Important note about CEP schools and applications

*Parents, you may still need to submit a Free and Reduced-priced Meal application even when you have a student at a CEP school.

• If you have other child(ren) attending school(s) other than the CEP schools listed above, you must submit a Free and Reduced-priced Meal application and include the name of child(ren) attending the CEP school.

• If your child transfers to a non CEP school during the school year, you must submit a Free and Reduced-priced Meal application.

Do I qualify?

Families that have a gross household income within the limits determined by federal government guidelines qualify for free or reduced-price meals.

Special program participants

Families receiving benefits from any of the following special programs may be eligible for free meals:

• Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
• Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)

Families must complete the Free and Reduced-priced Meal Application and include the Eligibility Determination Group (EDG) number in the application to be approved for Free Meals.

Children attending Head Start, Early Head Start, and Even Start are also eligible for free meals.

Foster, homeless, runaway or migrant students

Foster children under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals regardless of the income of their resident household.

Students who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant qualify for free meals. Please contact the GISD Homeless Liaison at 972-494-8255 to see if your child qualifies for this status.

Household income eligibility

Refer to the Federal income eligibility guidelines chart to determine if your children may qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income.

How to apply

A new application is required every school year. Parents should complete only one application for their family/household and list all students attending Garland ISD schools on the application.

You do not have to submit an application if:

• Your child is Directly Certified (DC) for free meals
• All of your children attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school

Apply for free and reduced-priced meals

Directly Certified

If you received a notification letter that your child is directly certified for free meals, you do not have to complete an application. Contact Student Nutrition Services if any students in your household are not listed in the letter.

Paper applications

While applying online is faster, paper applications will be available upon request at each school and the Student Nutrition Services office.

Submitting your paper application

Applications must have an original signature, therefore we do not accept copied or faxed applications. Submit the application to your school's cafeteria manager or the Student Nutrition Services office to ensure it is received and processed promptly.

Application processing and approval

Please allow up to 10 operating days for processing once the Student Nutrition Services office has received your application. Applications are approved in the order they are received. Student Nutrition Services will make every effort to process your application as soon as possible.

A letter will mailed to the home address on file letting you know if your household qualifies for free or reduced-priced meals. Contact your student’s school if you need to confirm the address on file or make changes to your address.

When do benefits start?

Once your application is approved students will start receiving their approved benefit the next school day. If you owe money for meals eaten before the application was approved, you are responsible for paying those charges. The benefit is only for meals eaten after the approved date.

Temporary benefits

Students that were receiving free or reduced-priced meals at the end of the previous school year will receive the same benefit for the first 30 school days of the current school year. This gives parents time to submit a new application.  If an application is not received after 30 school days, your child will pay full price for their meals.

Application denial

If you application was denied you may reapply later in the school year if your income changes, household increases or if you qualify for SNAP.