E-rate Onboarding Guide for New E-rate Contacts
March 25, 2020
Attached: E-rate Onboarding Guide
When new school and library staff enter the world of E-rate, they typically do so with little or no knowledge of the program and have no idea where to begin. That, coupled with having to navigate and complete forms related to three different funding years at the same time, makes E-rate an understandably daunting responsibility. Likewise, when I receive these calls/e-mails, it is challenging to explain E-rate in a few short minutes and get them set up so they can be successful in the program.
Therefore, I created the attached E-rate Onboarding Guide that strives to provide a path to entry for those new to the world of E-rate, based on when during the year they start. The Guide contains these 5 sections:
- Program Overview and Resources
- Initial Questions for New E-rate Contacts
- Upcoming Funding Year Application Steps (FY 2020: 7/1/2020 – 6/30/2021)
- Current Funding Year Application Steps (FY 2019: 7/1/2019 – 6/30/2020)
- Previous Funding Year Application Steps (FY 2018: 7/1/2018 – 6/30/2019)
In no way does the document provide every detail related to E-rate and I don’t recommend it be used in lieu of attending trainings or reading the E-rate listserve messages. My intention is for this to be a place where new E-rate contacts can turn when they ask, “Where do I begin?”. The Guide will be updated as the years change, and will be kept archived under Helpful Documents and Where to Begin sections of the www.e-ratepa.org website.
I welcome your feedback! And my sincere thanks to those of you who read the earlier drafts and provided great suggestions.
Stay safe and healthy, my E-rate family!
– Julie
Julie Tritt Schell
Pennsylvania E-rate Coordinator
717-730-7133 – o
jtschell@comcast.net
www.e-ratepa.org