Free and Reduced Meal Applications and Eligibility

• Applications
• Direct Certification
• Eligibility Determination
  • Eligibility Manual for School Meals
  • Duration of Eligibility
  • Runaway, Homeless and Migrant Youth and Disaster Situations
  • Head Start/Even Start Students
  • Military
  • Foster Care, Kinship Care and Chips
  • Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowances and National Flood Insurance Programs
  • Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additonal Children in Household
  • Income Guidelines
• Fair Hearing Procedures
• Income Eligibility Guidelines
• Limited Disclosure
• Provision 2
• Verification

Applications - for School Use Only

Parents or guardians that wish to apply for free or reduced-price meal benefits must contact the school where your child attends to obtain the appropriate Federal Child Nutrition Program applications.

SY 2012-2013

1. Income Eligibility Guidelines (For School Staff Use Only)

SY 2011-2012

1. English Version - For use by schools. Includes parent notification letters for application eligibility and direct certification. Agencies wishing to modify this application must obtain prior approval from the School Nutrition Team. Please note: there have been some modifications to the application for the 2011-2012 school year.
   • Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications - Requests for Additional Information - USDA Guidance Memo SP 50-2011, 9/30/11
2. Spanish Version - For use by schools. Includes parent notification letters for application eligibility and direct certification. Agencies wishing to modify this application must obtain prior approval from the School Nutrition Team. Please note: there have been some modifications to the application for the 2011-2012 school year.
3. Hmong Version - For use by schools. Includes parent notification letters for application eligibility and direct certification. Agencies wishing to modify this application must obtain prior approval from the School Nutrition Team. Please note: there have been some modifications to the application for the 2011-2012 school year.
4. Additional Translations (31 Languages) - For use by schools. Agencies wishing to modify this application must obtain prior approval from the School Nutrition Team. Please note: there have been some modifications to the application for the 2011-2012 school year.
5. 2011-2012 School Year Policy Updates - This information supersedes current policy found in the USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals, January 2008 edition. Please place this document in your Eligibility Manual until USDA issues manual updates. A new edition of the manual is expected this school year and will be placed on the website.
6. Corrected Income Eligibility Guidelines (For School Staff Use Only)
7. Public Release
   • National School Lunch Program
   • National School Lunch Program (Spanish Version)
   • National School Lunch Program (Hmong Version)
   • Provision 2
   • Special Milk Program
8. Reimbursement Rates - School Programs
9. DPI SNT Webcast The Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility Process August 4, 2011
10. Verification Summary Report will be found on the On-line Services webpage when it is time for this to be completed.

Direct Certification

1. Direct Certification Implementation Grant Award - USDA grant awarded to the WI DPI to assist in implementing improvements to the direct certification process. February 6, 2012
2. System Website - Click here to complete on-line direct certification process
3. Direct Certification Parent/Guardian Notification Letter (English Version)
4. Direct Certification Parent/Guardian Notification Letter (Spanish Version)
5. Interim Direct Certification Rule - Published in the Federal Register on Monday April 25, 2011 at 76 FR 22785. This interim rule amends regulations at 7 CFR 245 to require local educational agencies to conduct direct certification with the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). Mandatory direct certification with SNAP was required by the Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004. The interim rule also incorporates provisions from the 2004 Act concerning the certification of certain children who are homeless, runaway, or migratory or who are enrolled in a Head Start program.
6. Frequency of Direct Certification Matching Activities Beginning in School Year 2011-2012 - USDA Guidance Memo SP 31-2011, 4/27/11(Effective: July 1, 2011)
   • Change in Direct Certification Frequency for 2011-2012 school year - Memo from June Paul, Director (July 11, 2011)
   • 2011-2012 School Year Policy Updates - This information supersedes current policy found in the USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals, January 2008 edition. Please place this document in your Eligibility Manual until USDA issues manual updates. A new edition of the manual is expected this school year and will be placed on the website.
7. Letter Method for Direct Certification - USDA Guidance Memo SP 13-2011, 1/14/11 (Effective: October 1, 2011)
8. New Web-based Direct Certification System - Wisconsin DPI Mailing 5/19/10
9. DPI Summary and Clarification of Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household - 7/10
10. Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household Wisconsin DPI Mailing 09/08/09
    • USDA Policy Memo SP 25-2010 05/03/10
    • USDA Policy Memo SP 38-2009 08/27/09
11. Direct Certification Excel Spreadsheet Template
12. Direct Certification Eligibility Codes
13. Direct Certification in the National School Lunch Program: State Implementation Progress - USDA's Food and Nutrition Office of Research and Analysis Report to Congress

Eligibility Determination

• Eligibility Manual for School Meals - Federal Policy for Determining and Verifying Eligibility - October 2011

  This manual replaces the Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual issued in January 2008. The updated version reflects changes made since that time as a result of final and interim regulations, legislation and policy implementation memoranda required by the Healthy, Hunger Free Kids Act.
  
