The growing demand for Internet access in education, combined with tight school budgets, has left school leaders in an unusual predicament. Their students, teachers and community are counting on increased access to top-notch communications services. Yet the lagging economy has placed a significant strain on school budgets, limiting their ability to roll out sophisticated new web-based features and services.

Enter the E-Rate funding program (formally known as the Schools and Libraries Program of the Universal Service Fund). Since 1998, E-Rate has been supporting the communications networks that connect our students and teachers to the Internet. E-Rate has helped usher in a new educational ecosystem that includes personal learning environments, streaming video, “bring your own device” programs, social media, online learning management systems, parent–teacher portals and more.

The linked article lists 5 steps to increase your chances of obtaining discounts for your school.