United States Government Publishing Office publisher pbl distributor dst United States Government Accountability Office Resources, Community, and Economic Development Division author aut Government Organization text government publication eng GAOREPORTS Legislative Agency Publications gao legislative 2010-08-12 U.S. Government Printing Office 1994-04-14 monographic deposited born digital GA 1.13:T-RCED-94-184 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-184 P0b002ee180385d71 f:trc94184 DGPO 2010-08-12 2011-03-28 GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-184 machine generated eng fdlp REPORT GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-184 T-RCED-94-184 School lunch programs Disadvantaged persons Students Child care programs Subsidies Eligibility determinations Paperwork Administrative costs Cost control Philadelphia (PA) Jersey City (NJ) Salinas (CA) National City (CA) National School Lunch Program National School Breakfast Program USDA No-Fee School Meal Pilot Program Testimony RCED Under the existing lunch and breakfast programs, the federal government pays schools a nationally established subsidy for each meal served to reduce the cost to students. The programs require that meals be provided free, or at a greatly reduced price, to poor children. Reimbursement rates differ depending on the income of the students' families. Schools are required to determine and verify students' eligibility and must keep accurate records of meals served to all students to support their claims for federal reimbursement. To reduce this administrative burden and to boost student participation, Congress encouraged the Agriculture Department (USDA) to explore alternatives to the administrative requirements of the current program. The result was USDA's no-fee school pilot program. This testimony discusses the (1) differences between the no-fee pilot program and the traditional school meal programs, (2) different approaches used by the four school food authorities participating in the pilot program, and (3) results being obtained in terms of administrative costs and workloads, student participation, and federal costs. https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-184/html/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-184.htm GAO/T-RCED-94-184 https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/GAOREPORTS-T-RCED-94-184 Testimony GAO/T-RCED-94-184; Food Assistance: Early Results of USDA's No-Fee School Meal Pilot Program; School lunch programs Disadvantaged persons Students Child care programs Subsidies Eligibility determinations Paperwork Administrative costs Cost control Philadelphia (PA) Jersey City (NJ) Salinas (CA) National City (CA) National School Lunch Program National School Breakfast Program USDA No-Fee School Meal Pilot Program