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Changes to SNAP and Medicaid Would Have Implications for Student Access to School Meals. Research Report

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Title: Changes to SNAP and Medicaid Would Have Implications for Student Access to School Meals. Research Report
Language: English
Authors: Emily Gutierrez, Urban Institute
Source: Urban Institute. 2025.
Availability: Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
Peer Reviewed: N
Page Count: 31
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Walton Family Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Nutrition, Federal Programs, Welfare Services, Lunch Programs, Public Policy, Federal Legislation, Budgets, Retrenchment, Breakfast Programs, Political Attitudes, At Risk Students, Educational Benefits, Academic Achievement, Student Behavior, Child Health, Elementary Secondary Education, Health Insurance
Laws, Policies and Program Identifiers: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Abstract: House Republicans have passed their version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which now goes to the Senate for consideration. The goal is to pass the bill by July, though final content and timeline are subject to change. The bill puts forth several changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aimed at reducing federal spending by up to $290 billion (House Agriculture 2025a). It also would make several changes to Medicaid. But these changes would affect more than individual eligibility and participation in SNAP and Medicaid, as free school meal access has become increasingly intertwined with SNAP and Medicaid. To reduce duplicative paperwork for schools, students receiving SNAP or Medicaid automatically qualify for free school meals. The changes to SNAP and Medicaid that House Republicans passed in their recent spending bill would have downstream effects on student access to free school meals. Urban Institute analysis uses a sample of 37 states and the District of Columbia to estimate the number of students at risk of losing individual access to free meals, as well as access to universal free meal programs. There is a careful distinction in this analysis between individual access to free meals and access to universal free meal programs, which come with their own set of advantages for students and schools. CEP and universal free school meals in general are associated with a range of positive academic, behavioral, and health outcomes for students, including those who are not eligible for free meals based on their family's income (Gordon and Ruffini 2021; Gutierrez 2021; Ruffini 2022). Losing eligibility for CEP, even if students maintain individual eligibility for free school meals, may result in the loss of these benefits (Blagg, Rainer, and Waxman 2019). Although individual students losing SNAP would remain income eligible for free school meals, and an estimated 37 million students would remain directly certified, the changes to SNAP and Medicaid would leave fewer students automatically enrolled for these meals, especially if students enrolled in both SNAP and Medicaid were to lose both benefits. A reduction in the number of students automatically enrolled for these meals would increase school meal costs in schools, districts, and states with universal free meal policies, leading to the rollback of universal free school meals.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED673533
Database: ERIC
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  Data: Changes to SNAP and Medicaid Would Have Implications for Student Access to School Meals. Research Report
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  Data: Urban Institute. 2100 M Street NW, Washington, DC 20037. Tel: 202-261-5687; Fax: 202-467-5775; Web site: http://www.urban.org
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  Data: <searchLink fieldCode="SU" term="%22Supplemental+Nutrition+Assistance+Program+%28SNAP%29%22">Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)</searchLink>
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  Label: Abstract
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  Data: House Republicans have passed their version of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, which now goes to the Senate for consideration. The goal is to pass the bill by July, though final content and timeline are subject to change. The bill puts forth several changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) aimed at reducing federal spending by up to $290 billion (House Agriculture 2025a). It also would make several changes to Medicaid. But these changes would affect more than individual eligibility and participation in SNAP and Medicaid, as free school meal access has become increasingly intertwined with SNAP and Medicaid. To reduce duplicative paperwork for schools, students receiving SNAP or Medicaid automatically qualify for free school meals. The changes to SNAP and Medicaid that House Republicans passed in their recent spending bill would have downstream effects on student access to free school meals. Urban Institute analysis uses a sample of 37 states and the District of Columbia to estimate the number of students at risk of losing individual access to free meals, as well as access to universal free meal programs. There is a careful distinction in this analysis between individual access to free meals and access to universal free meal programs, which come with their own set of advantages for students and schools. CEP and universal free school meals in general are associated with a range of positive academic, behavioral, and health outcomes for students, including those who are not eligible for free meals based on their family's income (Gordon and Ruffini 2021; Gutierrez 2021; Ruffini 2022). Losing eligibility for CEP, even if students maintain individual eligibility for free school meals, may result in the loss of these benefits (Blagg, Rainer, and Waxman 2019). Although individual students losing SNAP would remain income eligible for free school meals, and an estimated 37 million students would remain directly certified, the changes to SNAP and Medicaid would leave fewer students automatically enrolled for these meals, especially if students enrolled in both SNAP and Medicaid were to lose both benefits. A reduction in the number of students automatically enrolled for these meals would increase school meal costs in schools, districts, and states with universal free meal policies, leading to the rollback of universal free school meals.
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      – Text: English
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      Pagination:
        PageCount: 31
    Subjects:
      – SubjectFull: Nutrition
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Welfare Services
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Lunch Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Public Policy
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Federal Legislation
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      – SubjectFull: Budgets
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      – SubjectFull: Retrenchment
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      – SubjectFull: Breakfast Programs
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Political Attitudes
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: At Risk Students
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Educational Benefits
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Academic Achievement
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      – SubjectFull: Student Behavior
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Child Health
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Elementary Secondary Education
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Health Insurance
        Type: general
      – SubjectFull: Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
        Type: general
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      – TitleFull: Changes to SNAP and Medicaid Would Have Implications for Student Access to School Meals. Research Report
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