Community Eligibility allows high-poverty schools and school districts to offer free meals to all students, and eliminates the need for school meal applications from families. Schools that participate in community eligibility often see increased participation in school meals and a reduced paperwork burden, allowing school nutrition staff to focus more directly on offering healthy and appealing meals. By offering meals at no charge to all students, community eligibility reduces the perception that school meals are only for low-income children.

The report highlights that in the 18-19 school year, 13.6 million children in nearly 28,500 schools across the country have benefited from the tool!