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Know Someone Who Can't Afford Internet Access? Check Out the Biden/Harris ACP! [1]
['This Content Is Not Subject To Review Daily Kos Staff Prior To Publication.']
Date: 2023-07-26
You may know of the Lifeline program, which provides cellular phone service to Americans living in poverty…but did you know that the Biden/Harris Administration created an even broader program, known as the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)? Here’s the thumbnail description from the FCC’s ACP page:
The Affordable Connectivity Program is an FCC benefit program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband they need for work, school, healthcare and more. The benefit provides a discount of up to $30 per month toward internet service for eligible households and up to $75 per month for households on qualifying Tribal lands.
Households are automatically eligible for the ACP if household income is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines; the 200% levels for 2023 are:
Household Size 48 Contiguous States, D.C., and Territories Alaska Hawaii 1 $29,160 $36,420 $33,540 2 $39,440 $49,280 $45,360 3 $49,720 $62,140 $57,180 4 $60,000 $75,000 $69,000 5 $70,280 $87,860 $80,820 6 $80,560 $100,720 $92,640 7 $90,840 $113,580 $104,460 8 $101,120 $126,440 $116,280 For each additional person, add: $10,280 $12,860 $11,820
Households can also qualify for the ACP if any member of the household meets at least one of these criteria:
Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating provider's existing low-income internet program;
Participates in one of these assistance programs: Free and Reduced-Price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, including at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provision schools. SNAP Medicaid Federal Housing Assistance, including: Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program (Section 8 Vouchers) Project-Based Rental Assistance (PBRA)/Section 202/ Section 811 Public Housing Affordable Housing Programs for American Indians, Alaska Natives or Native Hawaiians Supplemental Security Income (SSI) WIC Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits or Lifeline;
Participates in one of these assistance programs and lives on Qualifying Tribal lands: Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance Tribal TANF Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations Tribal Head Start (income based)
Now, here’s a BIG difference between the ACP and Lifeline:
Eligible households can also receive a one-time discount of up to $100 to purchase a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet from participating providers if they contribute more than $10 and less than $50 toward the purchase price.
I reviewed several ACP mobile Internet providers in my area, and some offer ACP customers an unlimited talk/text/data 4G service, an Android smartphone, and a cellular-capable Android tablet for a one-time payment ranging from $10.01 to $25. For their part, several of the home Internet providers offer discounted prices on refurbished name-brand laptops and desktops. (You can check out participating providers in your area without submitting an application.)
If you know anyone who may be eligible for the ACP, help them reach affordableconnectivity.gov for further details; they can also apply online or print out a mail-in application from there.
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https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2023/7/26/2183379/-Know-Someone-Who-Can-t-Afford-Internet-Access-Check-Out-the-Biden-Harris-ACP
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