Federal grant programs / Department of Agriculture

National School Lunch Program (10.555)

• Awarded, FY 2021 to 2025$137 billion
• Grant awards872
• Typical award$34.1 million
• Awarded in FY 2025$28 billion
• Size rank5 of 1,823
• Type of assistanceFormula grants

Key findings

• Annual funding rose from $21 billion in fiscal 2021 to $28 billion in fiscal 2025.
• It is the 5th largest of 1,823 federal grant programs by five-year awards.
• The 20 largest recipients received 71% of the money.
• Awards went to recipients in 56 states and territories.

What the program funds

To assist States, through cash grants and food donations, in providing a nutritious nonprofit lunch service for school children and to encourage the domestic consumption of nutritious agricultural commodities.

From the federal Assistance Listing. Read the full listing on SAM.gov.

Open opportunities

No opportunity under this program is open or forecast on Grants.gov right now. Programs often post once a year, so the funding history below shows what to expect.

Rules from the program listing

Who can apply

States, including the District of Columbia and U.S. Territories, as applicable, may apply to administer the National School Lunch Program and work in collaboration with public and nonprofit private schools and residential child care institutions, to provide nutritious lunches for children. All participating schools and institutions must agree to operate a nonprofit food service that is available to all children regardless of race, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), color, national origin, age, or disability.

What the money can and cannot pay for

Federally appropriated National School Lunch Program funds are available to each State agency to reimburse participating public and nonprofit private schools, of high school grades or under, including residential child care institutions, for providing nutritious lunches to children. Funds are also available to reimburse schools for snacks served to children enrolled in eligible after school care programs. The meals offered must meet specific nutrition standards in order to be reimbursable. The rates of reimbursement are adjusted on an annual basis to reflect changes in the Food Away From Home series of the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers. All participating schools must agree to serve free and reduced price meals to eligible children. Please refer to regulations: 7 CFR Part 210 -- National School Lunch Program, 7 CFR Part 235 -- State Administrative Expense, and 7 CFR Part 245—Free and Reduced Price Eligibility. Please refer to regulations: 7 CFR Part 210 -- National School Lunch Program, 7 CFR Part 235 -- State Administrative Expense, and 7 CFR Part 245—Free and Reduced Price Eligibility. ;

Matching requirements

Statutory Formula: Title Title 7, Part Part 210, Subpart 17(a),Public Law 79 Public Law 396.7 CFR 210As specified in Section 7 of the National School Lunch Act, State revenue matching must be not be less than 30 percent of the funds received by the State agency under section 4 of the National School Lunch Act beginning in the 1980-81 school year.This program has MOE requirements, see funding agency for further details. See funding agency for further details.

Deadlines

Deadlines do not apply

Award range and average, in the agency's words

State grants vary according to participation in this program.

Quoted from the program's federal Assistance Listing. The notice of funding opportunity is the official source for each competition's rules.

Who usually wins

Almost all of the money went to state and local governments.

By state

Each state below has its own page for this program, with its recipients and yearly totals.

Award amounts are federal obligations reported to USAspending.gov for fiscal 2021 to 2025; see how our data works.