School Meal Programs Eligibility and Geographic Adjustment Issues

In fiscal year 2012, over 31.6 million children participated in USDA's National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at a cost of about $11.6 billion. In fiscal year 2013, USDA estimated NSLP certification errors of more than 8 percent, or $996 million. GAO was asked to review possible beneficiary fraud within the program. This book assesses steps taken to help identify and prevent ineligible beneficiaries from receiving benefits in school-meal programs; and what opportunities exist to strengthen USDA's oversight of the school-meals programs.