What is E-Rate?
E-Rate is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) under the direction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and provides discounts to assist most schools and libraries in the United States to obtain affordable telecommunications and Internet access.
QUALIFICATIONS
The E-Rate program is designed to assist K-12 schools and libraries, including individual public and private individual schools, school districts, all public libraries and some private libraries.
FUNDING TYPES
Funding may be requested under two categories of service: Category One services include Data Transmission Services, Internet Access, and Voice Services. Category Two services include Internal Connections, Managed Internal Broadband Services, and Basic Maintenance of Internal Connections.
TERMINOLOGY
The USAC release a PDF with explanations of frequently used terms in the E-Rate process. CLICK HERE to download.
DISCOUNTS
Two primary factors determine how much money is reimbursed: the level of poverty and urban/rural status of any given area. The percentage varies each year. Discounts range from 20 to 90 percent of the annual costs of eligible services.
TIMELINE
Approval usually comes 3-6 months after the initial form (Form 471) is submitted. CLICK HERE to download the complete timeline.
TRUSTEC
Upon qualifying for E-Rate funding, you will be asked to select the most cost-effective service provider by sharing a Service Provider Identification Number (SPIN). Trustec Systems Inc. wants to be YOUR provider.
Look for our SPIN: 143050039