Description:
The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or free lunches. In 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in afterschool educational and enrichment programs to include children through 18 years of age.
Benefits:
School Meals include School Breakfast, School Lunch, the Special Milk Program (milk only), and After-school Snacks.
During summer vacation, the Summer Food Service Program provides free meals and snacks for children and teens at many Massachusetts parks, schools, housing developments, community centers, and other approved locations where summer programs for children take place. The Summer Food Program allows children and teens to get nutritious meals when school is out, and helps low-income families stretch their food dollars.
Eligibility:
Overview of national school meal program eligibility:
- Students living in households up to 130% of the federal poverty level (FPL) are eligible for free meals.
- Students living in households between 130% and 185% of FPL are eligible for reduced price meals (reduced price enrolled
students pay $0.30 for breakfast and $0.40 for lunch.
- Students are categorically eligible
for free meals if they are homeless or if anyone in the household is on TAFDC or SNAP, meaning that many children between 130-200% of FPL still have access to free school meals. These families should be Directly Certified, i.e., shouldn't need to apply.
- Children in foster care are categorically eligible for free meals even when living in households above 200% of FPL. These families should be Directly Certified, i.e., shouldn't need to apply.
A child does not need to have legal immigration status to qualify.
Afterschool snacks are provided to children on the same income eligibility basis as school meals. However, programs that operate in areas where at least 50 percent of students are eligible for free or reduced-price meals may serve all their snacks for free. Many schools also offer free breakfast - in Massachusetts schools serving 40% or more of their lunches to free or reduced-price enrolled students are required to offer breakfast
Application:
During the first few days of the school year, your child's school will send home an application for free and reduced price School Meals. If your child does not bring this application home, you should call the main office of your child’s school to get one. Once you have filled out the application, return it to your child's school as soon as possible.
If you have questions about the program, you should call your local public school administration office. For contact information, see the Massachusetts Department of Education's School Profiles.
Note: You may apply for free or reduced price school meals at any time during the school year. If your income was too high at the beginning of the year but things have changed, you may apply now.
Direct Certification
Certain school children are automatically eligible for free school meals. Their caregivers should NOT need to file an paper application for meals. These children are "directly certified" for the free meals through a data exchange between the Dept of Early and Secondary Education (DESE) and DTA or DMA (MassHealth). Direct certification applies to school children who:
- receive or live with a sibling who receives SNAP or TAFDC, even if the household income is above 130% FPL
- are foster children
- are homeless
- are migrant children
- receive MassHealth (including MassHealth Limited) and who have family income below 130% FPL
- NOTE: non-parental caregiver income (a grandparent raising a grandchild or other kinship care) does not count in the MassHealth eligibility determination
Important advocacy tips:
