How to see if you qualify for discounted internet access
For many families, that’s a savings of $30/month. And for those living in tribal lands, this discount goes up to $75/month.
Those discounts are thanks to the FCC’s Affordable Connectivity Program, which launched earlier this year to try to narrow the country’s digital divide. And even if you don’t benefit directly from the program, you could be doing someone in your life a real favor by letting them know the ACP exists. So take a minute to learn how it works.
Luckily, the process boils down to three steps.
1. Find out if you qualify
There are several ways you can qualify for the ACP. For example, your household could fall below a certain income limit. A family of four in the continental US bringing in less than $55,500 per year qualify for the discount. If you or someone in your household is on Medicaid, is on a veteran’s pension, or received a Pell grant to attend college this year, you also receive a discount.
Visit the Affordable Connectivity Program website for the full list of qualifiers.
This is also a good time to make sure your ISP – or one you plan to use – is participating in the program. Most major ISPs participate in the ACP, including Verizon, AT&T, and Xfinity, but smaller, more regional companies may not.
The best way to verify this is to visit this website, created by the Universal Service Administrative Company, the organization that actually runs the program. Unfortunately, we’ve encountered situations where this website won’t load results even if there are participating businesses in a certain area – if this happens to you, try calling the ISP directly.
2. Fill out an application
If you qualify for the ACP—or want to double-check—go to the Affordable Connectivity Program website to start working on an application. (Don’t worry: you don’t have to print and mail the form unless you really want to.)
This online form asks for things like your name, address, and a way to verify your identity — think the last four digits of your social security number or some other form of government-issued ID. Depending on how you qualify, you may be asked to provide other information such as proof of income.
3. Contact your ISP
Once your ACP application is approved by USAC, you are almost home free. Now all you have to do is contact your ISP to activate this monthly discount. In some cases you can do this directly on your provider’s website, but a call to their customer service line will do the trick.
One more thing to note: some of these companies also offer low-cost internet plans designed to be used with the ACP rebate, meaning you or someone you know could potentially get online for free (or almost). be able.