Skip to main content
California Department of Education Logo

Income Eligibility Scales for School Year 2023–24

Income Eligibility Guidelines
for Free and Reduced-price Meals or Free Milk
in Child Nutrition Programs

 

Effective July 1, 2023, through June 30, 2024

Households with income at or below the following levels may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals or free milk. The household size and Income Eligibility Guidelines charts below have been prepared for you to copy and paste them into the Media Release and Letter to Households. Please note that the size of these charts will need to be adjusted manually.

National School Lunch and School Breakfast Programs

  • Both free and reduced-price eligibility scales must appear in the Public Media Release
  • Only the reduced-price eligibility scale must appear in the Letter to Households

Special Milk Program

  • Only the free eligibility scale must appear in the Public Media Release and Letter to Households

Note: The new income calculations are based on annual figures and the following formulas: Monthly = annual income divided by 12; Twice Per Month = annual income divided by 24; Every Two Weeks = annual income divided by 26; and Weekly = annual income divided by 52. All dollar amounts are rounded up to the next whole dollar.

Free Eligibility Scale
Meals, Snacks, and Milk

Household Size Annual Monthly Twice Per Month Every Two Weeks Weekly

1

$ 18,954

$ 1,580

$ 790

$ 729

$ 365

2

$ 25,636

$ 2,137

$ 1,069

$ 986

$ 493

3

$ 32,318

$ 2,694

$ 1,347

$ 1,243

$ 622

4

$ 39,000

$ 3,250

$ 1,625

$ 1,500

$ 750

5

$ 45,682

$ 3,807

$ 1,904

$ 1,757

$ 879

6

$ 52,364

$ 4,364

$ 2,182

$ 2,014

$ 1,007

7

$ 59,046

$ 4,921

$ 2,461

$ 2,271

$ 1,136

8

$ 65,728

$ 5,478

$ 2,739

$ 2,528

$ 1,264

For each additional family member, add:

$ 6,682

$ 557

$ 279

$ 257

$ 129

Reduced-price Eligibility Scale
Meals and Snacks

Household Size Annual Monthly Twice Per Month Every Two Weeks Weekly

1

$ 26,973

$ 2,248

$ 1,124

$ 1,038

$ 519

2

$ 36,482

$ 3,041

$ 1,521

$ 1,404

$ 702

3

$ 45,991

$ 3,833

$ 1,917

$ 1,769

$ 885

4

$ 55,500

$ 4,625

$ 2,313

$ 2,135

$ 1,068

5

$ 65,009

$ 5,418

$ 2,709

$ 2,501

$ 1,251

6

$ 74,518

$ 6,210

$ 3,105

$ 2,867

$ 1,434

7

$ 84,027

$ 7,003

$ 3,502

$ 3,232

$ 1,616

8

$ 93,536

$ 7,795

$ 3,898

$ 3,598

$ 1,799

For each additional family member, add:

$ 9,509

$ 793

$ 397

$ 366

$ 183
Questions:   Nutrition Services Division | 800-952-5609
Last Reviewed: Friday, June 20, 2025
Trending in Nutrition
Recently Posted in Nutrition

  • USDA Grants to Support Farm to School (added 06-May-2026)
    School districts may apply for three federal grants that can support farm to school, the Farmers Market Promotion Program, the Local Food Promotion Program, and the Regional Food Systems Partnerships grant.
  • Award Announcement for 2025 KIT and R&R Grants (added 04-May-2026)
    Grant Award Announcement for 2025 Kitchen Infrastructure and Training (KIT) and Retention and Recruitment (R&R) Grants.
  • Child Nutrition Advisory Council - May 2026 (added 01-May-2026)
    Meeting agenda for the State Superintendent of Public Instruction Child Nutrition Advisory Council (CNAC)
  • Final Rule: Fluid Milk Substitutions (added 30-Apr-2026)
    This management bulletin provides regulatory updates regarding the allowability of accepting medical statements from registered dietitians (RD) as related to Fluid Milk Substitutions in School Nutrition Programs.
  • Modifications to Accommodate Disabilities (added 30-Apr-2026)
    This management bulletin contains information on the requirements related to accommodating children with disabilities.