Direct Certification Process

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1 2016 Direct Certification Process Ebonique Faria Office for Food and Nutrition Programs MA Dept. of Elementary & Secondary Education 7/20/2016 1

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3 Contents Accessing Virtual Gateway...5 Manual Upload...7 Manual Upload for Partial Matches...7 File Upload...8 Enrollment Template...8 Common Error Messages Match History Results Direct Certification Results Partial Match Codes Next File Upload Previous District Match Results

Direct Certification Process Overview By law, all SFA participating in the National School Nutrition Program must use the direct certification process.

4 Direct Certification Process Overview By law, all SFA participating in the National School Nutrition Program must use the direct certification process. Direct Certification is the process under which School Food Authorities (SFA) verify children who are members of households receiving assistance under: Supplemental Nutrition Program (SNAP) TANF FDPIR Medicaid in MA Foster care program Once a child is directly certified, the SFA must notify the household that: household is eligible for free meals no further application is necessary notify the SFA if they do not want free meals for their child complete the Sharing of Information with Other Programs form Unless the children in a household are determined eligible through direct certification, the family must submit an application (paper or electronic) to receive free or reduced price meals. The only other exception would be if the household is participating in a special provisions program. Refer to the most recent Eligibility Manual for School Meals for information regarding the processing of applications for the School Nutrition Program. 4

5 Virtual Gateway Features Accessing Virtual Gateway Select My Account Page 5

Virtual Gateway Features WELCOME SCREEN Please review the following details as they may change and have important information related to the School Nutrition Process.

6 Virtual Gateway Features WELCOME SCREEN Please review the following details as they may change and have important information related to the School Nutrition Process. Direct Certification LEAs must conduct direct certification with SNAP at least three times during the school year. More frequent direct certification efforts are permissible and encouraged. The efforts must be made: At or around the beginning of the school year (i.e., July 1) Three months after the beginning of the school year; and Six months after the beginning of the school year. Subsequent direct certification efforts are required for children who were not initially directly certified and who are currently reduced price or paid. If the LEA has the capability, the status of any new enrolled child must be checked for SNAP eligibility at the time of enrollment. If this is not possible, the household must be provided with an application so that the child's benefits are not delayed until the next scheduled direct certification update. Direct Verification You MUST use the Direct Certification tabs if you are conducting direct certification. The Direct Verification tabs may only be used when conducting the verification of meal benefit applications as part of the verification process. No other use is allowed. Once you have reviewed the discrimination statement, please select a tab. USDA Non Discrimination Statement In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) Submit your completed form or letter 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 ; (2) fax: (202) ; or (3) program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider. 6

Manual Upload Direct Certification Manual Upload Enter your search criteria in

List. Manual Upload Key Features Manually type in student first name, Last

per page is max amount for at a time Repeat as necessary throughout entire

Upload New Enrolled or transferred Confirming Partial Matches Manual Upload for

7 Manual Upload Direct Certification Manual Upload Enter your search criteria in the fields below and click Search to find a match in the Direct Certification List. Manual Upload Key Features Manually type in student first name, Last Name, Suffix (optional), Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy), SASID (optional) 10 names per page is max amount for at a time Repeat as necessary throughout entire school year Record Match ID number for record keeping Reasons to use Manual Upload New Enrolled or transferred Confirming Partial Matches Manual Upload for Partial Matches Refer to the Match Results. Use the Manual Upload section for confirmation. 7

File Upload PLEASE NOTE: The "Next File Upload" function located at the bottom of the "Match History Results" tab from search and view of the Match ID, will automatically create a file (removing any

Utilizing this feature will prevent uploading a previously directly certified student again through the system. Enrollment Template 1. Download blank Enrollment Template.

8 File Upload PLEASE NOTE: The "Next File Upload" function located at the bottom of the "Match History Results" tab from search and view of the Match ID, will automatically create a file (removing any previously directly certified students) that will only contain students who resulted in "No Match". Utilizing this feature will prevent uploading a previously directly certified student again through the system. Enrollment Template 1. Download blank Enrollment Template. Be sure NOT to modify the template as any alternations will result in an error message. 2. Fill in the Enrollment Template with district enrollment information. 3. Save the completed template. The completed template must follow the detailed Instructions for Completing the Enrollment Template. MUST include: Row# First Name Last Name Date of Birth (mm/dd/yyyy) OPTIONAL: Suffix, SASID* and/or LASID ***Adding the SASID is highly encouraged.*** 8

9 Formatting Date of Birth Column. File Upload Direct Certification The Date of Birth column MUST have MM/DD/YYYY format. MS Excel, by default, formats dates in the m/d/yyyy sequence. a. Right-click on Date of Birth column b. Select: Format Cells d. Type: MM/DD/YYYY Type: MM/DD/YYYY c. Select: Custom 9

File Upload Direct Certification Although not required, adding SASID and/or

By default, MS Excel will attempt to save the file as a.xlsx 5.

