Skip to main content

Goshen Community Schools

Learning Today. Leading Tomorrow.

Free & Reduced Meal Application

Free & Reduced Meal Application

The 2025-2026 Free & Reduced Meal application will be available after July 15. 

Click Here for Online Applications via LINQ - Free & Reduced Meals

To register or get help logging into your LINQ account, see instructions below.

LINQ Connect App

We encourage all parents/guardians to register for a LINQ Connect account to have access to the following:

  • Complete free & reduced meal assistance applications
  • Make meal payments
  • Link student accounts
  • Access menus
  • Track purchases and more!

LINQ Login Instructions & FAQs (English)

LINQ Login Instructions & FAQs (Spanish)

LINQ Connect

Frequently Asked Questions

  • While our preferred method for applications is through our LINQ Connect online platform, we realize not everyone has access to the internet. Click the link below to download paper applications. Students may turn these in to their school’s front office.

    Paper Applications (Download) - Free & Reduced Meals

  • Yes, when we receive paper applications, they get manually entered into LINQ Connect.

  • Students who qualify for SNAP and TANF through the Family and Social Services Administration office will automatically be eligible for free school meals and rental fees for curricular materials. Once direct certification is complete, FSSA will notify the family explaining the benefits for the entire school year.

  • GCS receives data from the state for students who are directly certified. However, parents should contact the Food Services Department at foodservices@goshenschools.org to ensure their school meal account is correct. Sometimes, other household members are excluded from the data that GCS receives.

  • Yes, applications from the previous school year expire in September. In order to continue to receive free or reduced prices on meals and CMR fees, families must complete a new application every year. We ask that you complete the application in July.

    • Applications received before July 1 will not be effective for the current school year.
    • Current school-year applications will be available beginning July 1.
    • Households are encouraged to apply before the start of the school year to avoid unpaid meal charges. Students who are not approved for free or reduced-price meal benefits before the start of the school year will be classified as paid status, and meal charges may begin to accumulate starting the first day of school. Meal charges accrued before the approval of a meal benefit application will be the responsibility of the household.

  • You do NOT need to complete an application if you know your household does not qualify for meal benefits. Please have money in your child’s meal account on the first day of school.

  • Yes, you may apply anytime during the school year if your income changes.

  • Yes, by submitting your application online, it’s CONVENIENT, SECURE, and WORRY-FREE! Not to mention, it saves our school money and decreases the amount of stored personally identifiable information (PII).

  • Yes, it’s available in Spanish and many other languages.

Please Read

2024-25 Negative Balance Notice

Negative balances greater than $10.00 for the 2024-25 School Year will be zeroed out in your student’s meal account and transferred to our collection agency, Kinum, Inc after July 14th, 2025. If $10.00 or less, the negative balance will stay on your student’s account.  Letters from Kinum will be sent in July.

  • You will not be able to pay balances sent to Collections through the LINQ Connect portal. Once transferred to collections, any payments made to our school buildings or LinqConnect will be for the 2025-2026 Food Service year and will not be applied to your negative balance.
  • Payments toward these balances MUST be made to Central Office or through this online link. Please include the Student’s Name and ID Number with all communication. Payments will be accepted as follows:
    • Mail to Goshen Community Schools, 613 E. Purl Street, Goshen, IN 46526
    • In person at the Administration Building, Finance Office upstairs at 613 E. Purl St – may pay with cash, check, or card. There will be a convenience fee when using a card.
    • Online by clicking on the 2024-25 Goshen Food Service link at the bottom of this paragraph. These payments are made through Certified Payments and not through LINQ Connect. There will be a convenience fee for the online payment method.

Negative Balances that went to Kinum last year for the 2023-24 School Year that have not yet been paid will be transferred to our attorney in July 2025.