Arizona students who qualify for reduced-price meals at school will now receive the meals for free, thanks to new government funding.
The state has allocated $6.75 million in federal pandemic relief funds to provide the free meals. Students will begin receiving the meals in January, and they will continue through the 2023-2024 school year. Government officials say that the funds will pay for over 2.2 million meals.
Families will still be required to submit a free or reduced-price meal application to receive this benefit.
Arizona is the latest state to cover the cost of meals for students who qualify for reduced-price meals at school. Students in Virginia that qualify for reduced-price meals are receiving free school meals for the next two years, and North Carolina is covering reduced-price meals for the current school year.
Other states, such as Nevada, have gone a step further and are providing free school meals for all students in the state this school year.