SUN Bucks EBT program provides families with $120 per child for groceries

When summer break starts, tens of thousands of students across the region lose access to regular meals provided by their schools. While there are free summer meal sites, a new federal program promises to close the access gap even further.

In 2023, Congress created a permanent summer EBT program called “SUN Bucks,” providing families $120 for each eligible school-aged child to buy groceries during summer months. Most states are participating, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Delaware. In the first summer of the program, SUN Bucks will be distributed in late summer and early fall instead of the beginning of summer.

Many students are eligible for the program. Students who receive free or reduced-price school lunches, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance (SNAP), or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks.

Food assistance programs like SUN Bucks or SNAP result in healthier diets, better health outcomes, and more room in household budgets to pay for health care for low-income participants, according to the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities. An estimated 21 million families across the U.S. will be eligible for SUN Bucks, said Chloe Eberhardt, a senior program manager for the national food access nonprofit, No Kid Hungry’s Center for Best Practices.

“It provides flexible support to families to meet those food needs during the summer and it’s complementary to the summer meal programs that already exist,” Eberhardt said. “These programs work together so families can stretch their grocery budgets and provide meals at home.”

Here’s how to apply and receive SUN Bucks.

This program is available for school-aged children who already participate in benefits like SNAP or TANF, or whose household income makes them eligible for free or reduced-price school lunches.

Additionally, a student’s immigration status does not affect their eligibility for this program, nor will receiving SUN Bucks affect immigration applications.

“That’s something that we want to be really clear on. You don’t need a social security number or proof of citizenship to apply for Summer EBT,” Eberhardt said. “We know that sometimes fear around accessing public benefits can keep people who are eligible from receiving it.”

Children in households that earn 185% or below the federal poverty level are eligible for SUN Bucks. No Kid Hungry’s Center for Best Practices created an online tool to check income requirements for each state at bestpractices.nokidhungry.org.

2024 income eligibility requirements by household size:

Many families already receiving SNAP, TANF, or free and reduced-price school meals will automatically receive SUN Bucks and do not need to apply.

In Pennsylvania and Delaware, eligible households with existing EBT cards will have their children’s SUN Bucks applied to their account. New Jersey will mail all eligible households SUN Bucks EBT cards.

To check benefits, update a mailing address, or request help:

Families not automatically enrolled in the program can apply with their state’s application. To receive benefits this year, applicants need to apply before the deadline. Any application received after the deadline will be considered for SUN Bucks benefits next summer.

Each state is distributing SUN Bucks on different timelines. Eligible families should receive benefits by this fall.

Pennsylvania families should receive benefits by October, according to Pennsylvania’s Department of Human Services.

New Jersey families should receive benefits throughout the summer, according to New Jersey’s official Summer EBT website.

Delaware families will start receiving benefits in September, according to Delaware’s Department of Health and Human Services.

Similar to SNAP, only certain groceries can be bought with a SUN Bucks EBT card.

You can use SUN Bucks to buy:

You can’t use SUN Bucks to buy: