Students in Philadelphia public schools are no longer required to apply and qualify for free lunch, officials announced during the first week of school. Instead, every student will be eligible for a free lunch, just by being there.

Several district schools had enacted universal free lunch programs, but now the district is eligible under a federal policy to expand the programs to every school. Any district with more than 40 percent of students living in poverty is eligible to apply for free meals, despite a student’s economic background. Philadelphia more than qualifies — more than 80 percent of students are economically disadvantaged.

Despite budget cuts and staff reductions, the district will be able to reopen 13 full-service kitchens to prepare food onsite, thanks to state and federal subsidies for food service. Most students in Philadelphia public schools eat lunches from the district's 233 satellite kitchens that store and heat frozen meals, as opposed to the 67 full-service kitchens where workers can prepare meals at the school.