35,000 eligible schools and libraries did not apply for 2026
Most public schools are covered. Most private schools and thousands of libraries are not.
USAC keeps a registry of every school and library entity in the program. We compared it with every building listed on a funding year 2026 application, using USAC's own recipient data.
Who is covered and who is not
- Public schools: about 88% of registered public schools are on a 2026 application. About 11,300 are not, enrolling roughly 5.3 million students.
- Private schools: only about 14% are on one. About 17,400 are not.
- Charter schools: about 2,300 are not on a 2026 application.
- Public libraries: about 4,200 are not.
Together that is about 35,000 eligible schools and libraries, serving roughly 7.4 million students, with no 2026 application.
Why they skip it
Some do not need anything that year. Some are served by a network that files for them under another name. But many simply find the process too much for the money. A small private school might be entitled to tens of thousands of dollars over five years and never see it, because nobody on staff has time to learn the forms.
Look yourself up
On E-Rate Keeper, a school or library with no 2026 application gets a report estimating what it could receive, based on its students, its lunch count and what similar applicants were approved for. Every input can be adjusted.
Any school, district or library: what was approved, paid, left unspent and still unclaimed.