Assistance Listing 32.005
UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - RURAL HEALTH CARE
FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION
Assistance Listing 32.005, “UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - RURAL HEALTH CARE,” is a federal program administered by FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION. It provides direct payment for specified use assistance. GrantsJunction currently tracks 0 open, 0 forecasted and 0 closed opportunities under this listing. The agency reported $678M in obligations for fiscal year 2025.
- Not a competitive grantThis program provides direct payment for specified use rather than competitive grants. There is usually no grant application to submit. calculated by GrantsJunction
- Funding down 13% (FY24→FY25)Actual obligations reported in the SAM.gov listing changed -13% from FY2024 to FY2025. Historical data, not a prediction. calculated by GrantsJunction
Program objective
The Rural Health Care Program, one of the FCC’s Universal Service Fund programs, provides funding to eligible health care providers for telecommunications and broadband services necessary for the provision of health care. The goal of the program is to improve the quality of health care available to patients in rural communities by ensuring that eligible health care providers have access to telecommunications and broadband services. The Rural Health Care Program is currently made up of two programs: the Telecommunications Program and the Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) Program. The Telecommunications Program, established in 1997, subsidizes the difference between urban and rural rates for telecommunications services. Under the Telecommunications Program, eligible rural health care providers can obtain rates on telecommunications services in rural areas that are reasonably comparable to rates charged for similar services in corresponding urban areas. The HCF Program, established in 2012, promotes the use of broadband services and facilitates the formation of health care provider consortia that include both rural and urban health care providers by providing a flat 65% discount on an array of advanced telecommunications and information services. These services include internet access, dark fiber, business data, traditional digital service line (DSL), and private carriage services. Universal service has been defined by Congress as “an evolving level of telecommunications services . . . taking into account advances in telecommunications and information technologies and services.”
As published in the SAM.gov Assistance Listing.
Current opportunities under 32.005
No open or forecasted opportunities are currently posted under this listing. Programs often post notices on an annual cycle — see recently closed opportunities below for timing.
Eligible applicants (program level)
- Other
Eligible health care providers include: (1) post-secondary educational institutions offering health care instruction, including teaching hospitals and medical schools; (2) community health centers or health centers providing health care to migrants; (3) local health departments or agencies; (4) community mental health centers; (5) not-for-profit hospitals; (6) rural health clinics; (7) skilled nursing facilities (as defined in 42 USC § 1395i-3(a)) and (8) consortium of health care providers consisting of one or more entities falling into the first seven categories. In addition, eligible health care providers must be non-profit or public.
Program-level eligibility from SAM.gov. Each funding notice sets its own requirements.
Reported obligations by fiscal year
Historical data · not a predictionFrequently asked questions
What is ALN 32.005?
32.005 is the Assistance Listing Number for “UNIVERSAL SERVICE FUND - RURAL HEALTH CARE.” Assistance Listing Numbers (formerly CFDA numbers) identify federal assistance programs; individual grant opportunities reference the listing they are funded under.
Who can apply under ALN 32.005?
The SAM.gov listing names these applicant types: Other. Each funding notice under the program sets its own eligibility, so check the specific opportunity.
How much funding does 32.005 provide?
The agency reported $678,129,226 in obligations for FY2025 in the SAM.gov Assistance Listing. These are program-wide totals reported by the agency, not a prediction of future awards.