ACP FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

$30 per month for broadband ($75 per month for households on Tribal landes), as well as a one-time credit of $100 towards the purchase of a device (laptop, desktop, tablet) through a participating provider.

In order to receive the $100 discount towards a device, you must pay more than $10 but less than $50 towards the purchase yourself.

No, the ACP only provides on monthly internet service discount and a one-time discount towards a device.

The ACP is currently estimated to last for five years but may continue for longer if more funding is added.

Yes. However, the ACP benefit can only be applied to one internet service at a time. This means it cannot be applied to both a home broadband connection and a phone plan at the same time.

No, you must re-enroll with your service provider each year. However, you do not have to reapply on National Verifier if you have already applied and been approved.

For the purpose of the Affordable Connectvity Program, a “household” is defined as a gorup of people who live together and share money even if they are not related to each other.

The following examples can apply for one ACP benefit:

• A married couple who lives together
• A parent/guardian and child who live together
• An adult who lives with friends or family who provide financial support

Source

One member of the household must meet one of the following qualifications:

• Participates in Lifeline
• Income Eligibility:
  • 200% of the federal poverty guidelines
• Participates in a government assistance program:
  • SNAP
  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance
  • Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
  • WIC
• Dependent participates in Free and Reduced Price School Meal program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current academic year
• Participates in a Tribal specific program:
  • 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

When applying on the National Verifier, you may be asked to provide documents to demonstrate eligibility. 

To show income eligibility:

• Prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return
• Current income statement from employwer or a paycheck stub
• 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
• Retire/pension statement of benefits

To show participation in a government program:

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

If the household qualifies for the ACP through a dependent who participats in free or reduced lunch/breakfast, or if their dependent’s school is in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), the applicant will need to provide documentation that shows the student’s enrollment in the qualifying year. Examples include a report card, student ID, transcript, or an official school document that sates the school name, student’s name, and school year. 

Yes! Please reference the enrollment FAQs for more information.

If an applicant is paid under the able but has an ITIN, they can use this number to verify their identity. However, the best solution would be to qualify under another criteria such as enrolling in one of the government assistance programs or applying through another person in their household who qualifies.

Undocumented immigrants may qualify for the ACP if they are eligible for government assistance such as WIC. 

Government assistance programs typically require immigrant applicants to be a lawful permanent resident (LPR) and have resided as a legal resident for at least five years (“five-year bar”). Certain groups such as refugees, asylum grantees, Cuban/Haitian/and certain Amerasian immigrants, and others are exempt from this five-year bar. Individuals on non-immigrant and temporary visa holders are ineligible for government assistance.

However, if you qualify for the ACP under the income requirement or participation government assistance program but have resided as a legal resident for less than five years, you may still apply for the ACP.

All children who are U.S. citizens can qualify for federal benefits regardless of their parents’ citizenship status. If your child participates in a government assistance program (SNAP, Medicaid, etc.), or receives free and reduced lunch or breakfast, or received a Federal Pell grant during the current award year, you can still apply on their behalf.

Not all of these may be required but are helpful to have before starting the enrollment process.

• Internet bill (if you already have internet)
• Public benefits letter with the name of the internet account holder
• Last 4 digits of your Social Security Number or other form of identification
• Email adress used for internet service

One member of the household must meet one of the following qualifications:

• Participates in Lifeline
• Income Eligibility:
  • 200% of the federal poverty guidelines
• Participates in a government assistance program:
  • SNAP
  • Medicaid
  • Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
  • Federal Public Housing Assistance
  • Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit
  • WIC
• Dependent participates in Free and Reduced Price School Meal program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)
• Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current academic year
• Participates in a Tribal specific program:
  • 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

Do not include any accent marks or other diacritics when applying on the National Verifier. 

If you do not have internet already, you should contact an internet service provider first. Once you have an account set up with an internet service provider, you can then immediately apply on National Verifier and then for the ACP benefit.

Creating an account on National Verifier is typically a quick process (around 5-10 minutes). It can take around 10-15 minutes to be approved or rejected.

Once you have your approved application ID and you apply it to your internet service account, it can take another two days to receive confirmation. 

If your application on National Verifier is rejected, it typically means you need to provide additional documentation. Sometimes you must submit your documents up to three times before getting approved. 

See more information on how to provide additional documentation.

Unhoused individuals who reside at a shelter may use the shelter address when applying. They may need to submit a Household Worksheet to indicate that they do not share income with someone else at the shelter who may already receive the ACP.

Unhoused individuals may also list “123 Homeless” as their address on the enrollment form.

Applying the ACP benefit to a phone service plan instead of a broadband service may be more ideal for individuals experiencing houselessness.

Yes, you may change to a different provider at any time. However, the one-time discount towards the purchase of a device can only be used once per household.

We recommend that customers plan for their ACP benefit to end starting in April 2024. 

We suggest taking the following steps:

1. Look at your internet bill to see how much of a discount you receive. 
2. Double-check to see if you owe money on any past bills. If you owe money, your internet provider may stop your service completely after the ACP ends.
3. Decide if you are able to pay your internet service without the ACP discount. 

• • If you CAN pay the full bill amount, you do not need to do anything.
  • If you CANNOT pay the full bill amount, look for other free or low-cost internet plans in your area.

We are here to help! If you need assistance deciding what to do or researching alternative internet plans, please contact us at digitalinclusion@neighborhoodallies.org or call 412) 525-7405.

If you are currently receiving the ACP benefit, you should receive at least three notices from your internet service provider.

The first should have been sent on January 25, 2024 telling you that the ACP was ending.

The second should come when the federal government announces the last month that everyone can receive the full ACP discount. This notice should tell you:

• ACP is ending
• How your bill will change without the ACP discount
• The date of the last bill you will get the discount
• Your right to change or end your service after the ACP ends with no cost to you

The third notice should come with the last bill where you will receive the FULL ACP discount. You may receive a smaller discount the following month.

If you decide that you want to switch to a different plan or a different provider, we recommend that you do this BEFORE the third notice to ensure that you are able to transition your service smoothly.