Apply For School Meals Or
Summer EBT With CFBNJ
Free breakfast and lunch are available during the school day for eligible children in New Jersey. Summer EBT, money for groceries over the summer, is also available to those children who have completed a Free School Meals application.
Our team visits food pantries, senior centers, healthcare facilities, schools, and other community sites to provide education and information about benefits, eligibility requirements, and application procedures.
To see when we are going to be in your community, click here.
Children Need Healthy Meals To Learn
School meals are offered at every school in New Jersey. Some children pay, but for low and moderate income children, school meals are free. If you are not sure if your school-age child should be getting free meals, ask your school. If your child gets free meals, it will not be any different than the full price meals, and nobody will know that your child is in the free meal program.
All public schools must offer free school meals to families who show need. Some private schools also take part. In some places families can also get free after-school snacks or summer meals for their children.
Summer EBT, is a summer grocery benefits for eligible kids. This nutrition program for eligible children who lose access to free school meals during the summer when school is not in session provides $120 EBT card to every eligible child’s home to buy groceries over the summer. The benefits will remain on the card for 4 months.
Who Qualifies For Free School Meals And Summer EBT In New Jersey?
- All children in households receiving benefits from NJ SNAP or NJ TANF/WorkFirst-NJ
- Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court
- Children participating in NJ FamilyCare
- Children participating in their school’s Head Start program
- Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant
- Children may receive free meals if your household’s income is within the limits on the New Jersey Expanded Income Guidelines
- If your child receives, or you have applied for, free meals at school AND your household income is at or under 185% of the 2024-2025 federal poverty level
- If your child is certified as eligible for federal free school meals and attends a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, they will be automatically enrolled in Summer EBT
- To check Summer EBT eligibility click here
Why Get Free School Meals?
New Jersey families can save hundreds of dollars this year on school meals. School meals are offered at no cost to families that qualify. Every year, it’s important to complete the “School Meals and Summer EBT Application” and return it to your school, even if you qualified for free meals in the past or your school provides free meals for all.
It’s more than a meal application. The application helps your school know if your student is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals and helps your child’s school receive additional funding! Families that qualify for free school meals can also receive additional benefits such as discounted school fees.
- Children on school meals do better in school. Studies show that students who participate in healthy school meal programs have improved attendance, behavior, academic performance, and academic achievement.
- Free school meals mean that your family can save money on groceries. Free school meals save qualifying families about $120 in grocery costs.
- Applying for school meals saves time at the grocery store and making meals. Free school meals mean you don’t have to worry about packing or paying for lunch.
- School meals are healthy and include breakfast and lunch
- Children who get school meals are eligible for other benefits such as Summer EBT. For more information specifically about Summer EBT nutrition program for children who lose access to free school meals during the summer when school is not in session, visit the NJ Summer EBT website here.
How Do I Apply For Free School Meals?
- You must live in New Jersey
- You DO NOT need to be a US citizen. There are no citizenship requirements and families receiving school meals assistance will not have their immigration status affected.
- Also new for this year, the school meals application is now combined with the application for Summer EBT, making it simpler and easier for qualifying families to get the free school meals and Summer EBT nutritional benefits that can help nourish their children’s learning and development throughout this school year and next summer break.
- Applying for free school meals is fast, easy, and secure. Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now available. Pick up a paper application copy at your school or visit your school website to learn more.
- Schools send free school meal applications home at the beginning of each school year. But you may apply for school meals at any time throughout the school year.
- You must be the parent or primary caregiver of a child who goes to school
- You must meet the New Jersey income guidelines of 225% of the Federal Poverty Level
- You must apply online at your school district website or with a paper application through the school your child attends
- Our CFBNJ Community Connections team can help you apply. Click here to make an appointment with a member of our team for assistance.
NOTE: You do not need to apply if you got a letter from your school that your children are already in the program. Read that letter carefully to make sure all children in your home are listed. If not, tell your school.
You need to show proof of your family paycheck. If you have a job where pay changes from month to month, write down the money you normally get.
If you lost your job or had your hours cut, write down the money you are making now. Write down a zero in any place where there is no money coming in for that person. Note: if you leave a space blank, it will be counted as a zero.
If you are in the military list basic pay and bonuses. Also list cash value allowances for housing, food, clothing or Family Subsistence Allowances. Do NOT include your housing allowance if it is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative. Do NOT include combat pay.