Free and reduced lunch information

The Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services, has finalized its policy for free and reduced price meals for students unable to pay the full price of meals served under the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program and the Afterschool Care Snack Program.

State and local officials have adopted the family size and income criteria for determining eligibility found in the chart.

Households may be eligible for free or reduced priced meal benefits one of four ways.

1. Households whose income is at or below the levels shown are eligible for reduced price meals or free meals, if they complete an application for free and reduced price school meals/milk. Households may complete one application listing all children and return it to your student’s school. When completing the application only the last four digits of the social security number of the household’s primary wage earner or another adult household member is needed.

2. Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) households, students receiving benefits under the Family Investment Program (FIP) and students in a few specificMedicaid programs are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Most students from SNAP and FIP households will be qualified automatically and will receive a letter from the school notifying them of their benefits. If a letter is received by the household, no further application is needed. If any students in the household are not listed on the letter, the household should contact the school to have benefits extended to the students not listed.

3. Some households will receive a letter from Iowa Department of Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) which will qualify the children listed on the letter for free meals. The letter must be presented to the school.

4. SNAP or FIP households who do not receive a letter from Iowa HHS must complete an application with the abbreviated information as indicated on the application and instructions, for their students to receive free meals. When the application lists an assistance program’s case number for any household member, eligibility for free benefits is extended to all students in a household.

Eligibility from the previous year will continue within the same school for up to 30 operating days into the new school year. Households notified of their student’s eligibility must contact the school if the household chooses to decline the free meal benefits.

Foster children are eligible for free meal benefits and some foster students will be qualified automatically though the state direct certification process. If not notified and host families wish to receive free meals for the student, instructions for making application for such students are contained on the application form. If the foster family is not eligible for free or reduced price meals, it does not prevent a foster student from receiving benefits. A foster student may be included as a member of the foster family if the foster family chooses to also apply for benefits for other students. Including students in foster care as household members may help other students in the household qualify for benefits. If the foster family is not eligible for free or reduced price meal benefits, it does not prevent a foster student from receiving benefits. Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) participants may be eligible for free or reduced price meals based on a completed application.

When known by the school, households will be notified of any child eligible for free meals if the children are enrolled in the Head Start/Even Start program or are considered homeless, migrant or runaway. If any children are not listed on the notice of eligibility, contact the school for assistance in receiving benefits. If households are dissatisfied with the application approval done by the officials, they may make a formal appeal either orally or in writing to the school’s designated hearing official. The policy statement on file at the school contains an outline of the hearing procedure. School officials may verify the information in the application, and that deliberate misrepresentation of information may subject the applicant to prosecution under applicable state and federal criminal statutes. Households should contact their local school for additional information. There will be no discrimination against individuals with Limited English Proficiency (LEP) in the school meal programs.