Reference
E-Rate Calculator
Estimate a 5-year Category 2 budget, the E-Rate discount amount and the district's out-of-pocket share. Open it from Tools → E-Rate Calculator in the console.
Inputs
Student Count — the number of full-time students. This drives the Category 2 budget.
E-Rate Discount % — your discount percentage. Enter it yourself; use the Discount Rate Reference table below the results to find it.
The results update as you type.
How the calculation works
Total 5-Year Budget = $153 × Student Count
E-Rate Discount Amount = Total Budget × E-Rate Discount %
School Out-of-Pocket = Total Budget − E-Rate Discount Amount
Discount Rate Reference
The table lists discounts by Income Level (the % of students eligible for the National School Lunch Program), with separate Urban and Rural columns for Category 1 and Category 2.
The Category 1 and Category 2 columns match except at the top tier: for 75% to 100% NSLP eligibility, Category 1 is 90% and Category 2 is 85%.
FY2026 per-student rate
The calculator uses $153 per student, the Category 2 rate for the FY2026–FY2030 budget cycle.
Limitations
This calculator gives estimates only. Actual budgets can differ because of:
- How USAC calculates budgets for libraries and multi-building entities
- Budget floors and other details of USAC's budget rules
- Funds already committed earlier in the cycle
To see a district's actual budget and remaining funds from USAC's data, use District C2 Lookup. Always verify figures in EPC before filing.
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