Direct CertificationLearning Support : 
MDE E-mail Updates
Direct Certification
The direct certification process is used by the Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) to notify school districts of students who can be approved for free school meals based on Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS) data, without any application from the family for school meal benefits. The DHS data identifies children who are automatically eligible for free school meals because they have already been approved for participation in Food Stamps or the Minnesota Family Investment Plan (MFIP).
Public schools receive direct certification data several times each year and are required to use the data to certify students for meal benefits. A nonpublic school that participates in the National School Lunch Program may obtain direct certification data by uploading the school's student enrollment data using the CLiCS system (which is where the direct certification reports are located).
| Direct Certification (PowerPoint presentation) (native) 2Mb (8/5/08) | |
| Training document explaining how students can be directly approved for free meal benefits through School Nutrition Programs based on public assistance data - August 2008. | |
Direct Certification Data File Format
 50Kb (1/11/07)
 59Kb (1/11/07)
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| File format used to interpret the data file available to School Nutrition Programs sponsors when accessing direct certification data in CLiCS. | |
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Direct Certification Notification Letter
40Kb (7/9/07)
23Kb (7/9/07)
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| Sample letter used to notify households of direct certification approval for school meals for the School Nutrition Programs. | |
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Direct Certification Procedures
113Kb (9/22/08)
79Kb (9/22/08)
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| Instructions for schools accessing direct certification data for School Nutrition Programs - July and August 2008 memos. | |
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Privacy of DHS Data Used for Direct Certification - 12/6/2005
9Kb (12/12/05)
33Kb (12/12/05)
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