Funds For Learning, the nation’s leading E-rate compliance services firm, releases findings from its 12th annual E-rate Trends Report. This report is designed to understand how the program can best serve schools and libraries. Stakeholder input is compiled and delivered directly to the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to inform program administration.
This year’s survey received 2,085 applicant responses, corresponding to approximately 10% of all E-rate applicants. The report demonstrates consistency in the applicant’s dependence on E-rate to ensure faster connections, connecting more students and lower prices of goods supported by the program.
Key Findings from the 2022 report include:
- E-rate has provided greater accessibility to technology in schools. Out of all of the applicants who completed the survey, 87% of participants agreed that their education sites have faster Internet connections due to the E-rate program. 86% of educators also feel that their students and library patrons are more connected to the internet than ever.
- E-rate remains a dependable and necessary program for education. The E-rate platform has been proven vital for learning operations by 94% of respondents. When it comes to how many participants can depend on funding year over year, 89% of applicants reported feeling like they could depend on the E-rate program for funding.
- Internet accessibility is an ongoing problem for students and library patrons. About 89% of participants felt that insufficient internet access is a significant issue in the general community. 82% of participants also stated that they would take advantage of being able to share Internet access off-campus to the general community in order to provide a more technologically connected society.
“This year’s Trends Report shows that the E-rate program is reaching a wide range of schools with broadband internet access,” said John Harrington, CEO of Funds For Learning, “It is extremely important to learn from applicants about their processes and results with federal funding so that we can continue to provide easy application access for our education leaders.”
The E-rate program supports nearly every school and library in America, annually providing billions of dollars of much-needed support for Internet access and computer networking. More than 21,300 applicants and 3,800 vendors currently participate in the program.
To view the entire E-rate Trends Report and accompanying resources, click here.
The American Consortium for Equity in Education, publisher of the "Equity & Access" journal, celebrates and connects the educators, associations, community partners and industry leaders who are working to solve problems and create a more equitable environment for historically underserved pre K-12 students throughout the United States.
