PROGRAMS & SERVICES:
CHILD NUTRITION:
SCHOOL NUTRITION PROGRAMS:
FREE & REDUCED PRICE MEAL PROGRAM ELIGIBILITY INFORMATION
(Updated 7/30/10)

Unless a school provides meals to all students at no charge, schools must permit families to apply for free and reduced price meals. Schools must designate an Approving Officer to review and approve applications. Schools must also conduct verification of a sample of approved applications each year.

Current School Meal Free/Reduced Application

• Free & Reduced Price Meals, Free Milk, and Approval & Verification Information
  Health & Human Services & USDA have not published new income eligibility guidelines for the 2010-2011 school year, therefore the guidelines for 2009-2010 will remain in effect and must be used to approve applications until the new ones are released.  Applications approved for the new school year are valid for the entire school year and will not need to be reapproved or re-evaluated with the 2010-2011 guidelines when they are released.  Please note that no guidelines are printed on the applications or household letters this year.
• Applications in Languages other than English
• Meal Application for 2010-2011
  • Meal Notice to Parents
• Milk Application for 2010-2011
  • Milk Notice to Parents
• Income Eligibility Guidelines
• School Programs Reimbursement Rates for 2010-11

Approving Officer’s Manuals for 2009-2010
The Eligibility Manual being used by the department this year was developed by USDA and is more comprehensive than the state agency version, covering a wider variety of topics and issues. To aid in the process of approving applications and verification in schools, a Vermont Appendix has been added with materials and information specific to department uses and forms for school staff to use for verification.

• Eligibility Manual
• Vermont Appendix (Updated 7/30/10)

NOTE: The forms packet may also be downloaded separately in the following formats:

• Sample Forms & Letters Packet 
• Sample Forms & Letters Packet
• Sample Forms & Letters Packet

Certification and Benefit Issuance Letters
These are letters that may be used by schools who are reviewed by Child Nutrition Programs and who must complete corrective action by contacting households to notify them of eligibility changes resulting from errors found during an Administrative or Program Review. These sample letters will save lots of time, will facilitate the corrective action process and may save fiscal action penalties for incorrect meal claiming errors by quicker corrective action response periods.

				Word	RTF
		Free to Reduced, Approval Error		Word	RTF
		Free to No Benefits, Approval Error		Word	RTF
		Reduced to Free, Approval Error		Word	RTF
		Reduced to No Benefits, Approval Error		Word	RTF
		Denied to Free or Reduced, Approval Error		Word	RTF
		No Application on File, Status Change		Word	RTF
		Zero income		Word	RTF
		Incomplete Application		Word	RTF
		Decreased Benefits, Miscategorized		Word	RTF
		Increased Benefits, Miscategorized		Word	RTF
		Student Continuing to Receive Benefits After No Response to Verification		Word	RTF

Program Eligibility Information
Policy & Administration | Publications & Resources

School Nutrition Programs | Child & Adult Care Food Program (CACFP)
After School Snack Program
Summer Food Service Programs (SFSP)

Child Nutrition

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