E-rate and State Funding for Libraries

The Universal Service Schools and Libraries Program, commonly known as E-rate, helps ensure that schools and libraries can obtain telecommunications and Internet access at affordable rates. The program, which is administered by the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC), located in Washington, DC, provides discounts on these services and some hardware. E-rate is a national program funded through FCC fees collected on your phone bills.

E-Rate Filing of Forms 471 and 486 for 2025-2026

The window for application for discounts for the year beginning July 1, 2024 closes on March 27, 2024. 

If you have filed a Form 471, you should be watching for a FCDL, i.e., a funding commitment decision letter telling you what E-Rate is committing to pay you or your fiber and internet vendors. You may also review an E-Rate Review Inquiry, asking you to respond to questions about your eligibility.  If you get such an inquiry, please contact Chris for assistance immediately.  You usually have 14 days to respond without penalty. 

After July 1 and before the end of October you must file a Form 486, i.e., the "start service" form.  This is a short form in which you verify that your vendor has started service for the funding year and should be paid by USAC when they invoice the agency.  If you do not file this form, your vendor will not be paid by USAC and your library will be responsible to pay out of your own budget.

For details on applying, choose the "Applying" tab above. 

If you have questions, contact Christine Gauvreau at christine.gauvreau@ct.gov.

Looking for the Annual E-Rate Checklist?  Here it is, for your convenience:

All of the information provided on these pages is related to E-rate services for public libraries. Schools are also eligible for E-rate funding, but they are not addressed on this site.

Libraries must meet the statutory definition of library or library consortium found in the 1996 Library Services and Technology Act (LSTA) and must be eligible for assistance from a state library administrative agency under that Act.

A library includes:

• A public library
• A public elementary school or secondary school library
• An academic library
• A research library, which for the purposes of this definition means a library that:
  • makes publicly available library services and material suitable for scholarly research and not otherwise available to the public; and
  • is not an integral part of an institution of higher education
• A private library, but only if the state in which such private library is located determines that the library should be considered a library for purposes of this definition (In the state of Connecticut, as per statute there are no recognized "private" libraries).

A library's eligibility for support also depends on its funding as an independent entity. Only libraries whose budgets are completely separate from any schools (including, but not limited to, elementary and secondary schools, colleges and universities) are eligible to receive discounted services.

For questions about the E-rate Program, call the Client Service Bureau at (888) 203-8100 on weekdays between 8 AM and 8 PM.

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