ANNAPOLIS, Md. — More families could qualify for free school meals this year after Maryland raised the household income limits used to determine eligibility, but parents may still need to submit a new application to receive benefits.
Under guidelines announced Sept. 4 by the Maryland State Department of Education, a student from a family of four may qualify for free meals if the household earns no more than $42,900 annually. Families of four earning more than that amount but no more than $61,050 may qualify for reduced-price meals.
The new limits are higher than those used during the previous school year. In 2025-26, the free-meal limit for a family of four was $41,795, while the reduced-price limit was $59,478.
That represents an increase of $1,105 for free-meal eligibility and $1,572 for reduced-price eligibility. The adjustment could make some families eligible this year even if their income was slightly above last year’s limits.
Despite the program’s name, Maryland families approved for either category receive meals at no cost. State funding covers the amount that families qualifying for reduced-price meals would otherwise pay.
Eligibility is based on gross household income and the number of people living in the household. For a one-person household, the annual limits are $20,748 for free meals and $29,526 for reduced-price meals. For a household of eight, the limits are $72,436 and $103,082, respectively.
Families may apply at any point during the school year. A household that initially earns too much to qualify may submit an application later if a parent loses a job, income declines or the number of people in the household increases.
Some students qualify automatically. Children enrolled in Head Start or Even Start, children identified as homeless, migrant or runaway, foster children, and students from households receiving Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Cash Assistance benefits generally do not need to submit an income-based application.
Families who believe their children should be automatically eligible but have not received confirmation should contact their school system.
Application procedures vary among Southern Maryland’s three public school systems.
Calvert County Public Schools accepts one meal-benefit application for all children in a household. Applications are available online and may be submitted throughout the school year. The district encourages families to apply annually, even if their children qualified previously.
The 2026-27 application is also open in St. Mary’s County. About 38.8% of St. Mary’s County Public Schools students received free or reduced-price meals during the 2025-26 school year, according to the district’s student demographic information.
In Charles County, families whose children received meal benefits last year must submit a new application by Oct. 6 to prevent an interruption when the prior year’s eligibility expires. The district is accepting applications through MySchoolApps.
However, students attending seven Charles County schools do not need to qualify individually for free breakfast and lunch. Those schools participate in the federal Community Eligibility Provision, which allows schools serving communities with high levels of economic need to provide meals to every student without collecting individual applications.
The participating schools are Dr. Gustavus Brown, Indian Head, Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer, Arthur Middleton, Mt. Hope/Nanjemoy, Dr. Samuel A. Mudd and J.P. Ryon elementary schools, according to Charles County Public Schools.
Completing an application can affect more than an individual student’s meals. Free and reduced-price meal enrollment is also used to help determine funding for schools serving large concentrations of students from low-income households.
Under Maryland’s Blueprint education law, those figures can influence funding for community schools that provide additional services to students and families. Districts may also use meal-benefit eligibility when determining access to reduced activity fees, academic programs or other assistance.
Families do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply. School systems review the applications and notify households whether their children qualify. Parents and guardians may ask for an explanation, appeal a decision or request a hearing if they disagree with the result.
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