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Income Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced-price Meals
or Free Milk in the School Nutrition Programs
July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024.
The income guidelines below are from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s (USDA) annual adjustments to the
income eligibility guidelines. They are used in Connecticut to determine the eligibility of participants for free and
reduced-price meals or free milk in the USDA Child Nutrition Programs from July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024. These
income guidelines must be used by all individuals who review applications and should be distributed to all schools/sites
for use by determining officials.
Before approving any free/reduced-price meal or free milk applications, the determining official must review the
USDA’s publication, Eligibility Manual for School Meals; the Application for Free and Reduced-price School Meals or Free Milk,
and accompanying instructions; and the Parent/Guardian Letter to Households for Meals and Snacks or Parent/Guardian Letter
to Households for Special Milk Program. These documents are available in the “Documents/Forms” section of the
Connecticut State Department of Education’s Eligibility for Free and Reduced-price Meals and Free Milk in School
Nutrition Programs webpage.
Income Guidelines for Child Nutrition Programs: July 1, 2023, to June 30, 2024*
Free meals Reduced-price meals
Every Every
two two
Annual Monthly Twice weeks Weekly Annual Monthly Twice weeks Weekly
Household gross gross per gross gross Household gross gross per gross gross
size income income month income income Size income income month income income
1 18,954 1,580 790 729 365 1 26,973 2,248 1,124 1,038 519
2 25,636 2,137 1,069 986 493 2 36,482 3,041 1,521 1,404 702
3 32,318 2,694 1,347 1,243 622 3 45,991 3,833 1,917 1,769 885
4 39,000 3,250 1,625 1,500 750 4 55,500 4,625 2,313 2,135 1,068
5 45,682 3,807 1,904 1,757 879 5 65,009 5,418 2,709 2,501 1,251
6 52,364 4,364 2,182 2,014 1,007 6 74,518 6,210 3,105 2,867 1,434
7 59,046 4,921 2,461 2,271 1,136 7 84,027 7,003 3,502 3,232 1,616
8 65,728 5,478 2,739 2,528 1,264 8 93,536 7,795 3,898 3,598 1,799
Each Each
additional additional
family
+ 6,682 + 557 + 279 + 257 + 129 family
+ 9,509 + 793 + 397 + 366 + 183
member member
* Income means income before deductions such as income taxes, Social Security taxes, insurance premiums, charitable contributions, and bonds. It
includes the following: 1) Monetary compensation for services, including wages, salary, commissions, or fees; 2) net income from non-farm self-
employment; 3) net income from farm self-employment; 4) Social Security; 5) dividends or interest on savings or bonds or income from estates or
trusts; 6) net rental income; 7) public assistance or welfare payments; 8) unemployment compensation; 9) government civilian employee or military
retirement, or pensions or veterans’ payments; 10) private pensions or annuities; 11) alimony or child support payments; 12) regular contributions
from persons not living in the household; 13) net royalties; and 14) other cash income. Other cash income includes cash amounts received or
withdrawn from any source including savings, investments, trust accounts, and other resources. “Income” as used here does not include any income
or benefits received under any Federal programs, which are excluded from consideration as income by any legislative prohibition, for example, the
value of benefits received under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP).
Connecticut State Department of Education • June 2023 • Page 1 of 2
Income Guidelines for Determining Eligibility for Free and Reduced-price Meals
or Free Milk in the School Nutrition Programs
If a household has only one source of income, or if all sources of income are the same frequency, do not use
conversion factors. Compare the income or sum of the incomes to the chart on page 1 for the appropriate frequency
and household size to make the eligibility determination. Many households have different sources of income coming
into the home at different frequencies, such as weekly or bi-weekly wages and monthly social security benefits. In these
situations, convert all sources of income to an annual amount using the calculations below.
• Weekly: Multiply by 52 • Twice per month: Multiply by 24
• Every two weeks: Multiply by 26 • Monthly: Multiply by 12
In applying the guidelines, the school food authority/institution must compare the household’s size and total
household income to the income guidelines to determine eligibility for free or reduced-price meals. Children of parents
or guardians who become unemployed may be eligible for free or reduced-price meals or for free milk during the
period of unemployment.
For more information, visit the Connecticut State Department of Education’s (CSDE)
Eligibility for Free and Reduced-price Meals and Free Milk in School Nutrition
Programs webpage or contact the school nutrition programs staff at the Connecticut
State Department of Education, Bureau of Child Nutrition Programs, 450 Columbus
Boulevard, Suite 504, Hartford, CT 06103-1841.
This document is available at https://portal.ct.gov/-/media/SDE/Nutrition/NSLP/Forms/FreeRed/
Income_Guidelines_SNP.pdf.
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/ad-3027.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:
1. mail: U.S. Department of Agriculture
Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights
1400 Independence Avenue, SW
Washington, D.C. 20250-9410; or
2. fax: (833) 256-1665 or (202) 690-7442; or
3. email: program.intake@usda.gov
This institution is an equal opportunity provider.
Connecticut State Department of Education • June 2023 • Page 2 of 2