As kiddos all over the world are headed back to school, I’ve been seeing lots of questions about how military pay and allowances affect the applications for Free and Reduced Lunch Programs. Free and reduced cost lunches are a huge benefit to families who are struggling financially and many military families qualify for these programs.
The National School Lunch Program is a federally assisted meal program operating in over 101,000 public and non‐profit private schools and residential child care institutions. It provides nutritionally balanced, low‐cost or free lunches to more than 30.5 million children each school day in 2008. In 1998, Congress expanded the National School Lunch Program to include reimbursement for snacks served to children in afterschool educational and enrichment programs to include children through 18 years of age.
The Food and Nutrition Service administers the program at the Federal level. At the State level, the National School Lunch Program is usually administered by State education agencies, which operate the program through agreements with school food authorities. (From the NSLP Fact Sheet.)
The big question is this: What pays and allowances do you include as income?
Basic Allowance for Housing (BAH): You include the housing allowance if you live off base, but you do not include housing allowance if you live on base or live in privatized military housing. I can already hear the cries of “unfair!” and I agree. If anyone wants to start talking to Congress about that, I am sure that you would find a huge amount of support from military families. Unfortunately, that is the way that the rules are currently written.
Basic Allowance for Subsistence (BAS), incentive pays, alimony, child support and any other income are supposed to be included as income.
Military service members who receive the Family Supplemental Subsistence Allowance do not include that allowance as part of their income.
Eligibility for Free or Reduced Breakfast and Lunch programs is based upon Income Eligibility Guidelines (IEGs) that are published by the federal Department of Health and Human Services. In addition to students who qualify based on the IEGs, families who receive WIC (Women, Infants and Children) or SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) benefits are automatically eligible (but may need to apply.) There are three different charts for IEGs – one for the continental US, one for Hawaii, and one for Alaska (and overseas locations.) The rates for the 2010-2011 school year have not changed from the 2009-2010 rates. You can find the charts in this document, but you will have to scroll down to page three.
I hope this answers lots of questions about the free and reduced price school lunch program. If you have other questions, you can leave them in the comments or contact your child’s school.
This isn't relevant to the article, but the intro statement of children all over the world starting school is incorrect. In the Southern Hemisphere school starts anywhere between December and March, and school in some Southeast Asian countries is year-round.
Tara, really?! So maybe she meant all over the U.S. as it's a U.S. program, whatever. It was just a general statement. Your comment may prove your great worldly knowledge, however, it seems unnecessary at best.
I have to say I don't get why the feds want military families to include BAH if we live out in town. So people who choose to own a home or rent out in town are being punished for it, WRONG!!
Also the fact that we have to record BAS on the form doesn't make any sense. That money is allocated by the U.S. Military to feed the service member, not the family members. When that service member deploys BAS goes away.
I think the gov't does this so the public doesn't know how the military is paid is crap. My family doesn't qualify for reduced lunches anymore by $45. So I'm supposed to fork over 3 times what I was while getting reduced lunches for $45 a month, I don't think so.
The fact that the gov't didn't make any adjustments to the income amounts for 2010-2011 is wrong also. There are many, many American's stuggling right now to make ends meat and can't afford to pay $2.50 every lunch for their kids. Of all the times in history for the gov't to adjust income amounts for this program, 2010 was the year.
Our fine, fine tax dollars at work people, let your representatives know this doesn't cut it!!!
I agree especially since when our kids were babies the local WIC office didn't count any income that was considered relevant only to that immediate area or duty and could change at any given time. Therefore was not our income but was meant to help offset our cost of living. That included BAH, BAS & COLA. It may of just been that area or even something they were doing temp. But I thought it made good sense. Especially since a few months later they took away all our Cola. ($125)
Make it easier. Stop spending billions a month so the military families can live in 250,000 homes. When they get out, they have no idea how to budget. They end up with foreclosures. Or, they end up like the lady at the town hall meeting who can't keep sending her kids to private schools and still buy groceries.
What are you talking about??? A few stupid people. I have paid off all pre-military debt and sometimes going without food in the early days. We tried to apply for food stamps when my husband was first enlisted when there just wasn't enough money to last and I was asked why a white military family would need help. Literally thats what she asked me. My paperwork was listed. We are now debt free and have no choice but to live off base as the housing closed due to cut backs. Get educated!!!
I am curious as to where it is stated that those who qualify for WIC are automatically entitled to free lunch. Our household qualifies for WIC, but we do not get free lunches. I want to say our form even told us that could be the case as I believe WIC does not count BAH.
Either way this has never made sense to me either. We have seven children and some posts, like Ft Carson for one, can not even accommodate our family size on post so we would have no choice but to live off post if stationed there. Other posts have such a long wait list for families that you could be again FORCED to live off post the entire time stationed there possibly. That to me is what is not fair. If everyone had the same equal opportunities to choose living on or off post, sure, but to penalize those who do not have a choice makes this wrong!
