Free and Reduced-Price Meals (FARM) Application and Family Economic Survey Form
School Year 2026-2027
The FARM Application is available at LINQ Connect.
School breakfast, after-school snacks, and after-school supper meals are free for ALL DCPS students. The purpose of this form is to determine eligibility for students attending schools not participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). For students attending CEP schools, the information will be used to determine eligibility for other benefits.
Please note that while the FARM application for SY 2026-2027 becomes available on July 1, 2026, applications will begin processing after August 7, 2026 when the enrollment system (Aspen) has been updated for the new school year.
Who Qualifies?
Students may qualify for free lunch benefits if they fall into one of the following categories:
1. Direct Certification. Students are part of households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) benefits.
2. Categorically Eligible. Students who meet the definition of a Foster child, Homeless child, Migrant child, Head Start child, or Runaway child. Students/families should contact their school counselor or the DCPS Homeless Liaison.
3. Income-Eligible. The household's gross income falls within the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines (see below).
The following schools do NOT qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) for SY 26-27 and therefore families must complete a FARM application to determine eligibility for meal benefits:
- Brent Elementary School
- Deal Middle School
- Eaton Elementary School
- Hardy Middle School
- Hearst Elementary School
- Hyde-Addison Elementary School
- Jackson-Reed High School
- Janney Elementary School
- Key Elementary School
- Lafayette Elementary School
- Mann Elementary School
- Maury Elementary School
- Murch Elementary School
- Oyster-Adams – Adams Campus
- Oyster-Adams – Oyster Campus
- Peabody Elementary School
- Ross Elementary School
- School Within A School – Goding
- School Without Walls High School
- Shepherd Elementary School
- Stoddert Elementary School
See the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines below if you believe your household qualifies:
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Please note the following information when completing a FARM application:
- Only ONE APPLICATION PER HOUSEHOLD should be completed even if your students attend different schools. A household is considered all persons, related or unrelated, living at the same address.
- Food and Nutrition Services only accepts FARM & Economic Survey Form applications from DCPS schools. If you or your child attends a charter or private school, please contact that school directly.
- FARM applications for School Year 2025-2026 expire on June 30, 2026 and a new application is needed for School Year 2026-2027.
- The grace period for students who qualified for free lunch during the previous school year will end on:
- October 5, 2026 for K-12 students
- October 8, 2026 for ECE (PK3-PK4) students
- The grace period for students who qualified for free lunch during the previous school year will end on:
Benefits of FARM Status
- Access to one nutritionally balanced lunch meal at no cost.
- Waiver of college test fees
- Waiver of college application fees
- Reduced-price internet services
- SUNBucks grocery benefits for the following summer
- Reduced price after-school care
After filling out the FARM application, a letter with the determination of the eligibility status (free, reduced, paid) will be emailed to the address entered on the online application. Applications are confidential and may be submitted at any time during the school year.
For a paper application, please contact your school.
Past Announcements
10/3/2024 Notice: DCPS Families may have mistakenly received a letter from Titan School Solutions stating that your school is implementing a new option called the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which would provide school breakfast and lunch at no cost. While breakfast remains universally free for all DCPS students, this message was sent in error and students who attend the schools listed below do not qualify for CEP. FNS apologizes for any confusion this may have caused.
USDA Nondiscrimination Statement
District of Columbia Human Rights Act
FARM Q & A
1. Do I have to reapply even if I was approved last year?
Yes. A new FARM application must be submitted for each school year.
2. If my household income changes during the year, may I reapply for meal benefits?
Yes. If the size of your household increases, someone in your household begins receiving qualifying assistance, or if your household income changes, you may reapply.
3. When will I know if my household's application was accepted or denied?
Applications are generally processed within 1-2 weeks of receipt. For the fastest processing, please submit the online application and provide an email address. Note that applications will not begin processing until after the enrollment system has been updated for the new school year, typically in early August.
4. Will the information I provide be checked?
Yes. DCPS may ask for documentation to verify the information provided on the application at any time during the school year. Refusal to submit documentation will result in a loss of benefits.
5. If my student transfers from a CEP school to a non-CEP school for the school year, do I need to submit a FARM application to qualify for free lunch benefits?
Yes. Students transferring from a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school to a non-CEP school must submit a FARM application to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals, as free meals through CEP do not transfer between schools. Your student will have a 30-school day grace period and will receive a notification.
6. Who should I contact if I have questions about the meals program?
Please contact Food and Nutrition Services at 202-299-2159 or email us at [email protected]
Contact TTY:
711
