School Meal Eligibility

School Meal Eligibility is determined at the district level by households completing a free or reduced-price application; households can also be automatically eligible for free school meals through direct certification. Qualifying students as eligible for free or low-cost school meals helps to increase access to healthy meals, which supports their health and academic performance. Find more specific information regarding school meal eligibility below.

October 1 Count Eligibility Data

Direct Certification

Free and Reduced-Price Applications

Verification

Pandemic Electronic Benefits Transfer (P-EBT)

Free and Reduced-Price Outreach Toolkit

Free and Reduced-Price School Meals Outreach Toolkit

Use the free and reduced-price school meals outreach toolkit to market the importance of applying and promoting the availability of free school meals. Sponsors can access print-ready and web materials, customizable flyers, social media templates and talking points.

Direct Certification (DC)

Direct Certification uses approved assistance program data to automatically approve eligible students for free school meals. Colorado uses an automated online system to directly certify households that participate in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Migrant Education Program.

Resources

Templates

Training

Direct Certification Online Training

District Liaisons For:

Foster Care Education - Child Welfare Liaison (CWEL)
McKinney-Vento Homeless Education - Homeless Liaison
Migrant Education Program (MEP) - Regional Migrant Liaison

Legislation requires each district to have a child welfare liaison (CWEL), a McKinney Vento/Homeless liaison and a regional Migrant liaison. Liaisons are responsible for identifying and documenting children who qualify for the listed assistance programs. Children identified in these programs are automatically eligible for free school meals.

Free and Reduced-Price (F&R) Application Guidance

The free and reduced-price application determines school meal eligibility based on reported information including household size and income or participation in approved assistance programs.

2020 Free and Reduced-Price Public Release

The free and reduced-price school meals public release was published on behalf of all sponsors operating NSLP on Wednesday, July 1, 2020. The public release provides families with the newest qualifying income guidelines, information on eligible school sites, and guidance on how to complete a free and reduced-price meal application. Sponsors interested in providing their families with specific district information can find editable public release templates in both English and Spanish.

Free and Reduced-Price Public Release (PDF)

Free and Reduced-Price Public Release - Spanish (PDF)

Resources

Release of student information resources for families

Templates

Applications:

Letters:

Other:

Training

Free and Reduced-Price Meals 101 Virtual Training
- Participants will learn how to process applications, discover the importance of school meal eligibility, and think through Back to School scenarios.
  - Recorded on August 5, 2020; 2 hours 35 min long
Free and Reduced-Price Meals 201 Virtual Training
- Participants will learn to critically think through the intricate areas of the free and reduced-price school meal program. As a disclaimer, there are times in the recording where the audio may be hard to hear; the recording includes downloadable PowerPoint slides with speaker notes.
  - Recorded on August 12, 2020; 2 hours 30 min long
October 1 Count/Free Lunch Webinar Recording

Income Verification Guidance

Verification is the process of confirming free or reduced-price meal eligibility based on income and/or assistance program information provided on applications.

Resources

Templates

Training

Verification Online Training
Income Verification Webinar Recording
- Income Verification- PowerPoint and Presenter Notes (PPT)
- Participants learn about the verification process including annual requirements.
  - Recorded on Nov. 18, 2020
Verification Collection Report (VCR) Webinar Recording
- Participants learn how to accurately report data fields within the verification collection report.
  - Recorded on Nov. 13, 2019.

For more information or if an alternative version of a document is needed, please contact free&reducedpriceschoolmeals@cde.state.co.us or call 303-503-2353.