SUN Bucks

SUN Bucks are coming to Washington!

Starting in 2024, eligible families can get a boost in their grocery budget when school is out of session.

What are SUN Bucks?

Also known as Summer EBT, SUN Bucks is a new federal program to support families who lose access to free school meals over the summer months. Families will receive an allotment of $120 for each eligible child to help cover the cost of groceries when school is out of session. Similar to SNAP (Basic Food), SUN Bucks can be used to purchase food at locations like grocery stores, farmers markets, and corner stores. SUN Bucks works in tandem with the Free Summer Meals program to support families when school meals are unavailable.

Is my child eligible?

Eligibility for SUN Bucks is based primarily on household income or participation in other public assistance programs like SNAP and TANF.

Most eligible families will be automatically certified for SUN Bucks and do not need to submit an application.

Use our screening tool below to see if your child is eligible and learn whether you need to submit an application.

Families not enrolled in SNAP, TANF, free school meals, or other qualifying assistance programs will need to submit a SUN Bucks application. Check back next summer for a link to the 2025 application.

Get ready for summer 2025 and get additional benefits throughout the year by applying for SNAP or applying for free school meals at your child’s school!

Children in families participating in SNAP or qualifying for Free and Reduced Price School Meals will be directly certified for SUN Bucks, meaning you won’t have to fill out an additional application. If your child’s school offers free school meals for all students, you can fill out a Family Income Survey instead, which will also sign your student up for SUN Bucks if they’re eligible. Use the OSPI School Meals Application Finder to find the right application or survey for your child’s school.

SUN Bucks Updates - Right To Your Phone!

By signing up for SUN Bucks texts, you will receive specific information on your child’s eligibility, updates on your household’s benefits, and support resources when questions arise.

SUN Bucks Eligibility

  • Children between the ages of 8 and 18, who participate in one or more of the following programs, are automatically eligible and will receive SUN Bucks:

    - SNAP (Basic Food)

    - TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

    - FDPIR (Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations)

    - Medicaid (Apple Health)

    - Head Start

    - Students with homeless, foster, migrant, or runaway status

  • Children of any age who have applied and been approved for free and reduced price school meals are automatically eligible and will receive SUN Bucks.

    For students at a school operating the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) where all students eat for free, families should complete their school district’s Family Income Survey. If the family meets the income requirements for Free and Reduced Price meals, they will receive SUN Bucks.

    You can find each school district’s Free and Reduced Price Meals application and/or Family Income Survey here.

  • For children who are not captured by the above eligibility methods, a statewide SUN Bucks application will be available. Families who apply and meet the income requirements for free and reduced price meals will be eligible for SUN Bucks.

    Check back next summer for the link to the 2025 application.

There are several different ways that a child can qualify for SUN Bucks. Learn more about the different paths to eligibility by expanding the options below.

SUN Bucks Benefits

Once a child is verified as eligible for SUN Bucks, their family will receive an EBT card via mail. Families with multiple eligible children will receive multiple EBT cards. Each card will be loaded with $120 and can be used to purchase groceries at any retailer that accepts SNAP (Basic Food/EBT).

To ensure you receive your SUN Bucks card(s), please confirm your current mailing address with your school district.

SUN Bucks expire 4 months after the date of issuance. Once families receive their benefit, they have 122 days to spend down the funds before they will be invalid. Therefore, families should prioritize spending SUN Bucks before other funds like SNAP (Basic Food/EBT).

Frequently Asked Questions

  • All children who are enrolled in a school that operates the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) are eligible for SUN Bucks, regardless of their age. This includes students of high school grade or under, including pre-school age children, as well as students participating in a program for those with mental and physical disabilities.

    Children who do not attend a NSLP/SBP school must be between the ages of 8 and 18 to be eligible for SUN Bucks. This includes children who 'age in' or 'age out' during the year. For the 2024 SUN Bucks season, for example, eligible children just had to be between the ages of 8 and 18 at some point between July 1, 2023 through August 31st, 2024.

  • Children who are enrolled in a qualifying public assistance program (e.g. SNAP, TANF) do not need to meet any additional income requirements.

    Similarly, children who are certified to receive free and reduced price school meals do not need to meet any additional income requirements.

    For all other children, the income threshold for SUN Bucks is 185% of the Federal Poverty Line.

  • Maybe!

    If your child participates in SNAP, TANF, or other qualifying assistance programs, they will be automatically enrolled and you do not need to submit an application for SUN Bucks.

    Similarly, if your child is already qualified to receive free or reduced price meals at school, they will be automatically enrolled and you do not need to submit a SUN Bucks application.

    If neither of these apply to your child but you believe they are eligible, you will need to submit a SUN Bucks application. The application will be available each summer.

    Reminder: SUN Bucks eligibility is determined individually by child. If your household has multiple children with different circumstances, you may need to submit an application for one but not another.

  • The SUN Bucks application for the 2024 summer was open from July through August 31st, 2024. The application for summer 2025 will open in spring or summer 2025.

  • The SUN Bucks application will not ask for any documentation or verification of eligibility. It will include a self-attestation statement and must be signed by an adult member of the household.

  • Eligibility is determined on a per child basis. Each child needs to meet the eligibility requirements individually in order to receive SUN Bucks.

  • Maybe.

    Any child aged 8-18 who is enrolled in SNAP, TANF, or FDPIR, is eligible for SUN Bucks, regardless of where they attend school.

    For all other children, they must be enrolled in a school that operates the National School Lunch Program/School Breakfast Program (NSLP/SBP) in order to qualify.

    You can use this screening tool to learn more about your child’s eligibility.

  • In Washington, SUN Bucks is administered by the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

  • You will receive an approval letter in the mail about 7-10 business days before your SUN Bucks card arrives.

  • Yes! You can use SUN Bucks and SNAP together when shopping for food. Make sure to use your SUN Bucks benefits first, however, because these expire more quickly than SNAP dollars. Additionally, each card qualifies for Fruit and Vegetable Incentives programs and you can use both SNAP and SUN Bucks benefits for programs like Market Match and Produce Match.

  • Keep it. The same cards might be reused next year. Stay tuned for updates on this question.

Make the most of your child’s SUN Bucks with Fruit and Vegetable Incentives!

SUN Bucks are eligible for Fruit and Vegetable Incentives, which can up to double your SUN Bucks dollars and help you buy more delicious summer produce when you shop at certain locations, including farmers markets and many grocery stores.

Have questions? Call the SUN Bucks Contact Center at 833-543-3230 (TTY: 1-800-833-6348) between 8am and 5pm, Monday-Friday.

Last updated: December 2, 2024