LANSING - The Michigan Department of Education recently announced new household income guidelines that will be used to determine eligibility for free and reduced price school meals.

Families that have an income at or below 130 percent of the federal poverty level are eligible to get free milk and those with incomes between 130 and 185 percent of the poverty level are eligible for reduced-priced meals.

"It will have positive effects on Michigan families the first reason is the maximum that the households will pay for reduced priced breakfast is 30 cents and the maximum they will pay for reduced prices lunch is 40 cents," said Manager of School Nutrition Programs Melanie Brummeler
"So if they take advantage of these benefits over the school year they should have extra money in their pocket to cover other household necessities."

The new guidelines will be used for the 2014, 2015 year, effective until June 2015.