Thousands more Hawaiʻi students to get free school meals this fall
Families are encouraged to apply for free school meals as eligibility expands to include ALICE and some middle-income students.
HONOLULU, Hawaiʻi — Thousands more Hawaiʻi students will be eligible to receive free breakfast and lunch at Department of Education schools as an expansion of the state’s free school meals program takes effect at the start of the new school year.
When the 2026–27 school year begins on August 3, students from households with incomes up to 300 percent of the federal poverty level will qualify for free school meals under Act 139, signed into law by Governor Green in 2025. The law builds on last school year’s expansion, which allowed students who qualified for reduced-price meals to get free meals instead.
This year’s expansion will help more local families struggling with the high cost of living make ends meet. A family of four earning up to approximately $113,800 a year should qualify for free school breakfast and lunch during the 2026–27 school year, ensuring that many working families that were just above the previous eligibility cutoffs can access this important support.
“I’ve seen firsthand how hunger affects a child’s ability to learn,” said Buffy Whiteman, a first grade teacher at Kanoelani Elementary for 21 years. “Students who haven’t had enough to eat often struggle to concentrate, participate in class, and reach their full potential. Expanding access to free school meals means more students will be nourished and ready to learn. This is one of the most effective investments we can make in our students' success.”
The Hawaiʻi State Department of Education’s online school meal application is open now, and potentially eligible families are encouraged to complete an application to determine whether they qualify. Thousands of students who did not qualify in previous years should become eligible under the expanded income guidelines.
“The cost of groceries, housing and gas just keeps going up,” said Gwen W., a mother of two boys attending Hawaiʻi public schools. “As a parent, I’m grateful that more families will now qualify for free school meals. Knowing that my sons can get healthy meals at school without worrying about the cost is a huge relief. It means more room in our family budget for other essentials, and it gives me peace of mind knowing they’ll have the nutrition they need to learn and succeed.”
Research consistently shows that access to nutritious school meals is linked to improved attendance, academic performance, physical and mental health, and student well-being. This expansion comes at a time when many local working families are facing rising food and household costs. Free school meals help reduce families’ food expenses, freeing up resources for other critical needs, such as rent, utilities, child and health care.
“We know that there’s still so many ALICE families struggling to get by; in fact, half of Hawaiʻi families are reporting difficulty maintaining consistent access to healthy, affordable, and nutritious food,” said House Committee on Education Vice Chair Trish La Chica. “Expanding access to free school meals is an investment in educational success, student well-being, and family stability. By making nutritious meals available to more keiki, we're helping create the conditions for every student to thrive both inside and outside the classroom.”
Families should visit the Hawaiʻi State Department of Education school meals website for more details and complete an application if they believe they may now be eligible. All students at schools with the Community Eligibility Provision program, listed on the Department of Education’s website, automatically get free meals and do not need to apply. Similarly, students in households that receive Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or who are identified as homeless, migrant, runaway, or foster children, also do not need to apply to receive free school meals.