Section 9(b)(12)(A)(i) of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act restricts categorical eligibility for free school meals based on SNAP participation to children who are members of a household receiving assistance under SNAP. Therefore, a child who is a member of a household that is receiving “zero benefits” from SNAP is not categorically eligible for free meals, unless the child is categorically eligible for another reason.
This memo is to inform you of changes and clarifications related to direct certification for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
This memorandum is to provide guidance on the verification process and reporting for categorically eligible foster children
This memorandum responds to questions received from regional offices, state agencies and local educational agencies (LEAs) regarding applications for free and reduced price school meals that request the applicant to provide information that is not required for a student’s certification of eligibility for child nutrition programs.
The purpose of this memorandum is to implement provisions contained in the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 which establish direct certification rate benchmarks for states and require continuous improvement plans from states that do not meet the benchmarks.
This memorandum provides information relating to section 205 of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. This provision requires school food authorities participating in the National School Lunch Program to ensure that schools are providing the same level of support for lunches served to students who are not eligible for free or reduced price lunches (i.e., paid lunches) as they are for lunches served to students eligible for free lunches.
The purpose of this memorandum is to implement a provision affecting mandatory direct certification for children in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program households.
On Sept. 30, 2003, the President signed HJ Resolution 69, which continues appropriations for the child nutrition programs and extends several provisions that were to expire on September 30.
This final rule amends the reporting and recordkeeping requirements under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program relating to the verification of applications for free and reduced price meal benefits under the NSLP and the SBP.
From July to September 2002, FNS reviewed the free and reduced price 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.