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Resource | Policy Memos Eligibility Manual for School Meals

The manual provides comprehensive information on federal requirements, policies, and procedures, and is intended to help state agencies and local educational agencies accurately determine, certify, and verify children’s eligibility for free and reduced price school meals and free milk.

07/05/2017
Resource | Training and Outreach Integrity Features of a Web-based School Meals Model Application

This webinar details guidance and best practices for incorporating integrity-oriented design features into web-based school meal applications. 

06/27/2017
Resource | Training and Outreach Creating a School Food Defense Plan

This guide was developed to provide a framework for developing a school food defense plan. Four easy steps, along with tools, are outlined to create a viable plan. 

05/01/2017
Resource Child Nutrition Programs Income Eligibility Guidelines (2017-2018)

This notice announces the Department's annual adjustments to the Income Eligibility Guidelines to be used in determining eligibility for free and reduced price meals and free milk for the period from July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018.

04/10/2017
Resource | Webinars/Videos New Horizons in Reporting and Resolving USDA Food Issues in FDPIR

In this webinar focused on the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), Tony Wilkins and Matthew Martin from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, Food Distribution Division, discuss warehousing, explain the USDA Foods feedback process, and provide instructions on how to formally enter a complaint into the Web-Based Supply Chain Management System (WBSCM).

04/06/2017
Resource | Training and Outreach Getting to Know USDA's Web-Based Model Application for School Meals

Getting to Know USDA's Web-Based Prototype Application for Free and Reduced Price School Meals

02/21/2017
Basic page USDA School Meals Model Application Disclaimer

This is a model application developed by USDA to demonstrate the potential functionality of a school district's application. NO information will be saved or submitted for processing. If you are a parent, contact your child's school to find out where you can access their application for school meal benefits.

01/10/2017
Resource | Policy Memos Categorical Eligibility (Revised)

This memorandum provides clarification regarding households determined to be categorically eligible for FDPIR in accordance with provisions at sections 4300-4320 of Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) Handbook 501.

12/20/2016
Resource | Research and Data | Assessing/Improving Operations Direct Certification in the National School Lunch Program Report to Congress: State Implementation Progress, SY 2014-15

This report responds to the requirement of PL 110-246 to assess the effectiveness of state and local efforts to directly certify children for free school meals. Direct certification is a process conducted by the states and by local educational agencies to certify eligible children for free meals without the need for household applications. 

12/02/2016
Resource | Guidance Documents Area Eligibility in Child Nutrition Programs

The purpose of this memorandum is to revise guidance on the use of school and census data to establish area eligibility in the Child and Adult Care Food Program, the At-Risk Afterschool component of CACFP, the Summer Food Service Program, and the Seamless Summer Option of the National School Lunch Program.

12/01/2016
Page updated: October 14, 2021