Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection

Under the Student Opportunity Act (SOA), the Department is required to identify eligible students up to 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL) for the purpose of determining Chapter 70 aid and charter school tuitions. In response to this requirement, the Department has augmented its match with state databases for public assistance programs and created the Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection to give school districts and charter schools the opportunity to claim the relatively small number of students who qualify as low income under the 185% FPL standard, but who are not currently being identified through our match.

School districts and charter schools are not required to participate in the Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection. Those that do are required to collect Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Forms along with supporting documentation from the families of students who may not be identified as low income through the match with state databases. Once school districts and charter schools collect the required documentation from families, they can claim unmatched students that qualify as low income under the 185% FPL standard on their October SIMS submissions under SIMS data element DOE056, Supplemental Low-Income Indicator. The Department will verify the documentation for each student claimed through on-site reviews prior to release of the governor's budget during each budget development cycle.

The Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form posted below, including English and translated versions, is the current version of the form that school districts and charter schools can make available to the families for the fall 2024 data collection. The Department has also put together a set of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to guide school districts and charter schools in their administration of this data collection.

School districts and charter schools that choose to participate must collect forms and supporting documentation prior to submitting and certifying October SIMS data. Please refer to the SIMS Collection Schedule for the current year's October SIMS collection certification deadline.

• Frequently Asked Questions (updated July 31, 2024)

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form (English version)

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form (Arabic)

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form (Simplified Chinese)

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form (Haitian Creole)

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form (Portuguese)

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form (Spanish)

• Supplemental Low-Income Data Collection Form (Vietnamese)

• Income Eligibility Guidelines July 1, 2024 to June 30, 2025 for 185% FPL (U.S. Department of Agriculture)

Last Updated: September 17, 2024