Tech
Where to check for help with household internet costs
Federal support in this area has changed repeatedly, which is why no figure or programme name here would stay accurate for long.
Programmes supporting household internet costs have been created, funded and wound down several times, and more than one has ended while articles about it stayed online. Anything stating a current amount or a current programme name should be checked against the regulator's own page before it is relied on.
What has been more stable is provider-level support. Most major internet providers run low-cost plans for households meeting certain conditions, often tied to participation in another public programme. These are provider products rather than government ones, with their own applications.
Many states and cities also fund digital inclusion programmes, sometimes including devices and training alongside connectivity. Public libraries are frequently the local hub for these and will know what is running.
The authoritative starting point is the Federal Communications Commission's consumer pages, which say what is currently funded. A directory that has not been updated is worse than no directory.
What to do next. Check the FCC's current consumer page, then ask providers serving your address about their own low-cost plans.
studentaid.gov outranks this page. Rules, figures and dates change
between academic years. This is written to help you read the official sources, not to
stand in front of them. Start there.
Nothing here is a determination. We cannot tell you what you qualify
for, and no website can. The programme and the office that runs it decide that, after
you apply.
Still have a question?
Describe what you are trying to work out and a member of the team will answer, or direct you to the office that makes the decision.