Free and Reduced Lunch

The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in over 101,000
public and non-profit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally
balanced, low-cost or free lunches to more than 30.5 million children each school day in 2007. 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.

Any child at a participating school may purchase a meal through the National School Lunch
Program. Children from families with incomes at or below 130 percent of the poverty level are
eligible for free meals. Those with incomes between 130 percent and 185 percent of the poverty
level are eligible for reduced-price meals, for which students can be charged no more than 40 cents.

Children from families with incomes over 185 percent of poverty pay a full price, though their meals
are still subsidized to some extent. Local school food authorities set their own prices for full-price
(paid) meals, but must operate their meal services as non-profit programs.

Apply for Free and Reduced Lunch