2007 eRate features changes, improvements

2007 eRATE FEATURES CHANGES, IMPROVEMENTS
[SOURCE: eSchool News, AUTHOR: Corey Murray]
As the filing window for the 2007-08 funding year draws near, schools and libraries applying for discounts under the $2.25 billion-a-year federal eRate program have at their disposal a host of new resources intended to help them navigate the complex funding process. Though the 2007 filing window cannot open until officials at the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) approve a revised list of services that are eligible for discounts under next year's program, the Schools and Libraries Division (SLD) of the Universal Service Administrative Co. (USAC), the independent outfit tapped by the FCC to help oversee the eRate, says it expects to begin processing applications as early as mid-November, giving schools about a month to make final preparations. In this special feature, eSchool News talks with SLD Vice President Mel Blackwell about what's new for the 2007 funding year and examines the strides program administrators are taking to streamline the process for applicants, many of whom have voiced frustrations over the program and its track record of abuse.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=6648