Free & Reduced Price Meals
Free & Reduced Price Meal Program
All students on campus will receive free meals this school year. If a family feels that their income may qualify their students for the Federal Free or Reduced Price Meal Program in order to receive additional benefits for the current school year, parent are encouraged to follow the following steps:
Register for a free account at LINQConnect.com. Parents who have a Titan Family Portal account will be able to use their Titan username and password.
Add your students to your account by clicking the "+" in the "Linked Accounts" section in the top right corner.
Under "Quick Links," click on "Meal Applications."
Search for Irvine Unified School District and click "Next" to begin your application.
If approved, this application may qualify families for discounted college application fees, discounted Advanced Placement (AP) test fees, discounted school events, and discounted utilities through gas, electricity, internet, and phone providers. These applications also benefit schools by providing increased funding through the Local Control Funding Formula, including funding for support staff, computers and other technology.
Parents may also download a PDF of our paper application as an alternative to the online application. Please print the PDF application below, complete, and submit the original to your student's cafeteria, school office, or the Nutrition Services Office. By law, we are not able to process faxed or emailed copies, we may only accept originals for the current school year.
2024-25 Free and Reduced-Price Meal Application
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just use a copy of last year's paper application and write my current information on it?
Applications from prior school years cannot legally be used for the current school year.
Is every student required to have an application on file in order to receive free meals?No. Students do not not need to have an application on file in order to receive one free breakfast meal and one free lunch meal per day. While meals are free for all students in the state of California, if a family feels that their income might qualify their student(s) for the Federal Free or Reduced-Price Meal Program AND they have not already received a letter notifying them that their student(s) have automatically qualified for free meals for this school year, they are encouraged to apply for free and reduced price meals.
Where can I find an application?Our online application is now available. If parents are unable to complete an online application, paper copies of the current application will be available in our Nutrition Services Office, all cafeterias, and at each school office.
I have children attending different schools in IUSD; do I need to fill out a different application for each of them?One application per household may be filled out, whether or not the children are at different schools in the district.
We are moving to IUSD from another district and were approved for Free Meals there, do I need to fill out another application?Applications from other districts are non-transferrable. A new application must be filled out upon entering IUSD.
Our family has been on the Reduced Program every year, why do we have to reapply?Due to eligibility guidelines that change annually, a new application must be filled out for each household every school year.
SCHOOL BREAKFAST MEALS
all Irvine Unified schools are participating in the School Breakfast Program. Please check your school's schedule for serving times.
What are the nutrition requirements for school breakfasts?
School breakfasts must meet the applicable recommendations of the Dietary Guidelines for Americans which recommends that no more than 30 percent of an individual's calories come from fat, and less than 10 percent from saturated fat. In addition, breakfasts must provide one-fourth of the Recommended Dietary Allowance for protein, calcium, iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin C and calories. The decisions about what specific food to serve and how they are prepared are made by our district Nutritionist and Director of Nutrition Services.
How do children qualify for free or reduced price breakfasts?Any child attending school may purchase a meal through the School Breakfast Program. All students on campus are eligible to receive one free breakfast meal per day.
What is included in a school breakfast meal?A breakfast meal includes a grain, milk, and a fruit. In order for a student's breakfast to be counted as a free, reduced price, or complete meal, they must take at least a grain item and must take a fruit. Please see our breakfast menu to see what items are included in a meal.
When is breakfast served at my student's school?
Breakfast meals are served during recess or snack break at elementary and middle schools.Breakfast meals are served before school and during snack break at Rancho San Joaquin Middle School, and at the High School level.
Earned Income Tax Credit Information Act
Based on your annual earnings, you may be eligible to receive the Earned Income Tax Credit from the Federal Government (Federal EITC). The Federal EITC is a refundable federal income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The Federal EITC has no effect on certain welfare benefits. In most cases, Federal EITC payments will not be used to determine eligibility for Medicaid, Supplemental Security Income, food stamps, low-income housing, or most Temporary Assistance For Needy Families payments. Even if you do not owe federal taxes, you must file a federal tax return to receive the Federal EITC. Be sure to fill out the Federal EITC form in the Federal Income Tax Return Booklet. For information regarding your eligibility to receive the Federal EITC, including information on how to obtain the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Notice 797 or any other necessary forms and instructions, contact the IRS by calling 1-800-829-3676 or through its Web site at www.irs.gov.
You may also be eligible to receive the California Earned Income Tax Credit (California EITC) starting with the calendar year 2015 tax year. The California EITC is a refundable state income tax credit for low-income working individuals and families. The California EITC is treated in the same manner as the Federal EITC and generally will not be used to determine eligibility for welfare benefits under California law. To claim the California EITC, even if you do not owe California taxes, you must file a California income tax return and complete and attach the California EITC Form (FTB 3514). For information on the availability of the credit eligibility requirements and how to obtain the necessary California forms and get help filing, contact the Franchise Tax Board at 1-800-852-5711 or through its Web site at www.ftb.ca.gov.
