This paper evaluates the short- and long-term effects of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program offering universal school meals, on student academic, behavioral, and economic outcomes. I employ a difference-in-differences research design based on the staggered adoption of CEP in 3,000 Texas schools between 2011 and 2022. To address the limitations of prior research, which has focused on a narrow set of short-term outcomes, I use linked administrative data from Texas that tracks K-12 students through college and into the workforce. The primary outcomes of interest include academic (test scores, ACT/SAT scores, high school graduation, college enrollment), behavioral (meal participation, attendance, suspensions, dropout rates), and economic (employment, earnings) outcomes. Findings from this project will shed light on whether universal free school meals improve student outcomes compared to existing means-tested meal policies.

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Long-Term Effects of Universal Free School Meal Policies: Evidence from the Community Eligibility Provision

Thursday, November 13, 1:45 to 3:15pm, Property: Grand Hyatt Seattle, Floor: 1st Floor/Lobby Level, Room: Discovery B

Abstract

This paper evaluates the short- and long-term effects of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP), a federal program offering universal school meals, on student academic, behavioral, and economic outcomes. I employ a difference-in-differences research design based on the staggered adoption of CEP in 3,000 Texas schools between 2011 and 2022. To address the limitations of prior research, which has focused on a narrow set of short-term outcomes, I use linked administrative data from Texas that tracks K-12 students through college and into the workforce. The primary outcomes of interest include academic (test scores, ACT/SAT scores, high school graduation, college enrollment), behavioral (meal participation, attendance, suspensions, dropout rates), and economic (employment, earnings) outcomes. Findings from this project will shed light on whether universal free school meals improve student outcomes compared to existing means-tested meal policies.

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