During the 2023 ND Legislative Session, the legislature expanded the federal poverty guidelines to include families who earn up to 200% poverty level. Families who qualify based on Federal or State Expanded Income Eligibility Guidelines (NDEIEG) will not need to pay for breakfast or lunch. The new State 200 Eligibility will provide meal reimbursements for those students who do not qualify for free or reduced-price meals under federal income guidelines, but whose income falls below the 200% poverty level. The supplemental state reimbursement is the difference between the USDA Federal Free and the USDA Paid Meal Reimbursement Rate.

The NDEIEG affects all schools that participate in the National School Lunch Program. It does not apply to any other Federal Reimbursement programs, such as Special Milk or After School Snacks. Schools should contact the software company they utilize for meal counting and application processing as soon as possible to receive updates before the 24-25 school year.

Process for determination

1. Schools will use the North Dakota Expanded Income Eligibility Guidelines to determine if applications qualify for Federal Free, Federal Reduced, State 200, or Paid category.
2. Schools must issue the approval letter provided by DPI or follow the DPI template for their own software system.
3. Schools will claim meals in NDFoods based on Federal Free, Federal Reduced, Federal Paid, and State 200 categories.

Free and Reduced Price Meal Application Processing Reminders

All families must receive an application for free or reduced-price meals.

• Free and reduced-price meal applications for the 2024-25 school year can be prepared but not distributed or approved until after July 1, 2024. (Eligibility Manual for School Meals, page 11)
• The Letter to Households must accompany the application.
• The household must write their income information on the application form - the schools should not have to do this.
• A determination must be made within ten days of receipt of an application.
• Children may be claimed based on last year’s eligibility for the first 30 operating days of the school year or until a new application is filed, whichever comes first.
• All applicants must be notified of the determination. Denied applicants must be notified in writing, either through the postal service or by email to the parent/guardian’s email address.

Benefits Prior to Processing Applications

Before applications are processed for the school year, the local agency may claim and be reimbursed for free and reduced-price meals or snacks, or free milk for these students:

• Students from households with approved applications or other meal eligibility notices on file from the previous year.  
  • This includes kindergarten students. Please remember to perform a match of newly enrolled students with last year’s eligible households to ensure the 30-day carryover is not missed for these students.
• Newly enrolled children from households with children approved for benefits the previous year.
• Previously approved children who transfer from one school to another under the jurisdiction of the same local agency. If the applications are not centrally maintained, both the sending and the receiving local agency must maintain a copy of the transferring student's application.

The above students must be allowed a 30-day carry-over of the previous eligibility determination. Once a current-year application is received, it takes precedence over the previous year's application.

For additional information please visit: SNP Free & Reduced Price Information website