With students returning to classrooms across the state, the Illinois State Board of Education (ISBE) is announcing the eligibility guidelines for students to receive free and reduced-price lunch, breakfast, and after-school snacks through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and School Breakfast Program (SBP). NSLP and SBP are funded by U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and administered by ISBE. USDA waivers specific to the COVID-19 pandemic are expiring, so schools are now returning to free, reduced-price, and paid eligibility for students. Families are encouraged to contact their local school(s) for details about accessing free and reduced-price meals, as the process may vary across school districts. Approved high-poverty school districts have access to the Community Eligibility Provision, which allows them to serve breakfast and lunch at no cost to all enrolled students without collecting household applications.  School districts can also determine student eligibility for free and reduced-price meals through Direct Certification, a process that uses data from other public benefits like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, to determine eligibility. Families would be notified that their students have already been certified and are eligible for free meals. Other families would complete Household Eligibility Applications to apply for free or reduced-price meals. The applications will be assessed and determined based on federal guidelines for income and household size. For more information, visit www.isbe.net.