  

  • Eligibility Manual for School Meals - Federal Policy for Determining and Verifying Eligibility - October 2011 with highlights of all changes from the 2008 manual.
  
  
  

• Duration of Households' Free and Reduced Price Eligibility Determination

  1. Initial Carry-over of Previous Year's Eligibility: Reauthorization 2004 9/9/05 USDA Policy Memorandum #05-28
  2. Duration of Households' Free and Reduced Price Eligibility Determination: Reauthorization 2004 7/9/04 USDA Policy Memorandum #04-21
  
  

• Eligibility Benefits and Guidance for Runaway, Homeless and Migrant Youth and Disaster Situations

  1. USDA Guidance Memo Eligibility of Children Evacuated from Japan and Bahrain - 4/1/11
  2. Midwest Regional USDA Office Guidance School Meal Service to Homeless Students at Private Schools - September 24, 2007
  3. Wisconsin DPI Mailing: Free School Meals for Homeless Students - September 25, 2006
  4. Wisconsin DPI Mailing: Update about Free Meals for Homeless and Migrant Students - October 25, 2005
  5. Establishing Eligibility of Runaway, Homeless and Migrant Youth, FY 05 School and Community Nutrition Programs Policy Memorandum #05-01
  6. Guidance on Determining Categorical Eligibility for Free Lunches and Breakfasts of Runaway, Homeless and Migrant Youth: Reauthorization 2004, FY 04 School and Community Nutrition Programs Policy Memorandum #04-33
  7. Categorical Eligibility for Free Lunches and Breakfasts for Migrant Children, FY 04 School and Community Nutrition Programs Policy Memorandum #04-29
  8. Categorical Eligibility for Free Lunches and Breakfasts of Runaway, Homeless and Migrant Youth: Reauthorization 2004, FY 04 School and Community Nutrition Programs Policy Memorandum #04-24
  9. Guidance on Role of Educational Agency Liaison in Documenting Eligibility of Homeless Children for Child Nutrition Program Benefits
  10. Homeless Liaison Directory for Public Schools
  
  

• Eligibility Benefits for Head Start/Even Start Students

  1. USDA Guidance on Automatic Eligibility for Early Head Start Participants - 8/5/08
  2. Wisconsin DPI Mailing, 6/2/08 - Children Enrolled in Head Start with enclosed USDA Guidance
  
  

• Eligibility Benefits for Military

  1. Exclusion of Military Combat Pay 9/15/10 USDA Policy Memorandum SP 06-2010 Revised
  2. U.S. Armed Forces Family Supplemental Subsistence Allowance: Excluded from Income Consideration 08/25/06 USDA Policy Memorandum #30-2006
  3. U.S. Armed Forces Family Supplemental Subsistence Allowance: Excluded from Income Consideration 9/9/05 USDA Policy Memorandum #05-29
  4. Military Families and Eligibility in the Child Nutrition Programs 1/19/05 USDA Policy Memorandum #05-13
  5. Exclusion of the Housing Allowance for Military Households in Privatized Housing 7/7/04 USDA Policy Memorandum #04-20
  
  

• Eligibility Benefits for Students in Foster Care, Kinship Care and Chips

  1. Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, Public Law 111-296 -11/10/11 WI Department of Children and Families Memo to counties and tribes regarding eligibility determination of foster children
  2. Determining Eligibility for Meal/Milk Benefits: Foster Care, Kinship Care and Adoption Assistance Fact Sheet - DPI Guidance 8/19/11
  3. Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Categorical Eligibility of Foster Children -1/31/11 USDA Policy Memorandum SP 17-2011
  4. 2011-2012 School Year Policy Updates - This information supersedes current policy found in the USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals, January 2008 edition. Please place this document in your Eligibility Manual until USDA issues manual updates. A new edition of the manual is expected this school year and will be placed on the website.
  
