School meals in the US are funded federally through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and the School Breakfast Program (SBP), administered by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service and run through state agencies and school districts. Participating schools serve meals that meet federal nutrition standards, and students qualify for them free, at a reduced price, or at full price depending on household income — with several routes to automatic eligibility.
Income eligibility
Eligibility is set against the federal poverty level and updated each July for the coming school year. Children in households with income at or below 130% of the federal poverty level qualify for free meals. Children in households with income between 130% and 185% of the federal poverty level qualify for reduced-price meals, for which schools may charge no more than a small capped amount per meal. Above 185%, meals are charged at the district paid rate. The actual dollar figures depend on household size and are published by USDA each year.
Automatic eligibility through direct certification
Many children never need to fill in an application. Under direct certification, districts match enrollment records against state data and automatically certify children in households receiving SNAP, TANF or FDPIR for free meals. Children who are homeless, migrant, in foster care, or enrolled in Head Start are also categorically eligible. If your household receives SNAP or TANF, your children should be certified automatically — but if you have not received a notice from the school, contact the district office, because matching is not perfect.
Schools where everyone eats free
The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows schools and districts in low-income areas to serve breakfast and lunch at no charge to every enrolled student, with no household applications at all. Whether a school participates depends on the proportion of its students who are identified as eligible through direct certification. Separately, a number of states now fund universal free school meals for all students statewide. If your child's school is in either category, there is nothing to apply for.
How to apply
Applications are made through your school district, not the federal government. Most districts have an online application and accept paper forms; you can apply at any point during the school year, not just at the start, and you should reapply if your income drops. One application normally covers all children in the household. Districts must keep applications confidential, and a child's eligibility status is not disclosed to other students.
Meals outside term time
The Summer Food Service Program and Seamless Summer Option provide free meals to children during the summer at schools, parks, libraries and community sites — no application or proof of income is needed at most sites. USDA runs a summer meals site finder, and you can also text FOOD to 304-304 to find nearby sites. SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) provides grocery benefits over the summer to eligible families in participating states. The Child and Adult Care Food Program funds meals in childcare settings and after-school programs.
General guidance only — not regulated financial advice.