Overview

School Nutrition Programs | Program Guidance  |   Forms  |    Resources  |    Nutrition Education

Direct certification is a process conducted by states and local educational agencies (LEAs) to certify eligible children for free meals without the need for household applications. The Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) provides the district’s direct certification contact person with a login ID and password to access the CSDE’s Direct Certification Web Application. Each week, the Direct Certification Web Application matches enrolled students to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Family Assistance (TFA), and Medicaid (coded as free Medicaid (FM) or reduced Medicaid (RM)) lists of children provided by the Connecticut Department of Social Services (DSS). On a monthly basis, the Direct Certification Web Application matches directly certified foster children (coded as OT) with the Connecticut Department of Children and Family Services. The district’s direct certification contact person may access this information at any time.

Effective with school year 2025-26, the CSDE’s direct certification list was renamed the Direct Certification Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (DC/S-EBT) list. Students who are eligible for free or reduced-price meals though S-EBT are included in the CSDE’s DC/S-EBT list.  However, these students are not considered directly certified since the household submitted a benefit application to determine eligibility. S-EBT students are indicated by the codes below on the DC/S-EBT list.

• FE = Free S-EBT: Free benefits do not extend to all children in the household.
  RE = Reduced S-EBT: Reduced-price benefits do not extend to all children in the household.

The S-EBT is a permanent, nationwide program that began in summer 2024. It was established under the Consolidated Appropriations Act passed in December 2022. The S-EBT gives families with children extra benefits, like SNAP, to help pay for food in the summer. S-EBT benefits can also determine a student to be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. For more information regarding S-EBT and free and reduced-price eligibility, refer to the CSDE’s resource, Student Eligibility for Free or Reduced-price Meal Benefits Through the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) Program.

Direct Certification Web Application Sign In

Reminder: The Web Application is updated on Monday unless Monday is a holiday. Please wait until Tuesday (or Wednesday for weeks with Monday holidays) to check for updates. Remember to check Case Management weekly.