Attachment L - Prototype Letter to Households

Attachment L: Prototype Letter to Households

This information is being collected from School food authorities and schools. This is a
revision of a currently approved information collection. The Richard B. Russell
National School Lunch Act (NSLA) 42 U.S.C. § 1758, as amended, authorizes the
National School Lunch Program (NSLP). This information is required to administer and
operate this program in accordance with the NSLA. Under the Privacy Act of 1974, any
personally identifying information obtained will be kept private to the extent of the
law. According to the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, an agency may not conduct or
sponsor, and a person is not required to respond to, a collection of information unless
it displays a valid OMB control number. The valid OMB control number for this
information collection is 0584-0026. The time required to complete this information
collection is estimated to average 6 minutes per response. The burden consists of the
time it takes for households to read this letter and complete their application. Send
comments regarding this burden estimate or any other aspect of this collection of
information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to: U.S. Department of
Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Services, Office of Policy Support, 1320 Braddock
Place, Alexandria, VA 22314, ATTN: PRA (0584-0026). Do not return the completed
form to this address.

OMB Control Number 0584-0026
Expiration Date XX/XX/20XX

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FREE AND
REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals to learn. [Name of School/School District] offers healthy meals every school day.
Breakfast costs [$]; lunch costs [$]. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price meals.
Reduced price is [$] for breakfast and [$] for lunch. This packet includes an application for free or reduced price
meal benefits, and a set of detailed instructions. Below are some common questions and answers to help you with the
application process.
1. WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS?
 All children in households receiving benefits from [State SNAP], [the Food Distribution Program
on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)] or [State TANF], are eligible for free meals.
 Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for
free meals.
 Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
 Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
 Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household’s income is within the limits on
the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals
if your household income falls at or below the limits on this chart.
FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY INCOME CHART For School Year________
Household size

Yearly

Monthly

Weekly

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Each additional person:

2. 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 you believe children in your household meet these
descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please call or e-mail [school, homeless
liaison or migrant coordinator].
3. 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. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so
be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to: [name, address, phone
number].
4. 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 [name,
address, phone number, e-mail] immediately.

5. CAN I APPLY ONLINE? Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper
application if you are able. The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same
information as the paper application. Visit [website] to begin or to learn more about the online application
process. Contact [name, address, phone number, e-mail] if you have any questions about the online
application.
6. 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, through [date].
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.
7. 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 send in an application.
8. WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes. We may also ask you to send written proof of the
household income you report.
9.

IF I DON’T QUALIFY NOW, 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.

10. WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk to school
officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: [name, address, phone number, e-mail].
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. 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 write a 0 in the field. 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.
14. 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, 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.
15. 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. Contact [name, address, phone
number, e-mail] to receive a second application.
16. MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find out how
to apply for [State SNAP] or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call [State hotline
number].
If you have other questions or need help, call [phone number].
Sincerely,
[signature]