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Resource | Guidance Documents 2017 Edition: Overcoming the Unpaid Meal Challenge - Proven Strategies from Our Nation’s Schools

This is the 2017 Edition of Overcoming the Unpaid Meal Challenge: Proven Strategies from Our Nation’s Schools. This best practice guide is designed to support state agencies and local program operators in their efforts to find workable solutions to the challenge of unpaid meal charges.

05/10/2017
Resource | Policy Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&As

This question and answer memorandum is designed to provide an overview of policies related to unpaid meal charges and to address common questions we have received from state agencies, school food authorities, and local program operators.

03/23/2017
Resource | Guidance Documents Ensuring Year-long Eligibility in the School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

The purpose of this memorandum is to strongly encourage local educational agencies to accept eligibility determinations from a transferring student’s former LEA to minimize disruptions in meal benefits for low-income students and avoid student debt resulting from unpaid meal charges.

08/05/2016
Resource | Guidance Documents Unpaid Meal Charges: Clarification on Collection of Delinquent Meal Payments

There has been confusion about how unpaid meal charges must be handled when all collection efforts have been exhausted. To help address these situations, this memorandum clarifies the processes of designating delinquent debt that has been determined to be uncollectable as bad debt and obtaining assistance to offset bad debt losses.

07/13/2016
Resource | Guidance Documents Unpaid Meal Charges: Local Meal Charge Policies

The purpose of this memorandum is to address the need for school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to institute and clearly communicate a meal charge policy, which would include, if applicable, the availability of alternate meals.

07/08/2016
Resource | Policy Memos Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program

FNS has received several inquiries regarding the eligibility of participants in the Department of Homeland Security's new Haitian Family Reunification Parole Program for SNAP benefits.

01/28/2015
Resource | Policy Memos Humanitarian Parole Policy for Certain Haitian Orphans

The purpose of this memo is to clarify SNAP eligibility for certain Haitian orphans.

02/19/2010
Resource | Policy Memos SNAP - Extension for Afghani Special Immigrants

FNS guidance of March 20, 2008 provided that the eligibility of Afghani Special Immigrants was in effect through Sept. 30, 2008 under The Consolidated Appropriations Act 2008.

12/12/2008
Resource | Policy Memos Medicaid’s Required Documentation of Citizenship; Its Effect on the Food Stamp Program

As a result of the recently enacted Deficit Reduction Act of 2005 there is a requirement that a Medicaid client present documentary evidence of citizenship. The provision does not expand or restrict eligibility for Medicaid, but simply imposes the requirement that a Medicaid client present documentary evidence of citizenship. 

05/12/2006
Page updated: October 14, 2021