Official Site of The State of New Jersey

Your child receives free school meals:
If your child has already been certified as eligible to receive free school meals by your school district AND your household income is below 185% of the 2023-2024 federal poverty level, then your child is automatically eligible to receive the federal Summer EBT benefit, and no further action is required.

Your child does not receive free school meals:
If your child is not already directly certified or categorically eligible, and you did not complete and return an application for free school meals to your child’s school, then you are encouraged to submit a School Meals Application no later than April 19, 2024 to see if you qualify for the federal Summer EBT benefit prior to the start of summer. Applications are available online via your child’s school district website, or paper applications may be obtained at your child’s school.

Your child attends a school that provides free meals for every student in the school:
If your child attends a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, and is not directly certified or categorically eligible, and you did not complete and return a New Jersey Household Information Survey for SY 2023-2024 to your child’s school at the beginning of the school year, then you are encouraged to submit a NJ Department of Education Household Information Survey no later than April 19^th, 2024 for the federal Summer EBT benefit prior to the start of summer. NJ DOE Household Information Surveys are available online via your child’s school district website, or paper applications may be obtained at your child’s school.

Please follow up with your child’s school if you are unsure about the status of your child’s school meal eligibility.