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• Applications

  • Public Release

• 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

• Reimbursement Rates

• 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 2014-2015 - Do not distribute before July 1, 2014

1. English Version - For use by schools. Includes parent notification letters forapplication eligibility and direct certification. Agencies wishing to modify this application must obtain prior approval from the School Nutrition Team.
2. *Spanish and Hmong Versions are currently being translated.
3. 2014-2015 Income Eligibility Guidelines (For School Staff Use Only)
4. Public Release
   1. National School Lunch Program - English
   2. Special Milk Program

SY 2013-2014 

1. English Version - For use by schools. Includes parent notification letters forapplication eligibility and direct certification. Agencies wishing to modify this application must obtain prior approval from the School Nutrition Team. 7/8/13 - New non-discrimination statement 
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. 7/8/13 - New non-discrimination statement 
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.
4. Additional Translations (34 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 2013-2014 school year.
5. 2013-2014 Income Eligibility Guidelines (For School Staff Use Only)
6. Public Release, 7/8/13 - New non-discrimination statement
   1. National School Lunch Program - English
   2. National School Lunch Program - Spanish
   3. Provision 2
   4. Special Milk Program
7. Reimbursement Rates for Schools
8. Discretionary Elimination of Reduced Priced Charges in the School Meals Program, SP-17-2014, 1/22/14

Direct Certification - Webpage
 

Eligibility Determination

• Eligibility Manual for School Meals - Federal Policy for Determining and Verifying Eligibility - Updated August 2013
  • Please note an update to Question 5 on Page 41 highlighted in red text.
  • This manual replaces the Eligibility Guidance for School Meals Manual originally issued in October 2011
  • Effective Date of Free or Reduced Price Meal Eligibility Determinations,12/3/13, USDA Memo SP 11-2014 

• Duration of Households' Free and Reduced Price Eligibility Determination

  • Direct Certification and Zero Benefit Households, 10/26/11, USDA Memo SP 03-2012
  • 30-Day Carryover and Delayed Implementation for Provision 2 - 9/5/08 USDA Policy Memo
  • Initial Carry-over of Previous Year's Eligibility: Reauthorization 2004, 9/9/05 USDA Policy Memorandum #05-28
  • 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

  • Midwest Regional USDA Office Guidance School Meal Service to Homeless Students at Private Schools - September 24, 2007
  • Wisconsin DPI Mailing: Free School Meals for Homeless Students - September 25, 2006
  • Wisconsin DPI Mailing: Update about Free Meals for Homeless and Migrant Students - October 25, 2005
  • Establishing Eligibility of Runaway, Homeless and Migrant Youth, FY 05 School and Community Nutrition Programs Policy Memorandum #05-01
  • 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
  • Categorical Eligibility for Free Lunches and Breakfasts for Migrant Children, FY 04 School and Community Nutrition Programs Policy Memorandum #04-29
  • 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
  • Guidance on Role of Educational Agency Liaison in Documenting Eligibility of Homeless Children for Child Nutrition Program Benefits
  • Homeless Liaison Directory for Public Schools

• Eligibility Benefits for Head Start/Even Start Students

  • Questions and Answers Regarding the Participation of Head Start Programs in Child Nutrition Programs - SP-40-2013, 5/17/13 

• Eligibility Benefits for Military

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

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

  • 10/29/05 USDA Policy Memo

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

  • 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
  • Determining Eligibility for Meal/Milk Benefits: Foster Care, Kinship Care and Adoption Assistance Fact Sheet - DPI Guidance 8/19/11
  • Child Nutrition Reauthorization 2010: Categorical Eligibility of Foster Children - (revised 4/16/13) 1/31/11 USDA Policy Memorandum SP 17-2011

• Extending Categorical Eligibility to Additional Children in a Household

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

Fair Hearing Procedures
 

Income Eligibility Guidelines

• School Year 2014-15
  • Income Eligibility Guidelines  4/28/14
• School Year 2013-14
  • Income Eligibility Guidelines
• School Year 2012-2013
  • Income Eligibility Guidelines
• School Year 2011-2012
  • Income Eligibility Guidelines
• School Year 2010-2011
  • Income Eligibility Guidelines

Independent Review of Applications 

As part of an effort to decrease certification error during the eligibility determination process, section 304 of the HHFKA requires that certain local education agencies (LEAs) conduct a second, independent review of applications for free and reduced price meal benefits before eligibility determinations are made. 

Beginning in School Year (SY) 2014-2015, LEAs that demonstrate high levels of, or a high risk for administrative error associated with certification and benefit issuance, are required to conduct a second review of all applications received by October 31. 

• Questions and Answers Related to the Independent Review of Applications, SP 44-2014, 4/30/14
• Independent Review of Applications Final Rule, Federal Register, 2/6/14
• Independent Review of Applications Report *Only SFAs notified by the State Agency need to complete the report

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

• Free and Reduced Price Meal Information, Pupil Privacy, and the Department of Public Instruction Secure Data Tools - DPI Memo sent 2/6/13
• Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications - Requests for Additional Information - USDA Guidance Memo SP 50-2011, 9/30/11
• 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
• Disclosure Requirements for the Child Nutrition Programs - USDA Guidance Memo, August 23, 2010
• 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
• Limited Disclosure of Children's Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility
• Disclosure of Children's Eligibility Information for Health Insurance Programs (Customize as needed for your school)
• Prototype Disclosure of Free and Reduced Price Meal Eligibility Information Agreement
• Sharing Information with Medicaid/Badger Care Alternate Approved Form - (This form supplied by Covering Kids & Families-WI) 

Provision 2

• Application materials for Free and Reduced Price Meals
  • SY 2013-2014
    • Free/Reduced Meal Application  7/8/13 - New non-discrimination statement 
    • Public Release  7/8/13 - New non-discrimination statement 
    • Income Eligibility Guidelines (For School Staff Use Only)
• Special Assistance Alternatives - Provision 2
• Provision 2 Guidance - National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs
• Calendar of School Nutrition Requirements for Provision 2 Base Year Schools
• Calendar of School Nutrition Requirements for Provision 2 Non-base Year Schools
• Review of Provision 2/3 Base Year - 9/26/13 USDA Policy Memo 
• 30-Day Carryover and Delayed Implementation for Provision 2 - 9/5/08 USDA Policy Memo

Reimbursement Rates

• School Year 2013-14
• School Year 2012-13
• School Year 2011-12
• School Year 2010-11 

Resources for Approval of Free and Reduced Price Meal Applications

• Example Income Eligible Application
• Example FoodShare/W-2/FDPIR Application
• Example Foster Child Application
• Example Homeless/Migrant/Runaway Application

Verification

• 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. June 2014
• Verification Training Webcasts 
• Eligibility Manual for School Meals - Federal Policy for Determining and Verifying Eligibility
• Release of the new School Food Authority (SFA) Verification Collection Report (form FNS-742) - 4/29/13 USDA Policy Memo
  • FNS-742 Verification Collection Report
• Link to Online Verification Collection Report Available November 1, 2013
• Instructions to Complete Verification Collection Report
• Benefit Issuance List Example