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FCC Cybersecurity Pilot Program

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A $200 Million Test of K-12 Cybersecurity Funding

The FCC’s Schools and Libraries Cybersecurity Pilot Program is a three-year, up-to-$200 million program that pays for cybersecurity services and equipment for the schools, libraries, and consortia selected to take part. It is funded through the Universal Service Fund but is separate from E-Rate, and it doubles as an experiment: the FCC is using it to measure what schools and libraries actually need, and whether universal service funds should support cybersecurity over the long term.

This is not a funding source districts can apply for. Participants were selected in January 2025 and are locked in for the length of the pilot, which runs through 2029; no new participants are being added. Funding decisions have been issued in waves since December 2025. This guide explains where the program stands, what it pays for, and what participating Illinois schools and libraries need to do now.

Where It Stands For Participants
Questions About the Pilot?
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Mindy Fiscus, 618-534-4523
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Where the Program Stands

As of USAC’s most recent data (updated September 25, 2026):

  • $129.2 million committed to 571 participants in eight funding waves, from December 17, 2025 through July 22, 2026
  • About $71 million of the $200 million budget is not yet committed
  • About 1,350 funding requests are still waiting on a decision, and together they ask for more than the money that remains

USAC says participants who haven’t received a funding commitment decision letter (FCDL) yet will be included in future waves. You can follow the latest numbers in USAC’s Pilot FCC Form 471 data.

Illinois in the Pilot

Illinois has 57 active participants in the pilot, which runs through 2029. The FCC originally selected 72 Illinois projects among the more than 700 schools, libraries, and consortia chosen in January 2025.

Nationally, the largest share of committed funding has gone to monitoring, detection, and response services ($51.3 million), followed by identity protection and authentication ($35.3 million), endpoint protection ($24.4 million), and advanced firewalls ($18.2 million).

What the Pilot Pays For

The FCC’s eligible services list groups everything the pilot covers into four categories. Participants had to choose their equipment and services through competitive bidding. Basic firewalls are not part of the pilot because E-Rate Category Two already covers them.
Advanced Firewalls

Firewalls that go beyond the basic firewall E-Rate covers, adding features such as intrusion detection and prevention, deep packet inspection, and application-level controls that stop threats at the edge of the network.

Committed nationally so far: about $18.2 million.

Software that protects the laptops, desktops, and other devices connected to a school or library network, such as anti-malware and anti-ransomware tools and endpoint detection and response (EDR).

Committed nationally so far: about $24.4 million.

Tools that confirm people are who they say they are and protect accounts and data, such as multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, network access controls, DNS and email security, and offsite or immutable backups.

Committed nationally so far: about $35.3 million.

Services that watch the network around the clock and help respond to incidents, such as security operations center (SOC) and managed detection and response (MDR) services, security information and event management (SIEM), and vulnerability scanning.

Committed nationally so far: about $51.3 million, the largest of the four categories.

Firewalls that go beyond the basic firewall E-Rate covers, adding features such as intrusion detection and prevention, deep packet inspection, and application-level controls that stop threats at the edge of the network.

Committed nationally so far: about $18.2 million.

Software that protects the laptops, desktops, and other devices connected to a school or library network, such as anti-malware and anti-ransomware tools and endpoint detection and response (EDR).

Committed nationally so far: about $24.4 million.

Tools that confirm people are who they say they are and protect accounts and data, such as multi-factor authentication, single sign-on, network access controls, DNS and email security, and offsite or immutable backups.

Committed nationally so far: about $35.3 million.

Services that watch the network around the clock and help respond to incidents, such as security operations center (SOC) and managed detection and response (MDR) services, security information and event management (SIEM), and vulnerability scanning.

Committed nationally so far: about $51.3 million, the largest of the four categories.

For Pilot Participants: What to Do Now

If your school, district, library, or consortium is a pilot participant, these are the steps and deadlines that matter now.

Review your funding commitment decision letter (FCDL) carefully and share it with your service provider right away. Unlike E-Rate, pilot service dates are tied to your FCDL and contract, not to a July 1 funding year. The last date to receive service is three years from the date of the first FCDL for each funding request (FRN), so a request committed in spring 2026 runs into spring 2029.

Pilot funds are paid as reimbursements. Either the participant files the Pilot FCC Form 472 (Billed Entity Applicant Reimbursement, or BEAR), or the service provider files the Pilot FCC Form 474 (Service Provider Invoice, or SPI). The method was chosen on your Pilot FCC Form 471 and can be changed with a Pilot FCC Form 488.

Invoices are due 90 days after the last date to receive service, and a one-time 90-day extension is available if you request it by that deadline. See USAC’s invoicing page for guides and webinar recordings.

Since August 2026, USAC pays Universal Service Fund reimbursements using SAM.gov banking information. Participants that use BEAR need a Unique Entity Identifier (UEI) on their FCC Form 498, an active SAM.gov registration, and a valid bank account linked to it. SAM.gov registrations must be renewed every year, and USAC cannot pay you if yours lapses. See USAC’s SAM.gov UEI requirement.

Use the Pilot FCC Form 488 (Post-Commitment Change Request) to make allowed changes after a commitment, such as switching your invoicing method. Only participants can file it; service providers should contact USAC for help.

Appeal a USAC decision to USAC first, through the Cybersecurity Pilot Program Portal, and then to the FCC if needed. Requests to waive an FCC rule go to the FCC through its Electronic Comment Filing System under WC Docket No. 23-234. Both must be filed within 30 days of USAC’s decision, which is shorter than the E-Rate deadline.

USAC is issuing commitments in waves and says participants who haven’t received an FCDL will be included in future waves. Keep your bids, contracts, and records ready, and watch USAC’s Pilot newsletters for announcements.

The pilot exists to collect data about school and library cybersecurity, so participants report information to the FCC during the program. Keep your bidding documents, contracts, invoices, and records of how the equipment and services are used.

How We Got Here

  • June 2024: The FCC adopts the three-year, $200 million pilot.
  • September 17 – November 1, 2024: Schools, libraries, and consortia apply using FCC Form 484 Part 1. Demand far exceeds the available funding.
  • January 16, 2025: The FCC announces more than 700 selected participants, including 72 Illinois projects (Public Notice).
  • March 18 – September 15, 2025: Selected participants complete Form 484 Part 2 and, after competitive bidding, request funding on the Pilot FCC Form 471.
  • December 17, 2025: The first funding commitments are issued (about $18.8 million).
  • January – July 2026: Seven more waves bring total commitments to $129.2 million.
  • Through 2029: Participants receive services for up to three years from their first funding commitment.

Other Ways to Fund Cybersecurity

Most schools won’t receive pilot funding, and pilot funds end after three years. Other options include:

  • E-Rate Category Two, which still covers basic firewall services and equipment
  • Federal formula funds such as Title IV-A, and competitive grants for school safety technology
  • Illinois programs such as the School Technology Revolving Loan Program

See our Education Technology Funding guide for the full list.

How the LTC Can Help

The LTC offers free support to Illinois schools and libraries on cybersecurity funding:

  • Pilot participants: help reading your funding decision, choosing an invoicing method, and keeping track of deadlines
  • Everyone else: help finding other funding for cybersecurity tools and building a plan
  • Knowing where to start: our Cybersecurity Audits & Assessments can help you decide what to prioritize

For comprehensive application or compliance support, consider working with a private E-Rate consultant.

Official Resources and Further Reading

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