Comcast Offers Ultra-Cheap Internet To Federal Pell Grant Recipients

Comcast offers a low-cost Internet plan for eligible subscribers called Internet Essentials. In an announcement about the plan today, the service provider revealed that it will open the Internet Essentials plan to undergraduate college and university students who received the Federal Pell Grant, enabling them to get online for ten bucks a month.

Comcast's Internet Essentials is priced at $9.99/month with speeds up to 50Mbps; subscribers must meet certain low-income requirements to get the plan, such as being part of the National School Lunch Program, getting SNAP/SSI/Medicaid, and similar. Federal Pell Grant recipients are now listed as one of the qualifying programs covered by Internet Essentials.

Many core aspects of modern life require Internet access, including access to educational materials and classes, banking, and more. The pandemic underscored the importance of getting high-speed broadband available to a larger number of people, including those who live in rural regions and low-income families that may not be able to afford regular rates.

The new opportunity to sign up for Internet Essentials is open to any Federal Pell Grant recipients who live in a region where Comcast service is available. The Federal Pell Grant program is a federal grant offered to eligible students attending a postsecondary educational program.

In addition to expanding eligibility for Internet Essentials, Comcast says that it has earmarked $15 million to fund things like free laptops for low-income individuals, including students. The company says around 25,000 laptops will be donated to individuals in need in many big cities across the US, including Detroit, Chicago, Philadelphia, Seattle, Oakland, and others.