Jamesville-DeWitt Central School District households in need of internet access may apply for service through the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP), a federal program that helps low-income households pay for broadband service and internet connected devices, such as a laptop or tablet.
The grant that the district had secured from the Emergency Connectivity Fund to pay for eligible households in the district to receive high-speed broadband internet access through Spectrum expired on Dec. 31.
“There’s no question that students need connectivity at home,” said Philip Luckette, J-D’s technology coordinator. “We tried supporting their at-home technology needs with hot spots, but they did not provide enough speed for students to successfully use their devices at home. With the Emergency Connectivity Fund expiring, we want to make sure families are aware of another possible assistance option.”
Families may be eligible for ACP funds if their household income is below 200% of the Federal Poverty Line or if someone in the household receives a government benefit, such as SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, Pell Grant or Free and Reduced-Price Lunch.
Eligible households could receive:
- Up to a $30 per month discount on internet service;
- Up to a $75 per month discount if the household is on qualifying Tribal lands;
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, tablet or desktop computer (with a co-payment of more than $10 but less than $50); and
- A low-cost service plan that may be fully covered through the ACP
Information about eligibility and how to apply is available on the Affordable Connectivity Program’s website.