  

• Treatment of Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance and National Flood Insurance Program payments in Income Eligibility Determinations for Food and Nutrition Service Programs

  1. 10/29/05 USDA Policy Memo
  
  

• Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household

  1. DPI Summary and Clarification of Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household - 7/10
  2. USDA Policy Memo SP 25-2010 - 05/3/10
  3. Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household - Wisconsin DPI Mailing 09/08/09
  4. USDA Policy Memo SP 38-2009 - 08/27/09
  
  

Fair Hearing Procedures

Income Eligibility Guidelines

1. School Year 2012-2013
   1. Income Eligibility Guidelines
2. School Year 2011-2012
   1. Corrected Income Eligibility Guidelines
3. School Year 2010-2011
   1. Income Eligibility Guidelines
   2. Final Update on Income Eligibility Guidelines for Free/Reduced Price Meals Memo from June C. Paul, Director, August 5, 2010.
   3. Final Update on Publication of Updated Poverty Guidelines - USDA Guidance Memo, August 2, 2010
   4. Update on the Continuing Delay of Publication of Updated Poverty Guidelines - USDA Guidance Memo, June 11, 2010
   5. Delay of Publishing School Year 2010-2011 - Memo from June Paul, April 14, 2010
4. School Year 2009-2010
5. School Year 2008-2009

Limited Disclosure of Children's Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility and Outreach for the Wisconsin BadgerCare Health Care Coverage

1. Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications - Requests for Additional Information - USDA Guidance Memo SP 50-2011, 9/30/11
2. Disclosure Policy for School Nutrition Programs - Memo from June C. Paul, Director, 2/22/11 with Enclosure: USDA Eligibility Manual, 2008, Part 7 - Confidentiality/Disclosure
3. Disclosure Requirements for the Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo, August 23, 2010
4. Reaffirmation of Policy on Limited Disclosure of Children's Eligibility Information to the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) - USDA Guidance Memo, September 29, 2008
5. Limited Disclosure of Children's Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility
6. Disclosure of Children's Eligibility Information for Health Insurance Programs (Customize as needed for your school)
7. Prototype Disclosure of Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility Information Agreement
8. Sharing Information with Medicaid/Badger Care Alternate Approved Form - (This form supplied by The CHILD Project)

Provision 2

1. May 1, 2008 - Mailing to Authorized Representatives of non-pricing Child Nutrition Programs completing a four-year cycle under Provision 2
2. Special Assistance Alternatives - Provision 2
3. Provision 2 Guidance - National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs
4. Calendar of School Nutrition Requirements for Provision 2 Base Year Schools
5. Calendar of School Nutrition Requirements for Provision 2 Non-base Year Schools
6. 30-Day Carryover and Delayed Implementation for Provision 2 - 9/5/08 USDA Policy Memo
7. Application materials for Free and Reduced Price Meals
   • SY 2011-2012: Only to be used by schools completing Provision 2 BASE YEAR
     • Free/Reduced Meal Application - contains updated:
       • Parent/Guardian Letter
       • Notice to Households of Approval/Denial of Benefits
       • Notice of Direct Certification
       • We Must Check Your Application
       • We Have Checked Your Application
     • Public Release
     • Income Eligibility Guidelines (For School Use Only)

Verification

1. Online Verification Summary Report
2. Verification for Cause in the School Meals Programs - 2/10/12 USDA Policy Memo
3. Verification and Reporting of Foster Children - 10/24/11 USDA Policy Memo
4. Interim Rule: Verification of Eligibility for Free and Reduced Price Meals in the NSLP and SBP
5. Verification Forms - Supplementary materials that may be used by National School Lunch Program sponsors to meet the annual verification requirement to confirm eligibility for free or reduced price meals of a sample of students.
6. Verification Training Webcast
7. Clarification of Direct Verification - 8/31/06 USDA Policy Memo
8. Verification Sample Size Memo 7/25/06 USDA Policy Memorandum
9. School Communications Concerning Verification Activities 3/2/06 USDA Policy Memorandum
10. State Agency Ameliorative Action Plans for Verification 2/22/06 USDA Policy Memorandum
11. Direct Verification - Reauthorization 2004; Implementation Memo11/18/05 USDA Policy Memorandum #06-01
12. Verification Non-Response Rates for Large School Districts 9/19/05 USDA Policy Memorandum #05-32
    • List of Large School Districts - Please print to view
13. Verification Activities: Reauthorization 2004 Implementation 3/25/05 USDA Policy Memorandum #05-17
14. Effect of Current Verification Activity on SY 2005-2006 Verification Requirements: Reauthorization 2004 11/30/04 USDA Policy Memorandum #05-06
15. Verification of Income Eligibility, 9/1/04 USDA Policy Memorandum #04-30
16. Other DPI Mailing(s) on this subject

For questions about this information, contact Julie A. Cox (608) 267-9206

Last updated on 4/11/2012 2:43:35 PM