View in EDS

How Many Students Would Lose Access to Free Meals under House Republicans' Proposed Changes to the Community Eligibility Provision? An Essay for the Learning Curve

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Title: How Many Students Would Lose Access to Free Meals under House Republicans' Proposed Changes to the Community Eligibility Provision? An Essay for the Learning Curve
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: 9
Publication Date: 2025
Sponsoring Agency: Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation
Document Type: Reports - Evaluative
Education Level: Elementary Secondary Education
Descriptors: Politics, Elementary Secondary Education, Lunch Programs, Breakfast Programs, Eligibility, Nutrition, Food, Low Income Students, Poverty
Abstract: Congressional Republicans are reportedly considering spending cuts to balance the cost of extending the tax cuts they enacted in 2017. One proposal is to raise the eligibility threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which lets schools provide federally reimbursed free meals to all students. This change would cut the number of schools participating in the program by at least 21,000 and end universal free meals in schools serving 11.4 million students. The budgetary savings from reducing access to universal free meals will need to be weighed against evidence about the benefits of universal free meal programs for students, including higher student achievement and reduced discipline. CEP also reduces the burden of collecting meal application forms and guarantees that eligible students have access to free meals even if their school does not identify them as low income.
Abstractor: ERIC
Entry Date: 2025
Accession Number: ED673536
Database: ERIC
Description
Abstract:Congressional Republicans are reportedly considering spending cuts to balance the cost of extending the tax cuts they enacted in 2017. One proposal is to raise the eligibility threshold for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which lets schools provide federally reimbursed free meals to all students. This change would cut the number of schools participating in the program by at least 21,000 and end universal free meals in schools serving 11.4 million students. The budgetary savings from reducing access to universal free meals will need to be weighed against evidence about the benefits of universal free meal programs for students, including higher student achievement and reduced discipline. CEP also reduces the burden of collecting meal application forms and guarantees that eligible students have access to free meals even if their school does not identify them as low income.