The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) provides eligible households a discount of up to $30 per month off their internet bills (or up to $75 per month for households living on Tribal lands), as well as a one-time discount of up to $100 off an eligible connected device like a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet. In many cases, households can get high-speed internet without paying a dime by choosing a fully covered internet plan.
On August 8, 2022, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) published an announcement to promote participation in the ACP. This letter serves as a reminder that a household is eligible to participate in the ACP if a child in the household receives free or reduced-price school meals. Therefore, under the ACP rules, every household with a child attending a school participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) of the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program is eligible for ACP benefits is eligible for ACP benefits.
Households can learn more and apply for the ACP at GetInternet.gov.
While this reminder is specific to schools that are participating in CEP, additional information about eligibility for CEP discount benefits can be found in the School Outreach Toolkit (available in English in PDF/Word and Spanish in PDF/Word) which provides information about other ways households can qualify for the ACP— including through an individual student’s participation in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program providing free or reduced price meals; through a household member’s participation in a wide range of other Federal assistance programs like Medicaid, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and many others; or based on the household’s income (up to 200% of the Federal Poverty Level).