Community Eligibility Provision (CEP)

Community Eligibility Provision

The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) provides an alternative approach for offering school meals to local educational agencies (LEAs) and schools in low income areas, instead of collecting individual applications for free and reduced price meals.

The CEP allows schools that predominantly serve low-income children to offer free, nutritious school meals to all students through the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs. The CEP uses information from other programs, including the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the Temporary Assistance Program for Needy Families (TANF) instead of traditional paper applications. For more information about the CEP application process, please contact the Nutrition Services staff at 402-471-2488 or 800-731-2233.

CEP Requirement Annual Deadline
Data Used to Calculate ISP April 1
LEA Notification April 15
State Agency Notification April 15
State Agency Publication May 1
Elect CEP for Following SY June 30

This July 2019 webinar uses Title 1, TEEOSA, and E-Rate data from current Nebraska CEP schools to show the program’s overall positive financial impact.

 

  • SP 20-2017 CEP: Annual Notification and Publication Requirements
    SP 20-2016 CEP
    : Extension of the Deadline for Local Educational Agencies to Elect the Community Eligibility Provision for School Year 2016-17
  • SP 19-2016 CEP: Community Eligibility Provision: Guidance and Updated Q & As
  • SP 19-2014 CEP: Department of Education Title I Guidance (January 31, 2014)
  • SP 21-2014 CEP: Guidance and Q & As (February 25, 2014)
  • SP 32-2014 CEP: Annual Nonfiction and Publication Requirements (April 01, 2014)
Updated April 19, 2024 8:16am