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THE STATE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT / THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK / ALBANY, NY 12234 Office of P-20 Education Policy |
Online Direct Certification Matching Process (DCMP)
The Direct Certification Matching Process (DCMP) is a federally mandated procedure that enables School Food Authorities (SFAs) to certify students for free meal benefits without the need for household applications. This process utilizes state-level data from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid to identify eligible students and matches this information with student records maintained in the New York State Student Identification System (NYSSIS).
Match Frequency
As part of New York State’s Universal Free School Meal Program, all SFAs must complete the DCMP at least three times during each school year[1]. The first match must be conducted at the beginning of the school year to satisfy federal reporting requirements. The additional matches should be completed in December/January, and again in April.
SFAs with schools operating in the base year of Provision 2 must ensure the maximum number of students are certified for free meal benefits for each month of the base year. For these schools, DCMP should be conducted at the beginning of the school year, before distributing household applications and parent letters, and each month thereafter. This ongoing practice helps maximize certification rates and ensures accurate federal reimbursement levels in the base year and in future non-base years.
DCMP System Access
The NYSSIS system and State Match functionality are available through the NYSED Application Business Portal (https://portal.nysed.gov/abp).
State-level DCMP Functions
- State Matches - provides access to direct certification data pre-matched to your students using the student’s NYSSIS ID. Check here first for your eligible students.
- Search - allows you to search direct certification lists with or without student NYSSIS IDs (SNAP & Medicaid).
- Bulk Search - allows you to perform a batch search of direct certification lists, with or without student NYSIS IDs by uploading a file listing multiple student records.
Student Eligibility Effective Date
The effective date of a student’s eligibility for direct certification is determined by the date of the automated data matching file that first identifies the student as eligible, not the date on which the SFA accesses or processes the file in its local point-of-service system. This date is displayed in the “DC Eligibility Date” column of the match results.
Mandatory Reporting of SNAP and Medicaid Eligibles Due Before Filing the September Claim for Reimbursement
At the start of each school year, SFAs must report in the Child Nutrition Management System (CNMS) the number of students directly certified through SNAP and Medicaid matches, including any extensions of eligibility to other household members, for each school. SFAs will be prompted to enter this information before submitting their September reimbursement claim.
To access the report:
- Sign into CNMS with login information
- Select SFA Annual Information
- Select applicable school year
- Click on SNAP & Medicaid Certified Entry link
This report is required for federal reporting (FNS-742 Verification Summary, FNS-834 DC Rate Data Element Report, and CEP Notification List) and other NYSED education reporting purposes (UEI, Title 1, State Aid, etc.).
State Match System Instructions/Guidance Documents
Use the links below to access the instructions, checklist, and sample letters related to the DCMP.
Note: Due to ongoing updates and system improvements, the screenshots and descriptions in the guidance documents may not exactly match the current DCMP website. However, the core functionality remains unchanged.
Please be aware that the Child Nutrition Program Office does not have the authority to grant access to the NYSSIS State Match System or make account updates. For detailed steps on how to assign NYSSIS State Match entitlements, refer to the link titled "How to Grant NYSSIS State Match Entitlements."
State Match User FAQ Updated July 2025
How to Grant NYSSIS State Match Entitlements
Prototype Notification Letter - English (Editable Version)
If you have any questions, please contact your Child Nutrition Program Representative.
[1] DCMP remains optional for schools participating in the Special Milk Program only.
