FCC Announces Next C2 Budget Cycle Multipliers

FCC Announces Next C2 Budget Cycle Multipliers

Great news, E-Rate Community!

The FCC has just announced the budget multipliers and minimum building amounts for the upcoming FY 2026 – FY 2030 Category 2 Budget Cycle. These new multipliers will not impact your FY 2025 applications.

The adjusted amounts represent a 20.7% inflation-adjusted increase to the C2 multipliers and funding floors for the next five-year funding cycle from the prior funding cycle that began in funding year 2021.

As with the 2021 – 2025 C2 budget cycle, applicants will be required to validate their student counts or library square footage in the first year they apply for C2 funding during the FY 2026 – 2030 cycle after which their C2 budget will be set for the five-year budget cycle. For example, if you don’t apply for C2 in the next budget cycle until FY 2027, USAC will validate your C2 enrollment at that time and it will then be set for the remainder of the cycle, ending FY 2030. Of course, if your enrollment increases in the remaining years of the budget cycle, you may submit increased enrollment data and ask USAC to perform a budget recalculation.

C2 enrollments are updated during the annual “Administrative Window” which typically occurs between mid-October – early January. Training will be conducted this fall to explain how and when to update your C2 enrollment for FY 2026.

As of now, the FCC has not announced any changes to the Category 2 Eligible Services List; however, they still could do so in the coming months.

I hope you agree that these updated multipliers are great news and show us that the Category 2 Budget Cycle is on solid ground for another five years.

If you have any questions, please let me know.

Sincerely,

Lorrie

Lorrie Germann
State E-Rate Coordinator
On behalf of the Ohio Department of Education
lorrie.germann@education.ohio.gov
www.ohio-k12.help/erate
Office: 740-223-2420
Cell: 740-253-1153