Direct Certification in the National School Lunch Program State Implementation Progress, School Year 2014-2015 (Summary)

This report responds to the requirement of Public Law 110-246 to assess the effectiveness of State and local efforts to directly certify children for free school meals. Direct certification is a process conducted by the States and by local educational agencies (LEAs) to certify eligible children for free meals without the need for household applications.

In school year (SY) 2014-15, an estimated 91 percent of school-age Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) participants were directly certified for free meals. This represents a four-percentage-point improvement from SY 2013-2014.