The USDA Rural Utilities Services announced in the January 28, 2008 Federal Register that the Distance Learning and Telemedicine (DLT) application window is open for FY 2008. The funding includes $29,790,000 for grants, for the combination of loans/grants, and for loans. Of the funding available, it is expected that $24,763,815 will be available for the 100% grants with the balance to be used for combination loan/grants.
A combination of loans/grants will be offered at a special rate for electronic medical records systems projects. The loan-to-grant ratio for this special combination loan/grant program will be 4:1. For this special program, it is anticipated that $10 million will be available for loans that are paired with $2,500,000 in grants, for a total of $12,500,000.
Grants may be used to fund telecommunications-enabled information, audio and video equipment, and related advanced technologies to extend educations and medical applications into rural locations. Loan and combination loan grants may be used to fund projects where the benefit is primarily at the same location as the source of service.
Eligibility for grants, combination loan/grants, and loans can be organizations, partnerships, Indian tribes or tribal organizations, state and local governments, consortiums, private corporations organized as for-profit or not-for-profit, and electric and telecommunications borrowers. Individuals are not directly eligible for the DLT program.
The deadline is April 14, 2008 for FY 2008 funding. For more details and information, go to the January 28, 2008 Federal Register, email dltinfo@usda.gov, call (202) 720-0413, or fax (202) 720-1051.
