E-rate discounts can range from 20% to 90% for Category 1 services or from 20% to 85% for Category 2 equipment and services, depending on the rurality of a school, and the level of economic need of the school district, as determined by the percentage of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program. Both of these sets of information are then used to determine the school district’s discount by using the E-rate Discount Matrix.
Rural/Urban Designations
Starting with Funding Year 2015, the FCC updated the definition of “rural” and the manner in which schools and libraries determine their urban or rural status. An individual school and library will be designated as “urban” if located in an “Urbanized Area” or “Urban Cluster” with a population of 25,000 or more as determined by the U.S. Census Bureau. Any school or library not designated “urban” will be designated as “rural.” If more than 50% of the schools in a school district or libraries in a library system are considered rural, the school district or library system is eligible for a rural discount. If 50% or less of the entities are considered rural, the school district or library system is eligible for an urban discount.
NSLP/CEP Participation Data
Each October, schools submit to PDE their NSLP participation data, which is then validated and typically released in January. The following are links to current and previous years’ NSLP Data, as well as CEP data, as reported by schools:
Additional Information on Discount Calculations
For additional information related to discount calculations, alternative income measures, urban/rural determinations, CEP (community eligibility provision), calculation of discounts by entity type, etc., please refer to the Discount Calculation Section under Helpful Documents.