The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program, a provision that allows schools to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students while eliminating the traditional school meal application process. CEP is part of the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act (HHFKA).
Community eligibility enables schools to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students and eliminates the need for schools to collect paper applications by basing reimbursement levels on “identified students.” Identified students are either directly certified based on their household’s participation in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, formerly known as food stamps), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF, or cash assistance), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), those considered homeless, migrant, runaway, Head Start, or foster children. Students enrolled in CEP schools will no longer be required to complete a free and reduced meal application. Every enrolled student will be able to eat both breakfast and lunch free of charge without filling out any forms.