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E-rate (The Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund) General Information

E-rate Grant Type:

E-rate is the commonly used name for the The Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund, one of the programs run by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under their Schools and Libraries Division (SLD). The program provides discounts for schools and libraries to obtain affordable telecommunication and Internet access.

E-rate Eligibility:

E-rate is open to public schools, school districts, charter schools, private schools and libraries. Discount rates are determined by level of poverty, as determined by the percentage of children eligible for the National School Lunch Program, and the urban/rural status of the population served.

E-rate Use of Funds:

Discounts are provided in two priorities. Priority I provides discounts for Telecommunications Services and Internet Access. Some services eligible for Priority I discounts include 800 service, cellular service, conferencing, DSL, domain name registration, and email service. Priority II provides discounts for Internal Connections and Basic Maintenance, including automatic route selection, cabling and connectors, and some client access licenses. For a complete list of eligible services, visit http://www.universalservice.org/sl/tools/eligible-services-list.aspx.

E-rate Application Process:

For a complete process flowchart and timetable, visit http://www.sl.universalservice.org/applicants/processflow.asp and http://www.sl.universalservice.org/applicants/duedates.asp.

E-rate Additional Help and Contact Information:

For additional questions or help, visit the Schools and Libraries section of the Universal Service Administrative Company website at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/.

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