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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 | 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 | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2021-0061 Department of Education Information on the Emergency Broadband Benefit Program

Households with a child  approved to receive free or reduced price meals under the National School Lunch Program or the School Breakfast Program during the 2019-2020 or 2020-2021 school year are eligible for the Federal Communication Commission’s Emergency Broadband Benefit. EBB is a federal program to help eligible families pay for internet service during the pandemic.

SP 12-2021
05/19/2021
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2021-0030 Community Eligibility Provision Deadlines in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

FNS is establishing a targeted waiver, for all states and local educational agencies, to extend statutory and regulatory deadlines relating to Community Eligibility Provision reporting and election during the public health emergency due to COVID–19.

COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #82
03/26/2021
Resource | Policy Memos | FNS-GD-2020-0051 Nationwide Waiver of Community Eligibility Provision Deadlines in the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

FNS is establishing a nationwide waiver to support the Community  Eligibility Provision while schools are responding to the novel coronavirus. The deadlines affected by this waiver include the CEP election, notification and reporting deadlines.

COVID–19: Child Nutrition Response #6
04/23/2020
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 | FNS-GD-2017-0009 Community Eligibility Provision: Annual Notification and Publication Requirements

This memorandum details guidance on the annual Community Eligibility Provision notification and publication requirements and provides information on the USDA-developed reporting template.

SP20-2017
03/16/2017
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
Page updated: October 14, 2021