Prices for school meals at Department of Defense schools overseas will increase by 25 cents for the 2026-2027 school year, military exchange officials announced. It’s the first change in price in four years.
For students in universal pre-kindergarten through grade 5, the lunch price will be $3.75. For those in grades six through 12, it will be $4. Breakfast for all grades will be $2.25.
Families who qualify for free meals based on federal guidelines receive lunch and breakfast at no cost. Children of families who qualify for reduced-price meals will still pay 40 cents for lunch and 30 cents for breakfast.
The DOD school meal programs are operated by the Army and Air Force Exchange Service, the Navy Exchange Service Command and the Marine Corps Community Service. The programs are subsidized by the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
According to AAFES officials, their lunches are priced, on average, about $2 below the actual cost of $5.50 per plate. The Department of Defense Education Activity and USDA reimburse the exchanges for the direct costs not covered by sales.
By law, DoDEA schools, as participants in the U. S. Department of Agriculture meal program, must raise paid student lunch prices to a level comparable to the rates used for USDA reimbursement.
The DoDEA Student Meal Program meets the same USDA guidelines as schools in the continental United States, providing nutritional meals that contain whole grains, fresh fruits and vegetables, lean proteins and milk to students.
In 2025, AAFES provided 3.6 million meals at more than 70 schools in Europe and the Pacific.
For two years during the pandemic, parents didn’t have to pay for the meals, which were provided at grab-and-go locations.
Karen has covered military families, quality of life and consumer issues for Military Times for more than 30 years, and is co-author of a chapter on media coverage of military families in the book "A Battle Plan for Supporting Military Families." She previously worked for newspapers in Guam, Norfolk, Jacksonville, Fla., and Athens, Ga.
