Form 471 Interview Filing Guide

The Form 471 Interview interface was developed as an alternate way to file the Form 471 online for applicants with relatively simple applications.  This interface guides applicants through the process of filling out the Form 471 using a series of questions.  The system will only ask the questions that are necessary to complete the form based on the application type and other information provided by the applicant.  For detailed information on how to fill out the Form 471, please refer to the Form 471 Instructions posted in the SL Forms section of this web site.  We suggest you have printed copies of the form and instructions available as you answer the interview questions.  They may be helpful in understanding the questions.  (To assist you, the interview question screens have headers that correspond to the headers on the paper form.)  You can also call the SLD Client Service Bureau at 1-888-203-8100.

Please keep the following points in mind when using the Form 471 Interview:

1. This interface is designed for individual schools, school districts with fewer than 25 schools, individual libraries, and library systems with fewer than 25 outlets/branches.  If you are a consortium, or if you do not fit into the above categories, please do not use this interface.

2. If you are filing for a school or school district, you must have the appropriate student counts for National School Lunch Program participation or eligibility (or the equivalent figures using an alternative discount mechanism).  If you are filing for a library, each outlet/branch must have or be able to determine its E-rate discount using urban/rural status, the NSLP participation or eligibility percentage of the school district in which it is located, and the Discount Matrix posted in the Reference Area of this web site.

3. You cannot use this interface if you are applying for discounts for either administration buildings or buildings under construction.

4. Use only the navigation buttons provided on the question screens to navigate between screens.  Use your mouse to move to fields and buttons within a screen.  (NOTE:  You CAN use your browser’s “Print” function or keyboard “PrintScreen” key to print the question screen with your Form 471 Application Number and Security Code.)

5. Sometimes your screen will “blink” after you enter data and the system then processes your entry.  You may also have to click a navigation button twice to advance to the next screen if you received an error message for a field and then re-entered information for that field.

6. This interface is designed specifically for relatively simple applications that can be completed in one session, although you can save your work and exit without completing the form (see below).  Therefore, some information cannot be changed after it is entered and saved in the system, and the ability to move backward from screen to screen is limited.

7. This interface will save your work at the end of each section (a “Block” on the paper form).  The system generates a Form 471 Application Number and Security Code after you complete the name and address information.  You can save and exit the form at any point after you receive your Form 471 Application Number and Security Code, and return later through either the interview approach (with the “Interview” button) or the traditional form data entry (with the “Continue Incomplete” button) to continue and complete your form.

8. At any time after receiving your Form 471 Application Number and Security Code, you can view your form by clicking the Form 471 “Display” button in the Apply Online/View Forms area of this web site and entering your Form 471 Application Number.

9. When you have completed your form, please be sure to review your work and print a copy of the form for your records before you submit the form by clicking the “Submit” button.

10. After you click the “Submit” button, you must either certify your form online if you have a User ID and PIN or certify your form on paper.  The certification screen contains information on both methods.

11. Before your Form 471 can be processed, we will need your Item 21 attachment(s).  Send these in with your paper certification or in a separate package.  Include your Form 471 Application Number, your Billed Entity Number, and the number(s) you assigned to your Item 21 attachment(s).  Other options for submitting these attachments are listed on the question screen where you report your Item 21 attachment number(s).

Please remember that the deadline for submitting your Form 471 for Funding Year 2003 is February 6, 2003 at 11:59 PM EST, although we encourage you to submit your form as early as possible.