Educational Purposes

Eligibility of Priority 1 and Priority 2 services in on-site facilities.

In its Second Report and Order (FCC 03-101, released April 30, 2003), the FCC amended its rules to clarify the meaning of educational purposes as follows:

[A]ctivities that are integral, immediate, and proximate to the education of students, or in the case of libraries, integral, immediate, and proximate to the provision of library services to library patrons, qualify as “educational purposes.” Activities that occur on library or school property are presumed to be integral, immediate, and proximate to the education of students or the provision of library services to library patrons. 47 C.F.R. § 54.500(b).

Eligibility of Priority 1 services in on-site non-instructional facilities. Telecommunications Services and Internet Access provided to on-site non-instructional facilities are eligible for E-rate discounts under this revised definition beginning with Funding Year 2004. Examples of non-instructional facilities on school property include, but are not limited to, administrative buildings, school bus barns and garages, cafeteria offices, and facilities associated with athletic activities. Examples of non-instructional facilities on library property include, but are not limited to, administrative buildings, bookmobile garages, interlibrary loan facilities, and library technology centers. These non-instructional facilities must be located on school or library property to be considered eligible.

Eligibility of Priority 2 services in on-site non-instructional facilities. The eligibility of Internal Connections provided to on-site non-instructional facilities continues to be limited by FCC rules as follows:

Discounts are not available for internal connections in non-instructional buildings of a school or school district, or in administrative buildings of a library, to the extent that a library system has separate administrative buildings, unless those internal connections are essential for the effective transport of information to an instructional building of a school or to a non-administrative building of a library. 47 C.F.R. § 54.506

Eligibility of Priority 1 services off-site

In certain limited circumstances, telecommunications services used offsite may also be eligible. Examples of these eligible uses include “a school bus driver’s use of wireless telecommunications services while delivering children to and from school, a library staff person’s use of wireless telecommunications service on a library’s mobile library unit van, and the use by teachers or other school staff of wireless telecommunications service while accompanying students on a field trip or sporting event.” (Second Report and Order, footnote 28).

If a non-instructional facility is not on school or library property, that facility is not eligible for discounts, even if it is dedicated solely to school or library activities.

Eligible activities

The customary work activities of employees of a school or library that occur on school or library property are now presumed to fall under the definition of educational purposes. Examples of eligible activities for schools now include, but are not limited to, the school-related activities of school administrators, school counselors, school nurses, school technology workers, cafeteria workers, security guards, and school bus drivers. Examples of eligible activities for libraries now include, but are not limited to, the library-related activities of library administrators, library technology workers, library bookmobile drivers, interlibrary loan workers, and security guards. These employees must be using Priority 1 services that are paid for by the eligible school or library.