Verification At-A-Glance
Eligibility Determinations are made using one of TWO methods:
1.
Direct Certification - Exempt from the Verification selection pool.
• Food Stamps
• TANF
• Homeless
• Runaway
• Migrant
• Head Start (Automatically Eligible)
2.
Free and Reduced Price Meals Family Application
Free (Application Approved)
• Categorically Eligible
o Food Stamps
o TANF
o Homeless
o Runaway
o Migrant
• Income Eligible
o Income/Household size
information
•
Reduced-Price (Application Approved)
Income/Household size info.
•
Paid or Denied
Above Income Guideline Scale
•
st
st
Date for determining sample size is changed from October 31 to October 1 .
•
Deadline for completion has been moved from December 15th to November 15th.
•
Two methods for verification: Basic Sample Size or Alternate Sample Size
•
Basic Sample: Under the new law, the basic sample size for verification continues to be the lesser
of 3 percent of all approved applications or 3,000 applications. However, the basic sample must be
drawn from error prone applications. This method is mandatory of all LEA’s unless the conditions
that permit the use of the Alternate Sample method are met in (1) and (2) below.
In cases in which there are not enough error-prone applications to comply with the required sample
size options, Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) must randomly select additional applications to
fulfill the percentage or number requirement.
•
Alternate Sample: In lieu of the basic sample size, LEAs may elect to use one of two alternate
sample sizes if the following conditions are met:
(1) Your non-response rate for the preceding school year is less than 20 percent; or
(2) For LEAs with more than 20,000 children approved by application (excluding direct certification)
for free or reduced-price school meals as of October 1: N/A in WV
The alternate sample sizes set forth in the law for LEAs meeting the above criteria are the same
options established in the past:
(A) The lesser of 3 percent of, or 3,000, of all approved applications selected at random; or
(B) The lesser of 1 percent of all applications selected from error-prone applications or 1,000 errorprone applications, plus the lesser of ½ of 1 percent of, or 500, approved applications that
provided a case number (in lieu of income information) showing participation in food stamps, a
State TANF program, or FDPIR.
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•
The confirmation review The NSLA now requires that LEAs review all applications selected for
verification prior to conducting any other verification activity. This review is designed to check the
accuracy of the initial eligibility determination and must be done by an individual other than the
individual who made the initial eligibility determination. (The latter requirement may be waived if the
LEA uses a technology-based system for processing applications that has been approved by the
State agency.)
The LEA will proceed with verification if the initial determination was correct or if the initial
determination was incorrect, but the household is still eligible for benefits. If the initial determination
was incorrect, the LEA must correct the household’s status and notify the household of the change.
If there was a decrease in benefits, a notice of adverse action is required. Any application that is
not subject to verification must be replaced by a similar application (i.e., an application within $100
of the monthly eligibility limit.)
•
Individual review of selected applications The law now allows the LEA to decline to verify no
more that five percent of applications in the selected sample. (LEAs may consider factors such as
household stability and communication difficulties when declining applications.) Any application
that was removed from the sample must be replaced with another approved application.
•
Follow-up activities The NSLA now requires the following verification follow-up activities by
LEAs:
a. LEAs must provide all households selected for verification with a telephone number
that they may call for assistance. This call must be free to all households in the LEA.
The LEA may establish a toll-free number or allow the household to reverse the
charges.
The school or LEA must determine the appropriate person who can either directly
assist household callers or who can refer the caller to a specific person for help. If the
household is unable to obtain assistance during their initial call, an LEA or school
official must attempt to initiate further contact.
b. If a household fails to respond to the initial request for verification, the LEA must make
at least one attempt by telephone, by e-mail, through the mail or through personal
contact to obtain the necessary verification from the household. If the LEA is still
unable to verify the household’s eligibility status after the follow-up attempt(s), the
household’s benefits must be terminated through a notice of adverse action.
•
“Error Prone” - Income Eligible Applications that indicate monthly income within $100 (or annual
income within $1,200) of the income eligibility limits for free and reduced-price school meals
•
“Non-response rate” - The percentage of approved household applications for which verification
information has not been obtained by an LEA.
Non-response Rate:
=
# of apps. in verification sample for which verification information was not obtained
Total # of applications selected for verification
R:9/20/07
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