The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) in highpoverty areas to offer free school breakfast and lunch to all students at no cost. CEP can provide numerous benefits to LEAs, including substantial administrative savings from the elimination of household applications for free and reduced price meals, streamlined meal service operations, higher student participation, and more opportunities for children to receive nutrition necessary to optimize academic achievement. CEP may be implemented in individual schools, groups of schools, or in entire school districts.

This memorandum provides updated guidance and Questions and Answers (Q&As) (attached) that address common questions that Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) has received in the first year of CEP’s nationwide implementation. The attached Q&As supersede the Q&As previously released with SP 16-2015 and SP 21-2014 (v.2).

Related Content: NSLP and SBP State Agency Memos