PIA review ends with a decision about your funding. Today, we’ll cover funding commitments and funding commitment decision letters (FCDLs).

You’ll get an email when your FCDL is ready

When USAC makes a decision about your funding requests, the contact person listed on the FCC Form 471 will receive an email prompting them to log into EPC. The funding commitment decision letter (FCDL) will be in the EPC Notifications (with the subject: EPC Notification – E-rate Funding Commitment Decision Letter).

Reminder: No paper funding commitment decisions letters (FCDLs) will be issued this year; letters will be available only in your EPC news feed.

Any full or partial-rights users can generate the FCDL, but only the contact person listed on the form will receive an email alert. After the letter has been generated, any user can view the FCDL by clicking the “View Notification” button next to the FCDL.

If you included multiple funding requests (FRNs) on an FCC Form 471, it’s possible to have some FRNs approved and others denied on the same FCDL.

Generate the FCDL to see your approved funding

The funding commitment decision letter will show the approved amount and the denied amount for your funding request. To see your letter, first, you need to generate it in EPC. Here is the process for generating your FCDL:

1. Log into the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC).
2. Find the “Notifications” section at the top of your landing page. From the “Notification Type” drop-down menu, select “FCDL.” From the “Funding Year” drop-down, choose “2016.”
3. A list of your FCDLs will appear under the “Notifications” drop-downs.
4. Click “Generate Notification” then “View Notification” for the letter you’d like to see.
   • If it shows “Generate Notification,” you are the first person to generate the FCDL.
   • If it shows “View Notification,” it means another user has already generated the letter.
5. You’ll be directed to the FCDL in your EPC News Feed. The approved and denied amounts are in the “summary” information below the letter.
   • Read the letter in full — it has important details about your funding and next steps!

Video: How to Generate an FCDL – Applicants (6:59 minutes)

Read all three parts of the letter!

The funding commitment decision letter has three parts:

1. The main notification (text in your EPC News Feed):
   Provides guidance about how to understand and navigate the letter.
2. The “FCDL supplement” (PDF):
   Extra details about next steps, how to appeal, and reminders about E-rate Program rules.
3. Funding Report (CSV file; opens in Microsoft Excel):
   Details about your funding requests and the committed/denied amounts.

You can print the main notification, and the supplement and funding report are available for download.

Funding commitments come in waves

USAC issues E-rate funding commitments in batches, which we call “waves.” We issue a new wave every week, year-round.

You will receive one funding commitment (FCDL) per FCC Form 471 that you filed. If you filed multiple FCC Form 471, it’s possible to receive funding commitments (FCDLs) in different waves. The majority of commitments for FY2016 will be issued between July 2016 and October 2016.

Wait, there’s more!

Some applicants mistakenly think they’re finished they receive a funding commitment decision letter. That’s not the case…

After the FCDL, you still need to confirm that services started and complete invoicing to receive the money! Next on the blog, we’ll review the remaining steps in the E-rate Program application process after you receive your funding commitment.

Webinar recording: E-rate Program Application Process, Part 2 (59:44 minutes)