months' bills to calculate an average and enter this amount.

• For item 23b, enter "0" (zero), using the numeral.

• Re-enter the amount listed in column "A" in column "C."

• Mark "12" in column "D."

• Multiply the amount in column "C" by the amount in column "D" and enter the product in column "E."

• If you are continuing your existing telephone service, you'll enter "0" (zero) in column "F." If, however, you will be initiating new service that subjects your school to various non-recurring charges (e.g. installation charges), enter the sum of such charges here.

• Enter "0" (zero) in column "G."

• Re-enter the amount listed in column "F" in column "H."

• Add the amount listed in Column E to the amount listed in Column H and enter the sum in Column I.

• Enter the percent discount amount you calculated in Block 4 (Column 10b of item 7) in Column J.

• Multiply the amount listed in Column I with that listed in Column J and enter the product in Column K.

Block 6 asks you to certify that the information you have provided is accurate.

• Check box "a" in item 24.
• Check box "c" in item 26.
• Check box "c" in item 27.

Step 1

Steps 4, 5, & 6