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National School Breakfast and Lunch Program for California


The United States Department of Agriculture provides funding to support five school meal and milk programs to assist schools, districts, and other non-profit agencies in providing nutritious meals and milk to children at reasonable prices or free to qualified applicants. The five programs are: the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Seamless Summer Feeding Option, Special Milk Program, and State Meal Program.

The United States Department of Agriculture provides funding to support five school meal and milk programs to assist schools, districts, and other non-profit agencies in providing nutritious meals and milk to children at reasonable prices or free to qualified applicants. The five programs are: the National School Lunch Program, School Breakfast Program, Seamless Summer Feeding Option, Special Milk Program, and State Meal Program.


To be eligible for this benefit program, you must be a resident of the state of California and all of the following:

  • A parent or primary caregiver, and
  • Responsible for a child(ren) who attends school (high school or under).

In order to qualify, you must have an annual household income (before taxes) that is below the following amounts:

Annual Household Income Limits (before taxes)
Household Size*Maximum Income Level (Per Year)
1$26,973
2$36,482
3$45,991
4$55,500
5$65,009
6$74,518
7$84,027
8$93,536

*For households with more than eight people, add $9,509 per additional person. Always check with the appropriate managing agency to ensure the most accurate guidelines.


To apply for free or reduced price meals, please visit the School Meals page.


You can learn more about the California School Nutrition Programs by visiting the CDE School Nutrition website.