Unpaid Meal Charges contribute to the outstanding amount due to the food service fund for meals already provided to the student. These charges must be reported as accounts receivable in the food service fund. These charges should be tracked as negative balances on the students' accounts in the point of sale (POS).
Unpaid Meal Charges Resources
- USDA Unpaid Meal Charges Webpage
- Donations Guidance
- Addressing Unpaid Meal Charges
- Best Practices Guide: Overcoming the Unpaid Meal Challenge: Proven Strategies from Our Nation’s Schools, for tips on developing an effective meal charge policy.
USDA Memos
- SP23-2017 Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&As - revised SP 57-2016 (PDF)(3/23/2017)
- SP 29-2017s (replaces SP58-2016) Overcoming the Unpaid Meal Challenge - Memo
- Proven strategies from our nation's schools
- SP 29-2017a1 (replaces SP58-2016) 2017 Edition: Overcoming the Unpaid Meal Challenge: Proven Strategies from Our Nation's Schools - Guidance
- Highlights best practices, policy considerations, sample communication materials, policy checklist
- SP 57-2016 Unpaid Meal Charges: Guidance and Q&A
- Overview of policies related to unpaid meal charges and addresses questions from state agencies, school food authorities and local program operators
- SP 47-2016 Unpaid Meal Charges: Clarification on Collection of Delinquent Meal Payments
- Delinquent Debt vs. Bad Debt
- SP 46-2016 Unpaid Meal Charges: Local Meal Charge Policies
- All SFAs are required to have a Meal Charge Policy in place by July 1, 2017
For more information or if an alternative version of a document is needed, please contact Lyza Shaw or 303-866-6670.
