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New Broadband Financial Assistance Available
May 18, 2021Cox is proud to participate in the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program – a federal government program designed to help Americans stay connected to the internet during the pandemic. It is Cox’s long-standing priority to narrow the digital divide, and this new government program aligns with our mission to keep customers connected to family, friends, school and work during this challenging time.
Program Details and Benefits
As part of a stimulus bill, the government has set aside money for an Emergency Broadband Benefit program designed to help Americans stay connected to the internet during the pandemic.
Eligible households who are approved for the program will receive up to $50 off their monthly bill based on their current internet service and equipment rental, or up to $75 if they live on a tribal land.
Through the program and our partnership with PCs for People, households are eligible to receive a one-time discount of $100 towards a computer – allowing them to purchase a desktop for $20 or a laptop for $49.99.
Eligibility Requirements
Participants of the following government assistance programs are eligible to receive the subsidy:
· Free or Reduced lunch through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP)
· Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
· Federal Public Housing (including Section 8, Multi-family units, and Public Housing Authorities)
· Pell Grant recipient for current academic year
· Unemployment filing during COVID pandemic (after Feb 29, 2020 and total household income below $99,000 for single filers and $198,000 for joint filers)
· Medicaid
· Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
· Veterans Pension & Survivors Benefits
· Proof income is 135% or less than federal poverty guidelines (three consecutive paystubs or a tax return). Note: 135% of federal poverty guidelines is approximately $35,000 for a family of four. You can look up the income maximum for your household at: https://www.lifelinesupport.org/do-i-qualify/federal-poverty-guidelines/
· Tribal Programs (and proof of living on tribal lands) including: o Any of the programs listed above o Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance o Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (Tribal TANF) o Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations o Head Start
Application Process Applicants must complete the application online at http://www.cox.com/ebb to qualify for the program. The application is optimized for customers to apply via a mobile device. Applicants may be required to upload proof of eligibility.
Note: The Cox account holder must be the person to apply for the Emergency Broadband Benefit. Otherwise, there could be delays in receiving the subsidy. If someone else in the household other than the Cox account holder is the qualifying public benefits recipient, they should enter that information on the beneficiary screen.
To apply:
1. Go to cox.com/ebb
2. Existing Cox internet customers will log in to their Cox account using their Cox username and password. New customers have an option of shopping for internet and then qualifying for the program after their service is active or qualifying first and then shopping for internet.
3. Customers may be asked to verify their identity using their mobile phone number and date of birth or by uploading a driver’s license, state ID card or passport. They may also need to provide documentation of income, unemployment status or participation in a qualifying government assistance program.
4. Once a customer is qualified, they will be submitted to the government for final approval. This process may take a few days. As soon as we hear from the government, we’ll send an email with timing for when the customer will see the benefit on their account. The email will also have a link to purchase a computer with a $100 discount. Customers must sign in using the email address and zip code they used to apply for the program. Only approved EBB customers can purchase a computer using this link.
5. Customers will receive a confirmation email each time the broadband benefit is applied to their account. The credit will continue until Cox is notified by the federal government that the program has ended. Depending on the remaining government funds and the program rules, the credit may be reduced during the last month of the program.
Expedited Qualification Process for Schools
For information on how we can expedite the application process by providing Cox with a list of pre-qualified students and families receiving National School Lunch or a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), please email: ebbprogram@cox.com
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