For libraries, caseworkers & community organizations
Last verified:
You already help people apply for benefits. This site exists to make the phone and internet part of that easier — a free, independent reference with every fact dated and sourced, no sign-ups, no fees, and nothing collected from the person using it.
Why we built this for your patrons
Anyone who searches "free government phone" lands in one of the worst neighbourhoods on the internet: look-alike sites that harvest Social Security numbers, pages still advertising the ACP two years after it ended, and "apply here" forms that charge a fee for a benefit that is always free. The people most likely to be hurt by that are exactly the people at your desk.
Our answer is boring on purpose: name the one real program (Lifeline), list the carriers actually authorized in each state, publish the income limits from the current federal guidelines, and put a date on every claim so nobody has to trust us blindly.
What you can use today
| Resource | Good for |
|---|---|
| Eligibility checker | A 30-second answer at the desk. Runs in the browser — no account, no data sent to us |
| State guides (all 50 + DC) | Which carriers are authorized in your state, local income limits, and state-specific steps (California's PIN letter, Texas/Oregon verifiers) |
| Carrier directory | Official application, login and support links for every carrier — so patrons never reach a look-alike site |
| The full how-to guide | Documents to bring, what $0 covers, and the four rejection reasons with the fix for each |
| "Near me" explainer | For patrons asking where to go in person — including how to tell a legitimate enrollment tent from a scam |
| SNAP & benefit stack | What else an EBT card unlocks — phone, internet plans, tablet offers, school meals |
Our standards, in plain terms
No money changes hands. We take no commissions, referral fees or sponsored placements from any carrier — which is why this site can say a tablet is not really free, or that a heavily advertised carrier doesn't serve your state. Every changeable fact is dated. Plans, devices, fees and limits carry the date we verified them against the carrier's or agency's own documentation; past 45 days a page is flagged and pulled from search until re-checked. Nothing is collected. The checker computes in the browser; no accounts, no required emails, no patron data reaching us. We say what we don't know. Where a carrier doesn't publish a figure, we write that instead of guessing. Full details in our editorial policy.
The one-page handout
A single printable page for the desk, the noticeboard, or a folder in the benefits packet: who qualifies, what it costs (nothing), the documents to bring, the scam red flags, and where to apply. Built from the same verified data as the site, with the verification date printed on it so you know when to replace it.
Download the handout (PDF, one page, print-ready) →
Free to print, copy and distribute — no attribution required, no permission needed. We refresh it whenever the underlying figures change.
Linking to us
You're welcome to add us to a community-resources page, a benefits handout, or a LibGuide — no permission needed. Most useful for patrons: link your own state's page rather than the homepage, since it lists only the carriers authorized where you are. The URL pattern is gov-grants.org/state/oh, /state/ca, /state/tx and so on. If something on the site is wrong or out of date, tell us on the contact page — corrections from people doing this work daily are the most valuable feedback we get, and we act on them.
What we can't do
We are not a carrier and not a government agency, so we can't check an application status, escalate a denial, or enrol anyone. Those go to the carrier or to USAC. We also can't give legal or benefits-eligibility determinations — only the administering agency can. What we can do is make sure the person in front of you starts at the right place, with the right documents, and doesn't pay anyone a cent.
Common questions
Can we link to Gov-Grants.org from our resource page?
Yes, and you don't need permission. Link to any page that helps your patrons — the homepage, your state's page, or the eligibility checker. If a page ever becomes outdated we mark it and remove it from search rather than leaving it up, so a link you place stays trustworthy.
Do you charge anything, ever?
No. The site is free, there is nothing to sign up for, and we take no commissions or referral fees from any carrier. That independence is why we can tell a patron a tablet is not really free, or that a carrier's 'unlimited' plan throttles.
Do you collect patron data?
No. The eligibility checker runs entirely in the browser — income and household size are never sent to us or stored anywhere. Nobody has to create an account or give an email to use anything on the site.
Are you a government agency?
No, and we say so on every page. We're an independent guide to federal and state benefit programs. We link to official government sources (FCC, USAC, state portals) so your patrons can verify anything themselves.
How current is the information?
Every fact that can change — carrier plans, devices, fees, income limits — carries the date we last verified it against the original source. Anything older than 45 days is flagged for re-verification and removed from search results until it's checked again.
Can we print and hand out your material?
Yes. The one-page handout below is made for exactly that — print it, copy it, put it on the desk. No attribution required, though a mention helps people find us.
Gov-Grants.org is an independent guide — not a carrier and not a government agency. We never charge fees, and every fact above links to its source with the date we checked it. Program details change; confirm on the official site before applying.