The Iowa Department of Education, Bureau of Nutrition and Health Services, has finalized its policy for free and reduced price meals for children 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 school officials have adopted the following family size and income criteria for determining eligibility:

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
child’s school. When completing an 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, children receiving benefits
under the Family Investment Program (FIP) and children in a few specific Medicaid programs
are eligible for free or reduced price meals. Most children from SNAP and FIP households will
be qualified for free meals automatically. These households will receive a letter from their
children’s schools notifying them of their benefits. Households that receive a letter from the
school need to do nothing more for their children to receive free or reduced price meals. No
further application is necessary. If any children were not listed on the notice of eligibility, the
household should contact the school to have free or reduced price meal benefits extended to
them. If you feel you would qualify for free meal benefits and received notification qualifying for
reduced price benefits, complete an application for free and reduced price meals. Households
must contact the school if they choose to decline meal benefits.

3. Some SNAP and FIP households will receive a letter from the Department of Human
Services (DHS) which will qualify the children listed on the letter for free meals. Parents must
take this letter to the child’s school to receive free meals.
4. SNAP or FIP households receiving benefits that do not receive a letter from DHS must
complete an application with the abbreviated information as indicated on the application and
instructions, for their children 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
children 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. When the carryover period ends, unless the household is notified that
their children are directly certified or the household submits an application that is approved, the
children must pay full price for school meals and the school will not send a reminder or a notice
of expired eligibility. An application cannot be approved unless complete eligibility information is
submitted. Applications may be submitted at any time during the year. If a family member
becomes unemployed the family should contact the school to complete an application.

Households notified of their children’s eligibility must contact the school if the household
chooses to decline the free meal benefits.
Foster children are eligible for free meal benefits. Some foster children will be qualified for free
meals automatically through the state direct certification process. Their host family will receive
notification of these benefits. Families that receive this notification from the school need to do
nothing more for their foster children to receive free meals. If a family has foster children living
with them and does not receive notification and wishes to apply for such meals, instructions for
making application for such children are contained on the application form. A foster child may be
included as a member of the foster family if the foster family chooses to also apply for benefits
for other children. Including children in foster care as household members may help other
children 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 child 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.