Millions of children could lose free school meals this fall, experts say
Summary
Changes made by a law called the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" have caused millions of people, including many children, to lose food stamps in the U.S. This has led to fewer students qualifying for free school meals, and some school districts, like Miami-Dade in Florida, are now cutting back on free meals for students.Key Facts
- The "One Big Beautiful Bill Act" changed the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), also known as the food stamp program.
- Since the law passed, about 4.5 million people, including 1.5 million children, lost SNAP benefits.
- Children in households receiving SNAP automatically qualify for free school meals; losing SNAP can end this benefit.
- Fewer children on SNAP can stop schools from qualifying for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which offers free meals to all students in high-poverty schools.
- Around 18.3 million students nationwide could lose access to free school meals.
- Families might spend about $2,200 more on food per school year if free meals are unavailable.
- Miami-Dade School District announced it will reduce free meal programs because many schools no longer qualify for CEP.
- Some families must complete income applications to get free meals, which can be complex and time-consuming.
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