Are School Lunches Free this Year?

‍

This fall students will again have to qualify for free, reduced, or full-priced meals based on family income and size.

‍

For the past two years, all students have been able to receive free lunch at school thanks to pandemic-era waivers. However, those waivers have now expired, and this fall students will again have to qualify for free, reduced, or full-priced meals based on need. This leaves many families wondering what they are going to do.

What Does This Mean?

This means that starting this fall, schools will again have to follow the National School Lunch Program guidelines. This program is based on family income and size, and it determines whether a student qualifies for free, reduced, or full-priced meals. In order to qualify for free meals, a family must make less than 130% of the federal poverty level. For reduced-priced meals, a family must make between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty level.

Families that do not qualify for free or reduced-priced meals will still be able to purchase meals for their children at full price. However, many families simply cannot afford to do this on a regular basis.

What Can Families Do?

If you are worried about how your family will be affected by this change, there are a few things you can do. First, you can check with your child's school to see if they offer any type of payment plan or subsidy for families that cannot afford full-priced meals. Many schools are willing to work with families in order to ensure that all students have access to healthy meals.

You can also contact your state's Child Nutrition Program office to see if your family qualifies for any other assistance programs. In some states, families that do not qualify for free or reduced-priced meals may still be eligible for other types of assistance, such as after-school snacks or summer meal programs.

The expiration of the waiver for free school lunch is will affect many families starting this Fall. If you are worried about how your family will be affected, be sure to check with your child's school and your state's Child Nutrition Program office to see what options are available to you. With a little bit of research, you should be able to find a way to ensure that your child is able to get the healthy food they need both during and after school hours.

‍