MSDE: Revised Income Eligibility Guidelines announced for Md. school meals

July 3, 2018

Tahja Cropper,

Beginning in July, officials announced changes in the income guidelines regarding school meals, in Maryland.

The Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) says on Tuesday, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) adjusted the Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) for free and reduced-price school meals. MSDE adopts the federal guidelines.

Officials say the guidelines are used to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals in the child nutrition programs for the period of July 1, 2018 through June 30, 2019.The annual adjustments are apparently required by Section 9 of the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act and they are intended to directly benefit those children most in need.

According to MSDE, the following information applies to the revised IEGs for free and reduced-price school meals:

Household size and income is the most common way to determine eligibility
Parents and guardians may reapply at any time during the school and are encouraged to do so if the household size increases, they become unemployed, income decreases, or the household qualifies for Food Supplement Program (FSP) or Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA).
Meal Benefit Applications will be sent home from each child's school at the beginning of the school year. (Applications should be completed fully and sent back to the school. Schools cannot approve incomplete applications.)
United States citizenship is not required in order to obtain eligibility for free or reduced-price meals.
Children enrolled in a Head Start program or children who are certified as homeless, migrant, runaway, foster, or children living in households that receive Food Supplement Program (FSP) or Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA) benefits are eligible for free meals and do not need to fill out an application.

The revised Income Eligibility Guidelines for 2018-2019 school meals can be found below:

School meals include the following programs: School Breakfast Program, National School Lunch Program, After-School Care Snack component, and Special Milk Program.

For more information regarding schools or facilities that participate in one of the Child Nutrition Programs, call a Program Specialist at 410-767-0219.