SNAP Changes Impact School Meal Eligibility for Some Students

Why it matters locally: Changes to federal SNAP benefits will directly influence the automatic qualification of some Maryland students for free school breakfast and lunch programs across the state. This may necessitate local school systems and families to navigate new application processes for meal assistance.

WASHINGTON – Adjustments to federal food assistance benefits have begun to affect the automatic qualification for free breakfast and lunch programs in schools, according to observers. Previously, federal food assistance programs, commonly known as food stamps, directly qualified children for free school meals. Analysts report they are now observing a weakening of this connection. These changes in benefit distribution are leading to questions regarding the future availability of free meals for some students.