OpportunitiesFour-and-a-half million students in nearly 9,000 schools endured damages, delays and closures due to effects of hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Today, the FCC opened an extended period for affected schools to access special funding breaks through the federal E-rate program.
While initial federal response to hurricane aftermath drifts from the public eye, U.S. schools in the Gulf Coast, Eastern Seaboard and Caribbean still face significant barriers to communications and connectivity that are critical to meet modern education standards.
The FCC announced the following commitments:
- Waive E-rate deadlines for up to 150 days from the First Hurricane Order (Oct. 6).
- Open a second application window for the 2017 funding year from Nov. 13 – Dec. 13.
- Increase funding for schools that experienced a 5 percent or more surge in enrollment due to displaced students.
Click here for the full FCC Hurricane Orders.
