Free and Reduced Meals

You can apply for Free or Reduced-Price Meal Benefits online!

Free and reduced-priced meals are available to families who qualify. If your family chooses to apply, Brenham ISD offers School Cafe Instant Online Application Processing for parents to easily and conveniently apply for meal benefits for your child(ren). If you are unable to complete an online application, a paper application can be obtained and returned (completed) to the child nutrition office. A notification letter will be emailed electronically or mailed home informing you of the child’s status. If any student(s) are missing from the notification letter, please contact our office to ensure all of your household students are receiving appropriate benefits. Until notification, you must provide your child(ren) with a lunch or lunch money. A new application must be submitted each school year. The prior year meal benefits are only available for the first 30 operating days. Once a new application is processed, the new eligibility will be valid for the entire school year (and for the first 30 operating days of the next school year).  

Only complete one application per family. The information you give will be used to determine or prove your child's eligibility for free or reduced-priced meals. This information may also be used for other state or federally funded school benefits. Factors considered in the application process are household size and total household income.

*HOUSEHOLD SIZE is considered all persons, related or unrelated: including parents, children, grandparents who live in your home and share living expenses.

*TOTAL HOUSEHOLD INCOME is the income each household member received last month before taxes - this includes wages, social security, pension, unemployment, welfare, child support, alimony, and any other cash income. 

Decisions regarding payment for school meals are made at the national-government level, not by the child nutrition department or TDA. 

Foster/Homeless Children - In certain cases, these children are eligible for free and reduced-price meals regardless of income. If you have foster children living with you and want to apply for them, please contact us at 979-277-3758.