Verification
School Nutrition Programs
Verification Letters – Translations
Verification letters are available in 33 languages, including Spanish, Somali, and Hmong, on the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. Two letters are available: a “We Must Check Your Application” letter (to notify households about verification) and a “We Have Checked Your Application” letter (to notify households of verification results.)
Follow these steps to obtain a translated verification letter:
1. Go to the Applying for Free and Reduced Price School Meals page on the USDA website. View - Applying for Free and Reduced-Price School Meals
2. Scroll down to the Prototype Applications section of the Applying for Free and Reduced Price School Meals page. For reference, open the English version of the prototype application/verification packet and view the pages for the “We Must Check Your Information” letter and the “We Have Checked Your Information” letter. These two letters are toward the end of the document, which is about 15 pages total.
3. Close out of the English prototype application and return to the Applying for Free and Reduced Price School Meals page.
• Scroll down again to the Prototype Applications section of the page, and open the prototype application document in the desired language.
• In the translated prototype application, scroll down to the translated pages for either the “We Must Check Your Information” letter or the “We Have Checked Your Application” letter. These pages are toward the end of the document (same order as in the English version). The document is about 15 pages total.
• Enter information as needed in the red text boxes. In the boxes that state “State TANF Program,” type in Minnesota Family Investment Program or MFIP. (Households that participate in MFIP may not know that “TANF” is the federal name for that program.)
• Print out the letter. Or copy the letter and add your letterhead.
