E-rate Trends

Funds For Learning Invites E-rate Applicants to Participate in Annual Survey by June 30

• By Kristal Kuykendall
• 06/20/23

E-rate compliance services provider Funds For Learning is holding its 13th annual survey for E-rate applicants through June 30, 2023, and is seeking participation from K–12 school IT and cybersecurity leaders. 

The survey aims to gather information from school districts participating in the E-rate program to “determine how the program can best serve its applicants,” the organization said in a news release. The anonyous survey responses are sent directly to the Federal Communications Commission, FFL said.

The survey can be found at https://www.fundsforlearning.com/news/2023/04/fy2023-e-rate-applicant-survey/.

The 2023 E-rate Applicant Survey coincides with the end of the FCC’s recent public comment period on how the E-rate program can provide firewall and cybersecurity systems, and it comes as federal officials fine-tune the White House National Cybersecurity Strategy to “rebalance the responsibility to defend cyberspace by shifting the burden for cybersecurity away from individuals, small businesses and local governments,” FFL noted.

New to this year’s survey are “important questions surrounding where organizations are at with current cybersecurity” including questions about “specific line items, recent cybersecurity investments, how the E-rate program can provide support for security solutions, and what services should be qualifying for E-rate funding,” FFL said.

“It’s important to know how district technology professionals need support, especially regarding cybersecurity. Our 2023 E-rate Applicant Survey gives E-rate applicants another chance to voice their opinion on cybersecurity and other topics to the FCC,” said Brian Stephens, director of stakeholder engagement at Funds For Learning. 

The 2022 E-rate Trends Report summarized survey responses from 2,085 respondents in K–12 schools. Find the results at the FFL website.