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Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance CEP Planning and Implementation Guidance

A final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision-Increasing Options for Schools (88 FR 65778), was published on Sept. 26, 2023, with an effective date of Oct. 26, 2023, that established the 25 percent minimum ISP threshold.  As a result, more students, households, and schools have the opportunity to experience CEP’s benefits, such as increasing access to school meals at no cost, eliminating unpaid meal charges, minimizing stigma, and streamlining meal service operations.

02/12/2024
Resource | Policy Memos Implementation of Summer EBT in 2024 by WIC Indian Tribal Organizations

This memorandum provides information to assist Indian Tribal Organizations (ITO) in preparing to implement Summer EBT.

SEBT 02-2023
06/13/2023
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 | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2019-0052 Requirements for Students Transferring from Provision to non-Provision Schools

This memorandum reminds state and local program operators about a provision in the final rule effective on July 1, 2019, relating to free and reduced price eligibility for students transferring between LEAs during the school year.

SP30-2019
06/10/2019
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2019-0027 CEP: Statutory Annual Notification and Publication Requirements and SY 2019-20 Election Deadline

This memorandum details guidance on the annual Community Eligibility Provision notification and publication requirements.

SP17-2019
03/26/2019
Resource | Policy Memos 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.

SP08 CACFP04, SFSP03-2017
12/01/2016
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2015-0025 Updated Title I Guidance for Schools Electing Community Eligibility

One important goal of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 is to ensure that children have access to the nutrition they need to grow into healthy adults.

SP35-2015
04/27/2015
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2014-0079 Updated E-Rate Guidance for Schools Electing Community Eligibility

This memorandum notifies state agencies and local program operators of recently updated rules issued by the Federal Communications Commission regarding the calculation of discount rates under the E-Rate program for schools electing the Community Eligibility Provision.

SP08-2015
11/21/2014
Resource | Proposed Rule Proposed Rule: NSLP and SBP Eliminating Applications Through Community Eligibility as Required by the HHFKA of 2010

This rule proposes to amend the eligibility regulations for free and reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program to codify the statutory provision that establishes the community eligibility provision, a reimbursement option for eligible local educational agencies and schools that wish to offer free school meals to all children in high poverty schools without collecting household applications.

11/04/2013
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2008-0062 Reminder Concerning E-Rate Audits by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)

We were asked by the FCC to issue a reminder about cooperating with contractors auditing school districts’ receipt of funds under the FCC’s E-Rate fund.  Auditing for the current cycle is scheduled to begin in December 2008. 

SP04-2009
12/12/2008
Page updated: October 14, 2021