USACRural Health CareAdditional Program Guidance
Funding Year Overview

Funding Year Overview

About Filing Windows

A filing window is a fixed period of time when all funding requests received during that period are treated as though they were received at the same time. The FCC may direct USAC to open another filing window for that funding year if available funding remains after a filing window closes.

If the total amount of qualifying funding requests received during the initial filing window does not exceed available funding for the HCF and Telecom Programs, the FCC will determine the timing and duration associated with any subsequent filing windows for that funding year based on the total amount of qualifying funding requests in the initial filing window and the amount of available funding remaining. If the total amount of qualifying funding requests exceed the available funding for the RHC program in the initial filing window, USAC is directed to pro-rate funding pursuant to the FCC rules and there will be no additional filing windows for that funding year.

Funding Year 2025

Funding Year (FY) 2025 will take place from July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026. For FY2025, applicants can begin the competitive bidding process as early as July 1, 2024. The filing window for FY2025 is from December 1, 2024 through April 1, 2025. This means that applicants must submit funding requests (FCC Forms 462 or 466) as early as December 1, 2024, and no later than 11:59 p.m. ET April 1, 2025. We highly encourage applicants to submit forms as early as possible in the filing window. Other forms for FY2025 (FCC Forms 460, 461, or 465) are accepted prior to December 1 to begin the application process.

Funding Year 2024

Funding Year (FY) 2024 takes place from July 1, 2024 through June 30, 2025. For FY2024, applicants can begin the competitive bidding process on July 1, 2023. The filing window for FY2024 is from December 1, 2023 through May 1, 2024. This means that applicants must submit funding requests (FCC Forms 462 or 466) on December 1, 2023, and no later than 11:59 p.m. ET May 1, 2024. We highly encourage applicants to submit forms as early as possible in the filing window. Other forms for FY2024 (FCC Forms 460, 461, or 465) are accepted prior to December 1 to begin the application process.

RHC Connect Update: The platform used to submit forms for the HCF Program has been updated to improve user experience. RHC Connect, the web-based system used to host RHC forms, is easier to navigate and allows RHC program reviewers to approve funding requests faster and more efficiently. Over time, this update will apply to all forms in both the HCF and Telecom Programs. We will reach out to program participants as the platform grows and post all updates on the affected pages on our website. For more information visit the following webpages:

Funding Year 2023

On March 8, 2023, the FCC released FCC Order DA 23-189 extending the deadline for the Funding Year (FY) 2023 Application Filing Window to May 1, 2023. This provided applicants a 28-day extension from the original filing deadline of April 3, 2023.

FY 2023 took place from July 1, 2023 through June 30, 2024. For FY2023, applicants could begin the competitive bidding process as early as July 1, 2022. The filing window for FY2023 took place from December 1, 2022 through May 1, 2023. All funding requests (FCC Forms 462 or 466) could be submitted as early as December 1, 2022 and no later than 11:59 p.m. ET May 1, 2023 for the initial filing window period. Other application forms for FY2023 (FCC Forms 460, 461, or 465) were accepted prior to December 1 to begin the application process.

The RHC program funding cap for FY 2023 is $682,361,586. The internal cap for upfront payments and multi-year commitments under the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program is $172,294,354. Beginning in FY2023, the internal cap for upfront payments and multi-year commitments will apply only if RHC program demand exceeds available funding. These new caps represent a seven percent inflation-adjusted increase to FY2022 RHC program funding caps.

Funding Year 2022

On March 3, 2022, the FCC released FCC Order DA 22-221 extending the deadline for the Funding Year (FY) 2022 Application Filing Window to June 1, 2022. This provided applicants a 61-day extension from the original filing deadline of April 1, 2022.

FY 2022 took place from July 1, 2022 through June 30, 2023.  For FY2022, applicants could begin the competitive bidding process as early as July 1, 2021. The filing window period for FY2022 took place from December 1, 2021– June 1, 2022. All funding requests (FCC Forms 462 or 466) could be submitted as early as December 1, 2021 and no later than 11:59 p.m. ET June 1, 2022 for the initial filing window period. Other application forms for FY2022 (FCC Forms 460, 461, or 465) were accepted prior to December 1 to begin the application process.

On July 22, 2022, the FCC Wireline Competition Bureau directed USAC to carry forward up to $380.50 million in unused funds from prior funding years to the extent necessary to satisfy funding year 2022 demand for the RHC program. Read the Public Notice.

Additional Resources