Benefits
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| Q: Who can get free meals? |
| A: Children living in households whose monthly income falls within the Income Guidelines released by the USDA for free meals. Children who are receiving SNAP (Food Stamps), TANF, FDPIR, and Foster children can receive free meals. |
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| Q: Who can receive reduced meals? |
| A: Children living in households whose monthly income falls within the Income Guidelines released by the USDA for reduced meals. |
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| Q: Can homeless, runaway, and migrant students receive free or reduced-price meals? |
| A: Yes, but you must do the following BEFORE completing the application to see if your child(ren) qualify: if homeless or runaway, contact the District Student Services Center at 352-527-0090; if migrant, contact the Migrant Education Program at 352-228-0377. |
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| Q: I receive WIC benefits. Do my children qualify for Free and Reduced meals? |
| A: Not necessarily; determination of benefits are based on income. Children living in families whose monthly income falls within the Income Guidelines released by the USDA for free and reduced meals. Please submit an application. |
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| Q: If I receive notification that I do not qualify at this time, may I reapply again during the same school year? |
| A: Yes. If at anytime during the current school year the monthly income for your family changes or the size of your household changes you may reapply by calling the district Food & Nutrition Services office. You cannot reapply online. |
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General
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| Q: I disagree with the district's decision about my benefits, what do I do? |
| A: You should contact the district Food & Nutrition Services office to find out what their procedures are for disputing the claim. |
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Security
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| Q: How secure is my online application transaction? |
| A: Highest... 128 bit encryption |
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Applications
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| Q: How long will it take for my status to be determined? |
| A: It could take up to 10 operating days; however, by applying online, your status will normally be determined in approximately 2-3 operating days. |
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| Q: Do I need to fill out an application for each child? |
| A: No. An application can be filled out for all of the students in your household, regardless of relationship. Please be sure that the application is complete; it can not be approved until it is complete. FOSTER CHILDREN MAY BE INCLUDED AS A "MEMBER" WHEN DETERMINING HOUSEHOLD SIZE. |
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| Q: Why have I not received my confirmation e-mail? |
A: The most common reason for not receiving your confirmation email is an incorrect email address. Most email addresses are long and not intuitive to type, resulting in possible errors.
Another possible reason is that your Internet Service Provider has mistakenly blocked the confirmation email, confusing it with spam. |
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| Q: Should I fill out an application if I received a letter this school year from the district Food & Nutrition Services Department stating my child(ren) qualified for free or reduced-price meal benefits? |
| A: Please read the letter carefully and follow the instructions contained in the letter. If you have any further questions please contact the district Food & Nutrition Services Department for more information. |
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| Q: Will the information I provide in this process be verified? |
| A: Yes, the information may be verified and you may be asked to send written proof of any or all of the information you provided. |
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| Q: Do all of the members of my household have to be U.S. citizens to apply for Free and Reduced-Price meal benefits? |
| A: No. Neither you nor your children have to be U.S. citizens to receive Free and Reduced-Price meals. |
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| Q: Who should be included when determining my household size or listing the members of my household? |
| A: You must include all of the people living in your household, related or not (such as grandparents, other relative, or friends). You must include yourself and all children who live with you. |
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| Q: What if my income fluctuates and is not always the same amount? |
| A: List the amount received most often. |
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| Q: My family is a military dependent family; do we include our housing allowance as income? |
| A: No. If your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. |
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