Like many other major mobile operators, Boost Mobile is also catering the federal ACP program to qualified households. Boost Mobile is a MVNO that borrows the mobile network of Sprint in order to cover almost 99% of the USA territory. Boost Mobile provides monthly discounts on internet bills to ACP-qualified customers.
The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) is a federal program to help low income households with broadband services and internet devices. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) funds this program and the amount of initial funds would be $14.2 billion and the ACP program should continue until this budget remains available. The old Emergency Broadband Benefit (EBB) will be replaced by the new ACP program from 31st December 2021.
The participants of the EBB program will be automatically transferred to the new ACP program. The amount of the grant which was approved for the EBB program has been changed for the ACP program as well as the qualifying guidelines.
The ACP program operates through third-party broadband service providers. These service providers could be mobile operator or broadband internet service provider, and the qualified household may get a monthly discount on the mobile internet data pack or broadband internet service bill.
Boost Mobile is one of the active partners of the ACP program. If you are a customer of Boost Mobile you will be able to apply for the ACP program through Boost Mobile. If you get qualified for the program, you will get the option for free 10GB Unlimited phone plan, tablet plan, or mobile hotspot plan from Boost Mobile.
Eligible Requirements For Boost Mobile Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
The federal poverty guideline is an essential tool to determine eligibility for ACP program enrollment. If the annual income of a family or household is 200% or less than the Federal poverty guidelines, then it is allowed to participate in the ACP program. To show you this 200% poverty line in dollar, here is a chart:
| Number of person per household | 200 % of poverty line for 48 Contiguous States and D.C.(Annual) | 200 % of poverty line for Alaska | 200 % of poverty line for Hawaii |
| 1 | $27,180 | $33,980 | $31,260 |
| 2 | $36,620 | $45,780 | $421,200 |
| 3 | $46,060 | $57,580 | $52,980 |
| 4 | $55,500 | $69,380 | $63,840 |
| 5 | $64,940 | $81,180 | $74,700 |
| 6 | $74,380 | $92,980 | $85,560 |
| 7 | $83,820 | $104,780 | $96,420 |
| 8 | $93,260 | $116,580 | $107,280 |
| For each person over 8, add extra | $9,440 | $11,800 | $10,860 |
For example, take a household of two members which have a total income less than or equal to $36,620. In this case, the household income includes salary, public assistance benefits, social security payments, pensions, unemployment compensation, veteran’s benefits, inheritances, alimony, child support payments, worker’s compensation benefits, gifts, and lottery winnings of the mature members of the household collectively. This household is entitled for ACP program benefits.
The term “household” creates confusion sometimes. The official definition of household according to the federal government is, “A household is a group of people who live together and share income and expenses (even if they are not related to each other)”. All the members of the household must have to share the address as their residence. If not, it will be considered as multiple households. Some common scenarios for a single household would be, a married couple living together, or a parent/guardian living with a child or an adult living with friends who share incomes.
Multiple households mean individuals who live together but do not share their income. For example, say 4 persons are sharing a flat but they don’t share earnings are entitled for 4 different ACP accounts and benefits. Same is true for senior citizens living in an assisted-living home where each one will be able to participate in the program individually.
Other than the amount of your annual income, if you have already getting benefits from different federal aid programs like
- The National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program, including through the USDA Community Eligibility Provision;
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Special supplemental nutrition program for Women, Infant and Children (WIC)
- Medicaid
- Federal Public Housing Assistance (FPHA)
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Veterans Pension or Survivor Benefits
- Lifeline;
- Pell Grant recipient
In such cases, your annual income status will be ignored. Moreover, a child or a dependent receiving Pell Grant can apply for ACP. If a student is qualified for Pell Grant and lives alone in a different household than his or her parents, is eligible for the ACP program. The parents will also be entitled for their own ACP benefits.
For Tribal territories, The amount of ACP grant is slightly different. But the selection criteria remain almost the same. The residents of tribal land will qualify for the ACP program if:
- The annual income of the household is below 200% of the federal poverty guideline as discussed earlier
- Participating in the government aid programs listed above
- Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance
- Head start (only the household meeting the income standard)
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF)
- Food distribution program on Indian reservations
Documents Required For The Boost Mobile Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
During the application process in the ACP program, you will need some supporting documents to substantiate your claim. Here is a list of the documents you have to submit for different purposes:
To prove that you have participated in any of the above-mentioned government aid programs you have to submit
- Benefit award letter
- Approval letter
- Statement of benefits
- Benefit verification letter
- School documentation
Anyone of these documents will suffice. But the document has to be issued within the last 12 months of the application date or future expiration date. Also, it must include the first and last name of yours or your dependent, the name of the program and the name of the administrative body that issued the letter.
