Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Resource | Policy Standard Utility Allowances

States annually update Standard Utility Allowances (SUAs) to reflect changes in utility costs. When determining a household’s eligibility, states consider a household’s total shelter costs, including the cost of utilities. Since actual utility costs are often hard to determine, states can use SUAs, which are standard amounts that represent low-income household utility costs in the state or local area. SUAs may be used in lieu of the household's actual costs when determining eligibility and benefit amount.

10/01/2023
Resource | Federal Register Documents USDA Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool

This collection is an extension, without change, of a currently approved collection for assisting state agencies and school nutrition professionals in recording, tracking, and managing the required training hours for state and local school district nutrition professionals to meet the requirements of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act (HHFKA) of 2010 Professional Standards Rule.

05/10/2023
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2020-0002 Questions & Answers Regarding Professional Standards for State and Local School Nutrition Program Personnel

This Q&A memorandum is designed to provide an overview of the policies related to the Professional Standards regulations for state and local school nutrition program personnel. 

SP05-2020
01/14/2020
Resource | Comment Request Comment Request - SNAP State Agency Options for Standard Utility Allowances and Self-Employment Income

This information collection addresses the state agency reporting burden associated with the following state agency options under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP): Establishing and reviewing standard utility allowances (SUAs) and establishing methodology for offsetting cost of producing self-employment income.

10/25/2019
Resource | Proposed Rule Proposed Rule: SNAP Standardization of State Heating and Cooling Standard Utility Allowances

The proposed rule would revise SNAP regulations to standardize the methodology for calculating standard utility allowances. 

10/03/2019
Resource | Final Rule Final Rule: Hiring Flexibility under Professional Standards

This final rule adds four flexibilities to the hiring standards for new school nutrition program directors in small local educational agencies and new state directors of school nutrition programs under the Professional Standards regulations for the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program.

03/01/2019
Resource | Proposed Rule Proposed Rule: Hiring Flexibility Under Professional Standards

This proposed rule would add four flexibilities to the hiring standards for new school nutrition program directors in small local educational agencies and new school nutrition program state directors under the professional standards regulations for the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs.

03/06/2018
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2017-0015 Taking Food Components Offsite in the At-Risk Afterschool Component of CACFP

The purpose of this memorandum is to extend to the at-risk afterschool component of the Child and Adult Care Food Program the flexibility to take certain food items offsite.

CACFP10-2017
04/06/2017
Resource | Comment Request Comment Request - Professional Standards Training Tracker Tool

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this notice invites the general public and other public agencies to comment on this proposed information collection. This collection is a new collection for assisting state agencies to record, track and manage the required training hours in four major areas (nutrition, operations, administration, communications and marketing) to meet the requirements of the Healthy Hunger Free Kids Act of 2010 Professional Standards Rule.

06/14/2016
Resource | Final Rule Correction to Final Rule: Professional Standards for State and Local School Nutrition Programs Personnel as Required by the HHFKA

This document contains a correction to the final rule published in the Federal Register on March 2, 2015, "Professional Standards for State and Local School Nutrition Programs Personnel as Required by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010."

05/07/2015
Page updated: October 14, 2021