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Resource | Webinars/Videos Webinar: Community Eligibility Provision 101

A webinar for state agency and school food authority staff focused on the community eligibility provision. 

02/29/2024
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Community Eligibility Provision Fact Sheet

The Community Eligibility Provision is a National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program meal service option that allows schools and school districts located in high poverty areas to offer breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students.

02/21/2024
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
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 | Policy Community Eligibility Provision: Implementing the New Minimum Identified Student Percentage

This guidance applies to state agencies and local educational agencies administering the National School Lunch Program and the School Breakfast Program. This guidance provides information on the final rule, Child Nutrition Programs: Community Eligibility Provision – Increasing Options for School.

SP 22-2023
09/26/2023
Resource | Technical Assistance & Guidance Community Eligibility Provision - Summary of Proposed Rule

Comparison table for CEP proposed rule: current requirements vs. proposed changes.

04/06/2023
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-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-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
Page updated: October 14, 2021