School Meal Program

Register each student with DoWEA (new students)

• Obtain a 10-digit DoWEA student ID# for all children from the school registrar.
• You may need it to complete some of the options below.

Submit your school year 2026/2027 online application for free or reduced meals

• A new application is required for every school year.
• Applications for school year 2026/2027 cannot be received before July 1, 2026.
  • Any applications received before July 1, 2026 are not valid for school year 2026/2027.
• Only one application is needed per household.
  • Please include ALL family members (adults, students, non-students, infants & elderly) on one application.
  • Report income from all family members.
• Apply at linqconnect.com. See instructions below.

Note: Universal Pre-K / Sure Start

• Students enrolled in Universal Pre-K (UPK or PK) will be charged the full daily meal price unless a sponsor applies for and qualifies for free or reduced meals.
• Sure Start students will not be charged for lunches but should be included on meal applications as family members.

Instructions for Completing Online Application

1. Go to linqconnect.com and click on School Services, then Free and Reduced Meal Application.
   1. A LINQ Connect account is not required to complete a Free and Reduced Meal application.
2. Search for and click on MCCS DoWEA. This will take you to the Letter of Household. Please read and then click Next.
3. Enter the following information: Address, City, State, Zip Code, Phone Number, and Email Address. An email address is required to be notified of eligibility status.
4. Click New Student. This will open a window to enter student information.
   1. Enter as much of the following information as possible, including First/Middle/Last Name, Student ID, School, and Date of Birth. Click Save.
   2. If other students attend this school district, please repeat the steps above to add them to the application, then click Next.
5. Enter the total number of people in your household, including students, non-students, adults, elderly & infants.
6. Click New Household Member. Enter First and Last Name and Income for this person, then click Save. Repeat this step for each household member.
7. Please review the application to ensure all your information is correct before you submit. Once you have reviewed it, click Next.
8. When signing and submitting the application, you may select your ethnicity/race if you so choose. Enter your name in the Signed By section, then click I agree to the Terms of Use and enter the last 4 digits of your SSN.
9. Click Submit Application. You will receive an email confirming the application was submitted. Please save this email and the confirmation number as it may be necessary in locating your application in the event there is an issue with the submission.

Is your base pay less than $100,000?

You may qualify for free or reduced-price school meals! Apply now to receive benefits!

1. Have the DoDEA Student ID Number of your child(ren) ready.
2. Visit the LINQ Connect website
3. Enter “MCCS DoWEA” in the search field, then click Next.
4. Fill out the application (one per family) for Free and Reduced Meal benefits. Include all household members and all income as described in the Letter to Household.

Notes:

• Families must meet eligibility requirements to qualify.
• MCCS DoWEA uses Alaska income eligibility guidelines.
• Remember to enter your email address as this is how you will receive eligibility notifications; notifications will be sent within 10 business days.

MCCS School Meal Program is happy to announce Linq Connect now accepts the Military Star Card!

New!

• Military Star Card Now Accepted in LinqConnect.com
  • Families can now use their Military Star Card to pay for student meals or add funds to meal accounts through the LINQ Connect Parent Portal.
• A convenience fee applies to all transactions.
  • As with other credit or debit cards, a 3.95% fee per transaction (minimum $2.85) will be charged.

Key Details

• Exclusive Benefit for Military Families
  • We’ve introduced this feature to provide greater convenience and flexibility for our military community.
• Earn Rewards While You Pay
  • Military Star Card holders can earn points toward rewards every time they add funds or pay for student meals—helping you support your student’s nutrition while enjoying added benefits.

Why it Matters

• Demonstrates our dedication to serving and supporting military families.
• Simplifies meal payments while making the process more rewarding.
• Improves accessibility through the convenient LINQ Connect platform.

The lunch price for elementary (grades UPK-five) and secondary (grades six-12) students’ meals will be $3.75 and $4, respectively. Breakfast for all grades will be $2.25.

Per federal guidelines, students who qualify for free meals receive lunch and breakfast at no cost, and students who qualify for reduced meals will still pay $0.40 per lunch and $0.30 for breakfast.

If your student’s DoWEA ID# has not changed, nothing more should be needed. Your student accounts, balances, and PINs will carry over to the new school year. If you have set up an account at LinqConnect.com, you may wish to check your student’s balance online, set up recurring payments, or view your student’s account.

LINQ Connect is available most of the year for Meal Applications and setting up family accounts. Please note that, over the summer, students will not show as “enrolled” in the DoWEA system until right before the school year begins; therefore, you will not be able to link students that are new, changing schools, or that have otherwise never been linked.

If you haven’t already done so, you will need to add your children to your LINQ Connect account. Click on the + sign, then Link Student and complete the information to link your child. You will need to complete this process for each child you wish to add.

Please note: Over the summer, students may not show as “enrolled” in the DoWEA system until right before the school year begins; therefore, you will not be able to link students that are new, changing schools, or that have otherwise never been linked.

You can add as many children as you need, provided they attend a school utilizing AAFES LINQ School Solutions for their cafeteria account.

Yes. Choose “Meal Account” from the three lines (hamburger menu) in the top left corner. Choose your District (AAFES DoWEA). Choose the Auto Payment Type. Select to which student account you wish to allocate the Auto Payment. You will then enter the Payment Amount, Low Payment Amount, Start Date, End Date (or leave blank for continuous payments), and the Payment Method. Once you have reviewed your choices and confirmed they are correct, press “Save Auto Pay”. You can cancel this Auto Payment at any time.

You will access the Auto Payment as above, then can either change the information and Save or Delete the payment.

Yes. Choose “Meal Account” from the three lines icon in the top left corner. Scroll down and locate the “Transfer” dialog box. Here you will choose which students you would like to transfer balances between.

We recommend you visit your local MCCS Customer Service before you PCS. If you are unable to visit Customer Service before your move and your student is no longer attending an AAFES school district, you may contact the SMP Headquarters via email at SMPCustSvc@aafes.com to request a refund.