Free and Reduced Price Meals

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    School Cafe Online Application Instructions

    2017-18 Paper Meal Applications

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    Completed application can be given to your school's office or mailed directly to: Portland Public Schools Nutrition Services, PO Box 3107, Portland OR 97208-3107. Families may submit a new meal application at any time during the school year if you have income or household changes (for example, additional household members).

    Actively enrolled PPS students in grade levels pre-K through high school are eligible to receive free or reduced-price meal benefits valued up to $1,000 per year, if your family meets one of the following criteria:

    • Federal income guidelines
    • Receives SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, formerly Food Stamps) benefits
    • Receives TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families) benefits 
    • Receives FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations) benefits

    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.

    If your child attends one of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) schools, you do NOT need to submit a free or reduced-price meal application. However, students attending a non-CEP school will need to complete a new meal application for the 2017-18 school year. For meal benefits related questions, call (503) 916-3402 or send an email to mealbenefits@pps.net.

     

    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; fax: 503.916.3420; mail: 501 N. Dixon St, Portland, OR 97227 or uploaded via SchoolCafé.

    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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