For immediate release
Aug. 29, 2017
Eligibility Criteria Announced for Free or Reduced-Price
Meals
in the National School Lunch Program
The North Carolina
Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI) today announced the 2017-18 United
States Department of Agriculture (USDA) policy for free and reduced-price meals
for children enrolled in North Carolina schools. The USDA’s school meals
programs help ensure all students have access to wholesome, nutritious,
appealing meals at school.
“Research indicates children
who are hungry or poorly nourished have difficulty learning and do not perform as
well in the classroom as students who are well-nourished,” said NCDPI School
Nutrition Services Section Chief Lynn Harvey. “Providing healthy, appealing meals
and snacks at school help ensure that students can focus on academics.”
The federal income eligibility
guidelines for July 1, 2017 through June 30, 2018 are as follows:
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The household size and income
criteria identified above will be used to determine student eligibility for
free and reduced-price meal benefits. Children from households whose income is
at or below the levels shown are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Children
who are members of households that are eligible to receive Supplemental
Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits or Cash Assistance (CA) are
automatically eligible for free meals. The determining official will use direct
certification to certify SNAP/CA families. Foster children who are the legal
responsibility of a social services agency or court are considered categorically
eligible for free meals regardless of the income of the household in which they
reside.
(Note: The SNAP was formerly
known as the “Food Stamp” Program. In North Carolina, SNAP is called “Food and
Nutrition Services” or FNS. The CA program was formerly known as Temporary
Assistance to Needy Families or TANF).
Applications for free and
reduced-price school meals are available to all households. Applications should
be available in the principal’s office at each school. To apply for free or
reduced-price meals, households must complete and sign the application and
return it to the school or to the school nutrition office within the school
district, charter school, non-public school or other institution participating
in the National School Lunch program. The information provided on the application
for free and reduced-price meal benefits will be used to determine student eligibility.
Families receiving FNS or CA do not need to complete an application because
they are automatically certified by the determining official via direct certification.
Applications must include
the names of all household members, the amount and source of income received by
each household member, and the last four digits of the social security number
of the adult household member who signs the application. If the household
member signing the application does not have a social security number, he/she
must indicate that a social security number is not available. All applications
for free and reduced-price meal benefits are subject to verification of income
at any time during the school year by the school or other program officials.
Under the provisions of the
free and reduced-price policy, the school nutrition administrator or designee
in each school district will review applications and determine eligibility. Parents
or guardians dissatisfied with the ruling of the official may wish to discuss
the decision with the determining official on an informal basis. Parents
wishing to make a formal appeal for a hearing on the decision may make a
request either orally or in writing to the school district, charter school,
non-public school or other participating institution.
If a household member
becomes unemployed or if the household size increases, the household should
contact the school. Such changes may qualify children of the household for school
meals benefits if the household's income falls at or below the levels shown
above.
Some of the most common
questions and answers about free and reduced-price meals are addressed below.
WHO CAN RECEIVE FREE OR REDUCED-PRICE MEALS?
* All children in households receiving benefits
from Food and Nutrition Services (FNS, formerly known as Food Stamps), the Food
Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or Cash Assistance (CA) are eligible for
free meals.
* Foster
children under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are
eligible for free meals.
* Children
participating in their school’s federally-funded Head Start program are
eligible for free meals as are children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway,
or migrant.
* Children may receive free or reduced-price
meals if their household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income
Eligibility Guidelines.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS HOMELESS,
MIGRANT OR RUNAWAY?
Do the members of your
household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter,
hotel or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a
seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their
prior family or household? If yes, you meet this definition.
CAN HOMELESS, RUNAWAY AND MIGRANT CHILDREN RECEIVE FREE MEALS?
Children who meet the
definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals. If your
children meet the definition of homeless, runaway or migrant but have not been
informed that they will get free meals, contact the school’s homeless, runaway
or migrant liaison.
DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD?
No. Use
one free and reduced-price school meals application
for all students in your household.
SHOULD I FILL OUT AN
APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY CHILDREN ARE
ALREADY APPROVED FOR FREE MEALS?
No,
but please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your
household were missing from your eligibility notification, contact the contact
the school nutrition administrator in your school district immediately.
MY CHILD’S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I
NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE?
Yes. Your child’s
application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of
this school year. You must send in a new application unless the school told you
that your child is eligible for the new school year. If you do not send in a new
application that is approved by the school or you have not been notified that
your child is eligible for free meals, your child will be charged the full
price for meals.
