Upcoming E-Rate FY2026 Form 470/Form 471 Deadline Reminders
Good Morning E-Rate Community,
This is a reminder that the FY 2026 Form 471 Application Filing Window, which officially opened at noon on January 21st, closes on April 1st, 2026, at 11:59 pm! The Form 471 is the application that applicants submit to the E-Rate Administrator (USAC) to request E-Rate funding. It is also the form where we provide details such as specific services/equipment, bandwidth, and quantities, selected service providers, discount rate, costs, and the Form 470 used to competitively bid the service/equipment.
If you haven’t yet posted your Form 470 for services that must be competitively bid for FY 2026, you still have a little time left, but not much. With the Form 471 deadline of April 1, the last possible date to file the Form 470 is March 4th at 11:59 pm allowing you to meet the required 28-day bidding period!
~ You can file the Form 471 now (no need to wait!) if:
- You are already in a multi-year contract
- Your current contract allows for a voluntary extension at least through 6/30/2027
- Your procurement is completed for FY 2026, and your contract has been signed
- You’re using the CABIO option
Reminders Before Starting Form 471
Contract Records: If you have signed a new contract for FY 2026, a new Contract Record must be created in EPC prior to starting the Form 471. If you are submitting a Form 471 FRN for FY 2026 based on a multi-year contract for which you created a Contract Record in EPC in a previous year, you should NOT create a new Contract Record for FY 2026 – just cite that same contract record that’s in your Contract Module when prompted to do so in the Form 471.
EPC Profile Updates: School and library EPC profiles have now been “locked down,” and no further changes can be made in EPC. If you need to make changes to your school or library’s EPC profiles, enter the information in the narrative of each funding request. For the final version of the MR-81 document referencing the October 2025 enrollment and NLSP counts, go to October-2025-FY2026-Data-for-Free-and-Reduced-Price-Meal-Eligibility. You should then submit a RAL Correction in EPC immediately after submitting your 471, explaining the changes to be made. During the review of your 471, PIA will work with you to process the entity profile update. For instructions on filing RAL corrections, go to FCC Form 471 – RAL Corrections.
Form 471 Training Guides: If needed, here are the links for the FY2026 Form 471 step-by-step filing guides, including instructions on creating new contract records.
- FY2026 E-Rate Form 471 – Category 1 Workshop
- FY2026 E-Rate Form 471 – Category 2 Workshop
- FY2026 E-Rate Form 471 – Category 1 Workshop – For Libraries
- FY2026 E-Rate Form 471 – Category 2 Workshop – For Libraries
If you have questions or need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Sincerely,
Lorrie
Lorrie Germann
State E-Rate Coordinator
On behalf of the Ohio Department of Education
lorrie.germann@education.ohio.gov
www.ohio-k12.help/erate
Office: 740-223-2420
Cell: 740-253-1153