Free and Reduced Price Meal Application

American Preparatory Academy offers healthy meals every school day. Lunch costs $2.65 for grades K-5 and $2.95 for grades 6-12. Students who qualify for free or reduced priced lunches receive meals at no cost.  Below are some common questions and answers to help you with the application process.

1. WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED MEALS? 

• All children in households receiving benefits from Utah SNAP (food stamps), the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR) or State TANF, and State Medicaid are eligible for free meals.
• Foster children that are under the legal responsibility of a foster care agency or court are eligible for free meals. Family members of foster children are not automatically eligible. Please submit a separate application.
• Children who meet the definition of homeless, runaway, or migrant are eligible for free meals.
• Children may receive free or reduced price meals if your household’s income is within the limits on the Federal Income Eligibility Guidelines. Your children may qualify for free or reduced price meals if your household income falls at or below the limits on the chart below.

2. HOW DO I KNOW IF MY CHILDREN QUALIFY AS HOMELESS, MIGRANT, OR RUNAWAY? Do the members of your household lack a permanent address? Are you staying together in a shelter, hotel, or other temporary housing arrangement? Does your family relocate on a seasonal basis? Are any children living with you who have chosen to leave their prior family or household? If you believe children in your household meet these descriptions and haven’t been told your children will get free meals, please email lunch@apamail.org.
3. DO I NEED TO FILL OUT AN APPLICATION FOR EACH CHILD?  No. Use one Free and Reduced Price School Meals Application for all students in your household. Including those who are not enrolled in school.  If they are over 18 they would be listed as an adult.  We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Return the completed application to the office at your campus.  

If you receive a letter or email notifying you that your student(s) qualify for free or reduced price meals, you DO NOT have to complete an application. Some state agencies provide us with students who automatically qualify.

4. CAN I APPLY ONLINE? Yes! Go to https://www.americanprep.org/school-lunch-program  Contact lunch@apamail.org  if you have any questions about the online application.
5. MY CHILD’S APPLICATION WAS APPROVED LAST YEAR.  DO I NEED TO FILL OUT A NEW ONE?  Yes.  Your child’s application is only good for that school year and for the first few days of this school year, through September 30.  
6. I GET WIC.  CAN MY CHILDREN GET FREE MEALS?  Children in households participating in WIC may be eligible for free or reduced price meals.  Please send in an application.
7. WILL THE INFORMATION I GIVE BE CHECKED? Yes. We may also ask you to send written proof of the household income you report.
8. IF I DON’T QUALIFY NOW, MAY I APPLY LATER? Yes, you may apply at any time during the school year.  For example, children with a parent or guardian who becomes unemployed may become eligible for free and reduced price meals if the household income drops below the income limit.
9. WHAT IF I DISAGREE WITH THE SCHOOL’S DECISION ABOUT MY APPLICATION? You should talk to school officials. You also may ask for a hearing by writing to lunch@apamail.org.
10. MAY I APPLY IF SOMEONE IN MY HOUSEHOLD IS NOT A U.S. CITIZEN? Yes. You, your children, or other household members do not have to be U.S. citizens to apply for free or reduced price meals.  
11. WHAT IF MY INCOME IS NOT ALWAYS THE SAME? List the amount that you normally receive. For example, if you normally make $1000 each month, but you missed some work last month and only made $900, put down that you made $1000 per month.  If you normally get overtime, include it, but do not include it if you only work overtime sometimes.  If you have lost a job or had your hours or wages reduced, use your current income.
12. WHAT IF SOME HOUSEHOLD MEMBERS HAVE NO INCOME TO REPORT? Please write a 0 in the field. However, if any income fields are left empty or blank, we will assume that person has no income.
13. WE ARE IN THE MILITARY. DO WE REPORT OUR INCOME DIFFERENTLY? Your basic pay and cash bonuses must be reported as income. If you get any cash value allowances for off-base housing, food, or clothing, it must also be included as income. However, if your housing is part of the Military Housing Privatization Initiative, do not include your housing allowance as income. Any additional combat pay resulting from deployment is also excluded from income.
14. WHAT IF THERE ISN’T ENOUGH SPACE ON THE APPLICATION FOR MY FAMILY?  List any additional household members on a separate piece of paper, and attach it to your application.

If you have other questions or need help, contact lunch@apamail.org.

In accordance with federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, this institution is prohibited from discriminating on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex (including gender identity and sexual orientation), disability, age, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity. Program information may be made available in languages other than English. Persons with disabilities who require alternative means of communication to obtain program information (e.g., Braille, large print, audiotape, American Sign Language), should contact the responsible state or local agency that administers the program or USDA’s TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TTY) or contact USDA through the Federal Relay Service at (800) 877-8339. To file a program discrimination complaint, a Complainant should complete a Form AD-3027, USDA Program Discrimination Complaint Form which can be obtained online at: https://www.usda.gov/sites/default/files/documents/USDA-OASCR%20P-Complaint-Form0508-0002-508-11-28-17Fax2Mail.pdf, from any USDA office, by calling (866) 632-9992, or by writing a letter addressed to USDA. The letter must contain the complainant’s name, address, telephone number, and a written description of the alleged discriminatory action in sufficient detail to inform the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights (ASCR) about the nature and date of an alleged civil rights violation. The completed AD-3027 form or letter must be submitted to USDA by:

This institution is an equal opportunity provider.