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Introduction |
| FCC Form 472, Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement ("BEAR") Form,
is a special form used by applicants to request reimbursement payments or
credits for approved services for which the applicant has already paid the full
pre-discount amount. A separate BEAR form must be filed for every one of the
applicant's vendors for which reimbursements are due.
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| Form Instructions |
| Detailed instructions for completing and mailing a Form 472 can be
found: |
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In printed instructions accompanying the copy of the Form 472 included in all
FCD letters. |
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On the SLD web site at:
Form 472 (BEAR) Filing Guidance and additional guidance
documents. |
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A suggested format for collecting billing data for BEAR form submission is
provided at the end of this section. |
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| Preparation Tips
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| Tip 1: Cooperation with vendors is
essential in filing BEAR forms. |
| The BEAR form requires that the associated vendor sign an
acknowledgment (in Block 4) that appropriate discounts will be provided. The
vendor's signature must be obtained by the applicant before the Form 472 can be
filed. The vendor's signature need not be original but can be obtained, for
example, by fax. |
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Applicants should send all four pages of Form 472 for vendor review and
acknowledgment |
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Many of the larger vendors have established standard procedures, typically a
centralized fax line, to process the Block 4 acknowledgments. To find the
contact point for a BEAR acknowledgment, call the vendor's E-rate contact
listed in the
SLD's BEAR/SPIN Search database . State-specific vendor
information may very often be found on the
States' E-rate Web Site. |
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Although the better vendors are prepared to be quite helpful, it is the sole
responsibility of the applicant to accurately calculate reimbursement claims
for eligible services and properly complete the BEAR forms. |
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Form 472
