Overview

When running a State Match, matches are made by the state agency between student enrollment records and benefit recipient records from assistance programs, foster care agencies, Head Start programs, Migrant Education programs, and agencies working with homeless and runaway children, or other appropriate state or local agencies to establish categorical eligibility. These matches are then applied to the District’s data establishing appropriate meal benefits for qualifying individuals.

Before running the Direct Certification process for your state, click on the appropriate link below to view file format details. The file format you received from the state should be in the noted format to ensure no errors occur during the Direct Certification procedure.

STATE
Arkansas	Iowa	Ohio
California	Louisiana	Pennsylvania
Colorado	Maryland	Texas
Illinois	Nevada	Washington
Indiana	New York

Executing State Direct Certification Matching

From the Utilities tab, select the Direct Certification menu and choose the Import File option.

If you already have DC Import Configurations established, you may be asked to select which one to use. Choose an Import Configuration and click Ok if this is the case.
_{(The Import DC File window configurations will vary from the image below.)}
Select the ellipsis and locate the DC filename on your computer or network. Select Ok to begin the import.
DC File Source

If "Require DC Source" is enabled in system settings and is missing from the import file, the process will be halted. You may locate and correct the issue in the import file or disable the system setting to Require the DC Source.
Before correcting the DC file, you should check with your District or State contact to ensure the student and DC Source are correct.
From the Utilities tab, select the Direct Certification menu and choose the Apply State Match option.
The Apply Direct Certification State Matching window will appear notifying you the process to match the imported DC file will be run against the student database. Click Ok when you are ready to proceed with running the state match process.

There is NO UNDO available.
- You should review the settings you have chosen before proceeding. The ID Field to Match is set up in System Settings.
- You will be informed that "Letters WILL be queued" or "Letters WILL NOT be queued." Letter printing options are set up in System Settings.
In the Confirm DC State Match Results window, you will receive a message as to the percentage of correct matches. Questionable matches appear in red. If you are sure a student in red is a match, click the apply box to include the student in the match. When you are done, click Ok.
(All names have been changed to protect the identity of students.)

Print DC Notification Letters

From the Home tab, locate and click on Print Letters in the Letters ribbon.
Choose which letter type to print and how to sort the letters. When you have completed setting up print options, click Ok.
- Kinds of Letters to Print - If you have setup a separate template for DC Letters, use the drop-down menu to select the correct letter, otherwise, leave the Normal Letters default selected.
- Letter Sort Order - Use the drop-down menu to choose how letters should be sorted for printing.
The print batch window will appear notifying you of the number of letters that remain to be printed. Click OK to open the print preview screen.

Selecting Cancel in the Print Next Batch window or clicking Close Print Preview prior to printing letters will leave the unprinted letters in the queue. Letters will only move out of the print queue when a print job is executed.