Proof of household income
- Prior year’s state, federal, or Tribal tax return
- Current income statement from your employer or a PayCheck stub
- A Social Security statement of benefits
- Veterans Administration statement of benefits
- Unemployment or Worker’s Compensation statement of benefits
- Divorce decree, child support award, or a similar official document showing your income
- A retirement/pension statement of benefits
The document can’t be older than 12 months and your full name and annual income have to be mentioned explicitly.
Proof of personal identity
- Valid government, military, state or Tribal ID
- Birth Certificate
- U.S. Driver’s license
- Passport
- Certificate of U.S. Citizenship or Naturalization
- Permanent Resident Card or Green Card
- Government assistance program document
- Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) document (does not need to include date of birth)
The document must include your full name and date of birth (not needed for ITIN)
Proof of address
- Driver’s license or other valid government, state, or Tribal ID
- Utility bill
- Mortgage or lease statement
- Most recent W-2 or tax return
You can also send a map that clearly shows your physical address or location, including latitude and longitude coordinates (coordinates are required if you live on Tribal lands), with a written copy of your application via mail. For applying online, use the built-in mapping tool to help USAC find your address.
- In case of duplicate address, meaning if someone from your household already participated in ACP program, you must provide a completed form with your application. For online application, an editable form will appear in the application process.
- Documents required for the emancipated minor
- Court documents
- Certification of emancipation
You must have to be 18 years or older to apply for the ACP program unless you are an emancipated minor.
Application Process For Boost Mobile Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)
If you want to enroll in Boost Mobile Affordable Connectivity program, there are two processes to do that:
- Application through Boost Mobile: This process is entirely an online process and you have to start it from Boost Mobile. This is very easy to follow step by step process you can quickly complete. If you have any problem with the application process, you can contact the technical support at 1-888-266-7848.
- Direct ACP application from National Verifier website: the FCC National Verifier Website hosts the application portal for the ACP program. The website can display English or Spanish language. The application process is quite straightforward, all you have to do is fill the specific fields with relevant information and upload the picture or scan copy of the required documents.
After completing the whole process, you should get an instant replay stating that your application is approved and you have to contact a participating ISP to receive the ACP benefits.
However, that’s not always the case. You may be asked to provide extra documents. In this scenario, you have to wait for some time for the result.
You can also download the cover letter from here https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/wp-content/uploads/acp/documents/cover-sheet.pdf and send it via postal service along with a copy of the required documents. Remember, you must not submit any original document with the application, always a copy of it.
The Benefits Of The Boost Mobile Affordable Connectivity Program
ACP program grants an amount from the monthly internet bill to be waived for the ACP program participants. Also, there is a discount for purchasing new computing devices. Generally, an average ACP customer will get upto $30 discount every month for internet usage from Boost mobile.
The ACP program benefits of an existing customer can be combined with the available plans of Boost Mobile. Boost Mobile is not an ISP and hence you can only expect mobile internet service from this MVNO. But not all plans are not available for the discount offer of ACP program. The available free mobile data plans from Boost mobile for ACP program are as follows:
- Unlimited voice and data plan (10GB/mo of 5G/4G): this plan offers 10 GB high speed 5G/4G data, unlimited talk and text. If the 10 GB data cap is reached, your connection won’t be disrupted. Instead, you will experience a slightly slower speed than usual. 10 GB plan is available for smartphone or tablet pc.
- Mobile Hotspot Plan: Boost Mobile offers mobile hotspot plans which requires Boost Mobile networks compatible devices to function. ACP benefits do not cover the cost of the device and it has to be purchased separately. The data limit is 10 GB high speed 4G/5G data.
The ACP benefits are limited to only one beneficiary per household and these benefits are not transferable.
Limitation Of Affordable Connectivity Program
The major hurdle to enter the ACP program is that you must have to have a permanent residential address. There are many people who are qualified for the ACP program but they can’t get in because they are homeless.
The ACP program is also tainted because of fraudulent claims, which is a major problem in achieving the program’s goal. There are lots of fake and multiple applications, even applications from dead persons for the ACP program. Such activities waste the program’s budgets. To prevent such activities, the supporting documents of the applicants are scrutinized by the National Verifier of FCC.
