Trump-era law could strip free school meals from millions of US children

Millions of American families face the potential loss of free school meals for their children this fall, a consequence of budget law changes enacted under former President Donald Trump. A new study by the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP) indicates that around 4.5 million individuals, including 1.5 million children, have already lost Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, colloquially known as food stamps, since the law's passage.

Further analysis from the Urban Institute projects that up to 18.3 million students nationwide could be denied access to free school meals in the new academic year. The Trump-era SNAP reform impacts free school meal eligibility through two main channels. Firstly, students from households receiving SNAP are automatically eligible for free school meals; losing these benefits means losing that automatic eligibility. Secondly, a decrease in the number of children receiving SNAP can prevent entire school districts from qualifying for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP).

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Students from households benefiting from SNAP are automatically eligible to receive free school meals; by leaving the program, they lose that eligibility.

The CEP, established by the Healthy, Hunger-Free Kids Act of 2010, allows high-poverty schools to offer free meals to all students without requiring individual applications. A Center for American Progress estimate cited by CBS suggests a typical family with two school-aged children could face up to an additional $2,200 in food expenses this academic year if they lose access to free meals.

Florida is among the states significantly affected. The Miami-Dade school district announced in late July that it could no longer provide free breakfast and lunch to all students because many of its schools no longer qualify for the CEP. According to a CBPP analysis, SNAP enrollment in Florida dropped nearly 20% after the law's enactment in July 2025. Katie Bergh, a specialist in food assistance programs, expressed concern about a cascading effect: as children lose SNAP, they may also lose their automatic connection to free school meals in subsequent years, even if they remain eligible. Many families facing the loss of both SNAP and this school meal connection are forced to choose between buying food and covering other essential costs like rent, medication, or utilities.

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The district will offer a 30-day grace period with free lunches for all students.