National School Lunch Program Free and Reduced-Price Meal Eligibility
Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT)
Some Texas families who lost access to free or reduced-price meals during School Year 2021-2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic will receive P-EBT food benefits. Information about this year’s P-EBT benefits, including eligibility requirements and benefit amounts, will be released in mid-April.
One requirement for P-EBT is that students must be certified as eligible for free or
reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) at their Texas school during the 2021-2022 school year. Receiving free meals at school does not automatically qualify a child for P-EBT.
Enrollment at a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 (P2) school.
What action do families need to take?1. Determine if you need to submit a household application for free or reduced-price meals:
• If you believe your family is income eligible for free or reduced-price meals, submit an NSLP household meal application to your child’s school.
• Not sure if you are income eligible?
Use the Income Eligibility Calculator here:
www.SquareMeals.org/IEC
• Your child has been directly certified
• Your child or household is approved for SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, federally funded Head Start
or Early Head Start, or your child has foster, migrant, or homeless status.
• Your child is enrolled at a CEP or P2 school.
• If you are unsure if your child is enrolled at a CEP or P2 school, contact the child nutrition department.
