The 2016 E-rate filing window opened today. With the new funding year, three significant changes are going to impact the program. Here’s what users need to know about these changes:
1) There is approximately $1.9 billion in “rollover” funds from 2015 that can be used in FY2016 if the demand supports it. Cathy Cruzan, President of Funds For Learning, a firm specializing in E-rate, said, “With a minimum annual cap of $3.9 billion allotted, there is a possibility that 2016 will be the largest year in E-rate history, totaling $5.8 billion. This unprecedented amount of funding can help drive innovation in schools.”
2) The close date of the FY2016 filing window may be the latest it’s ever been. John Harrington, CEO of Funds For Learning, explains, “It’s important to keep a close eye on dates because it could affect the pace of commitments in the upcoming year.”
3) This year, the Universal Service Administrative Company’s (USAC) online portal system, the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC), is entirely new. Harrington said, “Since the E-rate Productivity Center is quite a change from online filing systems used in the past, it’s important for applicants to know they should allow extra time preparing their applications.”
