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by Cathy Cruzan

September 30, 2026

USAC Is Working. We Asked the FCC to Make It Faster and Fairer.

Funds For Learning filed comments today in WC Docket No. 26-173, the FCC’s review of how the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC) runs the Universal Service Fund. Our message was...

by Cathy Cruzan

September 29, 2026

E-rate Bidding Portal Rules Are Now Official. Here Is What That Means for You.

The paperwork is done. On September 24, the FCC’s Wireline Competition Bureau announced (DA 26-1030) that the Office of Management and Budget has approved the final pieces of the E-rate...

by Heidi Leonard

September 29, 2026

Raising the Standard: Inside the E-MPA Conference

Behind the scenes, E-rate consultants spend time on professional development, industry collaboration, and efforts to strengthen the program. You may not spend much time thinking about that, and that’s perfectly...

Verlyne Jolley, CEMP

by Verlyne Jolley

September 29, 2026

USAC Wraps Up 2026 In-Person Training with Important WAN Guidance

At its final in-person E-rate training of the year, USAC told attendees that new sites added to an existing WAN must be competitively bid, even when the current contract allows...

Eric Jester, CEMP

September 29, 2026

6 EPC Profile Checks to Make During the Administrative Window

In EPC, each school, library, and related entity has a profile that stores key information that USAC uses during an application review, including site names, entity attributes, and other details. Entity profiles...

by Elizabeth Oglevie

September 22, 2026

The Compliance Trap Hiding in Your Emails: Cardinal Changes Explained

Applicants often focus on reaching the Allowable Contract Date (ACD), the earliest date you’re allowed to sign a contract after posting your Form 470, but compliance depends on more than...

by Marissa Aldaco

September 22, 2026

Heads Up: E-rate’s Administrative Window Opens October 21

USAC announced the E-rate Productivity Center (EPC) Administrative Window opens Wednesday, October 21, 2026, and it’ll close shortly before the FY2027 Form 471 filing window kicks off early next year. ...

Dirk Schroeder, CEMP

by Dirk Schroeder

September 22, 2026

The Form 486 Is Going Away in FY2028. Here’s What Changes, and What Consortium Leads Should Plan For Now.

If you’ve requested E-rate funding by filing an FCC Form 471 before, you’re probably familiar with the follow-up form needed to receive your discounts. If you’re filing for the first...