FNS Documents & Resources | Food and Nutrition Service

Resource | Technical Assistance Community Eligibility Provision Status of School Districts and Schools by State

This map contains links to state-specific information on local educational agencies and schools that may be eligible to elect the Community Eligibility Provision.

10/31/2023

Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Replacing Stolen SNAP Benefits: State Plan Approvals

Congress passed a law in late 2022 to help SNAP participants who are victims of card skimming, cloning and other similar methods. To implement this new law, states are working quickly to develop and implement processes to help people whose SNAP benefits were stolen seek and obtain relief. FNS will list plans on this page as they are approved

10/30/2023

Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Addressing Stolen SNAP Benefits

FNS is working closely with our state and federal partners, SNAP retailers, EBT processors, and other industry experts to protect SNAP benefits and combat SNAP fraud.

10/27/2023

Basic page Community Eligibility Provision

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a non-pricing meal service option for schools and school districts in low-income areas. CEP allows the nation’s highest poverty schools and districts to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.

10/13/2023

Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Community Eligibility Provision Resource Center

The CEP resource center provides extensive resources for parents, teachers, and school officials at the local, state and Federal level to better understand CEP and its positive benefits, along with useful tools to help facilitate successful implementation of the provision in your school!

10/12/2023

Resource | Webinars/Videos Webinar on Final Rule: CEP- Increasing Options for Schools

A webinar for state agency and school food authority staff focused on the Final Rule: Child Nutrition Programs Community Eligibility Provision — Increasing Options for Schools.

10/12/2023

Basic page Report Fraud

Improving stewardship of federal money by reducing recipient fraud, reducing retailer fraud, ensuring accurate eligibility determinations, and reducing improper payments. Report suspicious nutrition assistance fraud to the USDA Office of the Inspector General.

10/10/2023

Basic page Community Eligibility Provision Slider Tool

The CEP slider tool will calculate and display free and paid claiming percentages.

09/29/2023

Resource | Federal Register Documents Final Rule: Child Nutrition Programs - CEP Increasing Options for Schools

This final rule amends the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage (ISP) from 40 percent to 25 percent.

09/26/2023

Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance CEP Final Rule Summary

USDA published a final rule in the Federal Register on Sept. 26, 2023, to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision by lowering the minimum identified student percentage participation threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent.

09/26/2023