Low-Income Households Can Apply for Discounted Broadband Service

The Ossining School District is partnering with the Federal Communications Commission to build awareness about the Affordable Connectivity Program, which provides low-income households with discounts on broadband service.

The $14 billion program provides a discount of up to $30 a month toward the cost of broadband service for eligible households and up to $75 a month for qualifying households on qualifying Tribal lands. It also offers a household discount of up to $100 for a one-time purchase of a computer, laptop or tablet if the household contributes more than $10 and less than $50 toward the equipment through a participating broadband provider.

To be eligible, one member of a household must meet at least one of the criteria below:

• Has an income that is at or below 200% of the federal poverty guidelines;
• Participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, Medicaid, Federal Public Housing Assistance, SSI, WIC or Lifeline;
• Is approved to receive benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
• Received a federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
• Meets the eligibility criteria for a participating broadband provider’s existing low-income program;
• Participates in one of several Tribal-specific programs, such as the Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal Head Start (only households meeting the relevant income-qualifying standard) Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations.

Eligible households can enroll through a participating broadband provider, or by going to ACPBenefit.org to submit an online application (or print a mail-in application) and contacting a preferred participating broadband provider and selecting a plan. For more information on the Emergency Broadband Benefit, visit www.fcc.gov/ACP, or call 877-384-2575 between 9 a.m. and 9 p.m. any day of the week.