On December 13th, President Obama signed the Healthy, Hungry-Free Kids Act of 2010 which reauthorizes the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). The NSLP data is an integral of the E-rate program, as it is the major determining factor in the percentage of reimbursement an applicant may receive through the program.
The E-rate program provides discounts on certain services and products that are essential for applicants to receive telecommunications services. Schools and libraries receive 20%-90% telecommunications discounts based on the number of eligible students that participate in the National School Lunch Program and it is calculated by individual school.
Students from households whose income is at or below 185% of the federal poverty guideline are eligible for the NSLP. Each year the Department of Agriculture releases Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEG) and this reauthorization will not change any of the IEG’s for this coming year.
