#Ischool at illinois for free#
#Ischool at illinois verification#

Under Option 2, a school board must establish an application process for determining and verifying eligibility for school fee waivers that is completely independent from the process for determining and verifying eligibility for free meals.

#Ischool at illinois verification#

Verification of school fee waiver eligibility for any student not applying for the federal meals program may be conducted in accordance with Option 2 below. It should be noted that a school board that chooses to use the federal meals application as the basis for granting school fee waivers also must have a school fee waiver application available for families who wish to apply only for the fee waiver and not the free meals program. A child who is “directly certified” (i.e., is receiving SNAP/Food Stamps or TANF) or is “categorically eligible” (i.e., is homeless, migrant or runaway or in Head Start) would automatically receive school fee waivers as well under this option and would likewise have his or her receipt of free meals and a school fee waiver subject to the federal verification limitations. Of the student’s eligibility for the fee waiver can be made. This means that if a child is eligible for free meals, his or her school fees are automatically waived based on the meals application however, federal requirements restrict the school district to verifying only 3% of the approved meal applications on file as of October 1, unless it has established just cause. Under Option 1, a school board that participates in a federally funded, school-based child nutrition program and uses a student’s application for that program as the basis for waiving fees must follow the federal requirements for verifying a student’s eligibility for both the meals program and waiver of school fees.

Option 2:Ğstablishment of a separate application process to determine a student’s eligibility for school fee waivers based upon the income guidelines established by the federal meals program that does not rely on a student’s application for, eligibility for or participation in the free meals program.

Option 1: Use of a student’s application for free meals under the federal program as the basis for granting a school fee waiver or.

The law amends Sections 10-20.13 and 34-21.6 to provide two application options for verification purposes: In addition, the district cannot verify the eligibility to receive a school fee waiver of a student who is receiving free meals outside of the verification requirements established for the federal meals program.Įffective September 1, 2009, however, school districts that establish a process for requesting school fee waivers that is separate and apart from the application process for the federal meals program will be able to verify eligibility for a fee waiver independently (see Ĭurrently, a school district is obligated to waive at least the cost of textbooks and instructional materials for any student whose family income is within the federally established guidelines for free meals, regardless of the student’s participation in the federal meals program (i.e., National School Lunch, School Breakfast, Special Milk or After-School Snacks).

Under Illinois law, school districts are required to waive charges for textbooks and other fees for children whose families are unable to afford them, including children eligible for the federal free lunch and breakfast program, and for any other extenuating circumstances for which the school board will waive fees as communicated in its adopted policy (e.g., reduced-price lunch or medical emergencies).