The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a meal service option that allows schools and school districts in low-income areas to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to enrolled students, without collecting household income applications. Schools and school districts with an Identified Student Percentage (ISP) of 40% or higher are eligible to elect CEP.
Identified students are those students who are directly certified for free meals based on their participation in other programs, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF).
To learn more about CEP visit the USDA CEP Resource Center.
To view detailed CEP data and participating schools, visit the CEP Data page.
Schools and school districts interested in participating in CEP should contact their Program Specialist.