Community Eligibility Provision
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) was implemented by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The CEP allows high-poverty schools to eliminate the administrative burden of school meal applications and still serve breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, regardless of their financial situation so that they can be fueled and ready to learn. CEP mandates that a free breakfast and lunch must be served daily in each school site that qualifies.
Schools that have implemented the CEP have experienced remarkable increases in school meal participation, and many reported improved attendance. CEP can free up financial resources that were tied to administration and redirect them to the food.
Community Eligibility Provision
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) was implemented by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010. The CEP allows high-poverty schools to eliminate the administrative burden of school meal applications and still serve breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students, regardless of their financial situation so that they can be fueled and ready to learn. CEP mandates that a free breakfast and lunch must be served daily in each school site that qualifies.
Schools that have implemented the CEP have experienced remarkable increases in school meal participation, and many reported improved attendance. CEP can free up financial resources that were tied to administration and redirect them to the food.
Application
Eligibility for CEP status is determined at the school level. While there are some districts in which every school qualifies for CEP, the application is still completed for each school. Once awarded, CEP status stays in effect for four years during which schools do not need to reapply. The following section goes into detail about how to determine if your school qualifies and if CEP status is a good fit for your program.
Keep in mind that CEP is a status that is linked to the school, not the student; therefore, if a student moves to another school site or if they have siblings in a different school, they will need to fill out the traditional Free and Reduced Lunch program application.
Reimbursement
Reimbursement for a CEP school is based on the percentage of students categorically eligible for free meals using information on participation in other specific means-tested programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF). Students participating in these programs are termed Directly Certified students (DC) under CEP.
Reduced Administrative Burden
Schools operating CEP do not collect household free/reduced applications to determine eligibility since all students receive meals at no cost. With the elimination of the F/R application processing, many programs experience a decrease in administrative burden when implementing CEP for their schools.
Impact on Educational Funding
Some education funding programs, such as Title I and E-rate, have traditionally relied upon these household applications to determine levels of education funding. Under CEP, however, local educational agencies (LEAs) can use alternative sources of data to qualify for needs-based education funding, such as an alternative income form. This form collects data from families, but is not as invasive as the free/reduced application.
Schools that have implemented the CEP have experienced remarkable increases in school meal participation, and many reported improved attendance. CEP can free up financial resources that were tied to administration and redirect them to the food.
Schools that have implemented the CEP have experienced remarkable increases in school meal participation, and many reported improved attendance. CEP can free up financial resources that were tied to administration and redirect them to the food.
Tips for Financial Calculations
Identified student percentage multiplied by a factor of 1.6 equals the percent of total meals served that will be reimbursed at the federal free rate
For example, a school in which 50% of students are eligible for free meals would have 80% (50% x 1.6 = 80%) of the total meals served reimbursed at the federal free rate..
The remaining percent of total meals served is reimbursed at the federal paid rate
Using the example above, the school district with 50% of students eligible for free meals would have 20% of their total meals reimbursed at the federal paid rate.
Any meal costs in excess of the total federal reimbursement must be covered through non-federal sources.
Tips for Financial Calculations
Identified student percentage multiplied by a factor of 1.6 equals the percent of total meals served that will be reimbursed at the federal free rate
For example, a school in which 50% of students are eligible for free meals would have 80% (50% x 1.6 = 80%) of the total meals served reimbursed at the federal free rate..
The remaining percent of total meals served is reimbursed at the federal paid rate
Using the example above, the school district with 50% of students eligible for free meals would have 20% of their total meals reimbursed at the federal paid rate.
Any meal costs in excess of the total federal reimbursement must be covered through non-federal sources.
Making Improvements
CEP status may mean that your school meal program is serving more students than ever, increasing access to school meals, and bringing in funds at a higher reimbursement amount. With increased funds and community support, the school meal program can focus on increasing access to healthy, scratch cooked foods.
The financial resources can be directed to increasing the availability of fresh produce and improving the quality of food being served. Explore our resources on scratch cooking, salad bars, and local procurement.
Not sure where to start? Enroll in School Food 101 with the School Food Institute.
Making Improvements
CEP status may mean that your school meal program is serving more students than ever, increasing access to school meals, and bringing in funds at a higher reimbursement amount. With increased funds and community support, the school meal program can focus on increasing access to healthy, scratch cooked foods.
The financial resources can be directed to increasing the availability of fresh produce and improving the quality of food being served. Explore our resources on scratch cooking, salad bars, and local procurement.
Not sure where to start? Enroll in School Food 101 with the School Food Institute.
