Grant Program at a Glance

• Application Window and Deadline Announced Each Year
• Minimum of 15% Matching Funds Required
• $50,000 Minimum
• $500,000 Maximum
• Eligible Purposes:
  • Primarily user equipment that functions via telecommunications systems for the purposes of connecting students and teachers or medical professionals and patients at separate sites. Examples are video-conferencing or teleradiology equipment. The Grant Program funds equipment that operates over telecommunications systems, but does not fund the telecommunications links themselves. In additions, it funds such things as the acquisition of instructional programming and technical assistance and instruction for using eligible equipment. See the current Application Guide for more complete information.
• Competitive Application Process:
  • Eight scoring categories that measure such things as how rural the area is, economic need, the extent of matching funds, the specific need of and benefit to the community and four other categories.
    

Loan/Grant (Combo) Program at a Glance:

• A Mixture of Loan and Grant - Ratio Announced Annually
  
• Noncompetitive - Applications Processed as Received
  
• No Matching Fund Requirement
  
• $50,000 Minimum
  
• Eligible Purposes:
  
  • All eligible grant purposes, plus additional purposes not funded under the Grant Program such as communications within one facility, construction or alteration of buildings, and telecommunications transmission facilities.

Loan Program at a Glance:

• 100% Loan
• Noncompetitive - Applications Processed as Received
• No Matching Fund Requirement
• $50,000 Minimum
• Eligible Purposes:
  • All eligible purposes under the Grant and Combo Programs, plus additional purposes such as two years of project operating costs and educational broadcasting for distance learning. See the current Loan and Combination Loan/Grant Application Guide for more complete information.