Web Site for Federal 'E-Rate' Discounts Goes On-Line

By Andrew Trotter

The launch last week of a Web site administered by the Schools and Libraries Corp. formally opened the filing period for "the E-rate," the new federal discounts for schools and libraries on telecommunications services for learning.

Schools and libraries may now apply to receive discounts for this year. The discounts will range from 20 percent to 90 percent of the cost of telephone and Internet services and a range of other services and equipment.

A school's discount will depend on the proportion of its students who are eligible for the national school lunch program and whether the school is rural or urban. Library discounts will be based on the lunch-eligibility figures in...