FCC offers $50 monthly internet discount

FCC offering broadband rebate

Having internet isn't a luxury now that it's used for everything from work to bills. So the FCC wants to help keep you connected by offering a monthly rebate of up to $50.

ATLANTA - Having internet is not a luxury. It’s how we go to school, pay our bills, and more. So the FCC wants to keep you connected by offering a monthly rebate of up to $50 on your service.

It's called the Emergency Broadband Benefit. Not only do qualifying households get the $50 rebate, but eligible households can get a one-time, $100 discount with the purchase of a computer or tablet.

There are five eligibility categories.

Income-based: If the household with an income of less than or equal to 135 percent of federal poverty guidelines, you can qualify. An example for a family of four would be $35,775. (If you make a bit more, you may still qualify if you’ve had a hardship.)

Free lunch benefits: If you were approved to receive benefits under the free or reduced lunch program for the last two school years, you should qualify.

Pell Grant: You can also qualify if you were approved to receive benefits under the current award year for a federal Pell Grant.

Substantial income loss: If you experienced this hardship since Feb. 29, 2020, check to see if you qualify. The income thresholds here are $99,000 for a single filer and $198,000 for joint filers.

Other low-income programs: If meet the criteria for another provider’s low-income or COVID-19 program, this could be qualifying.

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