The National School Lunch Program (NSLP) is a federally assisted meal program operating in public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low-cost or no-cost lunches to children each school day. The program was established under the Richard B. Russell National School Lunch Act, signed into law by President Harry Truman in 1946.

Read more on the NSLP Fact Sheet here: https://www.lccs.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/NSLPFactSheet.pdf

1. All children in households receiving benefits from the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Ohio Works First (OWF); foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court; children participating in their school’s Head Start program; and children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals. Also, your children may receive free or reduced-price meals if your household’s income is within the federal income eligibility guidelines limits.

If members of your household lack a permanent address; are staying together in a shelter, hotel or other temporary housing arrangement; relocate on a seasonal basis or; children live with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household then the children may qualify as homeless, migrant or runaway. If you have not been told your children will receive free meals, please call or email Teri Foster at [email protected] or (330) 877-2049 ext. 2170 to see if they qualify.

No. Use one free and reduced-price school meal application for all students in your household. We cannot approve an application that is not complete. Please submit all required information. Return the completed application to Teri Foster at [email protected] or (330) 877-2049 ext. 2170.

(330) 877-2049 ext. 2170.

No, but please read the letter carefully and follow the instructions. If any children in your household were missing from the eligibility notification, contact Teri Foster at [email protected] or (330) 877-2049 ext. 2170 immediately.

Yes. If possible, you are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application. The online application requirements are the same and will request the same information as the paper application. Visit the online application by going to https://app.hellosign.com/s/J8etUDR2. Contact Teri Foster at [email protected] or (330) 877-2049 ext. 2170 with any questions about the online application.

Yes. Your child’s application is valid for that school year and for the start of this school year. You are required to submit a new application unless the school notified you that your child is eligible for the new school year. 

Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Please submit a completed application.

Yes, we also may ask you to send written proof.

You may apply at any time during the school year. For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced-price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.

You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by calling or writing to the following contact person: Teri Foster at [email protected] or (330) 877-2049 ext. 2170.

Yes. You or your child(ren) do not have to be a U.S. citizen to qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1,000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, submit the report with the routine amount of $1,000 per month. If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes. If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.

Household members may not receive some types of income that are asked for you to report on the application or may not receive income at all. When this happens, please write a 0 in the corresponding field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, those also will be counted as zeroes. Please be careful when leaving income fields blank.

Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it also must be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment also is excluded from income.

List any additional household members on a separate piece of paper and attach it to your application. Contact Teri Foster at [email protected] or (330) 877-2049 ext. 2170 to receive a second application.

Ohio public schools are required to waive the school instructional fees for children that quality for free meal benefits. School food service personnel must have parent consent to share the student meal application if your child(ren) quality for a fee waiver. If you agree to allow your child(ren)’s meal application to be shared with school officials to see if they qualify for a fee waiver then select yes in part 5. If you do not wish for that information to be shared, then select no in part 5. Answering no to this question will mean your child will not be considered for a fee waiver. Answering this question either way will not change your child(ren)’s free or reduced-price meal eligibility.

To find out how to apply for Ohio Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or other assistance benefits, contact your local assistance office or call 877-852-0010.