Free & Reduced Meals

• Children can get free and reduced meals if your household’s gross income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines.
• All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) can get free meals regardless of your income. This includes children living in the household who do not receive SNAP or TANF.
• Children in households participating in The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) may be eligible for free or reduced price meals.
• Foster children who are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals, regardless of income, and should be included on a household application. They are no longer considered a household of one.
• Homeless, migrant, and runaway children should contact the Colonial School District’s Home and School Visitor at 610-834-1670, ext. 2108, for assistance in receiving meal benefits.

WHO SHOULD I INCLUDE AS MEMBERS OF MY HOUSEHOLD?

You must include all people living in your household, related or not, who share income and expenses.

MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN?

Yes. You or your child(ren) do not have to be U.S. citizens to qualify for free or reduced price meals.

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 make $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometime. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.

WE ARE IN THE MILITARY.DO WE INCLUDE OUR HOUSING ALLOWANCE AS INCOME?

If you get an off base housing allowance, it must be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income.

MY SPOUSE IS DEPLOYED TO A COMBAT ZONE.IS HER COMBAT PAY COUNTED AS INCOME?

No, if the combat pay is received in addition to her basic pay because of her deployment and it wasn’t received before she was deployed, combat pay is not counted as income.

WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED?

Yes. We may also ask you to supply written proof.

WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE DISTRICT’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION?

The Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act requires the information on the Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application. You do not have to give the information, but if you do not, we cannot approve your child for free or reduced price meals. You must include the last four digits of the social security number of the adult household member who signs the application. The social security number is not required when you apply on behalf of a foster child or you list a Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) Program or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) case number or other FDPIR identifier for your child or when you indicate that the adult household member signing the application does not have a social security number. We will use your information to determine if your child is eligible for free or reduced price meals, and for administration and enforcement of the lunch and breakfast programs. We may share your eligibility information with education, health and nutrition programs to help them evaluate, fund or determine benefits for their programs, auditors for program reviews and law enforcement officials to help them look into violations of program rules.

Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

1. mail:
   U.S. Department of Agriculture
   Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
   1400 Independence Avenue, SW
   Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax:
   (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email:
   Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.