FCC Form 500, the Funding Commitment Adjustment Request, is what applicants file to change a funding request after USAC has already issued a commitment for it, for example canceling or reducing an FRN, or adjusting a date. It doesn't replace Form 486, which is still required separately to confirm service has started.
How It Works
Applicants file a Form 500 to accomplish one or more of the following:
- Adjust the funding-year service start date reported on a previously filed Form 486.
- Adjust the contract expiration date listed on the Form 471.
- Cancel an FRN.
- Reduce the amount of an FRN.
- Request a service delivery extension for non-recurring services.
- Request an invoicing mode change after an FCDL has been issued, a use added starting FY2026.
A Form 500 can't be filed until USAC has issued a Funding Commitment Decision Letter (FCDL) for the FRN in question, and USAC's own guidance is to file it as soon as the applicant knows new circumstances require an adjustment, since other parts of the application process depend on the change going through first. USAC gives a common example: an applicant wants to cancel or reduce an FRN to free up Category Two budget room for a different FRN in another funding year. The first FRN has to be canceled or reduced through a Form 500 before USAC can even consider funding the second one.
For FY2016 and later, Form 500 is filed online in EPC: log into One Portal, go to Records, find Applicant Entries, enter the BEN, open the entity record, and look under Related Actions for "Create FCC Form 500." For FY2015 and earlier funding years, a paper version is attached directly in EPC. Once processed, USAC issues an applicant version and a service-provider version of a Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letter (RFCDL) in EPC.
Straight from USAC: FCC Form 500 Filing.
What This Means for You
Applicants
File a Form 500 as soon as you know a committed FRN needs to change, not at the end of the funding year. Canceling or reducing one FRN, for example to reopen Category Two budget room, only takes effect once the Form 500 is processed, and other funding decisions can be waiting on it.
Service Providers
A Form 500 filed by your applicant can change contract expiration dates, cancel an FRN, or shift invoicing mode on a funding request you're servicing. Watch for the Revised FCDL that follows so your billing and delivery timelines stay aligned with the applicant's updated commitment.
Most applicants we work with don't know Form 500 exists until they need it, usually the moment they realize canceling or reducing one FRN is the only way to free up Category Two budget room for a better use somewhere else. It's worth knowing the form is there before you're in that situation, since the sequencing (cancel first, then file the new request) only works if the Form 500 goes in ahead of time.
Common Questions About FCC Form 500
What is a Funding Commitment Adjustment Request used for?
Changing a funding request after USAC has already committed it: adjusting a service start date or contract expiration date, canceling or reducing an FRN, requesting a delivery extension, or, starting FY2026, requesting an invoicing mode change.
When can it be filed?
Only after USAC has issued an FCDL for the FRN. It should be filed as soon as the applicant knows a change is needed, since other steps in the process can depend on it going through first.
Can it cancel or reduce an FRN?
Yes, canceling or reducing an FRN is one of Form 500's primary uses, commonly to free up Category Two budget room for a different funding request.
Does it replace the need to file Form 486?
No. Form 486 confirms service has started and is still required separately; Form 500 only adjusts details of an already-committed FRN.
New for FY2026, can Form 500 change the invoicing mode after FCDL?
Yes. Requesting an invoicing mode change after the FCDL has been issued is a new use of Form 500 added starting with funding year 2026.
What happens after it's filed?
Once USAC processes the Form 500, it issues a Revised Funding Commitment Decision Letter (RFCDL) in EPC, one version for the applicant and one for the service provider.
Informational only, not legal advice. E-Rate procedures and forms can change by funding year. Confirm current requirements in the applicable USAC and FCC guidance.