49% of FY2025 E-rate dollars still await decisions as of July 30
As schools across the nation prepare for the start of the 2025–26 academic year, an alarming amount of E-rate funding remains uncommitted. According to the latest analysis, only 51% of E-rate dollars have received Funding Commitment Decision Letters (FCDLs) for Funding Year 2025, a sharp drop from 67.3% just one year ago.
This represents the worst performance in five years, with the uncommitted share reaching a staggering $1.63 billion and over 31.5% of all funding requests (FRNs) still unresolved.
Key Findings:
- $1.63 billion in E-rate funds are still uncommitted
- Only 51% of dollars have received FCDLs, down 16 points from 2024
- 31.5% of FRNs (over 18,000 requests) remain pending
- Worse than 2021, when COVID-related disruptions were at play
Five-Year Trend of Uncommitted Funding Dollars (% without FCDLs)
- 2022 had the strongest performance with only 28.5% of dollars uncommitted.
- 2025 marks the worst showing, with 49% of dollars lacking decisions by July 30.
- The percentage of FRNs without an FCDL rose significantly in 2025, reaching 31.5%, more than 2.7x higher than in 2022.
Real-World Impact on Schools
These delays hinder the ability of school districts and libraries to:
- Proceed with critical broadband upgrades and maintenance
- Ensure timely deployment of digital learning infrastructure
- Confidently prepare for the next filing window
Technology directors are left to make high-stakes decisions without funding clarity, either take on financial risk or delay projects that serve students and educators. The current pace puts essential upgrades and services at risk—and undermines the E-rate program’s promise of equity in broadband access.
