U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service/Meals
Free or Reduced Price School Meals
Support in kind
Free or reduced price lunch and breakfast at participating schools, for children whose household income falls under the federal guidelines or who are categorically eligible. Being certified also unlocks several exam and application fee waivers that key their own tests to it.
Meals rather than money. The regulation sets the eligibility standard and states no per student dollar value, so none is recorded.
What you need
The official page does not list required documents. Check the official page before you apply, since a provider can ask for paperwork it does not publish.
How to apply
- 1Ask your school for the meals applicationApplications go to the school or the district, not to the Department of Agriculture. Many districts now accept them online.Done by your parent
Where this comes from
- Official source
- https://www.ecfr.gov/current/title-7/part-245/section-245.6
- Last checked by SCRN
- 2026-09-01Verified null days ago
- How it was verified
- staff verified
- Deadline
- RollingApplications are accepted at any point in the school year, and a household may apply whenever its circumstances change.
- How often
- annual