In Growing Number of States, Every Student Gets Free Meal at School

Following the COVID-19 pandemic, lawmakers in several states decided to make free food at school for all students a permanent arrangement.

A student eats lunch at Yung Wing School P.S. 124 in New York City on Feb. 4, 2022. Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

Public schools are offering free lunches in an increasing number of states across the country, regardless of income.

Legislation for universal free school meals is currently pending in 11 states and Washington and may be considered in the upcoming 2026 sessions, according to the respective state government websites and the National Conference of State Legislatures’ education legislation database.

New York, which began offering universal free school meals in September, became the ninth state to pass such a law, joining California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Mexico, and Vermont.

“Universal Free School Meals are putting money back in families’ pockets and guaranteeing every student the nourishment they need to thrive, no questions asked,” New York Gov. Kathy Hochul said in a Dec. 12 statement. “No kid should go hungry in the classroom, and no parent should have to stretch their budget to pack a lunch.”

Arkansas and Pennsylvania currently have universal free breakfast, but not lunch.

Legislation was introduced in several other states but either failed or make any progress.

All told, only 14 state legislatures have yet to introduce a bill proposing universal free school meals, according to Food Research and Action Center.

This trend began within the past five years, following the COVID-19 pandemic, when schools temporarily provided free meals for everyone.

Some state lawmakers introduced bills to make the arrangement permanent in 2022.

The Institute for Education Sciences reported in January that more than a quarter of public schools across the nation now offer students free meals through state or local initiatives.

This also means that many districts in states that don’t require it elected to fund universal breakfast and lunch themselves.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture has provided free and reduced school meals to needy children for decades.

The Food Research Action Center argues that the income eligibility guidelines for the federal program are too restrictive. In the 2024–2025 academic year, a family of three would need to make less than about $34,000 to qualify for free school food in most states.

Dennis Guth, a Republican state senator in Iowa, said legislation mandating universal free meals undermines local government and school districts that have always accommodated low-income students who actually need the benefit.

“It should only be free for those who actually need it,” Guth told The Epoch Times, adding that a universal free school lunch bill in Iowa last year didn’t make it out of committee.

“You shouldn’t be looking to add any extra government programs that cost money,” he said. “I don’t think the government should put everyone on the dole so they have control over everyone.”

The Foundation for Government Accountability calls universal free school meals a bad deal for states and students that will cause millions of students from middle- and high-income families to depend on the government for meals “before they leave the nest.”

“This is not about childhood hunger,” the foundation said in a 2024 report that cited then-President Joe Biden’s federal push for universal school meals.

“This is a massive taxpayer-funded food stamp expansion for those who do not need it.”