© 2025 WGCU News
PBS and NPR for Southwest Florida
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

Trump Food Stamp Change Could Affect 200K Florida Students

Courtesy of the U.S. Department of Agriculture
/
Flickr Creative Commons

Florida education officials and advocates say about 200,000 students could become ineligible for automatic free school lunches under a Trump administration proposal expected to reduce the number of food stamps enrollees. 

News outlets reported the figures this week and say a finalized rule could come as soon as the end of the month.

Children automatically qualify for free lunches if their families receive food stamps, but in July the Trump administration proposed tightening eligibility for what was formerly called the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. The U.S. Agriculture Department released an analysis in October showing nearly 1 million students nationwide could be affected.

News outlets say impacted Florida households would still be eligible for free- and reduced-price meals if they individually file an application for the National School Lunch Program.

Copyright 2020 Health News Florida. To see more, visit .

The Associated Press is one of the largest and most trusted sources of independent newsgathering, supplying a steady stream of news to its members, international subscribers and commercial customers. AP is neither privately owned nor government-funded; instead, it's a not-for-profit news cooperative owned by its American newspaper and broadcast members.
Trusted by over 30,000 local subscribers

Local News, Right Sized for Your Morning

Quick briefs when you are busy, deeper explainers when it matters, delivered early morning and curated by WGCU editors.

  • Environment
  • Local politics
  • Health
  • And more

Free and local. No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

More from WGCU
  • Adult Thorn Bugs are half-inch long insects that are “true bugs” (members of the insect Family Membracidae). They are native to South America, Central America, and many tropical islands. As with other members of this family, Thorn Bugs have sucking mouthparts that allow them to pierce plant tissues and drink plant sap. As a result, Thorn Bugs can cause the death of some twigs and potentially introduce diseases to the plant. However, in most cases, Thorn Bug populations are very low and damage caused by thorn bugs is minimal. The good news is that these insects do not feed on most native North American trees. Thorn bugs are an exotic invasive species in Florida that was likely introduced long ago along with an exotic tree species such as the Earleaf Acacia.Even today these insects feed primarily on exotic invasive trees and shrubs imported from tropical areas.
  • The Florida Highway Patrol’s annual Stuff The Charger nonperishable food drive starts Saturday (Nov. 1) and will extend through November 30.
  • New blood pressure guidelines may help women stay healthier longer.