PETERBOROUGH – Superintendent Kimberly Rizzo Saunders and the ConVal School District encourage eligible members of the school community to register for a federal program to make broadband service more affordable.
The Affordable Connectivity Program, overseen by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), provides multiple benefits:
A discount of up to a $30 per month toward broadband service for eligible households.
- A $100, one-time per household discount toward a purchase of a computer, laptop, or tablet. The household must contribute $10 to $50 toward the purchase through a participating broadband provider.
A household is eligible if one member meets one or more of the following criteria:
- Has an income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines
- Participates in 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 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; by visiting ACPBenefit.org to submit an online application or print a mail-in application; or by contacting their preferred participating broadband provider and selecting a plan.
“There should be no barriers to education, and no struggle to obtain information. Connectivity is one of the keys to a 21st century education,” Superintendent Rizzo Saunders said. “Every student should have access to a secure and reliable broadband connection. I encourage any family that is eligible to sign up for this benefit.”
Additional information about the Emergency Broadband Benefit is available at www.fcc.gov/ACP, or by calling 877-384-2575, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m., seven days a week.
