Millions of Children Could Lose Free School Meals This Fall

Millions of American students could lose access to free school meals this academic year because of changes to the federal food stamp program under the Republican tax-and-spending law known as the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," food and public policy experts say.

The law overhauled the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and 4.5 million people — including 1.5 million children — have lost food stamps since it was enacted, according to an estimate from the nonpartisan Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Losing SNAP can cut off school meals in two ways. Students in households receiving food stamps are automatically eligible for free meals, so leaving the SNAP rolls ends that eligibility. Fewer SNAP recipients can also keep school districts from qualifying for the Community Eligibility Provision, created under the 2010 Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act, which lets high-poverty schools feed every student without individual applications.

About 18.3 million students nationwide could lose access to free school meals, according to a 2025 analysis by the Urban Institute. A typical family with two children in school could face an additional $2,200 in food costs this year, the Center for American Progress estimates.

Florida's Miami-Dade School District said on July 23 that it can no longer provide free breakfast and lunch to all students because many of its schools no longer qualify for the provision. SNAP enrollment in Florida has fallen nearly 20% since the law was signed in July 2025, according to a CBPP analysis. Chief Operating Officer Luis Diaz told the Miami Herald the district is adding a 30-day grace period; about 121 of its roughly 400 schools will still qualify, and lunches will then cost $4.20 per child. The district did not immediately return a request for comment.

"As kids lose access to SNAP, the next school year they may lose that automatic link to free school meals, even if they are still eligible," said Katie Bergh, a SNAP expert at the CBPP. Families then face choices "between buying groceries and paying for other essential needs, like rent or medication."

Families of four earning below $42,900 can still apply individually, but the paperwork is burdensome, said Diane Pratt-Heavner of the School Nutrition Association. Unpaid school meal debt rose to $25.3 million last year, up 25% from 2024. In late 2027, states face an additional $9 billion in food stamp costs under the law, which Bergh said could push some to withdraw from SNAP entirely.