Fees

You may be eligible for a waiver of your school fees depending on your household income.

Eligibility

As stated in Section 4:140 of the Board of Education's District Policy Manual, a student shall be eligible for a fee waiver when the student currently lives in a household that meets the same income guidelines, with the same limits based on household size, that are used for the federal free meals program.

Not sure if your family is eligible for a fee waiver? Consult the GUIDELINES. These are the same figures used to determine eligibility for free meals (next section).

Fee Waiver Applications & Instructions 2023-24

If your household income falls into one of the eligible categories, print out the following PDFs:

• 2023-24 Fee Waiver Application (English)
• 2023-24 Fee Waiver Application (Spanish)
• Instructions to Apply for the 2023-24 Fee Waiver (English)
• Instructions to Apply for the 2023-24 Fee Waiver (Spanish)

Using the instructions, fill out the application. Then submit your application along with all required documents in one of the following ways:

BY EMAIL

• Send the application and documents to feewaiver@epcusd401.org

BY POSTAL MAIL

Mail the application and documents to this address: 
Elmwood Park CUSD 401
Business Office — Fee Waiver
8201 W Fullerton
Elmwood Park IL 60707

Our business office will review your application and contact you with a decision.

Definition of Household Income

Household income includes ALL members of your household who receive wages, public aid, unemployment, child support, Social Security, Social Security Disability, etc. For example:

• If your parents live with you and they receive Social Security or a pension, that income is included in "household income."
• If your student or other adult children who live with you are working, their income is included in "household income."
• If you are living with other adults, their wages, public aid, Social Security benefits, etc. are included in "household income."

Other Factors Considered in a Waiver Application

Additional consideration will be given to a waiver application where one or more of the following factors are present:

• Illness in the family
• Unusual expenses such as fire, flood, storm damage, etc.
• Unemployment
• Emergency situations
• When one or more of the parents/guardians are involved in a work stoppage

For more information, see Section 4:140 of the District Policy Manual.

Make Sure Your Application Is Complete

Remember to include:

• Your proof of residency form and residency documents
• The completed Application for Waiver Form
• The complete, signed copy of your most recent tax return
• Supporting documentation verifying your income

Income requirements are subject to change.

Please note: For the 2023-24 school year, applications will not be taken until after Aug. 1, 2023.

District 401 students may qualify for free or reduced-price meals. Eligibility thresholds are determined each year by the U.S. Department of Agriculture based on household size and income level. To apply, use this link:

Free & Reduced-Price Online Application

An approved application is only good for one school year and 30 days into the new school year. You must send in a new application unless you received a letter stating your child is eligible for the new school year.

Notification of Students & Families

At the beginning of each school year, District 401 shall notify by letter all students and their parents/guardians of:

• Eligibility requirements for free and reduced-price food service
• The application process
• The name and telephone number of a contact person for the program
• Other information required by federal law

Parents/guardians enrolling a child in the District for the first time shall receive the eligibility information regardless of when during the school year the enrollment takes place.

Income Eligibility Guidelines for 2023-2024

Not sure if your family is eligible for free or reduced-priced meals? check out the USDA GUIDELINES.

Until You Are Notified of Your Status

Please send your students with a bag lunch or money to purchase lunch at school until you are notified of your free/reduced status.

If you qualified for free or reduced-price meals last school year, you can continue on the program for the first two weeks of school.

District 401's Policy on Free and Reduced-Price Meals

Each school's procedures in this area are governed by District 401's policy on free and reduced-price food services, which can be found in Section 4:130 of the Board of Education's District Policy Manual.

If a student leaves D401 after paying all required fees, the following refund policy applies:

• 75 percent refund if the student leaves by the end of the first week of school
• 50 percent refund if the student leaves by the end of the second week
• 25 percent refund if the student leaves by the end of the third week
• Zero refund if the student leaves after the end of the third week

About

Board of Education Policy 6:140 Education of Homeless Students provides that any homeless child shall be immediately admitted, even if the child or child's parent/guardian is unable to produce records normally required for enrollment. A homeless child may attend the district school that the child attended when permanently housed or in which the child was last enrolled. A homeless child living in any district school's attendance area may attend that school. Students eligible for services under the McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act shall have transportation provided to them in accordance with both state and federal law. Homeless students will also have all school fees waived and will become automatically eligible for free or reduced cost meals provided by the District.

The District 401 liaison for homeless children is: Stephanie Daly, Director of Student Services, 8201 W. Fullerton Avenue, Elmwood Park, IL 60707, (708)583-5836, dalys@epcusd401.org.

For more information about Homeless Student/McKinney-Vento Services, please visit the West 40 Community Resources.

Who Qualifies for this Help?

McKinney-Vento eligible children are those who lack a fixed, regular and adequate nighttime abode. In general, children or youth living in motels, transitional housing, shelters, the street, cars, abandoned buildings, and other inadequate accommodations may be considered eligible for McKinney-Vento services. This includes, but is not limited to, the following groups:

• Doubled-up Children: living with another family due to lack of a permanent residence
• Children in Shelters: including transitional living programs
• Children Living in Motels: due to lack of alternative adequate living situation
• Migratory Children: if accommodations are not fit for habitation
• Runaways*: children who have left home and live in a shelter or inadequate accommodations, even if parents are willing to provide a home
• Lockouts*: children whose parents or guardians will not permit them to live at home

*These two categories are Unaccompanied Homeless Youth (UHY), children not in the physical custody of their parent or court-ordered guardian and lack a fixed, regular and adequate abode.