E-Rate: What It Is and Why It Matters

Libraries are such an essential part of communities all over the world. In the US, libraries provide so much more than books (although, of course, access to books is still a vital function in the library world). Like many other aspects of life, a critical component of library work depends on access to the internet.

That’s where a program called E-Rate comes in. And although it is an invaluable service to libraries, it may be in danger from the current administration. Read on to learn more about it, why it’s so valuable, and what you can do to help protect it (and, by extension, help libraries).

What Is E-Rate?

E-Rate is essentially the nickname for the schools and libraries program funded by the Universal Service Fund. It’s administered by the Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC), which is directed by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

At its heart, this program supports connectivity as it applies to telecommunications and the internet. Its mission is to ensure that libraries and schools have affordable access to telecommunications and the internet, which benefits customers and students (not to mention staff and other stakeholders).

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Why Is E-Rate Important?

Even in this longtime digital age, access to the internet is by no means guaranteed; many marginalized groups, who could greatly benefit from internet access, have little to no easy way to use it. Without E-Rate, many libraries and schools would have reduced access to telecommunications, the internet, and internal connections—if they had any of those abilities to begin with.

Communities today rely on those services for everything from students completing homework assignments to people applying for jobs, teachers and librarians pursuing additional training and education for themselves, and people learning second languages and engaging in telehealth appointments.

Among the many initiatives funded through E-Rate is a hotspot program, which helps almost twenty thousand libraries and schools provide wifi hotspots, without which students who don’t have computers or the internet at home would be at a severe disadvantage in continuing their education. And that’s a significant part of the population; the Schools, Health & Libraries Broadband Coalition (SHLB) reports that millions of students (both child and adult) lack the necessary internet access to complete schoolwork at home.

The program has had a wide reach. Before it was created in 1996, only 14 percent of schools had internet access. Today, that percentage is more than 90 and includes both public and private K–12 schools. Removing the E-Rate program could severely restrict those schools’ abilities to provide a strong educational environment.

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How Does E-Rate Work?

Libraries and schools can determine online if their institution may be eligible for E-Rate. If it is, they can create a list of the goods or services it needs and submit a competitive bid to the USAC. The USAC provides access to those bids to vendors, who can apply to provide the goods or services. Once accepted, the USAC issues the funded commitments to the approved applicants. All requests must comply with FCC rules as well as any state or local district procurement requirements.

What’s at Risk?

As reported above, millions of people don’t have adequate internet access at home. Weakening or dissolving the E-Rate program would make it significantly more difficult for those people to continue their education. That can affect every type of literacy people rely on to succeed in their lives, whether it’s reading, financial, social, or health literacy.

It should be a bipartisan issue, as it affects people of all political stripes. But with the massive slashing occurring at the federal level, it appears nothing and no one is safe. That’s why, shortly after the 2025 inauguration, the SHLB urged the Trump administration to protect the E-Rate program.

The SHLB also joined forces with several other organizations (including the Benton Institute for Broadband & Society, MediaJustice, and the National Digital Inclusion Alliance (NDIA) to petition the US Supreme Court to protect the E-Rate program as a vitally important resource for education and connection across the country. This action followed a 2024 decision by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that struck down funding for the program as unconstitutional.

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What Can I Do?

It’s all too easy to feel helpless when massive change threatens the well-being and educational opportunities of millions of people in our country. But there are things everyone can—and should—do:

• Contact your Congresspeople. Call your senators and representatives to let them know you think protecting the E-Rate program is crucial. (One easy way to make calls to all of your congresspeople is to use 5 Calls.)
• Share this information on social media. Whether a Facebook post or a quick TikTok video, tell others about the E-Rate program and why it’s important that they take actions similar to yours to protect everyone. Look for others on your preferred social media site who might be interested and tell them what’s going on.
• The FCC periodically holds open comment periods for various communications-related issues. Visit their website to learn how and when to comment about E-Rate.
• Contact your local and national media, urging them to report on this story (especially if your local library relies on E-Rate assistance) and the dire effects E-Rate’s loss could cause in your community.
• Partner with nonprofits that are focused on libraries and education. (Hint: EveryLibrary is one!)

E-Rate has a highly proven track record of leveling the educational playing field. Take action today to ensure its valuable assistance continues for generations to come.