Return to Virtual Gateway to the File Upload Direct Certificaion tab 8.

10 File Upload Direct Certification Although not required, adding SASID and/or LASID is highly encouraged. 4. Save Enrollment Template as a CVS file. By default, MS Excel will attempt to save the file as a.xlsx 5. Select Save as type. 6. Choose CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) 7. Return to Virtual Gateway to the File Upload Direct Certificaion tab 8. Click on Browse button to find your enrollment template to upload. 9. Click the Upload File button to begin the upload prcoess. 10

11 File Upload Direct Certification Success! Your file has now been uploaded and the matching is in process. Your Match ID number is You can use this number to come back and check the Match History Results tab at a later time to view the results. Please note this could take a few hours depending on the size of the file that was uploaded Common Error Messages M0330: Error. Please enter First Name, Last Name and Date of Birth for at least 1 row in order to proceed. M0317: Error. Invalid entry for 'Date of Birth' in rows (1). Date of Birth entered must be within the past 22 years. M0314: Error. The following rows have incomplete or incorrect data (1). Please remember each row must contain a First Name, Last Name and Date of Birth. Names can only contain letters and the following characters (hyphen, space, and apostrophe). Date of Birth should be in the format MM/DD/YYYY. M0315: Error. Invalid entry for 'Statewide student identification code (sasid)' in rows (1). Please enter a numeric value. M0883: Error. Invalid entry for only. 'Locally assigned student identifier (lasid)' in rows (1). Please enter alphanumeric characters M0318: Error. Please select a file for upload by clicking the 'Browse' button M0066: Error. An error occurred while processing your information request, please try again. If the problem persists, please contact the Virtual Gateway help desk at (Voice) or (TTY for the deaf and hard of hearing). M0009: Error. Invalid entry for 'Match ID'. Please enter a numeric value. M0226: Error. Date range must fall within the school year i.e. July 1 - June 30. M0998: Error. Invalid entry for 'First Name'. Please enter alphabetic characters, a space, a hyphen (-), or an apostrophe (') only. M007 : Error. Please enter a value for '~'. ESE recommends recording the Match ID number for each file upload. Searching for student eligibility status in the Virtual Gateway could be easiest when searching by Match ID number. M0046: Error. Invalid entry for 'Date of Birth'. 'Date of Birth' entered cannot be after today's date. M0992: Error. Please provide either 'First Name', 'Last Name', 'Date Of Birth' OR 'Statewide student identification code (sasid)'.. 11

Match History Results The Match History Results tab enables users to search and view results manually entered or uploaded enrollment data for Direct Certification and Direct Verification.

12 Match History Results The Match History Results tab enables users to search and view results manually entered or uploaded enrollment data for Direct Certification and Direct Verification. The results remain under the Match History Results tab for 18 months, then archived. Contact Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to retrieve results greater than 18 months. 1. Select the Match History Results tab. 2. Use dropdown arrow to select search criteria. a. Date From b. Date To: c. Match ID: d. Manual / File: e. Certification / Verification 3. Select Search 4. Select radial button for the results that need to be viewed. Example: Radial button is chosen for file Match ID Select View Result 12

Direct Certification Results 6. Select Save Results to download the entire file. 7. Refer to the Partial Match Codes and use the Manual Direct Certification tab to vet all Partial Matches. 8.

