NOTE: This is a continuation of last week’s analysis of funding decision times from FY2010 to FY2012.
There are dozens of factors that impact the speed of an E-rate funding decision, such as the date the application is submitted, or the availability and responsiveness of staff to provide necessary documentation to USAC. But amongst all of the potential factors that sped up or slowed down funding decisions from 2010 to 2012, there were five that had the biggest overall impact on the E-rate application process. They were: FCC Priority, Applicant Type, $ Amount Requested, E-rate Funding Year, and Consultant Help.
Five Factors Impact Funding Decision Times Most
Average Impact (FY2010 to FY2012)
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Time to Receive E-rate Funding Commitments
Average Number of Months (FY2010 to FY2012)
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FY2010 to FY2012 Decision Times (Months) |
There is a major difference in funding decision times based on an application’s FCC-designated priority. Priority 2 applications take 12.8 months, more than twice as long to receive a decision as Priority 1 applications.
There is a 103% difference between Priority 1 and Priority 2 funding decision times. This has the most dramatic impact on funding decision times.
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FY2010 to FY2012 Decision Times (Months) |
There is a significant difference in funding decision times based on applicant type. On average, libraries receive funding commitments faster than any other applicant type. Consortium applications take nearly twice as long. There is an 80% difference between library and consortium funding decision times. |
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FY2010 to FY2012 Decision Times (Months) |
There is a significant difference in funding decision times based on the amount of the funding requests. On average, funding requests less than $10,000 receive a decision in 6.6 months. Requests of $50,000 or more take an average of 10.2 months. There is a 55% difference in funding decision times between requests below $10,000 and those $50,000 or more. |
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FY2010 to FY2012 Decision Times (Months)
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There is a difference in funding decision times based on the funding year. The average decision time has declined from 7.5 months in 2010 to 6.1 months in 2012, a 19% increase in the speed of USAC funding decisions. |
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FY2010 to FY2012 Decision Times (Months)
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There is a minor difference in funding decision times when a consultant prepares an application. The average decision time declines from 7.0 months to 6.6 months, a 6% improvement in the speed of funding decisions. [Note: The difference is more pronounced when comparing Priority 1 and Priority 2 applications. There is a 10% decrease in decision times for Priority 2 applications when using a consultant, versus a 2% decrease in decision times for Priority 1.] |
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