July 2024
To parents and guardians
Otsu Board of Education Office – School Lunch Division

Notice of Eligibility Changes for Third and Subsequent Children School Lunch Fee Exemption
In Otsu, school lunch fees for the third and subsequent children of households with multiple children are exempted inorder to reduce the economic burden of child rearing. The current age for a child to qualify towards this exemption isage 18 or lower, but as of October 1st, 2024, this age requirement will be lowered to age 22 or lower to qualify.
As a result, there will be new households with children eligible for this exemption, as well as households with children
currently receiving this exemption who will have additional children that are now eligible.
Please review the requirements listed below and complete the application procedures if you are eligible.
■About parents/guardians who are eligible （Specific examples are listed on the back page）
Parents/guardians who fulfill all of the following four requirements are eligible for this exemption.
① Parents/guardians that are raising more than three children（※２）that are each 22 years old or younger（※１）.
※１ A 22-year-old child is eligible from the day they turn 22 years old until the following March 31st.
※２ “Raising a child” is defined as when a child depends on the income of the parent/guardian for all or part oftheir livelihood, and without this income, the child would not be able to maintain a standard of living.
Example 1: The child is a university student who lives alone in a different prefecture, but whose parents/guardians sendmoney or pay rent
Example 2: The child is working, but lives at home and relies on their parents/guardians for meals, personal chores, etc.

② Your third and subsequent child must be a student at a municipal elementary or middle school in Otsu andreceive school lunches.
③ You must not be receiving financial aid for school lunch expenses through welfare assistance (educationalassistance) or school entrance financial aid.
④ You must not have any unpaid school lunch fees.
■How to apply① If you are applying for the first time, please complete a “Otsu City Third and Subsequent Children School Lunch Fee
Exemption Application (Form No. 1)” (「大津市第３子以降の学校給食費免除申請書（様式第１号）」 in Japanese).
If you have already applied this year, but would like to add additional children that are eligible for
exemption, please complete a "Notification of Change (Form No. 5)" (変更届（様式第５号）in Japanese).
If you have multiple eligible children that you are applying for, please include all of them in one application form foryour household.
If you have applied this year and there are no changes to the eligible children you are applying for, you do
not need to re-apply.
② Please attach copies of current valid health insurance cards for each child included in applications andnotification of changes that fulfills the following criteria.
[Children that require a health insurance copy]: Children between the ages of 16-22 years old, national and private
elementary and middle school students, elementary and middle school students enrolled in schools not in Otsu City,and students of special needs schools/.
(Please cross out the health insurance numbers listed on health insurance card copies with a magic marker, etc.)③ If your application includes children between the ages of 19-22, you must submit a “Confirmation of
Support Status and Burden of Living Expenses (Form No. 2)" (扶養状況・生計費の負担についての確認書（様式第２号）in Japanese) with your application.
④ Please submit your application and notification of change forms to the address listed under the “Where to submit
application forms" section below.
(Note:) A new application is required each year. Those who were exempted this year will need to apply again
next year to continue their exemption.
※All application forms can be downloaded from the Otsu City website, or mailed directly to you by contacting theSchool Lunch Division of Otsu City.
※Application forms and filled-in examples of application forms can be accessed via the URL or QR code listed below.
(Otsu City Website Link:) https://www.city.otsu.lg.jp/kosodate/school/kyushoku/p/56160.html■Application period for those applying for the exemption from October 2024

Monday, September 2, 2024 (9:00 A.M.) – Thursday, October 10, 2024 (5:00 P.M.)

■Where to submit application forms
Please submit application forms to the Otsu City School Lunch Division. (Either in person, or by mail. Only
applications by mail can be accepted on weekends and holidays)【Address for submitting by mail:】 〒520-8575 3-1 Goryo-cho, Otsu City, Shiga Prefecture
Please address your mail to the “Otsu Board of Education Office – School Lunch Division”
Your mail must arrive by 5:00PM on Thursday, October 10, 2024
Note 1: Please write “Third and Subsequent Children School Lunch Fee Exemption
Application Inside” (or 第 3 子免除申請書在中 in Japanese) on the front of your envelope.
Note 2: If you wish to confirm that your application has been received, please send your forms byacceptance-recorded mail (特定記録郵便 in Japanese).
■About Decision Notices
After the application period has closed, the School Lunch Division will mail a decision notice with the results of thescreening process in mid-December.
■About school lunch fees in October
Depending on the screening status of your application, school lunch fees for October 2024 may be required to betemporarily collected. In the event school lunch fees are collected, you will be reimbursed at a later date. Details regarding
the reimbursement process will be included in a “Notice of Reimbursement,” which will be issued to you by mail.
【Examples of Children Eligible for Exemption】
Numbers inserted in parenthesis () represent ages.
Red font represents children that have always been eligible for exemption.
Blue font represents children that are now eligible for exemption.
№①

②

③

④

⑤⑥⑦

Child 1Child 2Child 3

Child 4

Child 5

Children Eligible for
Exemption

Necessity[See ※１]
As there are noMiddle

Elementary

Elementary

Elementary

Not in School

Elementary School (7),changes, another

School (14)School (8)School (7)School (6)(4)

Elementary School (6)application is notHigh SchoolMiddle

Elementary(16)

School (14)School (12)High School

High School

Private Middle

(18)

(16)

School (14)－－Elementary

Not in School

School (6)(3)

University

High School

High School

Middle

(19)

(18)

(16)

School (15)Middle School

(19)

(16)

(14)

UniversityUniversity

Middle School

(22)

(19)

(13)

application is not

No children eligible

As there are nonecessary.

(Children enrolled in private school

changes, anotherapplication is notnecessary.
As there are noSchool (8)High School

changes, another(12)

do not count towards exemption)

Elementary

University－necessary.
As there are no

Elementary School－－

No children eligible

changes, anotherapplication is notnecessary.

－MiddleElementary

SchoolSchool

(13)

(12)

Schoolchanges, another(15)application is not

Until now, only the Middle School

Another(13) and Elementary School (12)students would qualify for exemption,
but as of Oct. 2024, the Middle
School (14) student is also eligible.
Until now, this example would have no

Elementarychildren that would qualify for－exemption, but as of Oct. 2024, theMiddle School (13) and Elementary(11)

Working(20)Middle School

MiddleSchool (11) students are eligible.

(23)

Eligible for aid(15)School (13)－As there are noMiddle SchoolWorking⑧

Application

Middle School(13)[See ※２]necessary.

application isrequired.
A newapplication isrequired.
A newapplication isrequired.

※１ Whether a new or updated application is necessary for those who have submitted an exemption application as of April 2024 islisted below. If you have not yet applied, a new application is required.
※２ Even if a child is working, regardless of whether they currently live with their parents/guardians, if they are receiving support
from their parents/guardians (living expenses, personal care, etc.), the child counts towards the exemption eligibility.
(This is not the same as support defined under taxation law.)
However, if the child is currently working, not considered a dependent, living independently, and not receiving support inany way from their parents/guardians, the child will not be counted for the exemption.
If you have any further questions, please contact us via the contact information listed below.

【Contact Information】〒520-8575

3-1 Goryo-cho, Otsu City

Otsu Board of Education Office
School Lunch Division Collection Group

Phone：077-528-2636
Email：otsu2412@city.otsu.lg.jp