With Project 10Million, we’re offering help to 10 million eligible households over the next 5 years.

Program overview

Project 10Million’s Direct to Parent/Guardian program provides internet access to eligible families that have a student enrolled in the National School Lunch program. Approved families receive 100GB of mobile data per year for 5 years and a FREE mobile hotspot, plus the opportunity to purchase devices at a low cost.

• New and existing T-Mobile (including Metro by T-Mobile and Sprint) as well as Non-T-Mobile customers are eligible to apply.
• Available to residents of the United States and Puerto Rico.
• One free T-Mobile hotspot device and 100GB/year data line per household, max one per student.
• Data service ends when allotment is reached until the yearly renewal date (Additional data passes are available for purchase).
• May purchase up to five select, at-cost Wi-Fi-only tablets and laptops for use with the hotspot device.

Are you a school administrator? Find out how Project 10Million for Schools can help your school district.

Requirements

To qualify for Project 10Million Direct to Parent/Guardian, you’ll need to provide:

• Proof of enrollment in the National School Lunch Program dated from the 2019 school year to present.
• Your student’s school district and ID number.
• Basic contact information (name, address, etc.).

You will also need to make sure applications for your state are still open for the current school year. You can check availability under State allocation below.

What is the National School Lunch Program?

The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential childcare institutions. It provides low-cost or free lunches to children based on criteria such as household income or family size. Learn more about the program and eligibility on the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s NSLP site.

Proof of Enrollment in NSLP

Students enrolled in the program are sent an NSLP Notification or Direct Certification letter each school year showing their eligibility and benefit status. You will be required to upload a digital copy or photo of your student’s Notification or Direct Certification letter in order to qualify (see sample letters). Other free or reduced-cost meal program letters, report cards, student ID badges, and enrollment certificates are not acceptable documents.

For enrollment and eligibility letters, check with your school principal or guidance counselor. You can also use the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Contacts Lookup tool, by choosing your state and the National School Lunch Program at the top of the page to find out who administers the program for your state.

Puerto Rico only: Students of all families living in Puerto Rico are automatically enrolled in the NSLP and do not receive a Notification or Direct Certification letter they can submit. Instead, Parents/Guardians may upload a digital copy or photo of their student’s most recent report card or kindergarten enrollment certification letter.

Apple users: To take a photo of your document to upload, you must change your camera settings. In the Settings app, tap Camera > Format and choose Most Compatible. 

State allocation

Project 10Million hotspots and internet access are allocated across the United States and Puerto Rico based on population each year over the next five school years.

Check the list of states below to confirm your state has availability this year:

If your state is not available in the list above, we have already met the allocation for it this year. New activations are paused and will re-open on the next July 1st. It’s possible that your school is already working to get you connected through Project 10Million for Schools, so please check with your school’s principal or counselor.

Application process

Once you have everything you need, you can visit the Project 10Million website to apply now. If you need assistance applying, you may bring a physical or digital copy of your proof of eligibility document to a T-Mobile store.

1. Tell us about yourself – Provide your name, email, and language preference.
2. Enter your shipping address – Provide an address we can send your hotspot device to. Sorry, no PO boxes and military addresses.
3. Create an account PIN – Enter a PIN number you will remember. You’ll use this to access your account if you need to contact us.
4. Upload Proof of Enrollment – You’ll be asked to enter your student’s info and to upload a digital copy or photo of your student’s NSLP Notification or Direct Certification letter. Your NSLP letter needs to be dated for the school year 2019 or later. (See above for Puerto Rico-specific requirements).
5. Submit your application and verify your email – You will be notified immediately if your application is accepted and we’ll send you an email to verify your identity. Important: You must complete this verification step to receive your Project 10Million device and account.

After your application is accepted, you’ll be sent emails notifying you of your hotspot’s shipping status, welcoming you to the program, and providing you a dedicated number to contact in case you run into any trouble.

Apple users: To take a photo of your document to upload, you must change your camera settings. In the Settings app, tap Camera > Format and choose Most Compatible. 

During congestion, Project 10Million customers may notice speeds lower than other customers due to data prioritization. Video typically streams at DVD quality (480p). Verify National School Lunch Program eligibility at sign-up. Limited time offer; subject to change. Available lines are limited. 1 offer per household. Roaming not available. Annual data service ends at earlier of 100GB or 365 days; you may purchase add-on passes. Annual data service resets each year for 5 years total. Video streams at up to 1.5Mbps. Optimization may affect speed of video downloads; does not apply to video uploads. For best performance, leave any video streaming applications at their default automatic resolution setting. Coverage not available in some areas. Network Management: Service may be slowed, suspended, terminated, or restricted for misuse, abnormal use, interference with our network or ability to provide quality service to other users, or roaming. See T-Mobile.com/OpenInternet for details. See Terms and Conditions (including arbitration provision) at www.T-Mobile.com for additional information.