Gear up for New York’s Final SNAP Outreach Rule for Schools

New York’s Universal Free School Meals Program requires all participating schools to share information with families about the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). This requirement ensures that all eligible children are enrolled in SNAP and thereby automatically certified as “free-eligible” through data matching. When eligible families participate in SNAP, everyone benefits: kids get the nutrition they need, families submit less paperwork, and schools can leverage more funding to fuel learning.

The New York State Education Department (NYSED) is expected to issue the final rule on Wednesday, January 28, 2026. This rule will outline guidance for schools to meet the SNAP outreach requirement. Hunger Solutions New York will provide updates when the final rule becomes available. Schools can use the resources below to prepare.

Register for Our SNAP Outreach Webinar for Schools

SNAP and Universal Free School Meals: Making Outreach Work for Your School
Tuesday, February 10, 1-1:30 pm
SNAP outreach in schools is a key part of New York’s new Universal Free School Meals Program. Join us for a Q&A with Lisa Ostrowski, Director of Food and Nutrition Services at North Colonie Central School District about why SNAP outreach is a win-win for students and schools, along with our top strategies and resources to help schools meet this new requirement.

Can’t make it? Register anyway to receive the slide deck and a recording. 

Promote SNAP to Families with Our Toolkit for Schools

Use the resources in our SNAP Outreach Toolkit for Schools to promote SNAP in your communications to families. Materials direct families to a SNAP prescreening tool to see if they might be eligible and connect with free application assistance. 

How to use the toolkit: 

1. Use our flyer, social media graphics, and sample messaging to promote SNAP to families and highlight the benefits. 
2. Disseminate these resources through your school’s newsletters, websites, social media, robocalls/texts, letters/emails, and other channels.

ICYMI: Schools Can Help Connect Eligible Students with Summer EBT

Summer EBT (S-EBT) is an annual food benefit program that helps low-income families with school-age kids buy food during the summer. Most eligible students are automatically enrolled in S-EBT, and schools play a crucial role in this process through the collection of student-level enrollment and demographic data, which is reported to the New York State Education Department (NYSED). Since NYSED pulls data for S-EBT at the end of February, schools can help by ensuring that data is up-to-date and accurate. To learn more, visit our Schools and Summer EBT webpage.