E-Rate News
The First Wave of E-Rate Funding Letters for FY 2026 Has Been Released!
Good afternoon E-Rate Community, USAC has released the first wave of funding letters for FY2026! Congratulations to the following 896 Ohio schools and libraries (1182 separate FRNs), committing $27,395,485.00. This wave includes commitments for both Category 1 and Category 2...
E-Rate Portal Sending Out “Create Form 471” Emails
Good morning E-Rate Community, You may receive an email from the EPC portal with the subject line "New Task: Create FCC Form 471". This could happen if you have any incomplete Form 471's in the system. To check if that's...
EPC Phishing Emails Received – Beware!
Hello E-Rate Community, It’s just come to our attention that some E-Rate applicants have received emails that appear to be a phishing attempt. The email has a subject line of “Service Provider Document, E-Rate Productivity Center” and is from the...
E-Rate Form 498 – Adding UEI Number & Banking Info Updates
Hello E-Rate Community, Per the April News Brief, USAC reminds us that, beginning in August 2026, they will use SAM.gov banking information to pay all Universal Service Fund (USF) invoices. To continue receiving USF disbursements, all service providers and E-Rate...
Submit RAL Correction to Change Invoicing Method
Hello E-Rate Community, With the FY2026 Form 471, this is the first time we’ve been required to select the preferred Invoicing Method (BEAR or SPI) when creating each funding request. I’m currently receiving questions about how to correct this when...
E-Rate FY2026 Form 471 Deadline is Tomorrow!
Good morning, E-Rate Community, The FY2026 Form 471 filing deadline is tomorrow, April 1st, 11:59 PM ET. If for some reason you cannot make the April 1st deadline, please contact me as soon as possible so we can discuss your...
Upcoming E-Rate FY2026 Form 470/Form 471 Deadline Reminders
Good Morning E-Rate Community, This is a reminder that the FY 2026 Form 471 Application Filing Window, which officially opened at noon on January 21st, closes on April 1st, 2026, at 11:59 pm! The Form 471 is the application that...
October 2025 MR-81 (Traditional NSLP) Now Available
Good afternoon, E-Rate Community. The Department of Education and Workforce (DEW) has released the October 2025 MR-81 document, which includes both traditional NSLP data as well as the CEP data that were previously provided. To retrieve a copy, visit my...
Upcoming E-Rate FY2026 E-Rate Deadlines and Form 471 Workshop Registration Reminder
Hello, E-Rate Community As a reminder, the upcoming FY2026 E-Rate filing dates/deadlines are: January 16th, 2026 – The close of FY2026 Admin Window – at 11:59 p.m. ET. This is the period before the Form 471 window opens, when schools...
Upcoming E-Rate FY2026 E-Rate Deadlines and Form 471 Workshop Registration
Hello, E-Rate Community As a reminder, the upcoming FY2026 E-Rate filing dates/deadlines are: January 16th, 2026 – Close of FY2026 Admin Window – at 11:59 p.m. ET. This is the period before the Form 471 window opens, when schools and...
