The E-Rate The E-Rate (Education Rate) program is an FCC program administered through the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), a not-for-profit corporation designated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), through the Universal Service Fund. The E-Rate program provides discounts for telecommunications, Internet access, and internal connections to eligible schools and libraries. Discounts range from 20 to 90 percent and are based on the poverty level of the schools.

An eligible school or library identifies goods or services it needs and submits a request for competitive bids. USAC posts the School’s bid requests on the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) portal for vendors to bid on. Vendors reply to the request for bids. Bids chosen by the schools/libraries are then submitted to USAC for approval/funding.

After reviewing the bids, the school or library (the “Applicant”) selects a vendor(s) based on several criteria including: cost-effectiveness; experience; track record, etc.

The E-Rate program is a year-round effort. Schools, Districts and libraries can hire an E-Rate consultant to help them through the process or can learn all the steps such as when to file which form and how to comply with the laws and regulations governing E-Rate.

Over time, the E-Rate Program has proven to be well worth the effort.