School Food Authority Administration of National School Lunch Program Free and Reduced Price Eligibility Determination

From July to September 2002, the Food and Nutrition Service reviewed the free and reduced price (F/RP) eligibility determination process (i.e., application, verification, reapplication, meal ticket status) for each of 3,474 applications selected for verification in 14 large school food authorities in the 2001-02 school year. These SFAs enroll nearly one million children, among whom 45 percent were approved for free meals and 7 percent were approved for reduced price meals as of Oct. 31, 2001.