Students may be eligible for little to no-cost broadband internet service through the Affordable Connectivity Program, an initiative by the Federal Communication Commission.
Under the ACP, eligible students can receive a monthly $30 credit to cover internet service costs. With Comcast’s Internet Essentials package, the federal benefits program credit would cancel out service costs and provide free internet access for students.
Any student currently receiving federal aid, including those receiving aid under Pell Grant, is qualified to receive this benefit according to the ACP’s info page. Eligibility also includes other assistance programs such as Medicaid, the Women, Infants and Children Supplemental Nutrition Program, the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program and many more. A student may also enroll if they meet particular requirements set forth by the participating internet providers in Georgia.
A study conducted by New Americarevealed that the average monthly cost of internet services between 290 plans was $68.38. Fourteen cities were taken into account and Atlanta had the highest average at $105.36 per month.
Announced on Jan. 1, 2021, the ACP was designed to provide broadband internet access and compatible devices to families who otherwise could not afford it. The program’s origins can be traced to November’s Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, a $1.2 trillion bipartisan plan designed to reinvigorate the nation’s infrastructure, particularly its “transportation and drinking water”, according to Road and Bridges.
President Joe Biden expanded on the program’s merits by speaking on the homework gap, the divide between kids with and without homework, and the increasingly common occurrence of a “[parent] driving up to a…McDonald’s…just so…their kid could do their homework.”
As reported by WCNC Charlotte, the IIJA has granted $14.2 billion to the ACP, money used to give homes a monthly discount on their internet costs up to $30, bumped up to $75 for those living on tribal land; in addition, participants may contribute between $10 and $50 to be awarded a one time $100 discount for the purchase of a mobile device.
According to a May 2022 NCES study, 75% of the nation’s undergraduate students during the Fall 2020 semester were enrolled in at least one online course. 44% of undergraduate students were completing their courses exclusively through an online platform. Compared to data collected in 2019, enrollment in at least one online course has increased by 97%. This data reflects changes in postsecondary education system modalities after the initial peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ACP website provides resources to check for personal qualifications, review steps of enrollment, and locate providers associated with the program. Students may register with the program by filling out an online application or applying through the mail with a service provider.