National School Lunch & Breakfast (Free & Reduced-Price Meals)
Free or reduced-price school meals
What it pays or provides
Free or reduced-price breakfast and lunch at school for your kids. Some Oregon schools use the Community Eligibility Provision to serve meals at no cost to every student, with no application needed -- check with your child's school to see if it participates.
Who qualifies
Your child qualifies based on household income, using either the federal income guidelines or Oregon's own Expanded Income Guidelines, which some public schools are required to use because they charge students for meals. Your child automatically qualifies for free meals if your household gets SNAP or foster care benefits, or if your child is part of the Migrant Education Program or McKinney-Vento homeless services -- no separate application needed in that case.
Income limits by household size
| People in your household | Monthly income limit (about) |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,460 |
| 2 | $3,340 |
| 3 | $4,210 |
| 4 | $5,090 |
| 5 | $5,960 |
| 6 | $6,840 |
| 7 | $7,710 |
| 8 | $8,590 |
Limits shown are approximately 185% of the federal poverty guidelines, rounded — the program’s own table is the final word.
How other benefits affect it
Already getting SNAP or foster care benefits gets your child free school meals automatically through direct certification, so you don't need to fill out a separate meals application.
How to apply
Apply online through Oregon's Confidential Household Application for Free and Reduced Meals at ode.state.or.us/frlapp, available in English and Spanish. Schools can't start collecting applications before July 1 for the school year that starts that summer, so apply once the new school year's application opens.
Programs that combine with it
- SNAP (food benefits) — monthly money for food
- Oregon Summer EBT (SUN Bucks) — $120 per child for summer groceries
Sources
- Official rule text “At or below 130 percent of the Federal poverty line can receive a free lunch. Between 130 and 185 percent of the Federal poverty line can receive a reduced-price lunch. Above 185 percent of the Federal poverty line can receive a low-cost, full-price lunch.” (checked July 6, 2026)
- Official rule text “Students automatically qualify for free meals if they receive SNAP, foster care benefits, or participate in the Migrant Education Program or McKinney-Vento (homeless services). ... Meal applications cannot be collected before July 1 for the school year beginning that summer.” (checked July 19, 2026)