The Internet is a technology that allows computers to communicate. When you visit a website using your smartphone, tablet, or laptop, you usually get various information as long as you have an active internet connection. Your computer must communicate with another computer somewhere to get the results. Many Americans cannot afford the internet and laptop due to financial challenges. This article explains how you can get a free government internet and laptop.
When Covid’19 came to the world, most people entered into serious financial challenges because many companies closed down due to the restrictions imposed by governments across the world. In the United States, thousands of Americans lost their jobs while others had to work at home and lacked the necessary machines to execute their duties.
Such people relied on people of goodwill to push on with their lives. The government was involved in helping the needy through the Emergency Broadband Benefit program to push on with life and still helping even today, as we shall see shortly.
Even before Covid’19, the government was still helping the less privileged Americans to access cheap phone plans and free government phones. If you have heard about the Lifeline program that has been helping people over the years, then you know the great work done by the government. Some only know about Obama phones, and maybe are unaware of Lifeline. The Obama phone is part of Lifeline and still existed in the earlier days.
How to get free government internet and laptop
You must apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) to get free government internet and a laptop. The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is an FCC benefit program that ensures that eligible households can afford the broadband they require for school, work, healthcare, and more.
The ACP benefit gives you a discount of $30 per month for internet service for the qualifying households and up to $75 every month for households within the qualifying Tribal lands. Eligible families can receive a one-time discount that can go up to $100 to buy a desktop computer, laptop, or tablet from the participating service providers if they contribute at least $10 and less than $50 toward the buying price. That is how you can get a laptop from the government.
The government laptop is not entirely free, bearing in mind that you have to contribute something small to cater to the buying price of the device. However, the internet can be free since service providers can tailor plans to suit the government discount. You may also purchase additional data if the current offer is not sufficient.
For your understanding, the Affordable Connectivity Program is a single monthly service discount limited per household. That means two people in a household cannot benefit from the offer from the government.
Apply For Free Laptop
How do you qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program
You must qualify to apply for the ACP program and get a free laptop from the government. There are various ways you can qualify for the program. The first way you can qualify is through income. A household can qualify for the Affordable Connectivity Program if the household income is at 200% or below the Federal Poverty Guidelines. Initially, it used to fall at or below 135% but has since raised to the above percentage.
Also, a household can qualify if a member of the household meets one or more of the criteria below:
- Received a Federal Pell Grant within the current award year;
- Meets the eligibility requirements for a participating service provider’s existing low-income internet program;
- Participates in one or more of the following assistance programs:
- Lifeline
- The National School Lunch Program
- The School Breakfast Program
- SNAP
- Federal Public Housing Assistance
- Medicaid
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- WIC
- Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits
Also, you may qualify if any member of the household participates in one of the following assistance programs and resides on Qualifying Tribal lands:
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations
- Tribal Head Start (income-based)
- Tribal TANF
How do you apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program
There are two main steps you can follow to enroll. You should first visit Affordable Connectivity and apply. You may also print out a mail-in application to the agency. The details below are essential when sending your mail application.
ACP Support Center
PO Box 7081
London, KY 40742
You should remember to include all the necessary documents to ensure your application goes through. Once you finish your application, you should contact your preferred participating cellular network service provider to choose a plan and have the discount applied to your bill.
Also, you can apply on the websites of some service providers since there is that provision. It becomes easier. When applying, you must present documents to prove that you qualify for the service. The following are some of the documents you should present.
- A valid government, state, military, or Tribal ID
- Birth Certificate
- Passport
- US Driver’s license
- Permanent Resident Card or Green Card
- Certificate of US Citizenship or Naturalization
- Government assistance program document
Does Lifeline offer free internet and laptops
Lifeline is a federal government program that subsidizes communication plans for eligible households through their service providers. Additionally, beneficiaries get a free phone from the government to use with their plans.
You get free minutes, data, and SMS when you qualify for the program. Therefore, you can get free internet through Lifeline. Unfortunately, the program does not offer free laptops to the needy. However, by cellular carriers or non government organizations your are able to get free laptop like HP, ACER , Dell, and MacBook also through Lifeline qualifications. It only acts as a qualifier for the Affordable Connectivity Program that allows you to get a free government laptop once you pay the required amount.
Can you get a free laptop without paying
We have seen that the Affordable Connectivity Program requires you to pay between $10 to $50 to get a government subsidy to buy a laptop. However, some organizations can give you a free laptop without paying; some even offer free or subsidized internet access. They include the following.
i) On It Foundation
The On It Foundation works with education institutions, businesses, etc., to help in the technological advancement of the country’s disadvantaged youth. The On It Foundation’s mission is to donate free computers and computer training plus Internet access to low-income households to students who live in the United States.
To apply for a free laptop, a parent/guardian must write to the organization requesting a free device. They must provide their name, phone number, signature, and address. Also, they should provide Student’s Name, Age, Grade, School Name, School Address, and school phone information.
ii) PCs For People
PCs for People recycle electronics and give refurbished computers to low-income families. Through electronic reuse, the organization gives low-income people an opportunity to benefit from the impact of computers and low-cost internet. The devices enable access to better education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. As we speak, the company has distributed over 180,000 computers to needy people.
The good thing with PCs For People is that it also provides you with cheap internet to stay connected.
iii) Computers 4 R Kids
The non-profit organization provides laptops for south California kids, whereby the organization gets its laptops and other material from government donations, businesses, and companies. It provides computers at a low cost or as gifts to schools and households. The organization also aims to create computer labs to steer research, thus making education easier.
iv) Freecycle
The Freecycle Network is a non-governmental organization that offers free laptops to eligible persons. Its grassroots involve people giving (and getting) goods for free in their locations and avoiding throwing things into the landfills. The organization accepts memberships from all willing people, whereby you can become a member for free. Once you join, you can also invite friends to sign up. To get a free laptop, you can create a post about what you want, and then members can see and help you accordingly.
v) Computer With Causes
Computers with Causes is a non-profit giving platform that offers free laptops on an individual and corporate level. You can apply for a laptop on the platform’s website. If eligible, you may get a device to use for your activities. You can also donate a computer to the organization so that a needy person may get the device.
vi) Alliance For Technology
The Alliance for Technology has several growing non-profit technology refurbishers to increase awareness of their organization’s contributions to needy people. As a member of the platform, you can pledge your support to the organization and provide low-cost or free technology to needy persoqns. You can also apply for a laptop if you are a needy person looking for help.
Bottom line
A laptop allows you to carry out various activities for your school or work. It is, therefore, one of the most important devices you should have. You require internet to use with your laptop to execute various activities. Numerous households need laptops, yet they cannot have them due to financial challenges.
During the Covid’19 era, thousands of Americans lost their jobs and found it difficult to afford basic needs. The government introduced the Emergency Broadband Benefit program to help the affected families.