Financial Resources
These resources can provide support if you and your family have experienced financial hardship as a result of COVID-19. For additional questions and support, please contact the appropriate agency listed below.
Note: Please confirm that you meet the eligibility requirements of these resources before applying.
The Affordability Connectivity Program is an FCC program that helps ensure that households can afford the broadband internet they need for work, school, healthcare and more.
The Affordability Connectivity Program provides:
- Up to $30/month discount for internet service;
- Up to $75/month discount for households on qualifying Tribal lands; and
- A one-time discount of up to $100 for a laptop, desktop computer, or tablet purchased through a participating provider if the household contributes more than $10 but less than $50 toward the purchase price.
The Affordability Connectivity Program is limited to one monthly service discount and one device discount per household.
Who is Eligible?
A household is eligible if a member of the household meets one of the criteria below:
- Has an income that is at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Guidelines or participates in certain assistance programs, such as SNAP, SSI, WIC, Federal Housing Assistance, Medicaid, or Lifeline;
- Participates in Tribal specific programs, such as Bureau of Indian Affairs General Assistance, Tribal TANF, or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations;
- Receives benefits under the free and reduced-price school lunch program or the school breakfast program, or did so in the school year;
- Received a Federal Pell Grant during the current award year;
Documentation
If you participate in one of the qualifying programs, provide a letter or official document as proof. Documentation must include:
- Your (or your dependent’s) first and last name
- The name of the qualifying program, such as SNAP
- The name of the government, Tribal entity, program administrator, school, school district, university, or college that issued the document
- An issue date within the last 12 months or a future expiration date
Document Examples:
- Benefit award letter
- Approval letter
- Statement of benefits
- Benefit verification letter
For Federal Pell Grants, documents should be from this current academic year and can include screenshots of a StudentAid.gov dashboard.
Three Ways to Apply
- Contact your preferred participating broadband internet provider directly to learn about their application process,
- Go to ACPBenefit.org to apply online and to find participating providers near you.
- Go to ACPBenefit.org to print out the mail-in application, and return it along with proof of eligibility to:
ACP Support Center
P.O. Box 7081
London, KY 40742
American Opportunity Tax Credit
The American Opportunity Credit is available to eligible taxpayers on a per-student basis if you have qualified education expenses for up to the first four years of higher education. The maximum amount that may be annually claimed is $2,500 of the cost of tuition, fees and course materials paid during the taxable year. Also, 40% of the credit (up to $1,000) is refundable. This means you can get it even if you owe no tax. This is general information only and should not be considered tax advice. For additional information, please visit this IRS document concerning the American Opportunity Tax Credit or consult an IRS Tax Preparer.
Lifetime Learning Credit
The lifetime learning credit (LLC) is for qualified tuition and related expenses paid for eligible students enrolled in an eligible educational institution. This credit can help pay for undergraduate, graduate and professional degree courses — including courses to acquire or improve job skills. There is no limit on the number of years you can claim the credit. It is worth up to $2,000 per tax return. This is general information only and should not be considered tax advice. For additional information, please visit this IRS document concerning the Lifetime Learning Tax Credit or consult an IRS Tax Preparer.
Are you or your parents experiencing financial hardship due to changes in employment status that is affecting your ability to attend Pima Community College? We would like to have the opportunity to reconsider your eligibility for financial aid.
If you:
- Were initially not eligible for financial aid or eligible for reduced portions due to exceeding income thresholds, and
- Your family has experienced reduction in the income that was reported on your FAFSA due to lay-off, furlough, company shutdown, or similar circumstances,
You can request an income reassessment task to be opened in your financial aid portal. >>
The reassessment will be based on your family’s current financial situation within the parameters of existing policies, federal regulations and the availability of funds. Supporting documentation will be required.
If you are behind on your TEP bills, federal funding is now available to help pay these bills. The Arizona Department of Economic Security (DES) and Arizona Department of Housing (ADOH) in partnership with TEP and other utilities in the state are distributing this funding. Funding would help eligible customers pay their overdue utility bills. The renter and homeowner applications can be found on the TEP Payment Assistance Website.
Eligible customers would receive funding as a lump sum amount that would be applied to their utility account. Customers need to complete a brief survey to find out if they are eligible. DES or ADOH will verify your eligibility, based on your household income and previous assistance received. The application process takes five (5) minutes or less.
If students have become unemployed through no fault of their own (as determined under State law), and meet other eligibility requirements of State law, they may be eligible for unemployment insurance benefits.
- Unemployment insurance payments (benefits) are intended to provide temporary financial assistance to unemployed workers who meet the requirements of State law.
- Each State administers a separate unemployment insurance program within guidelines established by Federal law.
- Eligibility for unemployment insurance, benefit amounts, and the length of time benefits are available are determined by the State law under which unemployment insurance claims are established.