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Impact of not Extending Universal Free School Meals on Households’ Purchase Composition, Diet Quality, and Food Insecurity

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  • Agossadou, M. Arsene J.
  • Valizadeha, Pourya
  • Nayga Jr., Rodolfo M.

Abstract

To mitigate the adverse effects of COVID-19 on school-aged students, the federal government implemented a nationwide Universal Free School Meal (UFSM) program from March 2020 to June 2022 by temporarily waiving the Community Eligibility Program (CEP) participation requirement. This study assesses the impact of states’ decisions not to extend the UFSM program beyond the expiration of the federal waiver in June 2022 on households’ expenditure patterns, diet quality, and food insecurity outcomes. Crucially, we incorporate exposure to the CEP in our analysis. Using between-state variation in UFSM status post-waiver expiration, along with within-state variation in CEP participation, we employ a difference-in-differences identification strategy. Preliminary results suggest that households in states that did not extend the program spent more on groceries, although this effect is not statistically significant. However, we find that UFSM exposure significantly influences households’ food security outcomes. Our findings underscore the importance of accounting for CEP exposure when evaluating the impact of UFSM.

Suggested Citation

  • Agossadou, M. Arsene J. & Valizadeha, Pourya & Nayga Jr., Rodolfo M., 2025. "Impact of not Extending Universal Free School Meals on Households’ Purchase Composition, Diet Quality, and Food Insecurity," 2025 AAEA & WAEA Joint Annual Meeting, July 27-29, 2025, Denver, CO 360889, Agricultural and Applied Economics Association.
    • Handle: RePEc:ags:aaea25:360889
    DOI: 10.22004/ag.econ.360889
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