More families qualify for free school meals than the application form suggests

What happened

New Jersey's expanded income eligibility raised the limits again for 2026-27: a household of two can earn $48,474 and still qualify for free school meals, against a federal limit of $40,034, and depending on household size the state limits run $15,000 to $21,000 above the federal ones. Because the application is a federal form it shows only the federal figures, so families can be turned down federally and still qualify through the state. Applications moved to the forms tab of the Genesis parent portal, and reduced-price students pay nothing because the state covers the difference.

Why it matters to families

Pemberton families who look at the printed limits and assume they earn too much may be paying for meals they could get free. The district also warns of one catch: children who qualify only through the state programme do not receive summer EBT benefits, which are federal.

The evidence

In the September 25, 2026 video message food services supervisor Barbara Wells states the $48,474 state figure against $40,034 federally for a family of two, that state limits run $15,000 to $21,000 above federal limits depending on household size, that families will see only the federal guidelines in Genesis because the programmes are federal, and that qualifying through the state programme means no summer EBT. An October 14, 2025 message made the same point with the previous year's figures.

The source