Chicago Public Schools Fee Waiver Form: Eligibility, Filing, and Coverage

To request a fee waiver from Chicago Public Schools, pick up the Application For Waiver of School Fees at the main office of any CPS school, complete it with proof of your household’s eligibility, and return it to the principal. The Chicago Public Schools fee waiver form can be submitted at any point before or during the school year, and no fees can be collected from you while your application is under review.¹

Who Qualifies

Illinois law requires CPS to waive fees for three groups of students.² Children in households whose income falls at or below the federal free lunch or breakfast guidelines qualify automatically; you don’t have to actually enroll in the meal program, you just have to meet the income threshold. Homeless children and youth as defined by the federal McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Act are eligible. So are students whose parents are veterans or active-duty military with household income at or below 200 percent of the federal poverty line.³

CPS Policy 408.1 also permits waivers for families facing extenuating circumstances: a significant loss of income from severe illness or injury, or unusual expenses from a natural disaster. The principal decides those requests case by case.⁴

Income Limits for 2025–2026

For the school year running July 1, 2025 through June 30, 2026, the free-meal income ceiling for a four-person household in the 48 contiguous states is roughly $41,795, and the reduced-price ceiling is roughly $59,478. These figures are based on the USDA’s Income Eligibility Guidelines, which are updated every July and published on the USDA site each spring.⁵

For the military-family track, the 200-percent poverty threshold for a four-person household is $64,300 in the contiguous states under the 2025 guidelines.⁶ Household size matters, so if your family is larger or smaller than four, check the current USDA table.

Documentation to Bring

The district can ask for reasonable proof of your household income, such as recent pay stubs, your most recent tax return, or a benefits letter.¹ If you receive SNAP or TANF, a case number or award letter works. If your child already participates in the free or reduced-price meal program, that enrollment can serve as documentation. Families of homeless students should coordinate with the school’s homeless liaison, who can help document eligibility under McKinney-Vento. Military families should bring proof of veteran or active-duty status along with income documentation.

Filling Out and Submitting the Form

Pick up the Application For Waiver of School Fees at any CPS school’s main office. Schools may also send a copy home with the first fee notice at the start of the year.⁴ The form asks for each student’s name and school, basic household information, and your income documentation.

Fill in every field. Incomplete applications slow the review and often come back with a request for more paperwork. Before you hand it in, make a photocopy or take a photo of the completed form and attachments for your records. Submit it to the principal or the staff member the school designates.

You can file at any time before or during the school year. There is no September cutoff. Filing early keeps charges from piling up on your child’s account while the application is pending. If your financial situation changes mid-year because of a job loss, a medical emergency, or a disaster at home, you can submit a new application at that point, and the district cannot refuse it just because the year is already underway.²

What the Waiver Covers

CPS Policy 408.1 defines “school fees” broadly. Under an approved waiver, the following charges go away:⁴

Textbooks and required instructional materials
Deposits on school property such as locks, towels, and lab equipment
Field trips during school hours, plus after-hours trips that are a required or customary part of a class or activity
Sports and fine arts uniforms and equipment, including varsity and intramural gear
Fees to join clubs or extracurricular activities
Supplies for shop, home economics, laboratory, and art courses
Graduation caps, gowns, and related charges
School records fees, health services fees, and driver’s education fees

Several items fall outside the policy’s definition of waivable fees: class rings, yearbooks, school photos, diploma covers, optional club travel outside school hours, admission to dances and athletic events, and optional community or recreational programs.⁴

One point worth flagging. CPS policy also excludes library fines and charges for lost or damaged school property. But the Illinois statute that governs CPS, Section 34-21.6 of the School Code, requires the board to “waive all fees and any fines for the loss of school property” for eligible families.² If your child is charged for a lost textbook and you qualify for a waiver, raise the statutory language with the principal or during an appeal.

After You Submit

If the school denies your application, the principal must mail you a written decision within 30 calendar days of receiving the request. The letter must explain the reason for denial, tell you how to appeal, and let you know you can reapply if your circumstances change.⁴

Appeals go to the CPS Network Office. State regulations require a decision within 30 calendar days, and you have the right to meet in person with the reviewer to explain why the waiver should be granted. The person who hears the appeal cannot be the same person who denied your original request, and cannot report to that person.¹

While your application or appeal is pending, the school cannot collect any fee from you. It has to wait until the process is complete and you’ve been notified of the final decision.¹

Protections Against Retaliation and Disclosure

Illinois law prohibits CPS from punishing a student because of unpaid fees or a parent’s inability to pay. The school cannot lower a grade, exclude the student from any class or extracurricular program, or withhold records, transcripts, or diplomas. This protection applies whether or not you’ve applied for a waiver.²

Your child’s waiver status is part of their education record. Under FERPA, the school generally cannot share personally identifiable information from a student’s records, including financial data like waiver status, without written parental consent, except in narrow circumstances set out in federal regulations. If you believe the information was disclosed inappropriately, you can file a complaint with the U.S. Department of Education’s Student Privacy Policy Office.⁷

1
Legal Information Institute. Illinois Administrative Code Title 23, Section 1.245 – Waiver of School Fees
2
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 105 ILCS 5/34-21.6 – Waiver of Fees and Fines
3
Illinois General Assembly. Illinois Code 105 ILCS 5/10-20.13 – Textbooks and Instructional Materials
4
Chicago Public Schools. Waiver of School Fees
5
Food and Nutrition Service. Child Nutrition Programs – Income Eligibility Guidelines (2025-2026)
6
HHS ASPE. 2025 Poverty Guidelines
7
Student Privacy Policy Office. FERPA