Home access to the Internet is essential for students to do research for assignments and to communicate with teachers online. This access is often not available for students with limited income, putting them on the wrong side of the “digital divide.”
Two Internet companies have stepped up by offering Internet service for $9.95 a month, plus tax, for eligible families. There are no equipment fees for a year.
If you have at least one child who is eligible to participate in the National School Lunch Program, you qualify for Comcast’s $9.95 Internet Essentials offer. A $149.99 basic computer is also available. Call 1-855-846-8376 or visit www.internetessentials.com for an application.
You qualify for Century Link’s $9.95 Internet Basic program if you are eligible for federal assistance for housing, school lunches, energy, food or healthcare (Medicaid) or your income is less than 135 percent of the federal poverty level ($31,793 for a family of four). Participants can purchase a $150 notebook computer if they sign up for two years of service. Call 1-866-541-3330 or visit www.centurylink.com/home for an application.
