December 22, 2023

E-Rate Funding Year 2024 Application Filing Window Opens January 17, 2024

Dear E-Rate Participant:

I am pleased to announce that the Funding Year (FY) 2024 FCC Form 471 application filing window will open on Wednesday, January 17, 2024, at 12:00 noon ET and will close on Wednesday, March 27, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET.  The E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC) Administrative Window will close January 12 (see below).

The E-Rate section of USAC's website provides resources for new applicants or applicants continuing to participate in the program.  I recommend that you review these resources, or any others that apply to your situation, as you begin your FY2024 preparations:

• First-time Filers – If you are new to the E-Rate program, you will need a user account in the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC), our applicant and service provider portal. For security purposes, you will also need a login and password for One Portal, our multi-factor authentication security system.  If you are new to the program, our Customer Service Center (CSC) at (888) 203-8100, can help you set up your organization's EPC profile and your account administrator.
• Update Your EPC Profile During the EPC Administrative Window – Update your EPC profile by January 12, 2024, at 11:59 p.m. ET to ensure a smoother filing process and more timely review of your applications.  You will not be able to make changes to your EPC profile after that date. View the EPC Administrative Window webinar on the Webinars page, which includes information about establishing accounts and user rights for EPC, or view the webinar slides.
• Category Two (C2) Budgets – FY2024 is the fourth year of the five-year C2 budget cycle.  The budgets are fixed for the five-year cycle and apply at the school district or library system level. If you requested C2 funding in FY2021, FY2022, or FY2023 and your student counts or library square footage have increased, you can request a C2 budget recalculation. Please view the Category Two Budgets webinar on the Webinars page or the webinar slides for more details about whether you should consider doing this.
• Proceed With Competitive Bidding – If you have not started the competitive bidding process by filing your FCC Form 470, please begin now. Remember that you must wait at least 28 days after filing the form before entering into an agreement with your selected service provider(s) and filing your FCC Form 471 application(s).  View the E-Rate Pre-Commitment Process webinar on the Webinars page (view the webinar slides). Go to the Eligible Services List page for guidance on the eligibility of products and services for FY2024.
• Install Browser Updates – Google Chrome is the recommended browser for EPC, but no matter which browser you use, be sure the latest version is installed on your computer.

USAC remains dedicated to efficient and effective review of your FY2024 applications. We encourage everyone to submit their applications as early in the filing window as possible so USAC can begin the review processes necessary to process your applications and issue timely funding commitment decisions.

USAC is ready to assist applicants and service providers with their E-Rate issues. We wish you a successful FY2024 and, as always, we are here to help. Open a customer service case in EPC or call CSC at (888) 203-8100 on weekdays between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. ET for assistance.

Sincerely,

Craig Davis
Vice President, Schools and Libraries Division