PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) — The Rhode Island Department of Education (RIDE) has released updated eligibility guidelines for students to receive free or reduced-price school lunches for the 2022-23 academic year.
The income-based guidelines are listed below:
Free Meals Reduced-Price Meals
| Number in Family | Annual Gross Income | Monthly Gross Income | Biweekly Gross Income | Weekly Gross Income | Annual Gross Income | Monthly Gross Income | Biweekly Gross Income | Weekly Gross Income | |
| 1 | 17,667 | 1,473 | 680 | 340 | 25,142 | 2,096 | 967 | 484 | |
| 2 | 23,803 | 1,984 | 916 | 458 | 33,874 | 2,823 | 1,303 | 652 | |
| 3 | 29,939 | 2,495 | 1,152 | 576 | 42,606 | 3,551 | 1,639 | 820 | |
| 4 | 36,075 | 3,007 | 1,388 | 694 | 51,338 | 4,279 | 1,975 | 988 | |
| 5 | 42,211 | 3,518 | 1,624 | 812 | 60,070 | 5,006 | 2,311 | 1,156 | |
| 6 | 48,347 | 4,029 | 1,860 | 930 | 68,802 | 5,734 | 2,647 | 1,324 | |
| 7 | 54,483 | 4,541 | 2,096 | 1,048 | 77,534 | 6,462 | 2,983 | 1,492 | |
| 8 | 60,619 | 5,052 | 2,332 | 1,166 | 86,266 | 7,189 | 3,318 | 1,659 | |
| Each Add’l Family Member | +6,136 | +512 | +236 | +118 | +8,732 | +728 | +336 | +168 |
To receive the benefits, a household must complete a Meal Benefit Application sent in the mail to everyone with a child in a Rhode Island public school.
A household who Children in households receiving Special Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or RIWorks cash assistance are eligible for benefits. Foster, homeless, migrant, or runaway children, and those enrolled in their school’s Head Start program are automatically eligible for free meals.
“Students are more likely to excel academically when they are not experiencing hunger,” said RIDE Commissioner Infante-Green. “We encourage families to submit a Meal Benefit Application so that their child can receive nutritious meals that will fuel their healthy development and growth throughout the school year.”
