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Category Two budgets: the FY2026–2030 cycle

Reviewed September 6, 2026 · E-Rate Wave · Check official records and current guidance before acting.

The new five-year cycle has its own budget. Unused budget from FY2021–2025 does not carry into it. C2 budgets are pre-discount amounts, so they are not the same as the applicant’s funding award.

Check the budget inputs

USAC lists $201.57 per student for schools and $5.43 per square foot for libraries. The per-site floor is $30,175, with a $66,385 floor for Tribal libraries. District and library-system calculations include aggregation rules; use USAC’s calculation guidance for your applicant.

Verify enrollment, square footage, and the applicable site count before relying on an estimate. See USAC’s C2 budget guidance for the complete calculation and validation rules.

When does Form 500 matter?

After a commitment, changed circumstances can require a reduction or cancellation. Form 500 can be appropriate as soon as those circumstances arise. Returned C2 funding can be reused only within the same five-year cycle; a dashboard screening date is not a restriction on when you may file. See USAC’s Form 500 guidance.

Find the accounts worth reviewing

E-Rate Wave flags potential current-cycle remainders using the FRN’s invoice windows and published disbursement data. The result is a candidate with a reason to investigate, not confirmed recoverable money. Review invoice and extension options, verify the applicant’s circumstances, and make the filing decision yourself.