Skip to main content

The SFA must retain all documents submitted by the household or duplicates of those documents, including all relevant correspondence between the SFA and households. You may document and/or note information directly on the application when contacting families for further information.  A separate sheet of paper can also be attached. If the documents cannot be kept, the verifying official must make a written record of the documents submitted. Copies of all relevant correspondence between the households selected for verification and the school must be maintained with program records for three years plus the current year.

For each application verified, SFAs must maintain records documenting:

  • The source of information used to verify the application
    • Documentation may include a wage stub or documentation from employer or collateral contacts
  • Any changes in eligibility as a result of verification, including:
    • the changes
    • the reason for the changes
    • date the changes were made
    • records of follow-up attempts and results

Program regulations also require SFAs to maintain a description of their verification activities.

This includes:

  • the total number of applications on file as of October 1
  • a summary of the verification efforts, including the selection process
  • the percentage and number of applications that have been verified
  • the SFA must also be able to demonstrate compliance with the confirmation review requirement and provision of a no-cost telephone number for assistance in the verification process
Last updated
September 23, 2022

USDA Nondiscrimination Statement

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity.

Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339.

To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/ad-3027.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

  1. mail:
    U.S. Department of Agriculture
    Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
    1400 Independence Avenue, SW
    Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
  2. fax:
    (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
  3. email:
    Program.Intake@usda.gov

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

Click here for Nondiscrimination Statement translations.

Top