The ACP benefits are not transferable to another person. Besides, only one person from the entire family is entitled for the discount and others have to share it. You must have to make one call or use the internet pack once every 30 days. Otherwise, your ACP benefits may be revoked.
Will The Current EBB Benefits Change Due To ACP?
The amount of monthly discount will change from EBB to ACP program. The current discount per month from the ACP program is $30 and it was $5o for the EBB program. In the tribal land, the monthly ACP discount is $75. The ACP program also grants $100 for purchasing new computing devices.
Can I Transfer My Boost Mobile EBB Benefits To An ACP Program?
The EBB program will cease to exist after 31st December 2021, and you must transfer from Boost Mobile EBB to the ACP program. The participants of the EBB program will receive their discounts upto 1st March 2022. In this period, the EBB program enrollee will be notified to make the transition from EBB to ACP program. There is a very slim chance that you will not be qualified for the ACP program if you are an EBB customer. Because the poverty threshold is further decreased for the ACP program.
Are The ACP Qualifying Programs Changing?
There is no current notification about any changes in the qualifying criteria for ACP program enrollment.
How Long Is The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) Available?
There is no time limit as mentioned by the FCC when the ACP program will be terminated. The initial budget of the ACP program is $14.2 billion and it is expected that the ACP program will last until this budget is fully utilized. After that, it may get a budget renewal, or a whole new program may be initiated.
Does Boost Mobile Participate In Government Lifeline Programs?
Currently, Boost Mobile only offers ACP discounts for qualified households. For a limited time, Boost Mobile joined the Lifeline program known as the CARE Pilot Program Discount. But unfortunately, this program was terminated on 30th June 2021.
How Can Existing Customers Enjoy The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)?
The existing customers of Boost Mobile can easily participate in the ACP program. Boost Mobile will assist ACP applicants in applying for the program. You can also individually apply for it through the national verifier web portal of FCC. Once you are qualified, you will receive the monthly discount you are entitled to.
However, not all the plans from Boost Mobile are available for ACP discounts. Hence, you may be asked to change your existing Boost Mobile plan.
Difference Between EBB And ACP On Boost Mobile
If you compare the ACP program with the previous EBB program, the monthly discount rate is less. In the EBB program, the monthly discount offered was $50 per month whereas the ACP program offers only $30. But the poverty threshold has been lowered to 200% instead of 135% (which was for EBB) so that more people can participate in the ACP program.
Does Boost Mobile Offer Free Tablets?
The smartphones and tablets offered by Boost Mobile come with huge discounts, in some cases upto $300 less than the current retail prices. But there is no offer for a free tablet or smartphone for ACP customers.
How Do You Know If You Enrolled In The Boost Mobile Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP)?
If you have applied for the Boost Mobile Affordable connectivity program, you can check the status of your by visiting the local Boost Mobile store, and you can ask the representative. You can track your application with the unique code issued during the application process. Once your application is approved, you will be notified via text message along with the instruction for the next steps.
For the existing customers, an e-PIN number is sent if the ACP application is granted. With this e-PIN number, you can switch to a suitable ACP discount plan. All the necessary instructions are provided in text messages from Boost Mobile.
You can also track your ACP application by calling the ACP Support Center at (877) 384-2575.
What Other Services Can I Get At Boost Mobile?
Boost Mobile comes with many lucrative deals on smartphones and prepaid mobile plans. The under $10 plan for the new customer is quite unbeatable in the current industry rate. This plan includes 1GB internet data per month with unlimited talktime and text messages. This plan is also applicable if you bring your own device.
Boost Mobile also offers great mobile hotspot plans. You will get high-speed 4G or 5G data for your connected devices. But you will need a hotspot device compatible with the Boost Mobile network. Go to https://www.boostmobile.com/plans/add-on/mobile-hotspot-plans.html .
If you buy a new device from Boost Mobile store you will get extravagant discounts on latest smartphones and tablets. Check all the current offer https://www.boostmobile.com/phones .
Boost Mobile also assists loyal customers financially. Under the BoostUP! Program, you will get both a discount and options to pay the device price in monthly installments. For the BoostUP! Program, you don’t require any credit check. But you have to enroll for a monthly plan $35 or higher and pay the 12 consecutive monthly payments on time.
How Good Is Boost Mobile Coverage Area?
Boost Mobile covers almost 99% of USA territory by using the Sprint Mobile Network with 3G, 4G LTE, 5G and voice coverage. Check the Expanded Network Coverage Map for more details.
