What You Need to Meet the Requirements of the E-Rate Structure

Since 1998, the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) Universal Service Program for Schools and Libraries, known as the E-Rate program, has helped school districts to implement the innovative learning technology and network infrastructure they need to reach their students.

While the E-Rate program has evolved in the over 24 years since it started, the changes that went into effect in July 2021 introduced several key modifications to allow schools and libraries to form a 5 year plan and to utilize these resources more effectively. 

That’s why it’s more important than ever to understand the E-Rate program’s requirements and how best to prepare for your next planning period. To make sure you are covering all the necessary bases and understanding the basics of the program, here’s a quick rundown on what you need to know.

The E-Rate Requirements Your District Needs to Meet

While the vast majority of the E-Rate program is still in place, including its goals to help provide schools with the network infrastructure and support they need to serve their constituents, there are some new requirements that went into effect during the summer of 2021.

1. District Flexibility

As needs dictate, school districts and library systems are also now able to move network technology purchased and implemented with E-Rate funding from school to school after they have been in place for three years. This change allows schools to be more nimble as community dynamics change. However, districts will need to document their new technology deployments and implementations for FCC reference, when requested. 

2. Funding Limits

Each school will be allocated up to $167 per full-time student per year to the school district over the planning period. And as enrollment changes year to year, school districts are able to adjust their funding levels.

Organizations Eligible for E-Rate Funding

There are two key aspects concerning eligibility; the type of program and the type of covered service. For program type, the following organizations are eligible for E-Rate funding:

• Public and most non-profit elementary and secondary schools or districts that meet official federal definitions
• All public and many private libraries that meet specific federal definitions

The end-to-end procurement, implementation, and maintenance need to all move through a competitive bidding process to select the most cost-effective vendor. As vendors are selected and projects are completed, the necessary E-Rate forms need to be submitted to document their status.

Types of Qualifying E-Rate Expenses

The list of eligible E-Rate expenses is long, but in general, they fall into two categories.

Category One

The E-Rate classifies Category One expenses as “data transmission services and/or internet access of any speed or type.” In other words, this is the cost of ongoing network connectivity across your school district or library system.

Category Two

These expenses could include network infrastructure and supporting enterprise network devices, maintenance and managed services, and edge-level firewalls and security products. Examples include:

• Internal network connections
• Managed internal broadband services 
• Basic maintenance of internal connections 
• Any equipment related to providing the above services, including cabling, racks, routers, switches, and UPS power systems
• Managed services provided by a third party for the operation, management, maintenance, or monitoring of any of these services

Maximize Your E-Rate Impact with the Right Partner

VectorUSA has worked with schools for over 27 years and has the experience, expertise, and technical knowledge needed to help school districts examine their existing infrastructure to prepare for the coming E-Rate program funding.

The VectorUSA team also has experience with the E-Rate program and are ready to help you understand the program.  VectorUSA is vendor agnostic, we can help your district find the right tools and solutions that put your students’ learning needs first.

To learn more about how VectorUSA can help your school district, contact the team and download our latest resource, The E-Rate 2022 Guide.