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ATHENS, Ala. — The first day of school is quickly approaching and Athens City Schools distributed their free and reduced lunch applications for parents to make sure their child is prepared.

Family’s eligibility is based on one of three requirements listed below:

  • Total household income and size in the month the application is filled out, or the month before
  • Child’s individual status as foster, migrant, runaway
  • Participation in an assistance program by any member of your household

U.S. citizenship or immigration status does not affect eligibility for free or reduced-price benefits.

When applying, it is recommended that you have an earnings statement or pay stub on hand to report your gross income, which is different than what you receive in your paycheck. Also, if anyone receives Social Security or retirement benefits, you may need to gather the benefit statements to report the amount and frequency of the payments.

The application is on their website here. For more information on the program visit their website here.