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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - USDA FNS Direct Certification Improvement Grants (USDA FNS DC FY 2014)

1) What is the USDA FNS DC FY 2014 grant opportunity?

USDA FNS DC FY 2014 is a discretionary grant opportunity from the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS). It is designed to help State agencies strengthen "direct certification" for free school meals in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP).

2) What is "direct certification" in the context of school meals?

Direct certification is the process that allows eligible children to be automatically approved for free school meals without requiring a household application. The most common method is matching school enrollment records with eligibility records from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).

3) What is the main goal of these grants?

The central goal is to help States increase the share of SNAP-participating children who are correctly and automatically certified for free meals. This improves access for eligible families while reducing paperwork and administrative burden for schools.

4) Which federal programs are primarily impacted by improvements funded through this grant?

The improvements are intended to strengthen certification for free meals in the NSLP and SBP, with direct certification processes most commonly tied to SNAP participation.

5) What federal laws and policy drivers are behind this opportunity?

This opportunity is grounded in several federal laws, including:

• The Child Nutrition and WIC Reauthorization Act of 2004 (required direct certification systems by SY 2008-2009).
• The 2008 Farm Bill (required evaluation and annual reporting to Congress on direct certification performance).
• The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 (established performance benchmarks and required Continuous Improvement Plans for States below benchmarks).

6) What is the "direct certification rate" mentioned in the opportunity?

FNS calculates a direct certification rate by comparing the estimated number of school-age SNAP participants (generally ages 5 to 17) to the number of children actually directly certified for free meals. The rate is used for annual monitoring and reporting to Congress.

7) What benchmarks are States expected to meet for SNAP direct certification?

The Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010 set ramping benchmarks for SNAP direct certification performance:

• 80 percent for SY 2011-2012
• 90 percent for SY 2012-2013
• 95 percent for SY 2013-2014 and each year after

8) What happens if a State does not meet the benchmark?

If a State falls below the benchmark for the previous school year, it is required to create and carry out a Continuous Improvement Plan. The plan must describe concrete steps to identify more eligible children and strengthen systems, including technology and database changes, timelines, and measurable goals.

9) How do Direct Certification Improvement Grants relate to Continuous Improvement Plans?

The grants are intended to provide financial support for both planning and hands-on implementation work needed to reach and sustain required performance benchmarks, including the types of activities described in Continuous Improvement Plans.

10) What types of activities can grant funds be used for?

Grant funds can be used for practical, system-focused upgrades and support activities that directly improve direct certification outcomes, including:

• Technology improvements (modernizing data matches, strengthening interfaces, improving data quality, increasing automation).
• Providing technical assistance to local educational agencies (LEAs).
• Implementing new or revised direct certification processes at the State or local level.

11) Is SNAP the only program that can be used for direct certification improvements under this grant?

SNAP matching is the core emphasis, but the opportunity also encourages improvements to direct certification pathways tied to other programs where federal authority allows, including Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR), foster care, and certain categorically eligible groups such as migrant or homeless children.

12) What outcomes is the grant trying to achieve for students, families, and schools?

The underlying intent is to:

• Increase eligible students' access to free school meals.
• Increase accuracy in eligibility determinations.
• Streamline administration and reduce paperwork for schools and families.

13) What grant types are available under this opportunity?

The FY 2013-2014 award process includes two distinct grant types:

• Tier 1: Limited-scope planning and implementation projects with simplified applications, generally capped at up to one year.
• Tier 2: Full-scope implementation projects lasting one to three years, with an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000.

14) Can an applicant apply for both Tier 1 and Tier 2?

No. A State may apply for only one grant type under this request for applications.

15) What is the maximum award amount?

Tier 2 grants have an award ceiling of up to $1,000,000. (The provided information does not state a Tier 1 maximum award amount.)

16) Is there a minimum award amount?

Yes. The award floor listed for the competition is $15,000.

17) How many awards did FNS expect to make, and what was the total funding estimate?

FNS anticipated making about 12 awards with an estimated total funding amount of $7,500,000.

18) Is cost sharing or matching required?

No. There is no cost sharing or matching requirement.

19) Who is eligible to apply?

Eligibility is limited to State governments, specifically the State agencies that administer NSLP (and by extension SBP operations tied to certification).

20) Are States that previously received direct certification grants still eligible?

Yes. States that previously received direct certification grants under earlier RFAs remain eligible, but they must clearly justify the need for additional funding.

21) Can a State apply if it already meets or exceeds the 95 percent benchmark?

Yes. States at or above 95 percent (as shown in the most recent FNS Direct Certification Report to Congress) can still apply, but they must make a compelling case that further system or process improvements are needed to maintain performance at or above the mandated threshold.

22) How many applications can a State submit?

Only one application per State agency is accepted under the RFA. FNS noted it may reconsider that limitation if funds remained available near the end of the application window.

23) Where does FNS publish information used to monitor direct certification performance?

FNS publishes annual "Report to Congress" publications that include direct certification rates and are used to monitor progress and highlight where improvements are still needed. The opportunity references, for example, a national average direct certification rate of 86 percent for SY 2011-2012, up from 77 percent the prior year.

24) What is the CFDA number for this opportunity?

This opportunity is listed under CFDA 10.579 (Child Nutrition Discretionary Grants).

25) What category is this grant listed under?

The opportunity is categorized under Food and Nutrition.

26) When was the opportunity posted and what were the due dates?

The posting date was August 6, 2013. Multiple due dates were provided if funds remained available: October 1, 2013; January 2, 2014; April 1, 2014; and a final closing date of July 1, 2014.

27) Is this funding opportunity still active?

No. The opportunity was archived on July 31, 2014.

28) Which agency administered this grant?

The administering agency is the USDA Food and Nutrition Service (FNS).

29) Who was the point of contact if applicants had trouble accessing the announcement?

Applicants who had trouble accessing the announcement were directed to contact the grant officer, Carla Garcia.