The E-Rate Grant for Schools and Libraries is making it easier for our educational institutions to have affordable telecommunications and internet access. It’s designed to assist schools and libraries in lower economic areas. Find out who is eligible and how easy it is to apply. If you are looking for a reliable and trustworthy telecommunications and internet services provider, contact DSC today.
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What Is E-Rate?
E-Rate is a program that provides schools and libraries in the United States with discounts to help obtain affordable telecommunications and internet access. It is a program of the Universal Service Fund and is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) . The USAC is responsible for carrying out the program’s daily operations while the FCC is responsible to make sure that the operation of the program stays in compliance with its rules. Funds for this program come from a universal service fee that is charged to companies who provide interstate and or international telecommunications services.
Who Is Eligible for the E-Rate Grant?
To be eligible to receive assistance from E-Rate, you must be:
1. A School
In order to be eligible to receive assistance form E-Rate, you must be a school that meets the definition of elementary and secondary schools outlined in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. According to the Act:
An Elementary School is: “a non-profit institutional day or residential school, including a public elementary charter school, that provides elementary education, as determined under state law.”
A Secondary School is: “a non-profit institutional day or residential school, including a public secondary charter school, that provides secondary education, as determined under state law, except that such term does not include any education beyond grade 12.”
Ineligible Schools: If your school operates for profit or has endowments of more than $50 million. For more information on specific eligibility for non-traditional education, click here.
A Library
In order to be eligible to receive assistance form E-Rate, you must be a library that is able to receive assistance from a state’s library administrative agency as outlined by the Library Services and Technology Act of 1996.
According to this Act, a Library is:
- A public library
- A school library in a public elementary or secondary school
- An academic library
- A research library that makes library services available to the public
- A private library that makes library services available to the public
For more information on a library’s eligibility, click here.
Services Covered by E-Rate
Eligible schools and libraries can receive discounts on services including:
- Telecommunications services
- Internet access
- Internal connections
- Managed internal broadband services
- Basic maintenance of internal connections
For a complete list of eligible services, click here.
What You Get With the Grant
Discounts on Services: E-Rate is slightly different from other grants in that eligible schools and libraries do not receive direct funding from the universal service program but what they do receive are discounts on the price of the services that are provided to them by vendors. This means that recipients are responsible to pay the remaining portion of the service cost.
20 to 90% off Services: Under this program, qualifying schools and libraries could enjoy discounts on services anywhere from 20 to 90 percent. The amount of discount is determined by a matrix designed by the FCC.
Your Economic Area Will Determine Your Discount: The economic condition of your area will determine the amount of discount you will receive with schools and libraries located in rural and low-income areas receiving the highest discounts. The USF, in turn, will compensate the vendors for the amount of discount that they have given to the school or library.
Overcharging Not Allowed
According to the E-Rate program, service providers are not allowed to charge schools and libraries more than the “lowest corresponding price“. This means that they cannot charge a higher rate than they charge other non-residential users who are in a similar situation for the same service.
How to Apply
Step 1: Identify the type of service(s) your school or library requires
Step 2: Obtain an Entity Number if you do not already have one. Click here to find out how to get your unique entity number.
Step 3: Submit a request for competitive bids to the Universal Service Administrative Company by filing an FCC Form 470.
Step 4: USAC will post your request on its website for vendors to view
Step 5: Vendors will make offers.
Step 6: The school or library will choose its preferred vendor(s) and send an application to the USAC to approve the purchases.
Step 7: The USAC will issue funding commitments to the eligible applicants.
Step 8: Once the vendor has provided the service(s), either the vendor or the school or library will submit a request to the USAC to reimburse the previously approved discounts.
For a detailed description of the above process, click here.
Additional Tips
If you need to submit corrections to your FCC Form 471, follow the instructions outlined in your FCC Form 471 Receipt Acknowledgement Letter.
Make sure you keep your contact information up to date to help with the processing of forms that you file in the future.
DSC – An Internet Services Provider You Can Trust
DSC has been a trusted name in the IT industry for over 30 years in Georgia. Our customers have come to trust us to give them the best managed IT services in the area. We are experts in the IT field and can provide you with the safe and secure cloud backup services you need. We offer a full range of internet-related services including colocation services, cloud backup, system monitoring, software hosting, dedicated email, website development and implementation, web hosting, e-commerce, security, and a variety of related products and services. We also provide telecommunications services as well as network support for Linus, Microsoft server and workstation platforms, Fortinet firewalls, and Cisco systems. Contact us today for all of your internet-related requirements.
Sources:
E-rate: Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries