The Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) allows more than 33,000 high-poverty schools across the country to offer breakfast and lunch at no charge to all students while eliminating the traditional school meal application process. The child nutrition waivers available during the pandemic have further highlighted the value of offering meals at no charge to all students and the importance of schools being able to better meet their students’ nutritional needs. In addition, the economic crisis may have made more school districts and schools eligible to implement community eligibility for the 2022-2023 school year, allowing them to offer free meals to all students for 4 years. Because of this increase in eligibility, more schools can reexamine community eligibility for being a more financially viable option than before the COVID-19 crisis.
Fact Sheet
Budget Reconciliation 101 – 2025 Update