The Community Eligibility Provision allows schools and districts where at least 25 percent of students are already identified as low-income through programs like SNAP or TANF to serve free breakfast and lunch to every enrolled student, regardless of individual family income, without collecting a single household application. Nearly 48,000 schools across more than 7,700 districts had opted into CEP as of the 2023-2024 school year, representing about half of all schools in the National School Lunch Program.
This guide is independently written and is not affiliated with USDA, OPM, or the official federal Feds Feed Families campaign.
How CEP Eligibility Is Calculated
CEP eligibility is based on a school or district's Identified Student Percentage, commonly abbreviated ISP, which measures the share of enrolled students who are automatically certified as eligible for free meals through data matching, rather than a paper application. Identified students include children in households receiving SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR, and in most states Medicaid, as well as children who are homeless, in foster care, migrant, or enrolled in Head Start. As of October 2023, the minimum ISP threshold to elect CEP was lowered from 40 percent to 25 percent, which significantly expanded how many schools could qualify.
How the Free Meal Percentage Is Determined
- How CEP Eligibility Is Calculated
- How the Free Meal Percentage Is Determined
- Why Schools Choose CEP
- The Four Year Cycle and Grace Years
- How Schools and Districts Apply
- How to Know If Your Child's School Uses CEP
- FAQ
- What is the Community Eligibility Provision?
- What ISP threshold does a school need to qualify for CEP?
- Do all students really eat free under CEP, regardless of income?
- How do I know if my child's school participates in CEP?
Once a school qualifies, its reimbursement is not simply all-or-nothing. The ISP is multiplied by a federal factor of 1.6 to determine what percentage of served meals are reimbursed at the free rate, with the remainder reimbursed at the lower paid rate. A school with an ISP of 50 percent, for example, would have 80 percent of its meals reimbursed at the free rate, since 50 multiplied by 1.6 equals 80. Any school or district with an ISP of 62.5 percent or higher receives the free reimbursement rate for all meals served. Critically, no meals are reimbursed at the reduced-price rate under CEP, since the whole point of the provision is to eliminate that middle tier and simply serve everyone free.
Why Schools Choose CEP
- Every enrolled student eats free, removing any stigma tied to identifying which students qualify
- Schools no longer need to collect, process, or verify individual household applications
- Participation in school meal programs typically increases once the financial and paperwork barriers disappear
- Administrative burden on school nutrition staff is significantly reduced
The Four Year Cycle and Grace Years
CEP operates on a four-year cycle. A school locks in its ISP calculation at the start of the cycle, though it can recalculate and adopt a higher rate if its ISP increases during that time. At the end of the four years, the school must redetermine eligibility using current data. If a school's ISP has dropped slightly below the 25 percent threshold but remains at least 15 percent, it can typically elect a one-time grace year and continue serving free meals to all students while working to boost its identified student percentage back above the required line.
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How Schools and Districts Apply
Local educational agencies interested in adopting or renewing CEP must formally apply through their state education agency, with the annual election deadline typically falling on June 30 for the upcoming school year. The application uses ISP data collected as of April 1 of the prior school year, and states generally publish their own list of eligible schools and districts each spring to help school nutrition staff determine whether their site qualifies before the deadline.
How to Know If Your Child's School Uses CEP
If your child's school participates in CEP, the school is required to notify students and parents that free meals are being offered to every enrolled student, typically at the start of the school year. If you're unsure whether your child's school participates, checking your state's published list of CEP-eligible schools, or simply asking your school's front office or nutrition department directly, will confirm it.
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FAQ
What is the Community Eligibility Provision?
CEP is a federal option that lets qualifying high-poverty schools serve free breakfast and lunch to all enrolled students without requiring individual household applications, based on the percentage of students already identified as low-income through other means-tested programs.
What ISP threshold does a school need to qualify for CEP?
As of October 2023, schools or districts need an Identified Student Percentage of at least 25 percent to elect CEP, down from the previous 40 percent threshold.
Do all students really eat free under CEP, regardless of income?
Yes. Once a school adopts CEP, every enrolled student receives free breakfast and lunch, regardless of their individual family's income level.
How do I know if my child's school participates in CEP?
Schools that adopt CEP are required to notify families that free meals are available to all students. You can also check your state education department's published list of CEP-eligible schools or ask your school's nutrition department directly.
Sources: USDA Food and Nutrition Administration, Food Research and Action Center, No Kid Hungry Center for Best Practices, K-12 Dive.