Samsung Galaxy Halo hotspot unavailable

I had the Halo for a while and had started with the $50 plan. Now, I need a hotspot for my laptop to connect to since internet services are more than I can afford. After doing some research, I was confident that if I upgraded to the More Plan, I could simply use the hotspot that should have been included in the plan to get me by for a while. So... Why is it unavailable? The phone is on the eligible list. If I cannot get this to function, I will be needing my money back, as well as to be downgraded back to my original $50 plan, which is no longer an option to switch back to on the Cricket app. I cannot possibly afford a new phone just to get a proper hotspot going.