Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Resource | Policy Memos CEP: State Agency Procedures to Ensure Identified Student Percentage Accuracy

The purpose of this memorandum is to update prior guidance to reflect changes made to the Community Eligibility Provision due to the Final Rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision – Increasing Options for Schools (FR 65778), effective on Oct. 26, 2023. This final rule amended CEP regulations by lowering the minimum identified student percentage to elect CEP from 40 percent to 25 percent. 
 

SP 11-2024
02/12/2024
Resource | Policy Memos CEP: Statutory Annual Notification and Publication Requirements and School Year 2024-25 Election Deadline

This memorandum provides a reminder of the annual Community Eligibility Provision notification and publication requirements, including the changes made by the Final Rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision – Increasing Options for Schools. This memorandum also reminds state agencies that the statutory election deadline for schools to elect CEP for school year 2024-25 is June 30, 2024.

 

SP 10-2024
02/12/2024
Resource | Policy Memos Community Eligibility Provision: Guidance and Updated Q&As

This memorandum provides new guidance and questions and answers to address changes made by the CEP final rule. Additionally, this memorandum provides clarification on guidance related to CEP. The attached Q&As supersede SP 54-2016, Community Eligibility Provision: Guidance and Updated Q&As.

SP 09-2024
02/12/2024
Resource | Policy Memos Community Eligibility Provision: Planning and Implementation Guidance - Updated

Attached is the third edition of Community Eligibility Provision: Planning and Implementation Guidance. The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP) meal service option that allows schools and local educational agencies (LEAs) in high poverty areas to offer meals at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications. 

SP 08-2024
02/12/2024
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 | Federal Register Documents Proposed Rule: Child Nutrition Programs Community Eligibility Provision - Increasing Options for Schools

This rulemaking proposes to expand access to the Community Eligibility Provision by lowering the minimum identified student percentage participation threshold from 40 percent to 25 percent, which would give states and schools greater flexibility to choose to invest non-federal funds to offer no-cost meals to all enrolled students.

03/23/2023
Resource | Federal Register Documents Comment Request: Produce Safety University Nomination and Course Evaluation

The collection of information is necessary for people to attend Produce Safety University, a training course designed to help child nutrition professionals identify and manage food safety risks associated with fresh produce.

01/13/2023
Resource | Federal Register Documents National School Lunch, Special Milk, and School Breakfast Programs, National Average Payments/Maximum Reimbursement Rates

This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payments, the amount of money the federal government provides states for lunches, afterschool snacks, and breakfasts served to children participating in the NSLP and SBPs; to the maximum reimbursement rates, the maximum per lunch rate from federal funds that a state can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the NSLP; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the SMP for Children.

07/26/2022
Resource | Notices School Meals Programs - National Average Payments/Maximum Reimbursement Rates (July 1, 2021 - June 30, 2022)

This notice announces the annual adjustments to the national average payments, the amount of money the federal government provides states for lunches, afterschool snacks, and breakfasts served to children participating in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs; to the maximum reimbursement rates, the maximum per lunch rate from federal funds that a state can provide a school food authority for lunches served to children participating in the National School Lunch Program; and to the rate of reimbursement for a half-pint of milk served to non-needy children in a school or institution that participates in the Special Milk Program for Children.

07/16/2021
Resource | Reimbursement Rates National School Lunch, Special Milk, and School Breakfast Programs, National Average Payments/Maximum Reimbursement Rates (July 1, 2019 - June 30, 2020)

This Notice supersedes the notice published in the Aug. 7, 2019 issue of the Federal Register entitled National School Lunch, Special Milk, and School Breakfast Programs, National Average Payments/Maximum Reimbursement Rates (FR Doc. 84-38590). It establishes new reimbursement rates for Guam and Virgin Islands to match the reimbursement rate provided to Puerto Rico, and corrects an incorrect date.

11/01/2019
Page updated: October 14, 2021