I attended the recent USAC training event hosted in Washington DC on October 7th. It was a great chance to return to in-person training from the USAC staff, and I hope they can continue to offer in-person events and expand them to more locations for 2025. The training covered the entire E-rate process and is valuable for both beginners and experienced E-rate stakeholders. I came away with a couple of key highlights.
Category Two Budget Reset
The Category Two budget cap will reset after Funding Year 2025, so applicants have just one more shot to make the most of this funding. Unused funds will not carry over into future years, so it is a good time to check on what you still have left.
Applicants who act quickly will still have a chance to reduce or cancel unutilized Category Two funds with a Form 500. It is a good practice at the end of the five-year cycle to assess the remaining balances on Category Two funding commitments to see if anything can be recaptured for the funding cap.
There is also an opportunity with school enrollment or library renovations. If an applicant’s student count has increased, it could lead to a budget recalculation and more available funds. Applicants with fewer than eleven sites should check if any qualify for the $25,000 funding floor, which could also increase their overall available budget.
New and Nearly New to E-rate
The training also addressed bus Wi-Fi which is eligible for a second year with Funding Year 2025. Schools are still figuring out the best ways to roll out this service and have plenty of questions on the eligibility of their specific situation. The new Form 470 is expected to help start the process with more clarity on what bids applicants need.
Funding Year 2025 will be the first funding cycle for applicants to seek funding for Wi-Fi hotspots, so applicants had many questions about this service. Off-campus connectivity comes with its own set of rules, making it more challenging for applicants to navigate. Applicants looking to deploy hotspots need to be mindful of these additional restrictions, including a three-year budget cap system.
Bonus: SECA Annual Meeting
I also attended the 2025 annual State E-rate Coordinator’s Alliance (SECA) meeting while in DC. I appreciate the chance to be a member of SECA and the opportunity to collaborate with coordinators from other states to come up with solutions to common E-rate hurdles.
Members of SECA field questions from a host of applicants and provide regular guidance and training to the applicants in the state they represent, so I always appreciate the opportunity to hear about what applicants around the US are dealing with in the E-rate cycle.
