Worried that because you are a small school or in a low income area you won’t be able to afford a really great website? Now, thanks to E-rate Underwriting, your web hosting costs can be more affordable. If your school qualifies (and most schools do), E-rate funds will pay up to 83% of the cost of School Webmaster's hosting service. So, in addition to the outstanding services you'll receive, including fully customized websites developed specifically for your school or district, ongoing maintenance, and personalized customer service, you may now be able to receive discounted web hosting

What is E-rate?

E-rate, or more accurately, the Schools and Libraries Universal Service Support Mechanism, provides discounts to help many U.S. schools receive affordable telecommunications and Internet access. School discounts can range from 20% to 90% of the costs of eligible services, which is dependent upon the level of poverty and the urban/rural status of the population your school serves determined by the percentage of free and reduced eligible students in your school or district. So, most schools qualify for a percentage of reimbursement.

In order to qualify for E-rate funding for web hosting services, you'll need to submit a Form 470 to the Universal Service Administrative Company (USAC). For more information on applying for E-Rate, visit the USAC Web site at: http://www.sl.universalservice.org/.

If you have already submitted a Form 470 but failed to list web hosting as part of the services required, you can submit an additional Form 470 during the period when the E-rate window is open. School Webmaster's SPIN Number is 143027799.

In today’s online information age, your school can’t afford to not have a website. Parents and community members are now turning to blogs, online newsletters, and websites for information. You need to make sure you are reaching parents where they are at. Don't miss out on available hosting discounts—visit the USAC site today.