Affordable Connectivity Program

The Affordable Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and a one-time connected device discount per eligible household.

The ACP will continue until funds run out (currently there are enough funds to support the program for an estimated five years, and that is before any additional funding is added). The ACP is therefore considered a long-term benefit.

A member of a household only has to meet one of the criteria, such as income at 200% of the federal poverty level, participation in a government assistance program, such as Medicaid or SNAP, or through a dependent who is on free and reduced lunch or who attends a school that participates in the Community Eligibility Provision. For more information see ACP Eligibility Qualifications.

Participation in Lifeline

Income Eligibility

• 200% of the federal poverty guidelines

Participation in government assistance programs:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Medicaid
• Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
• Federal Public Housing Assistance
• Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
• Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC)

Participation in Free and Reduced Price School Meal program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)

Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current year

Tribal specific programs:

• Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
• Head Start (only households meeting the income qualifying standard)
• Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations

200% ofthe federal poverty level:

• Family of 1: $25,760
• Family of 2: $34,840
• Family of 3: $43,920
• Family of 4: $53,000
• Family of 5: $62,080

The household may have to provide documents to demonstrate eligibility depending on the criterion they choose during the application process. Acceptable documents to show income include:

• Prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return
• Current income statement from your employer or a paycheck stub
• A Social Security statement of benefits
• Veterans Administration statement of benefits
• Unemployment or Worker’s Compensation statement of benefits
• Divorce decree, child support award, or a similar official document showing your income
• A retirement/pension statement of benefits

Acceptable documents to show participation in a qualifying government program include:

• Benefit award letter
• Approval letter
• Statement of benefits
• Benefit verification letter

If the household is qualifying through a dependent, for instance if the student participates in the free or reduced lunch or breakfast program, or if their school participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), the family will need to provide documentation showing the student’s
enrollment in the qualifying year, such as a report card or an official school document that states the school name, student’s name, and school year. Districts may want to prepare a letter for families confirming their student’s enrollment. The family may also provide an eligibility letter for the free or reduced lunch or breakfast program.

It would depend on a case-by-case basis. The easiest would be to qualify under one of the other criteria. If, for instance, the participant is enrolled in one of the federal programs (i.e. SNAP or Medicaid), the recommendation would be to qualify using that. Another option would be if someone else in the household qualifies (i.e. a student who attends a CEP school), that would also be an option.

The household will need to reapply if the way they were eligible was through a dependent. If the dependent is still attending a CEP school or is eligible for the free and reduced meal program at another.

Households may need to have some sort of documentation – the last four digits of a social security
number is generally easiest and fastest but other forms of identity such as a Driver’s license are fine.

If they decide to qualify through their student or dependent, the applicant will need to provide
identification for their student/dependent, such as the last four digits of their Social Security number. Examples of documents:

• Valid government, military, state, or Tribal ID
• Birth certificate
• U.S. driver’s license
• Passport
• Certificate of U.S. citizenship or naturalization
• Permanent residence card or Green card
• Government assistance program document
• Individual taxpayer identification number (ITIN) document (does not need to include date of birth)

More information about identity qualification.

Yes! We’ve found that this is fine.

Eligible households are able to sign-up for any internet service provided by a participating Internet service provider, including those that they may already be participating in.

Credit checks are prohibited as a condition of household participation in a service plan. Service providers are also prohibited from up or down-selling customers on any plans. They also cannot conduct a credit check or make them sign a contract.

Eligible households cannot be excluded based on prior debt with a participating provider. However, if families have non-payment for 90 days (from the bills’ due date(s) after enrolling and participating in ACP), the family can be de-enrolled as long as the Internet service provider gives notice after 30 and 60 days. Re-enrollment with the same service provider after de-enrollment is up to the service provider.

No. It cannot be applied to phone or cable, data overage charges, or other non-Internet products or equipment.

Consumers can change to a different participating provider at any time. They are not locked into the
company that they first enrolled with in the program. However, the device discount can only be used once per eligible household, even if the household changes providers.

Yes! Especially with the ACP and the fact that the consumer can choose whichever plan they wish. If they qualify for the ACP, they complete the online application, receive a code, and then contact the provider that they wish to apply their benefit to their current plan.

Yes. Once an account is created, the applicant can save the application and then log back into their account.

The username may have already been used by another applicant and this does not necessarily mean that someone has applied in their name. Have the applicant try a different username.

They can still apply! As long as only one person in the household is applying for the benefit, they can still apply. When they contact the Internet service provider, they may need to provide the account holder’s information (such as date or birthdate) along with their verification code.

Families can apply for the ACP by entering the address of the shelter where they reside. As others reside at this address who may also have an ACP benefit, the applicant must fill out a household worksheet and upload the worksheet with their application.

Families can choose to find a plan that supports mobile internet. By using the Companies Near Me Tool, families can search for providers listed as “ACP Mobile.”

Try to gather their contact information and the language support they need and ESH will follow-up.

Ask if there is a family member or someone else available that can help them walk through the process together.

Ask if another family member has an email account that can be used. If this is not possible, ask for follow-up information and we can both provide this how-to but also walk them through setting up an email account.

Additionally, some mobile providers have one-way emails that customers can use (customers can receive but not send emails). Some examples are below:

• AT&T – phonenumber@txt.att.net
• T-Mobile – phonenumber@tmomail.net
• Sprint – phonenumber@messaging.sprintpcs.com
• Verizon – phonenumber@vtext.com or phonenumber@vzwpix.com
• Virgin Mobile – phonenumber@vmbol.com

The subscriber in this transaction is a duplicate of another subscriber. Please contact USAC at ACPSupport@usac.org.