In today’s world, internet access is essential for work, school, health service, entertainment, legal and Government services etc. But unfortunately , a good amount of people of our country do not have the opportunity to get internet service. Considering this , government takes steps to help these people by making the internet affordable for them. The creation of Affordable Connectivity Program is the result of this realization. To help government to be successful in this mission, TruConnect Comes forward and takes part in the Affordable Connectivity program(ACP). TruConnect is an American Mobile Virtual Network Operator(MVNO). It gives all its effort to work with the government to make the internet affordable for all the people of the country.
In the affordable connectivity program, TruConnect Offers a free phone and a phone package that has unlimited talk, text and data. And they offer it for eligible households only.They also offer a discount of up to $30 for the internet expense fior eligible households (Non –Tribal), and a discount of up to $75 for eligible Tribal households. They also offer a discount of $100 for a device like desktop, laptop or tablet.
All the households are not eligible for receiving TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program. In this section we are going to know about the eligibility criteria for TruConnect affordable Connectivity Program.
Eligibility Requirements for TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program
The following requirements are needed to show that you are eligible for the TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program.
Eligibility based on your Income
You are considered to be qualified for the TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program if your or your household’s annual income is equal to or less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines.
Participation Based Eligibility
Participation based eligibility is determined by your or your household member’s participation in the Federal Government Assistance Programs. If you or one of your household members participates in one or more of the following programs. then you are eligible for TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program.
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI).
- Federal Public Housing Assistance(FPHA).
- Veterans Pension or Survivors Benefit.
- Medicaid.
- Free or Reduced-price School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program at U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Community Eligibility Provition Schools in the 2021-22, 2020-21,or 2019-20, School year.
- Achieve a Federal Pell Grant in the current award year.
- Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for WIC(Women, infants and children).
Eligibility Through Tribal Assistance Program
If you reside in the qualifying Tribal Lands, then you can ber eligible for the TruConnect ACP, if your or your houdsehold’s income equals to or less than 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or if you or one from your household takes part in the following Programs:
- Any of the above mentioned Federal Assisatance Programs.
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance.
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families(TANF).
- Head Start (Only Households meeting the income qualifying standartd).
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR).
You will be eligible if you already have Lifeline Benefits
Lifeline is a benefit program of US government and it is maintained by Federal Communications Commission (FCC). FCC’s Lifeline Program makes communication services affordable for low-income families of the US. If you are qualified or a beneficier of the lifeline program, then you automatically qualified for the TruConnect ACP Program.
To know about your all requirements or eligibility to apply for the Affordable Connectivity Program, you may visit their official website.
We frequently use the term “Household”. Let’s know about it to get a clear vision of household concept.
A household is a group of people who live together and share money even if they are not related to each other. If you live together and share money, you are one household. But if you either don’t live together or you don’t share money, then you are two or more separate household.
let’s consider these examples of one and multiple households. A married couple who live together is considered as one household , as they live together and share money.
on the other hand, six persons , who live together, but do not share money, are considered as six separate households. And also if they share money but do not live together, then they are also cosidered as six separate households.
To continue with the TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program, you must accept some rules. These are:
- You must use your free TruConnect ACP service at least once every month, or it will be terminated.
- Your TruConnect ACP Benefit is Non-transferable. That means you cannot transfer your ACP Benefit to any other individual or household, though they are qualified for the ACP.
- Always remember to apply only when you are eligible for the Benefit.
- To enroll in the TruConnect ACP, you are required to submit your proof of eligibility.
- Only one TruConnect ACP Benefit is permitted per household.
- You must recertify every year to prove that you are still eligible for the TruConnect ACP Benefit.
Note: The Affordable Connectivity Program will stop accepting new applications and enrollments on February 7, 2024. So consumers must be approved and enrolled with a service provider by 11:59 p.m ET on February 7th to receive the ACP benefits. The existing ACP beneficiaries will continue to receive their ACP benefits for at least April 2024. This date is an estimate and may change.
Apply For The TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program
To apply for the TruConnect ACP, first check that you are eligible for the Affordable Connectivity Program. If you are already a beneficier of Lifeline then you can directly be enrolled in the ACP . And for this you do not need to apply for the ACP again.
There are three ways to apply for the TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program.
- Apply through FCC’s website.
- Apply via Mail.
- Apply through TruConnect’s Website.
The processes are described below.
1. Apply through FCC’s Website
You can apply for the TruConnect ACP through FCC’s Website. Just log into login page. It will take you to ACP’s official website. From this website you can directly fill up the FCC’s national verifier form. Fill up the form. Now choose TruConnect as your preferred provider.
Upload all the necessary documents’ soft copy with the application and submit the application.
2. Apply via Mail
To apply via mail, at first you need to print out the application form from ACP’s official website. You can print out in English or Spanish as your requirement. You also need to print a copy of the household worksheet and filled it out. Now send the completed application with completed household worksheet and all your proof document to:
ACP Support Center
PO Box 7081,
London, KY 40742.
