The federal E-rate program can provide financial support for costs associated with Internet access and related distribution technologies. NJSBA urges school districts to ensure timely filing of FCC Forms 471 or to confer with their E-rate consultants.
To take advantage of the federal E-rate program and request discounts on eligible goods and services, school districts must submit their FCC Forms 471 no later than April 29. Substantial support remains untapped.
- As of April 12, 2020, New Jersey applicants had submitted only half the number of Forms 471 as they had in prior years.
- So far, total funding requested is less than half of that submitted in prior years—$31 million versus $62.2 million to $76.4 million.
Given the current and future role of virtual instruction and remote learning in our education programs, the importance of school districts leveraging the federal E-rate program cannot be overestimated.
To learn more about the federal E-rate program and other funding opportunities, log into in NJSBA’s webinar, Recent Funding Made Available to the Education Sector, originally broadcast on Thursday, April 23, at 11 a.m. Part of the Virtual Resources Webinar series for school leaders, the program will address the billions of dollars in grant money, along with E-Rate funding, available to the education sector.
April 23, 2020