Free and reduced lunch information – Osceola-Sentinel Tribune

The Iowa Department of Education’s Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services has finalized its guidelines for free and reduced-price meals for students who cannot afford the full price of meals served through the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Special Milk Program and Afterschool Care Snack Program.

State and local authorities have adopted the family size and income criteria listed in the table to determine eligibility.

Households may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals in four ways.

1. Households whose income is at or below the specified amounts are eligible for reduced-price or free meals by completing an application for free and reduced-price school meals/milk. Households can complete one application listing all children and return it to their child’s school. Only the last four digits of the Social Security number of the household’s primary earner or another adult household member are needed when completing the application.

2. Households participating in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), students receiving benefits through the Family Investment Program (FIP), and students in some special Medicaid programs are eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Most students from SNAP and FIP households automatically qualify and will receive a letter from the school informing them of their benefits. If the household receives a letter, no further application is necessary. If students in the household are not listed on the letter, the household should contact the school to extend benefits to the students not listed.

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

4. SNAP or FIP households that do not receive a letter from Iowa HHS must complete an application using the brief information provided on the application and instructions for their students to receive free meals. If the application lists an assistance program case number for a household member, eligibility for free benefits will be expanded to include all students in a household.

Eligibility from the previous year will continue within the same school for up to 30 days of operation into the new school year. Households that have been notified of their child’s eligibility must contact the school if the household declines free meal benefits.

Foster children are eligible for free meals, and some foster students automatically qualify through the state’s direct certification process. If host families are not notified and request free meals for the student, instructions on how to apply for such students are included on the application form. If the foster family is not eligible for free or reduced-price meals, it does not disqualify the foster student from receiving benefits. A foster student may be admitted as a member of the foster family if the foster family also wishes to apply for benefits for other students. Admitting students in foster care as household members can help other students in the household qualify for benefits. If the foster family is not eligible for free or reduced-price meals, it does not disqualify the foster student from receiving benefits. Participants in the Special Supplement Nutrition Program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals based on a complete application.

If the school is aware, households will be notified of any children who are eligible for free meals if the children are enrolled in the Head Start/Even Start program or are considered homeless, migrant, or runaway. If children are not listed on the eligibility notice, contact the school for assistance in receiving benefits. If households are dissatisfied with officials’ approval of the application, they may file a formal appeal either verbally or in writing with the school’s designated hearing officer. The policy statement on file with the school provides an overview of the hearing process. School officials may review the information on the application, knowing that intentional misrepresentation of information may subject the applicant to criminal prosecution under applicable state and federal criminal laws. Households should contact their local school for more information. Limited English proficiency (LEP) individuals are not discriminated against in the school meal programs.