DiNapoli: New York's Successful School Meal Expansion May Be at Risk Under Federal Changes
As of May 2026, more than 1.9 million New York students participated in the school lunch program, the third most in the nation, according to a report by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli. However, recent federal changes enacted under H.R. 1 (Public Law 119-21) in 2025 restricting eligibility to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid in a way that may threaten federal support for the state’s universal school meals program, may decrease the number of students receiving support and increase state costs.
“Hunger should never prevent children from learning in school. The universal school meal program is a great success in New York, but it depends on continued partnership between the state and the federal government,” DiNapoli said. “Changing the law to make it harder to qualify for benefits not only hurts New York’s children, but could also increase state costs to maintain this essential program.”
Federal Funding
Federal funds provide reimbursement for school meals. Over the past 15 years, the availability of free student meals has been expanded through the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), which allows schools, groups of schools, or school districts that meet certain conditions to provide free school meals to all students, not just those in households under 130% of the Federal Poverty Level. Schools in New York became eligible to participate in CEP beginning in School Year (SY) 2012-13, and New York City opted into CEP for SY 2017-18.
In addition to federal funding, New York has strengthened the program by providing subsidies to school food authorities, the entities responsible for operating school meal programs, to help facilitate the availability of school meals. In 2018, public schools with over 70% of students eligible for free or reduced-priced meals were also required to provide breakfast. An additional state subsidy was created for schools that purchase 30% of the total cost of school lunch products from New York state farmers, growers, producers, or processors. In 2019, the state began providing a subsidy to eliminate the charge to students receiving reduced-price meals.
Through this successful state-federal partnership, free meals were available to 90% of students in New York by SY 2025-26. The State Fiscal Year 2026 Executive Budget proposed to create full universality, expanding free school meals to every school. The Enacted Budget completed the move to full universality by requiring all schools that participate in the federal meal program to provide free meals for all students and included an additional $160 million to subsidize the program. As part of the legislation, eligible schools are required to enter CEP to maximize federal reimbursement, lowering the state cost to subsidize the program. With these changes, New York became the ninth state to institute a universal free school meal program.
Uncertain Federal Landscape
In Federal Fiscal Year 2025, New York received over $1.1 billion in federal funding for its school meal program. However, P.L. 119-21 puts this funding at risk. By tightening SNAP and Medicaid eligibility for some individuals, expanding work requirements, and increasing the frequency with which some Medicaid recipients have to renew their coverage, the law is expected to reduce participation in these programs. Because SNAP and Medicaid enrollment are used to determine eligibility for CEP, declines in participation could reduce the number of students who are eligible for free school meals, altering reimbursement rates for the state.
Nationally, there are already signs that SNAP participation is declining. According to data from the New York State Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, the number of New Yorkers receiving SNAP benefits declined by nearly 273,000 between July 2025 and July 2026. If the number of students qualifying for these federal programs drops, the state’s financial responsibility for maintaining universal school meal program is likely to grow.
Report
Let’s Do Lunch: New York’s School Meal Expansion
Related Reports
EPI-Federal-Actions-Threaten-to-Exacerbate-Rising-Food-Insecurity
Nutritional Assistance – Federal Funding and New York | Office of the New York State Comptroller
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