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The guide covers certification of eligibility options, direct certification requirements for LEAs under the National School Lunch Program, timing for annual and monthly matches, sponsor file upload matching, and single child matching. It also details using direct certification results, effective-date considerations, downloading files, and creating comma-delimited files, plus how to contact Illinois DHS for questions about listing status.",{"@graph":69,"@context":122},[70,84,105],{"@type":71,"itemListElement":72},"BreadcrumbList",[73,77,79,82],{"item":74,"name":75,"@type":76,"position":8},"https://docshare.wps.com","Home","ListItem",{"item":78,"name":9,"@type":76,"position":14},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/",{"item":80,"name":35,"@type":76,"position":81},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/healthcare/",3,{"item":83,"name":65,"@type":76,"position":19},"https://docshare.wps.com/document/electronic-direct-certification-certification-guide/536098/",{"url":83,"name":65,"@type":85,"image":86,"author":91,"headline":65,"publisher":94,"fileFormat":97,"inLanguage":63,"description":67,"dateModified":98,"datePublished":99,"encodingFormat":97,"isAccessibleForFree":100,"interactionStatistic":101},"DigitalDocument",{"url":87,"@type":88,"width":89,"height":90},"https://docshare.wps.com/thumbnails/electronic-direct-certification-certification-guide/536098.png","ImageObject",300,407,{"name":92,"@type":93},"Cart","Person",{"url":74,"name":95,"@type":96},"DocShare","Organization","application/pdf","2026-11-10","2026-10-10",true,{"@type":102,"interactionType":103,"userInteractionCount":29},"InteractionCounter",{"@type":104},"ViewAction",{"@type":106,"mainEntity":107},"FAQPage",[108,114,118],{"name":109,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":111},"What is Electronic Direct Certification and who can be directly certified?","Question",{"text":112,"@type":113},"Direct certification is a simplified process where LEAs certify students receiving SNAP, TANF, income-eligible Medicaid, or who are foster children. Directly certified students are eligible for free school meals/milk without a household eligibility application.","Answer",{"name":115,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":116},"How often are LEAs required to run direct certification in the Electronic Direct Certification System?",{"text":117,"@type":113},"LEAs must conduct direct certification a minimum of three times: around the beginning of the school year, three months after the initial effort, and six months after the initial effort. LEAs are encouraged to use each of the monthly files for best effectiveness.",{"name":119,"@type":110,"acceptedAnswer":120},"Can the system be used to deny a household eligibility application (HEA) for meal benefits?",{"text":121,"@type":113},"No. The guide states that direct certification may be used only to directly certify HEAs with provided SNAP/TANF case identification numbers and/or income information, but it cannot be used to deny the initial HEA. If a SNAP case ID or student is not found, the HEA must be processed as submitted.","https://schema.org",{"og:url":83,"og:type":124,"og:title":65,"og:site_name":95,"og:description":67},"article",{"robots":126,"canonical":83},"index,follow",{"doc_id":128,"site_id":62},536098,1791689409,{"code":4,"msg":5,"data":131},{"doc_id":128,"user_id":132,"nickname":92,"user_avatar":133,"doc_module":4,"category_id":34,"category_name":35,"doc_title":65,"doc_description":67,"doc_content":134,"file_id":135,"file_url":136,"file_type":137,"file_size":138,"view_count":29,"is_deleted":4,"is_public":8,"is_downloadable":8,"audit_status":8,"page_count":46,"language":139,"language_code":63,"site_id":62,"html_lang":63,"table_of_contents":140,"faqs":141,"seo_title":142,"seo_description":67,"update_tm":143,"read_time":31,"preview_page_count":4},18829141979164,"https://eur-avatar.wpscdn.com/davatar_6f874abed73319feea01a86fa6f0fab8","Electronic Direct Certification  \nElectronic Direct Certification  \nCertification of Eligibility ....................................................................................................... F-1  \nAccessing Electronic Direct Certification System ................................................................. F-2  \nAnnual and Monthly Match – Public Schools/Districts Only ............................................... F-5  \nSponsor File Upload Match – ALL Schools/Districts ............................................................ F-6  \nSingle Child Match – All Schools/Districts ............................................................................ F-8  \nUsing Direct Certification Results ......................................................................................... F-9  \nFlexibility in Determining the Effective Date ........................................................... F-9  \nExtension of Benefits .............................................................................................. F-10  \nDownloading a Direct Certification File .............................................................................. F-12  \nHow to Create a Comma-Delimited File ............................................................................. F-14  \n􀀛 Additional Resources  \n• ISBE Electronic Direct Certification webpage  \n[https://www.isbe. net/Pages/Electronic-Direct-Certification-Process.aspx](https://www.isbe. net/Pages/Electronic-Direct-Certification-Process.aspx)  \nCertification of Eligibility  \nMeal benefits can be issued using one of following methods:  \n• Categorical Eligibility using the Electronic Direct Certification System. Students receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP); Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) income –eligible Medicaid (began November 1, 2016); and Foster children.  \n• Categorical Eligibility using listing from Coordinator(s)– Homeless; Migrant; Runaway; Head Start; or Foster children. Between September 1 and June 30 annually, a direct certification report for Homeless, Migrant and Head Start is available in the Electronic Direct Certification System.  \n• Household Eligibility Application (HEA)  \na. Based on household income.  \nb. Based on valid SNAP or TANF case numbers provided on the application including the extension of such benefits to ALL household members. Since income levels are not known when a household provides a Medicaid number on a HEA or displays a Medicaid card, it is NOT allowable for determining eligibility for meal programs.  \nAny households questioning their eligibility for FREE meals through direct certification by SNAP, TANF or income eligible Medicaid should contact the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) . DHS may be able to provide information to households as to why a student is listed as participating in SNAP, TANF or income eligible Medicaid. The DHS helpline is 800-843-6154 or visit and select Family Community Resource Center as the office type and county to obtain local office contact information.  \nThis section of the handbook will only address the Categorical Eligibility using the Electronic Direct Certification System. Refer to the Certification of Eligibility section of this handbook for all other methods of determining meal benefit eligibility.  \nElectronic Direct Certification System  \nDirect certification is a simplified process where LEAs certify students are receiving SNAP, TANF, income eligible Medicaid or are a Foster child. Any student able to be directly certified is eligible for FREE school meals/milk, without a household eligibility application, based on information provided by the State/local agency administering those programs for the entire school year, plus the carryover period of the next school.  \nUtilizing the Electronic Direct Certification System is a requirement of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) . LEAs are required by the USDA to conduct direct certification a minimum of th","cbCaimXnSErQ57m8","https://ap.wps.com/l/cbCaimXnSErQ57m8","pdf",1010947,"English","# Certification of Eligibility\n# Accessing Electronic Direct Certification System\n# Annual and Monthly Match - Public Schools/Districts Only\n# Sponsor File Upload Match - ALL Schools/Districts\n# Single Child Match - All Schools/Districts\n# Using Direct Certification Results\n## Flexibility in Determining the Effective Date\n## Extension of Benefits\n# Downloading a Direct Certification File\n# How to Create a Comma-Delimited File\n# Additional Resources","[{\"question\":\"What is Electronic Direct Certification and who can be directly certified?\",\"answer\":\"Direct certification is a simplified process where LEAs certify students receiving SNAP, TANF, income-eligible Medicaid, or who are foster children. Directly certified students are eligible for free school meals/milk without a household eligibility application.\"},{\"question\":\"How often are LEAs required to run direct certification in the Electronic Direct Certification System?\",\"answer\":\"LEAs must conduct direct certification a minimum of three times: around the beginning of the school year, three months after the initial effort, and six months after the initial effort. LEAs are encouraged to use each of the monthly files for best effectiveness.\"},{\"question\":\"Can the system be used to deny a household eligibility application (HEA) for meal benefits?\",\"answer\":\"No. The guide states that direct certification may be used only to directly certify HEAs with provided SNAP/TANF case identification numbers and/or income information, but it cannot be used to deny the initial HEA. If a SNAP case ID or student is not found, the HEA must be processed as submitted.\"}]","Electronic Direct Certification - Certification Guide | PDF",1791601830]