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Free & Reduced Meal Application

Apply for the Meal Value Plan and become an MVP today!

The Meal Value Plan is a federal program that allows school districts to provide breakfast and lunch to qualifying students at reduced prices or for free! It's commonly known as the free/reduced meals program. Families that become MVPs save money on meals AND school fees!

How do I become an MVP?

1. WHO CAN GET FREE OR REDUCED PRICE MEALS?

All children in households receiving benefits from South Carolina SNAP or TANF, 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.
Children participating in their school’s Head Start program are eligible for free meals.
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 this chart.

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 call or e-

mail the social worker at your child/children's school.

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. We cannot approve an application that is not complete, so be sure to fill out all required information. Complete application online at https://linqconnect.com/ OR return paper copy to Richland School District Two, Attn: Food Services, 124 Risdon Way, Columbia, SC 29223

SHOULD I FILL OUT AN APPLICATION IF I RECEIVED A LETTER THIS SCHOOL YEAR SAYING MY CHILDREN ARE ALREADY APPROVED FOR FREE MEALS? No, but please read the letter you got carefully and follow the instructions. If any

children in your household were missing from your eligibility notification, contact complete a meal application immediately.

CAN I APPLY ONLINE? Yes! You are encouraged to complete an online application instead of a paper application if you are able.

The online application has the same requirements and will ask you for the same information as the paper application. Visit https://linqconnect.com/ to begin or to learn more about the online application process. Contact Nicole Burns at nburns@richland2.org if you have any questions about the online application.

MVPs save on school fees

The following fees can be waived for MVP students upon request from parents by emailing the studen's eligibility letter to onlinepayments@richland2.org

Grades K–5: $15 general fee Magnet program fees for all grades will remain at $25.
Grades 6–8: $25 general fee (with the exception of middle school band, orchestra and chorus). Magnet program fee for all grades - $25.
Grades 9–12: $35 general fee The only individual course fees that will be assessed are for culinary arts, health science, cosmetology and barbering. Magnet program fee for all grades - $25.

Fees will be adjusted for students who qualify for Medicaid (free) and Medicaid (reduced), SNAP, TANF, or are homeless, transient, or in foster care as well as qualify for free or reduced meals. Any family experiencing hardship can request a reduction in these fees to the school’s principal. However, meal rates will depend approval of the meal application. The collection of school fees helps offset the various disposable supplies used by our students to enhance their learning experiences.

Students will still be charged for lost or damaged school property, technology insurance and charges for field trips and uniforms.

FAQs

My child's school provides free meals. Do we still have to apply?

No. The following schools qualify for the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP):

Bookman Rd. Elementary
Bridge Creek Elementary
Catawba Trail Elementary
Dent Middle
E.L. Wright Middle
Forest Lake Elementary
Jackson Creek Elementary
Joseph Keels Elementary
Killian Elementary
L.W. Conder Elementary
Langford Elementary
Longleaf Middle
Lonnie B. Nelson Elementary
North Springs Elementary
Polo Rd. Elementary
Pontiac Elementary
Rice Creek Elementary
Richland Northeast High
Ridge View High
Sandlapper Elementary
Summit Parkway Middle
Westwood High
Windsor Elementary

CEP is a powerful federal option that enables high-needs schools to offer breakfast and lunch to students at no charge. To qualify a group of schools in a district, or school with 40 percent or more “identified students” – children who are certified eligible for free school meals without a household application – can choose to participate.

Identified students include children directly certified through data-matching because their households receive SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR, and in some states, Medicaid benefits, as well as children who are certified for free meals without an application because they are homeless, migrant, enrolled in Head Start, or in foster care.

A neighboring district offers free meals to all students. Why can't all Richland Two students get free meals?

Simply stated, Richland Two as a school district doesn't qualify for the CEP program.