A sheet feeding apparatus includes a sheet tray configured to hold sheets, a sheet feeding unit configured to feed sheets from the sheet tray, and a lift unit configured to move the sheet tray up and down. When the type of sheets to be held on the sheet tray is to be changed to another type, the lift unit moves the sheet tray up or down to a sheet holding position set for sheets of the other type. Thus, the position where the sheet tray can hold sheets is changed in accordance with the material or size of the sheets. The largest number, in which sheets can be mounted on the sheet tray, can thereby be changed.