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Foreign Exchange Students

Nutrition Services Division Management Bulletin

To: Sponsors of the National School Lunch and School Breakfast Program, County Superintendents of Schools, Diocesan Superintendents of Schools

Number: 97-121

Attention: Food Service Directors

Date: October 1997
From: School Nutrition Programs

Subject: Foreign Exchange Students

This Management Bulletin transmits information received from the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) on foreign exchange students' eligibility for free and reduced-price meals.

School Nutrition Programs receives many questions each year as to whether a foreign exchange student is considered to be a household of one. The answer is "No." A foreign exchange student is considered to be a member of the household in which he or she resides. This policy is consistent with the information provided in the USDA Eligibility Manual for School Meals, which is available on the USDA School Meals Guidance and Resources web page at https://www.fns.usda.gov/school-meals/guidance-and-resources. [Note: the preceding web address is no longer valid, and has been replaced with https://www.fns.usda.gov/cn/eligibility-manual-school-meals].

If households in your district believe they are participating in a program having a legislative provision excluding their income when determining eligibility for an exchange student, please obtain as much information as possible about that program.

Questions:   Nutrition Programs Unit | SNPInfo@cde.ca.gov
Last Reviewed: Tuesday, March 03, 2026
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