I want to inform all Texas residents who cannot afford a tablet that this article may interest them if they want to obtain a free tablet from the government. I will explain the Texas Free Tablet Program in this article.
The Texas State government developed this program to provide free tablets to residents and low-income households throughout the state, including those with low-income levels. This program offers low-income residents a free tablet and other services, such as limited data access and minutes.
These programs target families, students, seniors, and those with disabilities to ensure their goals are met. Check out our application guide if you have questions about applying for the Texas Free Tablet Program. This guide will provide information regarding eligibility, required documents, benefits, and services for free tablets for Texas residents. In addition, you will find eligibility requirements and eligibility requirements.
So, without further ado, let’s get started –
Texas Free Tablet Program – Step-by-step Guide
The Texas government gives out free tablets to help low-income households, students, seniors, and people with disabilities who may be in need of them.
There is only one purpose of the program, and that is to help those individuals to connect to the internet for the sole purpose of learning new things, staying in touch with their loved ones, seeking out career opportunities, as well as learning how to make the most of the ever-changing technology that is available today.
As of right now, people living in Texas have the option of taking advantage of two free tablet programs in which they can participate for free:
Also Read: You can apply and get a free government iPad. Know all steps of how you can get one.
Texas Free Tablet Program, aka STAP
The Texas state government designed a free tablet program known as STAP (Specialized Telecommunication Assistance Program) to ease the burden of others struggling to afford tablets. TAP is funded by the Texas government, covering all free tablet charges.
It is generally available to disabled Texas residents, and for the program to be eligible, you have to obtain approval from local authorities before getting a free tablet or other electronic device. The program offers free tablets and other electronic devices, as well as mobile phones and other devices, to eligible individuals.
If you want to apply for the STAP, you must go to any local certifier’s office and do that. Once the application is approved, a voucher will be issued for a free tablet within seven days of the approval process, and once it has been approved, a voucher will be issued in your name to a vendor for the purpose of delivering you a free tablet.
Affordable Connectivity Program
ACP is a U.S. government-sponsored program that assists low-income individuals with basic internet services and electronic devices such as tablets and laptops as part of the Affordable Connectivity Program.
In spite of the fact that the program isn’t going to make it easy for you to get a tablet for free, it can offer a discount of up to $100 on your first tablet. Thus if you purchase a tablet that costs $110, you will only have to pay $10 as a copay, and you will get the tablet.
Also, one of the greatest advantages of this program is that if you belong to a financially weak background and if you come from a tribal or rural area, you will be offered a discount of a flat $30 on your monthly broadband fee and a flat $75 if you belong to a rich or affluent household.
If you are interested in participating in the ACP program, you must also meet the eligibility requirements. Once you have met the eligibility requirements, you can apply to any local telecom provider participating in the ACP program to receive discounts on your tablet device.
Eligibility Criteria for Texas Free Tablet Program
You can take advantage of two Texas free tablet programs, and you will have to meet certain eligibility requirements to receive a free tablet through one of these programs.
Each of these programs has a set of eligibility criteria that can be found below.
Eligibility Criteria for STAP
The following criteria must be met for you to be eligible for STAP:
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You must be at least five years old.
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You must be a Texas resident.
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You should be disabled.
Eligibility Criteria for Affordable Connectivity Program
The Affordable Connectivity Program requires that you meet the following criteria:
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In order for your household income to meet the Federal Poverty Guidelines, it must be at or below 200%.
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Federal Pell Grant recipients can apply for the program if they have received benefits this year.
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National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program participants are eligible for this program.
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Participants in Medicaid, SSI, EBT/SNAP, WIC, and other Federal Assistance programs may be eligible for ACP.
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There are several Tribal Assistance Programs that can qualify you for ACP. These programs include Head Start, Bureau of Indian Affairs, Tribal TANF, etc.
For the Affordable Connectivity Program to work, you must qualify for only one of these criteria, so you cannot be eligible for all of them.
Required Documents for Texas Free Tablet Program
Once you have determined your eligibility, it is time for you to furnish the documents proving your eligibility for these programs.
Below, we have outlined a list of documents required to apply for and get approval for the Texas free tablet program. You can find them in the sections below.
Documents for income-based eligibility
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Statement of benefits related to a pension or retirement
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Returns of federal, state, or tribal taxes
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Paycheck stubs
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Child support award
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Worker’s compensation statement of benefits
Documents for program-based eligibility
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Federal public housing assistance approval letter
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Head start verification letter
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Veterans pension and survivors benefit award letter
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Medicaid verification letter
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SNAP program assistance approval letter
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Any other document showing that you participated in that specific government assistance program
Other documents
It is important to note that in addition to these eligibility documents, you will be asked to provide additional documents proving your status as a Native American. These documents include the following:
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US driver’s license
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State ID card
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Voter registration card
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Birth certificate
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Passport
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Utility bills
Depending on the service provider, you may be asked to provide additional documentation to prove your identity to use their services.
How to apply for Texas Free Tablet Program
We have provided step-by-step guides for each of the two programs you can use to apply for a free tablet in Texas, as two different programs can provide you with the device.
Apply for STAP in Texas
To apply for STAP in Texas to get a free tablet, you need to follow these simple steps –
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The first thing you need to do to apply for the STAP program is to ensure you qualify. We have provided the STAP eligibility criteria above in this article which you can use to help you determine whether you qualify.
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If you are eligible, you must make a copy of the following documents: Driver’s license, State ID card, utility bill, and voter registration card.
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It is now time to visit one of your nearest STAP certifiers and get all your documents certified. Once the certifying officer has checked your documents, assessed your eligibility, and then certified them, it is time for you to submit your application.
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Following that, you will need to gather all of your documents and take them to the office of STAP in Austin so they may be processed.
It is important to note that your application will go through an in-depth review by the STAP program, and you will only be eligible for the program benefits if the program approves it.
Please remember that this entire process could take as long as six months, depending on the number of applications submitted, the available tablets, the tablet suppliers, and several other factors.
Apply for ACP under Texas Free Tablet Program
There are quite a few steps you need to follow in order to qualify for the Texas Free Tablet program and apply for ACP.
- Please take a moment to visit the Affordable Connectivity Program website at https://www.affordableconnectivity.gov/ to learn more about the program.
- You will find a button that says Apply Now at the bottom of the page.
- It is at this point that you are going to be redirected to the National Verifier’s website. If you choose to proceed further, you will be asked to enter all the information you have, such as your name, e-mail address, SSN, and more.
- Once completed, you will be asked to upload your documents as soft copies.
- Once you submit your application, you will know instantly whether it has been approved or denied. However, the application sometimes takes up to 24 hours to be approved.
- After you have been approved, you can choose any service provider in Texas, choose a plan, and apply.
This is how to apply for a Texas free tablet program through ACP. Once you submit your application, the tablet will be delivered within 7 to 14 working days.
Closing Comments
You now have the details of how to apply for the Texas free tablet program. As we covered all the available programs, their eligibility criteria, and the application process in this article, we tried to provide as much information as possible on obtaining a free tablet in Texas.
We have done our best to cover all the bases in this article, but if you feel we have missed anything or have any questions, please send them in the comment section below. Our team will respond as soon as possible. With that said, I would like to wrap it up with my conclusion. I hope it helped.