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The Affordable Connectivity Program (ACP) ended on June 1, 2024. Its internet and device discounts are no longer available, and new applications are closed. The program did not continue until April or June 2025. Its former laptop benefit cannot be renewed, transferred, or claimed as a retail voucher.
What the device discount covered
Eligible households could receive up to $100 off a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet through a participating provider. They had to contribute more than $10 and less than $50. The federal benefit was not a guarantee of a free computer or a specific brand.
Device options to check now
For a computer or tablet, check PCs for People and Human-I-T. These nonprofits publish their own eligibility and pricing rules. Low-cost devices are not necessarily free; any donated-device offer depends on funding and stock.
Ask your school, college, workforce program, or public library about equipment loans or locally funded assistance. These programs have their own availability and application requirements. A manufacturer’s recycling or trade-in program is not necessarily a free-computer program.
Check the full offer
Confirm the model, operating system, memory, battery condition, included charger, warranty, and return rights. Ask whether shipping costs extra and whether the device is yours to keep. A low advertised price may depend on a separate grant or a paid service commitment.
Prepare only the eligibility documents requested by the actual organization. Current SNAP or Medicaid participation may satisfy some nonprofit eligibility rules, but does not create a federal laptop entitlement.
Service assistance is separate
Lifeline has separate eligibility rules: household income at or below 135% of the federal poverty guidelines, or participation in SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, Federal Public Housing Assistance, Veterans Pension and Survivors Benefit, or specified Tribal programs. Former ACP enrollment alone does not qualify a household.
Lifeline discounts eligible monthly service, not the purchase price of a laptop. If you need both a computer and internet, compare both costs before accepting an offer. Use official Lifeline instructions for service assistance and the device organization’s own application for hardware.