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##  E-rate: A Resource Guide for Educators. ERIC Digest.                         

On May 7, 1997, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) adopted             a Universal Service Order outlining a plan to guarantee that all                eligible schools, libraries and rural health care providers have                affordable connections to the Internet. By making $2.5 billion                  available annually, this program will provide discounts (commonly               known as the E-rate) to eligible organizations on certain                       telecommunications services. The plan also creates a $400 million               fund to lower the prices rural health care providers pay for                    telecommunications services. 
This digest lists resources                      containing background information, instructions, application forms,             help lines and other useful information related to the E-rate.                  Readers should be aware that the resources and their Internet                   addresses below, while correct at printing, are subject to                      change. WEB SITESThe Schools and Libraries Corporation (SLC)              SLC is the independent not-for-profit corporation established to                administer the E-rate. Schools and libraries can file their                     applications electronically from the SLC Web site. Those who choose             to file manually are welcome to mail their applications to Schools              and Libraries Corp., PO Box 4217, Iowa City, IA 52244-4217. All                 schools and libraries who file applications for the program will                have the technology services they requested posted on the Web site              in order to invite competitive bidding from vendors. The Web site               operates every day from 5:00 a.m. to midnight Eastern Time and                  includes FAQ's, a discount matrix, and fund status. In the Service              Provider area, vendors can search the posted applications, and users            can directly download a report of the highlights of services that               were requested on Forms 470 and subsequently posted on the Web site             for competitive bidding. E-mail questions to: [email protected]              or call 888-203-8100. 
--http://www.slcfund.org 
National Exchange            Carrier Association (NECA) 
The FCC appointed NECA as temporary                administrator of the support mechanisms which will fund the                     Universal Service programs. This site provides information on                   Service Provider Identification Numbers (SPIN), consortia, eligible             services, rules of priority, pre-existing contracts, disbursement of            funds, instructions for completing the online forms and an overview             of the E-rate program. The site also links to the Rural Health Care             Corporation (RHCC), which administers the rural health care aspects             of the E-rate. 
--http://www.neca.org FCC SITESFor the latest            official government information, FCC orders are available                       electronically from the FCC Universal Service Home                              Page. 
--http://www.fcc.gov/ccb/universal_service/ FCC                       FAQServices and Functionalities Eligible for                                Discounts.                                                                      
--http://www.fcc.gov/Bureaus/Common_Carrier/Public_Notices/1997/da            9 71374.html#2 
FCC LearnNet 
The FCC's Informal Education Page               dealing with FCC policy and education initiatives. Contains press               releases, FCC Orders, recent E-rate public notices, and FAQ's. Use              the FCC's fax-on-demand system to obtain a document which contains              information similar to that on the LearnNet page. Call 202-418-2830             and follow the directions to request that document #8844 be                     automatically faxed to the number you                                           provide. 
--http://www.fcc.gov/learnnet/ DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION             SITESE-Rate Forms 
In addition to the two forms (Form FCC 470              and 471), you will find instructions for completing them and an                 overview of the Universal Service program. The overview provides                information on: kinds of schools and libraries that are eligible,               consortia (which are also eligible), calculating the discount,                  classifying urban and rural locations, eligible services, examples              of eligible and ineligible internal connections, rules of priority,             pre-existing contracts, what schools and libraries must do before               applying, the application process, and Web sites to go to for more              information. 
--http://www.ed.gov/Technology/erateforms/ 
Nine                Steps You Can Take Now to Prepare for the Schools and Libraries                 Universal Service                                                               Program 
--http://www.ed.gov/Technology/ninestep.html 
Questions              and Answers on Implementation of the Universal Service Program for              Schools and                                                                     Libraries 
--http://www.ed.gov/Technology/qanda.html OTHER E-RATE            SITESNational Center for Education Statistics School (NCES)                 Codes 
The E-rate application forms require the district or school             NCES (National Center for Educational Statistics) code. This site               will help you find those                                                        codes. 
--http://nces.ed.gov/ccdweb/school/school.htm 
Consortium             for School Networking 
CoSN, a non-profit organization, promotes               the use of telecommunications in K-12 education to improve learning.            This site contains recent SLC Fact Sheets, E-Rate forms, and links              to state education departments. 
--http://www.cosn.org/ 
The                  Benton Foundation's Universal Service and Universal Access Virtual              Library 
The Benton Foundation is a nonprofit, nonpartisan, private            foundation which seeks to promote communications in the public                  interest. The Universal Service and Universal Access Virtual Library            includes research, history, policy briefings and                                bulletins. 
--http://www.benton.org/Policy/Uniserv/ 
EdLiNC:                  Education and Library Networks Coalition 
EdLiNC was formed to                 represent the viewpoint of schools and libraries in FCC proceedings             dealing with the implementation of the Telecommunications Act of                1996. The EdLiNC Web site includes the latest updates, free                     publications, action kits, and links to other Universal Service                 Sites. One of EdLiNC's projects is the E-Rate Hotline, which                    includes a toll free number for questions: 1-800-733-6860 (10 a.m.-9            p.m. EST), a Web site http://www.eratehotline.org which contains a              searchable knowledge base of questions, and an online form to send              your questions to an e-rate                                                     expert. 
