Household Application for Free and Reduced-price Meals 2024-2025
The Department of Food and Nutrition Services encourages all families with students enrolled at non-CEP schools to complete a Free and Reduced-price Meals Application (see next section for more details).
All meals are free for students who qualify for free and reduced-price meals.
- MCPS cafeterias use a computerized Point of Sale (POS) system. Students use either an ID card with a specialized barcode or their student ID number to access their account at mealtime.
- A student's Free and Reduced-price Meals (FARM) status is always confidential.
- Students who qualify for reduced-price meals will not be charged that cost—students approved for reduced-price meals will eat for free!
- Any student can make deposits into their account, either ahead of time, on My School Bucks, or by our online payment system (see below).
Online applications are available now for Free and Reduced-price Meals for the 2024-2025 school year. Questions? Please call 240-740-7400.
Meal benefit eligibility from last school year will remain current only through the first 30 scheduled school days OR until a 2024-2025 application is processed.
- APPLY ONLINE for faster processing. Households who apply online should not submit a paper application.
- Please complete paper applications in black ink (not pencil).
- Your first name, last name, and middle initial are required on the application.
- Please provide birth date, grade, and school name to expedite processing.
- Use ONE application for ALL students in the household—including Pre-K, kindergarten, and foster—even if they attend different schools.
- If you are applying for a child who is homeless, a migrant, or a runaway, please call your child's school or contact the MCPS Homeless liaison at 240-740-4511.
More details on Meal Payment are here.