A new USDA rule will prohibit schools from charging transaction fees to low-income families depositing funds in student lunch accounts, effective in the 2027-2028 school year.
This change benefits students eligible for free or reduced-price meals, sparing families extra costs when adding money to accounts.
Advocates and lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Warren, support the ban, calling it a victory against “greedy” fees.
Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack praised the move, stating that USDA aims to eliminate fees for all families regardless of income level.
Dang sounds like such a pain, I remember in elementary just going down the lunch line and at the end would be a old lady on a stool and little cash box you paid, if not she would write you up and send you home with a note that you owed money haha. In high school we had the free lunch line in a building and the outside had some containers that sold food like chicken sandwiches or cup noodles for cash.