--http://www.itc.org/edlinc/discounts/ 
Quality Education            Data Information on Universal Service Fund Quality Education                    Data (QED) is a research and database company, focused exclusively              on education. This site provides information on the application                 process, eligibility, funding, restrictions and program                         implementation. 
--http://www.qeddata.com/usfund.htm 
3Com                    "Everything you always wanted to know about the E-rate, but were                afraid to ask." 
This workbook, produced in cooperation with the               Consortium for School Networking, includes a disk with SLC forms, a             list of state education departments, a guide to creating a                      technology plan, and an example of a technology                                 plan. 
--http://www.3com.com/erate 
"The E-rate and Beyond," A                Special Report from T.H.E. (Technological Horizons in Education)                Journal 
This online journal provides links to breaking news, case             histories, technology backgrounders, links to technology plans, and             more. 
--http://www.thejournal.com/erate/default.asp 
American                Library Association Office for Information Technology Policy 
This             site is directed toward public libraries, and includes links to                 telecommunication legislation, regulations, policies and state                  programs. 
--http://ala.org/oitp/univserv.html 
Mid-continent                 Regional Educational Laboratory (McREL) McREL operates several                  regional centers funded by the U.S. Department of Education that                provide research, technical assistance, professional development,               evaluation and policy studies, and information services to several              state and local education agencies. This extensive site includes                news, general information and resources, and state and local                    initiatives. 
--http://www.mcrel.org/connect/tech/telecom.html                 
Merit 
Merit is a nonprofit membership organization that provides            Internet services and expertise to Michigan's educational community,            libraries, governments, communities and businesses. A timeline shows            the important dates and deadlines for the universal service program.            This site also contains a list of services and facilities that are              eligible and ineligible for USF discounts, an SLC Fact Sheet on                 Discount Calculations, examples and suggestions for calculating the             discount as well as updates and K-12 and library                                resources. 
--http://www.merit.edu/ 
On-line Seminar: Universal               Service/Network Democracy 
This site contains information and                  activities relating to Information Renaissance's Universal                      Service/Network Democracy online seminar. The seminar is an attempt             to involve local teachers and librarians in the implementation                  process of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and, specifically, in             the development of rules regarding the Act's new Universal Service              provisions for schools and                                                      libraries. 
--http://info-ren.pitt.edu/universal-service/ LISTSERV           DISCUSSION GROUPSFCCsend 
A one-way (non-interactive)                      listserver set up to send you e-mail on the FCC's latest updates and            suggestions for preparing your school or library to get the most out            of communications technology. To subscribe, address an e-mail                   message in the following manner: 
--To: [email protected] sub             FCCsend firstname lastname 
FCCshare 
An interactive listserver               through which you can communicate with other students, teachers,                librarians, administrators, and parents who are using or preparing              to use technology. To subscribe, address an e-mail message in the               following manner: 
--To: [email protected] FCCshare                    firstname lastname 
edtech 
A one-way (non-interactive) listserver            set up to send you the text (via e-mail) of Universal                           Service-related speeches given by FCC Commissioners. To subscribe,              address an e-mail message in the following manner: 
--To:                      [email protected]. subscribe edtech firstname                              lastname 
COSNDISC On-Line Discussion Forum 
This on-line                     discussion forum is open to everyone on the Internet. 
It serves as            a meeting place for everyone interested in school networking and                helps coordinate policy and projects nationwide. To subscribe to                COSNDISC send e-mail: 
--To: [email protected] In the body of the              message include the single line, "Subscribe cosndisc, your first                name, your last name" 
MINWG-share 
The Michigan Information                  Network Working Group (MINWG) mailing list answers questions you may            have about the Universal Service Fund. All questions are answered by            a panel of representatives in the Michigan education and library                community. To subscribe to the MINWG-share mailing list, address an             e-mail message: 
--To: [email protected]. Then write SUBSCRIBE               MINWG-share in the message. List Archive:                                       http://www.merit.edu/mail.archives/html/minwg-share/ ---ERIC              Digests are in the public domain and may be freely reproduced and               disseminated.  This publication was prepared with funding from the              Office of Educational Research and Improvement, U.S. Department of              Education under contract no. RR93002009. The opinions expressed in              this report do not necessarily reflect the positions of OERI or ED.          **Title:** E-rate: A Resource Guide for Educators. ERIC Digest.                         **Document Type:** Information Analyses---ERIC Information Analysis Products (IAPs) (071); Information Analyses---ERIC Digests (Selected) in Full Text (073); **Available From:** ERIC Clearinghouse on Information and Technology, 4-194 Center for              Science and Technology, Syracuse, NY 13244-4100 (free while supply              lasts).                                                                      **Descriptors:**  Educational Resources,  Federal Programs,  Information Services,               Information Sources,  Internet,  Telecommunications                          **Identifiers:**  Connectivity,  E Rate, ERIC Digests, Federal Communications                    Commission, Web Sites                                                        
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