CAN FOSTER CHILDREN RECEIVE FREE MEALS?
Yes, foster children who are
under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible
for free meals. Any foster child in the household is eligible for free meals
regardless of income.
CAN CHILDREN ENROLLED IN A SCHOOL’S FEDERALLY-FUNDED HEAD START PROGRAM
RECEIVE FREE MEALS?
If your children meet this
criterion, and you have not been informed that they will get free meals, you
must contact the school nutrition administrator in your school district.
WHO CAN RECEIVE REDUCED PRICE MEALS?
Children from families whose
total household income is within the reduced-price limits on the Federal Income
Eligibility Guidelines chart can get school meals at a maximum reduced price of
30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch. There is a special provision in
North Carolina that enables many students to receive all or a portion of
reduced price breakfast meals at no cost to the household. Contact the school’s
school nutrition administrator for specific details about this provision in
your school.
I GET WIC. CAN MY CHILDREN
GET FREE MEALS?
Children
in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or
reduced-price meals. Please submit an application.
WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED?
Yes.
We may also ask you to send written proof of the household income you report.
IF I DON'T QUALIFY, MAY I APPLY LATER?
Yes,
you may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a
parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and
reduced-price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.
WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL'S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION?
You
should talk to the district’s school nutrition administrator or you also may
ask for a hearing by calling or writing to the school nutrition office.
MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN?
Yes.
You, your children, or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens
to apply for free or reduced-price meals.
WHO SHOULD YOU INCLUDE AS MEMBERS OF YOUR HOUSEHOLD?
You must include all people
living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other
relatives, or friends) who share income and expenses. You must include yourself
and all children who live with you. Do not report other people who are
economically independent (for example, people who you do not support, who do
not share income with you or your children, and who pay a prorated share of
expenses).
WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME?
List the amount that you normally receive.
For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work
last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you
normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work
overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced,
use your current income.
WHAT
IF SOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS HAVE NO INCOME TO REPORT?
Household members may not receive some types of
income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at
all. Whenever this happens, please check the no income box. However, if any
income fields are left empty or blank, those will also be counted as
zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we will assume
you meant to do so.
WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE REPORT OUR INCOME DIFFERENTLY?
Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as
income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or
clothing, or receive family subsistence supplemental allowance payments, it
must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the
Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing
allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is
also excluded from income.
MY SPOUSE IS DEPLOYED TO
A COMBAT ZONE. IS HIS/HER COMBAT PAY COUNTED AS INCOME?
No,
if the combat pay is received in
addition to his/her basic pay because of his/her deployment and it wasn’t
received before he/she was deployed, combat pay is not counted as income.
Contact the district’s school nutrition administrator for more information.
WHAT
IF THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SPACE ON THE APPLICATION FOR MY FAMILY?
List any additional household members on a separate
piece of paper, and attach it to your application. You may also contact the local school nutrition office to receive a
second application.
MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE ANY OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR?
To
find out how to apply for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS, formerly Food
Stamps) or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or
call The Careline
at 1-800-662-7030.
WILL CHILDREN BE TREATED DIFFERENTLY IF THEY RECEIVE FREE OR
REDUCED-PRICE MEALS?
No. Children receiving free or reduced-price meals are
treated the same as children who pay for their meals. The U.S. Department of
Agriculture prohibits discrimination against its customers, employees, and
applicants for employment on the bases of race, color, national origin, age,
disability, sex, gender identity, religion, reprisal, and where applicable,
political beliefs, marital status, familial or parental status, sexual
orientation, or all or part of an individual’s income is derived from any
public assistance program, or protected genetic information in employment or in
any program or activity conducted or funded by the Department. (Not all
prohibited bases will apply to all programs and/or employment activities.)
If you wish to file a civil
rights program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program
Discrimination Complaint Form (AD-3027) found online and at
any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter
all of the information requested in the form.
To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) 632-9992. Submit your
completed form or letter to USDA by:
* mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Office of the Assistant Secretary
for Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, D.C. 20250-9410;
* fax: (202) 690-7442; or
* email.
USDA is an equal opportunity
provider and employer. For more information, contact the North Carolina
Department of Public Instruction School Nutrition Services at (919) 807-3506 or
the school nutrition administrator in the school district, charter school or
non-public school in which your child is enrolled.
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