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Free food for thought: The effect of universal free school meals on graduation rates in the US

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  • Zhao, Vivian

Abstract

This paper evaluates the impact of the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) – which expanded free school meal access at low-income schools across the US – on high school graduation rates. Using education and demographic data, I compare within-school outcomes between 2011 and 2020. I find that CEP improved graduation rates by 1.506 percentage points (p = 0.024) at schools where a lower percentage of students were originally eligible for free or reduced-price meals. Further analysis shows that a single year of exposure improved graduation rates by 1.373 percentage points (p = 0.040) and exposure for over a year increased graduation rates by 1.787 percentage points (p = 0.039).

Suggested Citation

  • Zhao, Vivian, 2025. "Free food for thought: The effect of universal free school meals on graduation rates in the US," Economics Letters, Elsevier, vol. 247(C).
    • Handle: RePEc:eee:ecolet:v:247:y:2025:i:c:s0165176524006116
    DOI: 10.1016/j.econlet.2024.112127
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