FAQ
| Q: | What is the E-rate Program? | |
| A: | The National Education Rate Program (“E-rate Program”) is part of the Universal Service Fund, as established by the 1996 Telecommunications Act. It provides discounts on telecommunications, Internet access, internal connections, and basic maintenance of internal connections to eligible entities that complete an annual application process. | |
| Q: | Who is responsible for the E-rate program? | |
| A: | The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has regulatory authority over the program under the 1996 Telecommunications Act. The FCC has appointed the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) to administer the program. Within USAC, the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) manages the day-to-day operations of the program. | |
| Q: | How much money is available in the E-rate program? | |
| A: | $3.9 billion is available annually to eligible applicants. | |
| Q: | Who is eligible to apply for E-rate? | |
| A: | Public and most private non-profit k-12 schools, as well as all public and most private libraries are eligible for E-rate. For specific eligibility requirements, see https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-begin/school-and-library-eligibility/. | |
| Q: | What is the application process? | |
| A: | E-rate has an annual application process. In short, the E-rate year runs from July 1 – June 30. Each fall, applicants post a Form 470, followed by a 28-day competitive bidding period, then followed by a submission of Form 471 during the winter E-rate filing window, and a Form 486 after receiving a Funding Commitment Decision Letter. | |
| Q: | What sorts of services are eligible for E-rate discounts? | |
| A: |
Funding is requested under two categories of service: Category One: Telecommunications and Internet Access Category Two: Internal Connections, Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections, and Managed Internal Broadband Services
Applicants must provide additional resources including end-user equipment (e.g., computers, telephones, etc.), software, professional development, and the other elements that are necessary to utilize the connectivity funded by E-rate. These resources and end-user equipment needs are not covered by E-rate.
An Eligible Services List showing eligibility by service and/or product is released annually by the FCC. For the latest Eligible Services List, visit: https://www.usac.org/e-rate/applicant-process/before-you-begin/eligible-services-list/.
|
|
| Q: | What is the E-Rate Productivity Center Portal ("EPC") | |
| A: | EPC is the online portal in which you file most forms and manage your entity’s profile, including all schools and buildings specific information. EPC has been in use since FY 2016/2017. | |
| Q: | How do I determine my discount level? | |
| A: |
You will update the entity information in your organization’s E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) account and the system will populate the appropriate data in your form and calculate your Category One (C1) and Category Two (C2) discounts as detailed below.
In general, the school district calculation is the basis for discount calculations for all types of entities. To calculate the discount for a school district:
• Determine the total number of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) in the school district.
• Determine the total number of students in the school district.
• Divide the first number by the second number to get the percentage of students eligible for NSLP in the school district.
• Using this percentage and the urban or rural status of the school district, find the appropriate C1 and C2 discount for the school district in the discount matrix.
 |
|
| Q: | Is E-rate a grant program? Are there yearly reporting requirements? | |
| A: | E-rate is not a grant program. It is an annual application process for disbursement through the Universal Service Fund. There are no yearly reporting requirements. However, all services and equipment requested under the E-rate program must be utilized by the applicant to meet program requirements. All E-rate documentation must be kept for ten (10) years from the last date of service. | |
[+] Wave # 11 − 20
[−] Wave # 11 − 20
| Wave | Date | Total Approved |
| 11 | 09/02/2016 | $863,513.54 |
| 12 | 09/09/2016 | $1,439,237.56 |
| 13 | 09/19/2016 | $1,132,624.80 |
| 14 | 09/26/2016 | $1,619,275.45 |
| 15 | 10/03/2016 | $1,879,889.92 |
| 16 | 10/10/2016 | $935,708.32 |
| 17 | 10/17/2016 | $2,958,626.83 |
| 18 | 10/24/2016 | $3,378,298.47 |
| 19 | 10/31/2016 | $6,598,433.74 |
| 20 | 11/06/2016 | $3,415,994.68 |