• Community Eligibility for Federal Meal Program

    A majority of Cincinnati Public Schools qualify for Community Eligibility (CE), which means all students at their respective schools receive free meals.

    What is CE — Community Eligibility?

    Community Eligibility allows school districts in high-poverty areas to provide free meals for students in schools that qualify.

    Application For Free and Reduced Lunch 2023-2024
    Application For Free and Reduced Lunch (Spanish)

    How are schools selected?

    Schools are selected based on the percentage of directly certified students attending each school.

    What is a "directly certified" (DC) student?

    Students may be directly certified when they receive certain federal benefits including SNAP and OWF. Students identified by the district as homeless, Head Start-eligible, migrant or runaways are also considered directly certified. Some foster children also may be directly certified.