The Funding Year (FY) 2025 FCC Form 471 application filing window opened today and will close on Wednesday March 26, 2025 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Funding is available for schools to purchase Wi-Fi Hotspots to put on their buses.

Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC)’s website provides resources for new applicants or applicants continuing to participate in the program. It is recommended that applicants review these resources, or any others that apply to their situation, as they begin FY2025 preparations.

Resources are available for:

• First-time Filers – If you are new to the E-Rate program, you will need a user account in the E-Rate Productivity Center (EPC), our applicant and service provider portal. For security purposes, you will also need a login and password for One Portal, our multi-factor authentication security system. If you are new to the program, our Customer Service Center (CSC) at (888) 203-8100, can help you set up your organization's EPC profile and your account administrator.

• Category Two (C2) Budgets – FY2025 is the fifth and final year of the five-year C2 budget cycle. The budgets are fixed for the five-year cycle and apply at the school district or library system level. If you requested C2 funding in prior funding years and your student counts or library square footage have increased, you can request a C2 budget recalculation. Please view the Category Two Budgets webinar on the Webinars page for more details about whether you should consider doing this. The FY2021-FY2025 Category Two (C2) Budget Management Guide can show you how to check your available C2 funding, determine if you have any expired C2 funding, and how to submit an FCC Form 500 to reduce expired or unused commitments and make that funding available for FY2025.

• Review the Eligible Services List (ESL) – The ESL for each funding year provides guidance on the eligibility of products and services under the E-Rate program. Go to the Eligible Services List page for guidance on the eligibility of products and services for FY2025 including the newly eligible Wi-Fi equipment (devices) for off-premises use and services to make the devices functional (check out the Wi-Fi Hotspots Budget Calculator too). School bus Wi-Fi devices and associated mobile wireless services became available starting in FY2024. 

• Proceed With Competitive Bidding – If you have not started the competitive bidding process by filing your FCC Form 470, please begin now. Remember that you must wait at least 28 days after filing the form before entering into an agreement with your selected service provider(s) and filing your FCC Form 471 application(s).

USAC encourages application submission as early in the filing window as possible. Its team is ready to assist applicants and service providers with their E-Rate issues. For upcoming webinars, check out their schedule online.