13 Direct Certification Results 6. Select Save Results to download the entire file. 7. Refer to the Partial Match Codes and use the Manual Direct Certification tab to vet all Partial Matches. 8. Save results and update SFA s POS or roster. 9. Send home Notice of Direct Certification letter to Exact Match households. ESE recommends saving all results for future Administrative Reviews and audits. 13

Direct Certification Results Exact Match Certified Exact match on all data Partial Match Manual Confirmation for ALL Partial Matches MFILC MFLPD MFPLC MFLDPS No Match No match

14 Direct Certification Results Exact Match Certified Exact match on all data Partial Match Manual Confirmation for ALL Partial Matches MFILC MFLPD MFPLC MFLDPS No Match No match found based on data provided Needs Further Documentation Follow-up with manual confirmation Household Member of Row # Household members of exact match students are certified Free 14

Direct Certification Results Check that all data fields have accurate

Match on First Name Match on Last Name Partial DOB 2 out of 3 Date

Match on DOB Partial on Suffix MFPLC Match on First Name Partial Last

refer to: Household application o The household may need to complete

Household member of o Check the enrollment to verify address or

15 Direct Certification Results Check that all data fields have accurate information Date of Birth (are numbers transposed) Nicknames Remove special characters, hypens, etc. Partial Match Codes MFILC Partial First Name Last Name DOB MFLPD Match on First Name Match on Last Name Partial DOB 2 out of 3 Date fields should match MFLDPS Match on First Name, Match on Last Name Match on DOB Partial on Suffix MFPLC Match on First Name Partial Last Name DOB Any Partial Match that does not show as an Exact Match, refer to: Household application o The household may need to complete a school lunch application to determine eligibility. Household member of o Check the enrollment to verify address or household members Use Manual Direct Certification tab with possible variations Record name and DOB variation that worked for recordkeeping. 15

16 Dear Parent/Guardian: N O T I C E O F D I R E C T C E R T I F I C A T I O N We want to let you know that the child(ren) listed below will receive free lunches, breakfasts, and snacks at school because they receive MA SNAP or MA TANF. Name of Child Name of School If there are other children in your household who aren t listed above, they also qualify for free meals. Please contact the school your child/children attend in the following situations: If there are other children in your household who are not listed above and you would like them to receive free meals at school You do not want your children to have free meals You have any additional questions [name] [phone number] [ address] Sincerely, [signature] Non-Discrimination Statement: This explains what to do if you believe you have been treated unfairly. In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, offices, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication for program information (e.g. Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language, etc.), should contact the Agency (State or local) where they applied for benefits. Individuals who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech disabilities may contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) Additionally, program information may be made available in languages other than English. To file a program complaint of discrimination, complete the USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form, (AD-3027) found online at: and at any USDA office, or write a letter addressed to USDA and provide in the letter all of the information requested in the form. To request a copy of the complaint form, call (866) Submit your completed form or letter 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 ; (2) fax: (202) ; or (3) program.intake@usda.gov. This institution is an equal opportunity provider.

17 Next File Upload After the initial file upload at the beginning of the school year, LEAs must conduct direct certification with SNAP at least three times during the school year. More frequent direct certification efforts are permissible and encouraged. The efforts must be made: At or around the beginning of the school year (i.e., July 1) Three months after the beginning of the school year; and Six months after the beginning of the school year. 1. Select the Match History Results tab. 2. Use dropdown arrow to select search criteria. (Date From, Date To:, Match ID:, Manual / File:, Certification / Verification) ESE encourages SFA s to monthly upload student enrollment roster into the Virtual Gateway throughout the year. 3. Select Search 4. Select radial button for the results that need to be viewed. Example: Radial button is chosen for file Match ID Select View Result 6. Select Next File Upload to download the entire file which only includes No Matches from the previous upload. 17

Next File Upload 7. Open file. Remove students no longer enrolled. Add newly enrolled students that are not an Exact Match from Previous District Match Results. 8. Select Save as type.

Click on Browse button to find your enrollment template to upload. 12. Click the Upload File button to begin the upload prcoess 13.

18 Next File Upload 7. Open file. Remove students no longer enrolled. Add newly enrolled students that are not an Exact Match from Previous District Match Results. 8. Select Save as type. Refer to Enrollment Template section for complete directions. 9. Choose CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) 10. Return to Virtual Gateway to the File Upload Direct Certificaion tab. 11. Click on Browse button to find your enrollment template to upload. 12. Click the Upload File button to begin the upload prcoess 13. Refer to the Match History Results section to download and view results. Using Next File Upload removes all previous Exact Matches, Partial Matches and household members of ALL Partial Matches must be vetted! Previous District Match Results Use the SASID when searching; this makes it easier for others to look up the students. 18

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DIRECT CERTIFICATION/ DIRECT VERIFICATION CE IMPORT FOR CE LEVEL MATCHES

DIRECT CERTIFICATION/ DIRECT VERIFICATION CE IMPORT FOR CE LEVEL MATCHES OVERVIEW Direct Certification is a simplified method of determining student s eligibility for free meals through the National School