NATIONAL SCHOOL LUNCH
AFTERSCHOOL SNACK PROGRAM
Eligibility for Participation - To be eligible for the Afterschool Snack Program through the National
School Lunch Program (NSLP), the following criteria must be met:
 A school must operate the lunch component of the NSLP.
 The school district or private school must operate the after school program (this includes schools
that subcontract the day to day operations of the program).
 The program provides regularly scheduled activities for children in an organized, structured and
supervised environment. Students in organized athletic programs engaged in interscholastic sports
are not eligible to participate.
 The program includes educational or enrichment activities.
 The program is “open to all” children up to age 18 or for those students who turn 19 during the
school year, and children with disabilities, and does not limit membership for reasons other than
space or security.
 The program is in operation during the regular school year, which may include summer sessions
and year round schools, on days when school is in session.
Reimbursement - The Afterschool Snack Program allows for Area Eligible and Regular sites as follows:
 To be eligible for Area Eligibility reimbursement, a site must be located in the attendance area of a
school (i.e., elementary, middle or high school) that has at least 50% of its enrollment eligible for
free or reduced price meals. All snacks are served free of charge and reimbursed at the free rate of
reimbursement. To determine if a site meets this criteria, please refer to the most recent “%
Students Eligible for Free or Reduced Lunch” building data report which is available on:
http://www.pde.state.pa.us/food_nutrition. Select Programs, National School Lunch Program.
 A Regular site claims snacks based upon individual student eligibility status (free, reduced or paid)
and snacks are reimbursed at the appropriate rate.
 Reimbursement rates for each category of eligibility are available on PEARS. Select Rates from
the left side of the screen. Select the current Program Year to view the current reimbursement
rates.
 The monthly claim for reimbursement is submitted on PEARS as part of the normal claim process.
Requirements - The Afterschool Snack Program has the following requirements:
 Snacks are served after regular school hours.
 Snacks comply with established meal pattern requirements as stated in CFR 210.10(m),
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http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Governance/regulations/7CFR210.pdf, with the recommendation of
increasing serving sizes for the older children (ages 13-18).
 The snack is priced as a unit opposed to individual items for students receiving paid or reduced
price snacks.
 No more than $.15 is to be charged for a reduced price snack.
 One snack per child may be claimed for reimbursement.

Each program is reviewed twice each year, as stated in CFR 210.9(c), the first of which shall be
during the first four weeks that the school program is in operation each school year. An after
school care program operating year round shall be reviewed during the first four weeks of its initial
year of operation, once more during its first year of operation, and twice each school year
thereafter.
Record Keeping – The following documentation must be maintained in order to claim snacks for
reimbursement for:
 Area Eligible sites:
 Documentation indicating the Area Eligible site is located in an area served by a school
in which at least 50 percent of the enrolled students are eligible for free or reduced
price school meals.
 Total meal (snack) counts.
 Documentation of individual children’s attendance on a daily basis
 Documentation of compliance with meal pattern requirements, including production
records.
 Regular sites:
 Documentation of free or reduced price eligibility for all children for whom free or
reduced price snacks are claimed.
 Meal (snack) counts by eligibility type (free, reduced, or paid).
 Documentation of individual children’s attendance on a daily basis
 Documentation of compliance with meal pattern requirements, including production
records.
Non-eligible Programs and Sites - The following are some examples of situations that would not be
eligible for the Afterschool Snack Program:
An after school program that is not school sponsored.
An after school program that is sponsored at a school that does not participate in the National
School Lunch Program.
Interscholastic programs and community level competitive sports programs.
Weekend, holiday, vacation and summer programs unless they are a part of regular school year,
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year round school or summer school.
A program that operates other than after regular school hours.
For additional information, visit http://www.fns.usda.gov/cnd/Afterschool/default.htm or contact Sandy
Souder at 1-800-331-0129, Ext. 33538, or by e-mail at ssouder@state.pa.us.
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