• The Household Application For Free and Reduced Price Meals is a Federal form. We are required to comply with federal and state policies and regulations regarding this form.
• One person processes the applications for all buildings and all students in CSD.
• Forms are filled out annually for each family. DO NOT send a form for each child. The USDA requests only one form per family.
• Many people get confused by the weekly, bi-weekly, twice per month and monthly checkboxes on the form. If you make about $2000 per month, but get checks weekly, do NOT put $2000 down and check weekly. The computer will calculate this as $2000x52 or $104,000 per year. If you are paid weekly, you should put the amount you receive EACH week and check weekly. This will calculate that dollar amount x 52.
• People paid Twice Per Month get 24 paychecks per year. People paid Every Two Weeks receive 26 paychecks per year.
• You may call at any time to check on the status of your application.
• School districts in Washington state download automatically each month from a coordinated list provided by DSHS to match OSPI enrollment records (Direct Certification). Students on this list are automatically approved for free meals without a paper application.
• You are welcome to call and ask if your child has been Direct Certified by the state, in which case you do not need to fill out an application.
• Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals are also eligible to have a reduction in many school-related fees, including some classroom fees, pre-college testing fees, and athletic transportation fees. 

A - NO. Only current, valid Basic Food, TANF (Temporary Assistance For Needy Families) or FDIPR (Federal Native American assistance) case numbers may be included on the application.

A - YES. Every person who lives in your house (parents, grandparents, other adults who claim this location as their residence, pre-school aged children, etc.) will be listed on the form. School children are listed in the top section and all other household members are listed in the section below. Income must be listed for all adults and children whose income could be used toward household expenses.

EXCEPTION: If you have someone living in your home who is their own "financial family," they are not included in either the number of people in your household or the income in your household.

A - YES, if the college students are living in a dormitory or temporary housing situation and still using your home as their permanent address AND you are contributing significantly to their college and/or living expenses. Rule of thumb: if you are writing them off as a dependent on your tax return, they are included in your household.

A - NO. If you put a current, valid case # on the form for any person in your household, you do not have to fill out any of the income information. Just list all school children in the top section with a case #.

A - YES. IF you are applying based on income. If you are applying with a current, valid Basic Food, TANF, or FDIPR case number, you do not have to include your SS#. If your child does not appear on the DSHS match list, however, we may request that you show proof of the case # or provide a SS #.

A - YES. Each year, we are required to do a random selection of applications that have to be verified. The selection is done by the computer software. Families whose applications are selected must supply the required information, which varies between income free, categorically free, foster child, and reduced-price.

1. Filling out a form for each child in the family. Please fill only one form for the whole family.
2. Leaving off the Social Security number on an income application.
3. Not filling in the blank that says "Total Household Members (include all people living in your household): ________"
4. Not filling in the correct mailing address. Many of the notices we send out are returned by the post office because the address on the application is not valid.
5. Listing a Medical coupon case #. We cannot accept medical case #s.
6. Not listing all students in all schools in the top section of the family's form.
7. Not including income for all adults and children living in the household on an income-based application. The most common omission is SSI income for minor children. This must be included on an income application.
8. Not signing the form. All forms must be signed by the adult filling out the form.
9. PLEASE DO NOT FILL IN THE INCOME AND HOUSEHOLD NUMBERS BELOW THE WIDE BLACK LINE ON THE BACK PAGE OF THE APPLICATION! This section is for district use only.