Funds For Learning Invites Feedback in 11th Annual E-rate Survey

By Justin Johnson.
Updated Apr 19, 2021

EDMOND, Okla. (PRWEB) April 19, 2021 - Funds For Learning, the nation's leading E-rate compliance services firm, has opened its 11th annual survey of E-rate applicants to understand how the program can best serve schools and libraries. The 2021 E-rate Applicant Survey arrives as school systems forecast the future of remote, hybrid and in-person learning environments. Stakeholder input will be compiled and delivered directly to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

E-rate applicants are encouraged to submit anonymous responses until May 15, 2021. Survey response data will inform key policymakers and administrative members in maintaining the E-rate program's value and adapting funding to meet stakeholder needs. Participation in last year's survey had a record-breaking 2,138 responses submitted.

'The past year has demonstrated the critical importance of online connection,' said John Harrington, CEO of Funds For Learning. 'Leaders and decision-makers in Washington D.C. must hear from applicants, and our survey is an opportunity to submit feedback easily and confidentially.'

Throughout the survey's 11-year history, the E-rate program has seen major regulatory and procedural shifts. This year, Congress created the Emergency Connectivity Fund, a new funding source that contains $7.1 billion for off-campus internet connections to be distributed to E-rate applicants. Beginning in FY 2021, Category Two budgets reset and are now calculated on a school or library system basis, whereas they were previously calculated at the site level.

E-rate survey results will be shared in the Funds For Learning E-rate Trends Report, which is submitted into the official docket for review by FCC staff, circulated to Congress and the media and shared with the general public.

The 2021 E-rate Applicant Survey can be found here.

About Funds For Learning Funds For Learning, LLC, is a compliance firm specializing in the federal E-rate funding program for schools and libraries. Funds For Learning supports E-rate stakeholders in all 50 states, helping them navigate the application process to receive support for internet access and Wi-Fi connectivity. To deliver applicant feedback to the Federal Communications Commission and Congress, Funds For Learning coordinates the annual E-Rate Trends Report. For more information, please visit http://www.fundsforlearning.com.