A new study examining the impact of federal and state Universal Free School Meal policies highlights how expanding access to school meals can help address food insecurity, reduce barriers to meal participation such as stigma and paperwork, and improve children’s diet quality, health, and academic outcomes. The COVID-19 pandemic created a natural experiment through the nationwide implementation and subsequent phase out of federal Universal Free School Meal policies, followed by the adoption of similar policies in several states. Study results showed that prior to the pandemic, schools participating in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program already had higher meal participation rates compared to non-CEP schools. During the 2021-22 federal UFSM period, meal participation increased significantly in non-CEP schools, particularly in higher-income schools where baseline participation was lower. After the federal policy ended, states that continued UFSM policies maintained higher participation, whereas states that did not saw declines. When meal expansion policies were limited, such as eliminating reduced-price copays, there were only minimal gains but still offered benefits to low-income students. Overall, study findings suggest that Universal Free School Meals and CEP policies are effective in boosting school meal participation across all socioeconomic groups and can help reduce food insecurity and health disparities, but further research is needed to assess long-term outcomes. This study was conducted by researchers from the Nutrition Policy Institute, Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, Arizona State University, University of Connecticut, Boise State University, and Merrimack College.