Free and Reduced-Price Meals
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Families can apply for Free and Reduced-Price Meals ONLINE! The process is SAFE, SECURE and PRIVATE. Just click on the button below.
Two Step Process to Submit an Online Meal Application:
1. Create a SchoolCafe Account (Instructions in English | Spanish)
2. Submit an Online Meal Application (Instructions in English| Spanish)
Meal Benefits Resources
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Provision Schools
- Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Schools
- If students attend one of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools, an application is not not needed unless there is student in a household that attends a non-CEP school. Students receive one breakfast and one lunch per school day at no cost.
- Provision 2 Schools
- If students attend a Provision 2 school, they are eligible to receive one breakfast per school day at no cost. Families can submit a meal application to see if they qualify for free or reduced lunch meal benefits.
- Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) Schools
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Submitting Meal Applications
Before the School Year Begins
- We encourage all eligible families to submit a new application for free and reduced price meals prior to the start of each new school year. This allows the application to be processed and the correct eligibility established before school starts. Families have the ability to fill out the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application online on or after July 1. Paper meal applications are available at every school office and cafeteria. Submit completed applications to the school cafeteria or mail to: PPS Nutrition Services, PO Box 3107, Portland, OR 97208-3107
After the School Year Begins
- Completed meal applications are accepted anytime throughout the school year, and can be submitted to your student's school cafeteria or mailed to the PPS Nutrition Services Department. Families who were approved for free or reduced lunch last school year have a 30 carryover after school begins to submit a new meal application. Please verify federal income guidelines before applying. If a meal application is denied within the carryover period, meal charges would begin 10 calendar days after the new application is processed. Families would need to provide meals from home or funds to purchase meals.
- All students who qualify for free or reduced-price meals receive one breakfast and one lunch per school day at no cost. However, a la carte milk ($.50) is not included in the meal benefit. Please contact the Nutrition Services Meal Benefits Office at 503.916.3402 if you have questions or need additional assistance. For interpretation assistance, please call the PPS Language Line listed below. For languages not listed, call 503.916.3427.
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Who Should Apply for Meal Benefits
- Your household meets the federal income guidelines
- You qualify for SNAP benefits and you do not receive a Direct Certifcation letter before school begins
- You take part in the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- You receive Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- You are applying for a Foster Child
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What You Need to Know if Meal Benefits are Approved
- Meal benefits begin the day the meal application is approved. The eligibility date cannot be backdated to cover meals purchased prior to the approval date.
- Students can go to the school cafeteria and provide their 6-digit student ID# to receive one breakfast and/or one lunch per school day at no cost. However, a la carte milk ($.50 each) purchases are not covered as they are not reimbursable meals.
- Meal benefits are valid until the last day of school.
- Students who are eligible for free and reduced-price meals may also be eligible to receive additional benefits such as educational fee reductions and/or waivers as well as low cost internet (contact your Internet provider for more information). If you submit the Permission to Share form with your meal application, you can authorize the release of your Free or Reduced eligibility status to program officials that oversee the specified benefit(s). If you do not submit a form -- no information will be released. Just keep your meal benefits approval notification letter as proof of eligibility when applying for benefits.
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What You need to Know if Meal Benefits are Denied
- Families can provide their student(s) a meal from home or provide funds to purchase school meals.
- Families may submit a new meal application at any time during the school year if circumstances change (example, there is a decrease in income or increase in household members) which allow them to meet the federal income guidelines.
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Annual Meal Benefits Verification Process
- Each year, a sample of free and reduced meal applications are selected at random to verify the information given on the application. Selected families will need to submit documents to maintain meal benefits. Documents can be sent via email: mealbenefits@pps.net; mail to: PPS Nutrition Services, PO Box 3107, Portland, OR 97208; or uploaded via SchoolCafé using a computer or mobile app.
- Please note: Notifications are sent out in various methods (phone, email, letter) to inform families of the process. If the required documentation to support the information listed on the meal application is not provided or cannot be verified, it will result in a loss of meal benefits.
- For instructions on how to upload verification documenets via SchoolCafé, click here. To view a video on how to upload documents using SchoolCafé, click here.
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Free and Reduced Benefits Flyer
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Other Resources
- Oregon Helps
- Oregon Food Bank
- Call 2-1-1 or Oregon SafeNet 1-800-SAFENET