Tina not to be funny but with 7 kids I applaud you and you should get free lunches just to ease your sanity! As to your question I have never seen it posted but most places go by if you get any type of public assistance then your income qualifies for reduced or free lunch. I did look it up though and here is what I found but it doesnt say WIC is automatically eligible. I googled the eligibility manual for free and reduced lunch. ok it wont let me copy and paste but only if u get food stamps, the child is a runaway or homeless, or enrolled in head start are they AUTOMATICALLY qualified but everybody else they go by income guidelines.
This is completely unfair. We have no choice but to live on the economy as the housing was closed due to cut backs. So we are budgeting just to get by in a new place. I recently left my part time job just to PCS and now because we are on the economy instead of base housing we will struggle all the more!!! WIC doesn't include BAH. But by the time your kids are in school they aren't on WIC unless you have a baby at home. You can also apply for free lunches if you are not a US citizen and you do NOT have to supply a social or proof of income. Instant approval for your 20 kids. Especially since they can't even verify. What is wrong with our system???
Some places will accept your tax return though and your BAH is not included in your yearly adjusted gross income. But it does come up if verified by social. Some schools want a monthly though and some schools will take your yearly off your last years taxes. Maybe that will help some of you. Hopefully my kids school will accept it. We make less money monthly now but if they count all that stuff we will not approve for free lunches even though we make almost $1000. less a month. That is unbelievable to me. Good luck Families!!!
Thanks for the info. I called and here by Ft. Carson they will not accept it. Funny thing is they are wanting to include BAH yet if we were able to turn over a copy of our 1040 its not included like you stated….so on one hand the Federal Government wants us to include it as income, yet when we do our taxes its not included….does that make any sense??!!
I can't believe that I am having a problem with getting reduced meals. On the application itself it states income to report on the right side and on the left Military Housing Income. BAH shouldnt' be counted because by living off post BAH doesnt cover the cost of rent plus we have to pay untilities. To be honest I feel as though they are discrimintating against those living off post. When we arrived they didnt have housing available, hence us renting off post. Today its a year wait. I went to housing today and was told they are not suppose to count BAH. I dont understand why we cant show our lease and LES to show we dont use that money for anything else but rent and utilities. I have contacted our District to try and get a Fair Hearing and I have left a message in DC for non-discrimination. I feel as though they are being unfair and I just want what is fair to all the military families in the same boat. I am at Ft. Carson and I hope to get something taken care of soon. I cant even imagine how many families are going through this.
All income, BAH included, should be counted towards income. Only thing I disagree with is that people on post should have BAH counted as income as well. Remember most of the applicants aren't military and have to put down all income why should the military be exempt from that requirement simply because BAH isn't taxable income?…it's used to pay rent and utilities something MOST Americans don't have the luxury of having. And no offense if you have "seven kids" don't expect me as a working military spouse to subsidize your CHOICES with my tax dollars.
do not agree with this posting at all. It is like saying ok you can have a place to live but we are going to count that against you. Really? You think that is ok to do? I dont think that what you pay for housing should be counted at all no matter what. Sorry to disagree with your liberal views on the military and if she wants to have seven kids who are we to tell her no as long as they are taken care of? You as a "military spouse" should know that the military does not get paid that much… you must not have kids.
Mandy, I don't agree with your post at all. I quit my job when my husband was E-2 and we have always done absolutely fine, we have no debt other than that we chose, house and car. The military is paid ok, as long as those that receive that pay know how to use it, and use it wisely. I see too many military wives trying to "keep up with the Jones'" and get their family further into debt. Oh…and I have 2 kids, so I know how that part works too.
I do have a child and we've made it just fine from the time my husband enlisted 10 years ago. Were there tight times, for sure, particularly when he was an E-2/E-3 but we made it work and were VERY thrifty with our money and never carried debt. And if someone is applying for government assistance then they aren't able to take care of their children 100% (hence needing the government to step in to support them) and probably shouldn't have had "seven" of them.
Honestly, we've never had an issue with what the military pays, it's MUCH more than what comparable education and skills would earn in the civilian world. Heck try getting any job outside of minimum wage with just a high school diploma now…my nephew just joined the military because he spent two years applying to 100's of jobs and no one would hire him without a college diploma. He even got turned down by WalMart…
Add in deployment pays and the military, even lower enlisted, gets paid a decent amount. So I ask again, why, when the rest of the American populace has to count their entire salary, should BAH be left out for military?
I dont think that BAH should be counted that is like saying you can choose to have a roof over your head or food. The BAH is for us to have a house to live in. We were forced to get a place because it would have been a 3-4 month wait until on post housing would have been available so now we are stuck in a lease. How is this fair to us who are in this kind of situation. I am going to try to get back into working but until then what do we do? My husband is only an E4 and we all know they dont make a lot of money.
What about COLA? do we need to include that on the application?
Are Step children eligable for free school lunch if they are being supported by there biological Father ( Like $500.00 per month per child) in this case 2 Boys..
How about the biological Son of the Deployed soldier.