How do I find a school's BEN?

USAC's public Entity Search at usac.org and the open-data entity dataset (59r2-zbdq) return BENs for any registered E-Rate applicant.

Can one entity have multiple BENs?

Generally no — each entity has one BEN. But a school district has its own BEN plus separate BENs for each school it serves.

What's the difference between a BEN and a SPIN?

A BEN identifies an applicant — a school, library, or district. A SPIN identifies a service provider. Every E-Rate commitment links a BEN to a SPIN.

Billed Entity Number

What is BEN?

Published May 7, 2026

Quick answer

A BEN — Billed Entity Number — is the USAC identifier assigned to every E-Rate applicant entity: a school, library, library system, school district, or consortium. BENs appear on Form 470, Form 471, and every related public USAC record. They're how applicants and their funding history are uniquely tracked.

What kinds of entities have BENs?

Schools, school districts, public libraries, library systems, and approved consortia all hold BENs. A multi-school district will have a parent BEN for the district plus a child BEN for each school underneath it.

USAC maintains the entity registry in dataset 59r2-zbdq. Each BEN has an associated entity type, address, NSLP/discount data, and a parent-entity link where applicable.

How are BENs used on filings?

Every Form 470 and Form 471 names a Billed Entity by BEN — the entity that USAC will pay or, in BEAR-mode reimbursements, that requests payment.

Form 471 filings can also include Recipients of Service (ROS) — the schools or libraries that actually receive the service when it differs from the billing entity. ROS are also identified by BEN.

FAQ

Common questions

How do I find a school's BEN?: USAC's public Entity Search at usac.org and the open-data entity dataset (59r2-zbdq) return BENs for any registered E-Rate applicant.
Can one entity have multiple BENs?: Generally no — each entity has one BEN. But a school district has its own BEN plus separate BENs for each school it serves.
What's the difference between a BEN and a SPIN?: A BEN identifies an applicant — a school, library, or district. A SPIN identifies a service provider. Every E-Rate commitment links a BEN to a SPIN.

Track this in real product data.

ERateSignal turns the public USAC datasets behind BEN into a working tool for E-Rate sellers — Form 470 alerts, SPIN market share, and territory analytics on the apex domain.

Form 470 alerts →SPIN market share →Join the waitlist →

This entry summarizes publicly available FCC and USAC guidance for educational purposes and is not legal or procurement advice. Verify all information directly with USAC or qualified counsel before making business decisions. ERateSignal is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by USAC, the FCC, or the U.S. Government.