Meal Assistance Programs

Supporting Families. Empowering Students.

Why Apply? It's More Than A Meal

While meal assistance primarily supports access to free/reduced-price school meals, eligibility also impacts your child’s access to: school’s fee waiver approval, magnet school transportation assistance, school funding support through various programs, internet discounts/technology aid, support services, college resources, community services, summer meals and groceries, and more.

2025-26 School Meal Guidelines 

• Spanish -- School Meal Guidelines

Income Eligibility Chart

Families must reapply each school year.

How to Qualify

1. Find your household size on the income eligibility chart, above.
2. If your income is at or below the listed amount, your child may qualify for benefits.
3. Complete the online application under your school’s program. (See school lists below.)

Have you already received a “Direct Certification” (DC) Letter for the new school year?

It states that you do not need to complete a new application. However, if any FCPS students in your household are not listed in the letter, please call programs assistant Jessica Morgison at (859) 422-2152.

Who is Directly Certified (DC)?

Students receiving certain benefits are directly certified for free meals, including those:

• On SNAP or K-TAP
• Identified as homeless/runaway, migrant, and Head Start
• In foster care or receiving Medicaid (In some but not all cases, CHFS qualifies Medicaid on a different income tier, so not all cases qualify for meal assistance.)

If your family does NOT receive a DC letter but participates in one of the DC-assisted programs:

Please complete an application and provide an active SNAP or K-TAP case number or the household income.

Which Program Applies to Your School?

Please check the lists below to determine your school’s program and which application your household should complete.