On June 25, 2026, the Federal Communications Commission opened a wide-ranging review of the E-Rate program, the roughly $3-billion-a-year fund that has helped connect the nation’s schools and libraries to the internet since 1997.

On March 25, 2026, FEMA announced the return of the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program, making $1 billion in funding available for infrastructure and hazard mitigation projects across the country.

Budgets are tighter than ever, while technology needs continue to grow. Rising costs, unexpected price increases, and shifting economic pressures make it harder for organizations to invest in the tools they need to stay secure, connected, and competitive. For many schools, municipalities, and organizations, the challenge isn’t identifying what technology is needed, it’s finding the funding to make it possible. This is where DOF steps in.

In recent years, colleges and universities across the U.S. have faced a growing and costly threat that rarely makes headlines: ghost students. These are not students who stop attending class or quietly withdraw. Ghost students are entirely fabricated identities created to exploit federal financial aid systems, siphoning billions of dollars away from legitimate students and institutions.

Classroom technology has moved far beyond projectors and whiteboards. Today’s schools are expected to support interactive learning, hybrid instruction, accessibility requirements, and digital safety all at once, often with limited budgets and aging infrastructure.