Meal Prices and Payment
Student Meal Prices School Year 2025-2026
Breakfast and the afterschool snack and supper programs (where applicable) are universally free for DCPS students. DCPS students who are approved for Free and Reduced-Price Meal (FARM) benefits, or who attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school will receive their first lunch at no charge.
The grace period for students who qualified for free lunch during the school year 2024-2025 will end on the following dates:
- Grades Kindergarten - 12th: October 6, 2025
- Grades PK3-PK4: October 9, 2025
Lunch meal charges for students who have not submitted a FARM application for SY25-26 will resume after those dates. Details on qualifying for free lunch based on household income can be found here: dcps.dc.gov/farm.
2025-2026 Student Meal Prices (Pending as of 7/1/2025)
| Paid Meal Price Status | Free/Reduced/CEP Meal Price Status | Adult/Staff Meal Price* | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Breakfast | Free | Free | $4.00 |
| Lunch, 1st time through the line | $3.00 | Free | $5.00 |
| Snack (where applicable) | Free | Free | N/A |
| Supper (where applicable) | Free | Free | N/A |
| Milk | $0.50* | $0.50* | $0.50* |
| *Must have money on their LINQ Connect meal accounts | |||
Student Meal Accounts
Student meal accounts function as debit accounts. When a student goes through the lunch line to receive a meal at non-CEP schools, they give the cafeteria manager their name or student ID number. The cost of the meal is deducted from their student meal account. Students will receive the first lunch even if their account lacks funds, resulting in a negative balance. First lunches will not be denied, but second lunches and à la carte items require sufficient funds. Parents or guardians are responsible for all negative meal charges by the end of the school year.
How to Set Up a Meal Account
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Register: Create an account at linqconnect.com/register.
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Verify Account: Verify account by clicking on the email verification link sent to the provided email address.
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Sign In: Now you can sign in at https://linqconnect.com using your email and password.
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Parent(s)/Guardian(s) are encouraged to send an updated picture of the student to [email protected] to link to the student's account.
DCPS does not accept cash. You can add funds to your students' meal account in two ways:
- Pay with a credit or debit card by creating an account at LINQconnect.com; an online prepayment service used by DCPS FNS.
- Setup SMART PAY to automatically add money to your student's account whenever it reaches a low balance
- Receive low balance notifications to remind you when funds are low
- Say goodbye to service charges! Load money onto your students’ meal account at no cost to you.
- Send a check or money order made payable to the DC Treasurer to the following address:*
*The student's name and ID# MUST be included on the check/MO!
LINQ Connect Preguntas frecuentes
Negative Meal Balance Notification
Throughout the school year, parents and guardians will receive courtesy emails and texts from LINQ School Nutrition about negative meal balances and how to add funds. There is no limit to the negative balance a student can accrue, and no alternative meals are provided. Students will continue to accumulate charges until funds are added. Any payments will first cover the negative balance. Unpaid balances at the end of the school year will carry over to the next year.
Request a Refund from a Student Meal Account
Refund requests may take up to 12 weeks to process. If you would like to request a refund of the money in your student's meal account, please complete this refund request form. If you would like to transfer funds between your students' accounts, please email [email protected] or call us at 202-299-2159.
Deactivate a Student Meal Account
By deactivating a student's meal account, the student will not be able to receive a meal or a la carte items during lunch. They will still be able to receive free breakfast and afterschool snack or supper. This ensures that there will be no charges to a student's account. Please make the request on this form: Deactivate Student Lunch Account
Past Announcements
10/6/2023
Please note that all student and identifiable staff meal account balances automatically rolled-over to LINQConnect on October 6, 2023. Learn more about this shift and how it impacts you in this quick Q & A document. If you have any questions, please contact us at [email protected] or give us a call at (202) 299-2159.