3. Apply Through TruConnect
You can directly log in to their website and apply from there. Their web address: “truconnect.com”. There, you need to enter your Zip Code and email address , and then tap apply now. Follow the steps and it is done.
Renew Your TruConnect ACP
You have to renew your TruConnect ACP service each year to stay connected with the program. The reason for this is to certify that you or your household is still eligible for the TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Program.
Documents For Apply TruConnect Affordable Connectivity Programs
With the application you have to submit the following documents to prove your identity, address, annual income, date of birth, etc. Let’s know about these details:
- Documents needed to prove that you have taken part in the Federal Government’s assistance Program:
- An approval or benefits letter for Medicaid or SNAP.
- Summary letter of survivors benefits.
- A screen shot of the online portal also do.
Check that your Documents have the following information:
- Your name , or your dependent’s name.
- The name of the qualifying program.
- The name of the government, or Tribal Agency that issued the document.
- An issued date within the last 12 months or future expiration date.
If you or your dependent participated in an education related Program:
- A document from the school or school district that shows a member of the household receives free or reduced-price School Lunch or School Breakfast for the current year or School year immediately preceding the a application.
- A School Document that shows the student is enrolled in a CEP school for the relevant School year.
- A written letter from the student’s school or the Department of Education that the student has received a Pell Grant for the current award year.
If you qualify through Income
The following Documents are needed, if you qualify through income.
- Prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal Tax Return.
- Social Security Benefit Statement.
Check that the Documents have the following information.
- Your name, or your dependent’s name.
- Current Income Information.
- If you submit pay stubs, then you have to submit three consecutive months of pay stubs.
- An issued date within the lastly 12 months or prior year tax document.
To Prove your Address
To prove that your address is valid , you have to submit the following Documents:
- A map that shows your physical address or location.
- Official documents that show your name and address.
Example of such Documents:
- Government, Military, State, or Tribal ID.
- Driver’s License.
- Birth Certificate.
- Certificate of US citizenship or naturalization.
- Permanent Resident card or Green card.
- Governmenty Assistance Program Document.
Proof of SSN4 or Tribal ID
If you provide the last four digits of your social security number or Full Tribal ID with your application, then you have to submit a copy of an official document that includes:
- Your First and Last Name.
- The last 4 digits of your social security number or your Full Tribal ID.
Example of documents:
- Social Security Card.
- Prior year’s Tax Return or w-2.
- Government Assistance Program Document.
- Taxpayer Identification Document.
- Unemployment/ Worker’s Compensation statement.
To prove your identity
You have to submit the following documents to prove your identity:
- Government, Military, state, or Tribal ID.
- Driver’s License.
- Government Assistance Program Document.
- Birth Certificate.
- Social Security Card.
- Prior year’s Tax Return, or w-2.
Your Submitted Document must have the following information:
- Your First and Last name.
- Date of Birth.
- The last 4 digits of your social security number or your full Tribal ID.
You also need to prove that you are alive
you have to prove that you are alive, and for that provide a document that:
- Confirms your First and Last name.
- Shows life activity within the last three months.
Example of such Documents:
- Government Assistance Program documents.
- Current Utility Bill.
- Current Income Statement sauch as a pay stub.
- Current mortgage or lease statement.
- Current Retirement/ Pension statement of benefits.
- Current unemployment statement of benefits.
TruConnect Wireless Plans
TruConnect tries its best to make internet affordable to low-income people of the country. So, they offer discounts on internet packages and phone plans.
TruConnect offers unlimited Talk, Text and Data along with a android Phone with lifeline and Affordable Connectivity Program. They offer three phone plans for their valued customers.
Let’s know about these plans in details.
1. Truly Unlimited (For ACP and Lifeline consumers)
- Free Unlimited Data.
- Free Unlimited Talk and Text.
- Free Smartphone or Simcard.
- Option to buy a Tablet for $10.01.
- Unlimited International Calling.
2. ACP Only Plan
- Free 8 GB High-speed Data.
- Free unlimited Talk and Text.
- Free MiFi, Phone, or SIM.
- Option to buy Tablet for $10.01.
- Unlimited International Calling.
3. Lifeline Plan
- Up to 6 GB of High Speed Data.
- Free Unlimited Talk and Text.
- Free SIM card( For BYOD).
- Unlimited International calling.
- Free Smart Phone.
After Applying For TruConnect , you have to check the status of your application. To check the status of your application, you can take help of the TruConnect App. You can also know about it by email their support team at: support.truconnect.com.
To keep pace with the upgrowing world no one can stay without internet. To reach the internet to every home is an essential demand of today. And to meet this demand , US government works continuously with the help of many other MVNOs, like TruConnect. The government will really be successful when all the low-income people can afford internet, and TruConnect widen its hand to help government achieving this goal.