FAQs

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT FREE AND
REDUCED PRICE SCHOOL MEALS
Dear Parent/Guardian:
Children need healthy meals to learn. [Name of School/School District] offers healthy meals every school
day. Breakfast costs [$]; lunch costs [$]. Your children may qualify for free meals or for reduced price
meals. Reduced price is [$] for breakfast and [$] for lunch. This packet includes an application for free or
reduced price meal benefits, and a set of detailed instructions. Below are some common questions and
answers to help you with the application process.
1. WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS?
• All children in households receiving benefits from [State SNAP], [the Food Distribution
Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)] or [State TANF], are eligible for free meals.
• Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are
eligible for free meals.
• Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
• Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
• Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household’s income is within the limits
on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price
meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on this chart.
FEDERAL ELIGIBILITY INCOME CHART For School Year________
Household size

Yearly

Monthly

Weekly

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
Each additional person:

2. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS HOMELESS, MIGRANT, OR RUNAWAY? Do the
members of your household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or
other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children
living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your
household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please call or
e-mail [school, homeless liaison or migrant coordinator].
3. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD? No. Use one Free and Reduced Price
School Meals Application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not
complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to: [name,
address, phone number].
4. SHOULD I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY
CHILDREN ARE ALREADY APPROVED FOR FREE MEALS? No, but please read the letter you got
carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household were missing from your eligibility
notification, contact [name, address, phone number, e-mail] immediately.

5. CAN I APPLY ONLINE? Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper
application if you are able. The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the
same information as the paper application. Visit [website] to begin or TO learn more about the online
application process. Contact [name, address, phone number, e-mail] if you have any questions
about the online application.
6. MY CHILD’S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE? Yes.
Your child’s application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year.
You must send in a new application unless the school told you that your child is eligible for the new
school year.
7. I GET WIC. CAN MY CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS? Children in households participating in WIC may
be eligible for free or reduced price meals. Please send in an application.
8. WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes. We may also ask you to send written proof of
the household income you report.
9. IF I DON’T QUALIFY NOW, MAY I APPLY LATER? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school
year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible
for free and reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.
10. WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk
to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to: [name, address, phone
number, e-mail].
11. MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes. You, your children, or
other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals.
12. WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME? List the amount that you normally receive. For
example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only
made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do
not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages
reduced, use your current income.
13. WHAT IF SOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS HAVE NO INCOME TO REPORT? Household members may
not receive some types of income we ask you to report on the application, or may not receive income at
all. Whenever this happens, please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or
blank, those will also be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank, as we
will assume you meant to do so.
14. WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE REPORT OUR INCOME DIFFERENTLY? Your basic pay and cash
bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or
clothing, or receive Family Subsistence Supplemental Allowance payments, it must also be included as
income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include
your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also
excluded from income.
15. WHAT IF THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SPACE ON THE APPLICATION FOR MY FAMILY? List any additional
household members on a separate piece of paper, and attach it to your application. Contact [name,
address, phone number, e-mail] to receive a second application.
16. MY FAMILY NEEDS MORE HELP. ARE THERE OTHER PROGRAMS WE MIGHT APPLY FOR? To find
out how to apply for [State SNAP] or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or
call [State hotline number].
If you have other questions or need help, call [phone number].
Sincerely,
[signature]