Summer EBT, officially called SUN Bucks, is a federal program that provides $120 in grocery benefits per eligible school-age child when school is out for summer. Run by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, it helps families cover food costs during the months when children no longer have access to free or reduced-price school meals.
How SUN Bucks Works
The concept is straightforward: many children from lower-income families rely on school breakfast and lunch programs during the academic year. When summer hits, that safety net disappears. SUN Bucks fills the gap by loading grocery benefits onto an EBT card that families can use at participating retailers to buy food.
The benefit is $120 per child, not per household. A family with three eligible children would receive $360 in total summer grocery benefits. The money can be used to purchase food items similar to what’s allowed under SNAP (food stamps), including fruits, vegetables, dairy, bread, meat, and other grocery staples. It cannot be used for prepared foods, alcohol, or non-food items.
Who Qualifies
Eligibility is tied to school meal programs. Children who already receive free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program generally qualify for Summer EBT. Children in households that participate in SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR (food assistance programs for low-income families and tribal communities) are also typically eligible. In many cases, children enrolled at schools that offer free meals to all students through the Community Eligibility Provision qualify as well.
The program covers school-age children, so kids who are enrolled in school during the academic year are the target population. Preschoolers not yet in school and students who have graduated are generally not included.
Automatic Enrollment and How to Apply
One of the most important things to know about SUN Bucks is that many families don’t need to apply. Children who are already identified through school meal programs or existing food assistance programs are often enrolled automatically. States use data from schools and benefit agencies to identify eligible children and issue benefits without requiring parents to fill out paperwork.
If your child qualifies but wasn’t automatically enrolled, most participating states offer an application process. The details vary by state, so checking with your state’s health or human services agency is the fastest way to find out how to apply or confirm your child’s status.
How Benefits Are Delivered
Benefits are loaded onto an EBT card. For families already using a SNAP EBT card, the Summer EBT benefits may be added directly to the existing card. Families who don’t already have an EBT card will typically receive a new one in the mail. The exact delivery method depends on how your state administers the program.
Once issued, the benefits don’t last forever. In New York, for example, Summer EBT benefits expire 122 days after they are issued, with the last usable day being the 121st day. Expiration timelines may vary slightly by state, but the key takeaway is that the funds are temporary. If you receive a card, use the benefits within a few months or they will be removed.
A Permanent Program, Not Pandemic Relief
If SUN Bucks sounds familiar, you may be thinking of Pandemic EBT (P-EBT), which provided similar grocery benefits during the COVID-19 emergency. The two programs are related in concept but legally distinct. P-EBT was a temporary measure authorized under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act and ended when the public health emergency expired. Summer EBT, by contrast, was authorized under the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 as a permanent, ongoing program. It’s designed to operate every summer going forward, not just during a crisis.
This distinction matters because families who received P-EBT during the pandemic should not assume they’re automatically covered. Summer EBT has its own eligibility rules and enrollment processes, even though the benefit structure looks similar.
State Participation
Summer EBT is a federal program, but states and territories choose whether to participate. In its first year of operation in 2024, the vast majority of states opted in. However, participation is not universal, and a small number of states declined. Whether your family can access the benefit depends on where you live. The USDA maintains a list of participating states on its SUN Bucks page at fns.usda.gov, which is the most reliable place to check current participation.
Tribal nations can also operate their own Summer EBT programs, so families in tribal communities may have an additional pathway to benefits beyond what their state offers.