All you need to know about processing Verification with Edutrak
1. Create a Verification Folder
-When ready to process verification, we advise starting with creating a 'Verification' Folder on your computer. Here you can save all reports we recommend saving for your verification process.
2. On Oct. 1
-Go to Admin Site> Free and Reduced> reports
-Generate an Application Revision Summary list report as of Oct.1, CSV, by application
-Generate an Error Prone Applications Revision List as of Oct 1
-Save this to your Verification Folder
3. Verification Letters
-Adjust Verification Selection and Verification Result letters in District Site>Letters tab>View/Edit Letter Templates. You will be looking to adjust dates, contact information such as name and phone number. Dates will be determined by the program regulations; we recommend clarifying dates with your state contact if you are unsure.
4. Verification Survey (Also on Oct. 1)
To process Verification with EduTrak first you will start with selecting a sampling method with our Verification tool.
4 a. Go to Admin site> Free and Reduced> Verification Survey
4 b. Select the method you want to use. In most instances you will be using the Standard Method, unless your state specifically tells you you can/should use an Alternate Method.
The Standard Method will look at all of the applications that have been submitted to date. The number of applications will be multiplied by .03 and rounded up. This number is not to exceed 3,000. Once the rounded number is determined, applications will be randomly selected from the Error Prone applications first. If there are not enough Error Prone applications available to meet the required number, the remainder will be selected from the non Error Prone applications.
Note: Error Prone applications are those applications that are within $100 of the monthly income or $1200 of the annual income of each free and reduced level.
4c. Enter your end date, typically you want to pull your sample by 10/01.
4d. Click process
You will now have a list of the families/students randomly selected to verify.
4e. Generate the letters from the Timeline
5. Send out Verification Letter
-You can use our Verification Letter to send them a letter them notifying they have been randomly selected for verification or you can choose your own method to notify them.
Note: If the family selected is a family you may have a hard time communicating with, feel free to run the tool again and select a new family
6. Log Verification Details
-Once you've received the proof of income from the families that were selected, you will need to revise the applications with the proof of income (use the date you are revising), then log the Results.
NOTE: Please double-check your state's regulations: If the revised application will result in a downgrade of benefit, is there is a downgrade grace period for verification, during which time the student(s) would get benefits from the original application? If so, you can wait until the day the downgrade would be effective to process the revised application. (Another option would be to temporarily change the Grace Period for Benefit Reduction in your Master Data, and then change it back after processing your verification(s), but it is very important to make sure it's changed back to the correct number for normal processing).
-To log the results and all other Verification Details, go to District Site>Families tab>Search for family>Open up the family in Family Dashboard>Blue Layout>Verification box. Enter information here.
Note: If verification is not received from a family, please refer to USDA guidelines or contact your state contact with how to proceed.
7. On Oct. 31
From the Admin Site, go to the Free & Reduced tab>Reports>Verification Reports.
Generate and save the following reports from District Site>F&R tab>Reports
- Application Revision Summary List, as of Oct 31st, CSV, by Student
- Free and Reduced Student List (select only your free and reduced students), Effective Dates of 7-1-XX (which is the first date you can accept FR applications each year) to 10-31-XX, CSV, only enrolled.
-Save these reports to the folder on the desktop labeled “Verification”
-Later in the year (usually November, but this can vary, by state) these reports are used to fill out the FNS 742.