Funds For Learning Releases Report on Average E-rate Applicant
Edmond, Okla. (Jan. 24, 2008) – For the 2007 E-rate Funding Year, nearly 23,000 applicants submitted $3.8 billion in funding requests. Funds For Learning, the nation’s leading E-rate funding compliance services firm, has released a report titled, “The Average E-rate Applicant.” In this report, Funds For Learning created a profile of an average E-rate applicant based on the 23,000 funding requests received for the 2007 Funding Year.
Site Averages
The average applicant made funding requests for 6.1 sites. The applicant with the most sites made requests for 1,519; while 11,366 applicants made requests for just a single site each.
| Sites per applicant | 6.1 |
| Most sites associated with one applicant | 1,519 |
| Applicants with one site each | 11,366 |
Funding Request Averages (FRN)
On average, each applicant submitted 5.4 funding requests. The applicant with the most FRNs made 422 funding requests. There were 3,143 applicants with just one funding request each.
| FRNs per applicant | 5.4 |
| Most FRNs associated with one applicant | 422 |
| Applicants with one FRN each | 3,143 |
Average Requests for Each Service Category (All Applicants)
The table shows averages based on the total applicant population, regardless of what service categories in which each applicant made funding requests.
| Service Category | Requests | Requested Amount |
| Telecommunications Services | 3.3 | $60,832 |
| Internet Access | 1.0 | $16,037 |
| Internal Connections | 0.7 | $75,684 |
| Basic Maintenance | 0.4 | $11,443 |
| Average per Applicant | 5.4 | $163,995 |
Requests for Each Service Category
The table below shows the average amount of each request for applicants that submitted requests in a given service category. Applicants represent the number of unique applicants that made requests in the listed service category.
| Service Category | Applicants | Requests | Avg. Requested Amount |
| Telecommunications Services | 21,496 | 75,006 | $64,726 |
| Internet Access | 13,472 | 23,123 | $27,226 |
| Internal Connections | 4,053 | 16,906 | $427,099 |
| Basic Maintenance | 3,928 | 9,312 | $66,630 |
Average Discount Rate per Service Category
The Average Discount Rate per Service Category in the table below was calculated by dividing the total Requested Amount for each category by its Pre-Discount Amount.
| Service Category | Discount Rate |
| Telecommunications Services | 70.7% |
| Internet Access | 69.3% |
| Internal Connections | 83.2% |
| Basic Maintenance | 84.4% |
| Average per Applicant | 81.1% |
More Information
The Schools and Libraries Division of the Universal Service Administrative Company administers the E-rate program; details available at www.usac.org.
To mark the 10th anniversary of the E-rate program and Funds For Learning, the company has published “E-rate Review: 10 Years and Counting” (PDF, 944KB), a white paper on the success of the E-rate program and its impact on stakeholders.
Other background material: History of the E-rate Program, The E-rate Application Process, and Latest E-rate News.
About E-rate
The E-rate program, officially known as Universal Service Funding for Schools and Libraries, was created as the result of the Telecommunications Act of 1996. The Federal Communications Commission created the E-rate program to help schools and libraries, especially those in economically disadvantaged and rural areas, obtain telecommunications services such as phone service and access to the Internet. Before the E-rate program, only three percent of the nation's classrooms were connected to the Internet. Today, more than 95 percent of classrooms have Internet access, thanks to the funding schools and districts receive from the E-rate program every year.
About Funds For Learning
Funds For Learning, LLC, is an E-rate compliance firm specializing in guiding E-rate applicants and service providers through the complex and ever-changing E-rate regulatory process. With more than 10 years of experience in providing professional advice and assistance relating to the E-rate program, Funds For Learning exists to provide high-quality solutions for the needs of E-rate stakeholders. The company was established in 1997 and is headquartered in Edmond, Okla. Visit www.fundsforlearning.com or phone 405-341-4140 for more information.
Contacts
Funds For Learning, LLC
Scott Weston
405-471-0953
sweston at fundsforlearning dot com
www.fundsforlearning.com
C. Blohm & Associates, Inc.
Emily Embury
608-839-9800
emily at cblohm dot com
www.cblohm.com
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