Students eligible for free or reduced-priced school meals won’t be charged processing fees starting in 2027, the Department of Agriculture has announced.
Under the current system, processing fees, or “junk fees,” as they are colloquially known, can drastically increase the cost of reduced-price meals for lower-income students.
Under the law, eligible students can be charged no more than 30 cents for breakfast and 40 cents for lunch for reduced-price school meals.
However, because most school districts work with processing companies to offer cashless payment systems, the fees associated with this option aren’t covered under the cap and families can be forced to pay much more than the mandated prices….