The Indiana Department of Education today announced household size and income guidelines for free and reduced price meals and free milk for those students unable to pay the full price for meals or milk served under the National School Lunch, School Breakfast, and Special Milk Programs.
Each local school corporation office has a copy of the guidelines that may be reviewed by any interested party.
Children from households that meet federal guidelines are eligible for free or reduced price meals or free milk.
Application forms are being provided to all homes with a letter to parents or guardians. To apply for free or reduced price benefits, households must complete the application as soon as possible, sign it, and return it to the school. One application should be submitted for all the students enrolled in the school district. Households should answer all applicable questions on the form. An application that does not contain all the required information cannot be processed and approved by the school. The required information is:
SNAP (Food Stamp)/TANF Households: When SNAP (Food Stamp) and TANF information is known by the school, households will receive a letter that states their child is enrolled in free meals and an application does not need to be completed. If any student is not listed on that letter of approval for free meals, contact the school to have free meal benefits extended to those additional children in the household. If a household currently receives SNAP (Food Stamps) or “Temporary Assistance for Needy Families” (TANF) for any child or other household member, they need only to list the child’s name and Food Stamp or TANF case number, and sign the application.
All other households: If a household’s income is at or below the level shown on the income scale, children are eligible for free or reduced price meals or free milk. Households must provide the following information: (1) the names of all household members, (2) all household income last month and source of income received by each household member (for example, earnings, welfare, pensions or other). Income is all money before taxes or anything else is taken out, (3) the signature of an adult household member, and (4) the last four digits of the Social Security number of the adult signing the application.
The information on the application for free or reduced price meals may be verified by the school or other officials at any time during the school year.
The information households provide will be treated confidentially and will be used only for the eligibility determinations and verification of data.
Households may apply for benefits at any time during the school year. If a household is not eligible now, but has a decrease in household income, an increase in household size, or a household member becomes unemployed, an application should be filled out at that time.
When schools know foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway information, or children enrolled in Head Start/Even Start Programs information, households will receive a letter of the child’s eligibility for free meals. If a letter is not received, households should fill out an application.
Foster children are eligible for free meal or milk benefits regardless of the household income. If a household has foster children living with them and they wish to apply for meals or milk benefits for them, they should contact the school for help with the application.
Children enrolled in the Head Start/Even Start Program or the Migrant Education Program or who are considered homeless or runaway by the school district’s homeless liaison should contact the school for assistance in receiving benefits.
Under the provisions of the policy, a local school corporation official will review applications and determine eligibility. Households dissatisfied with the ruling of the official may wish to discuss it with the school.
Households also have the right to a fair hearing which may be initiated by contacting the hearing official in the local school corporation.
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, found online at http://www.ascr.usda.gov/complaint_filing_cust.html, or at any USDA office, or call (866) 632-9992 to request the form. You may also write a letter containing all of the information requested in the form. Send your completed complaint form or letter to us by mail at U.S. Department of Agriculture, Director, Office of Adjudication, 1400 Independence Avenue, S.W., Washington, D.C. 20250-9410, by fax (202) 690-7442 or email at program.intake@usda.gov.
Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339; or (800) 845-6136 (Spanish).
