What is Summer EBT /SUN Bucks:
A new program called Summer EBT, or "SUN Bucks," has been authorized by a bipartisan U.S.
Congress to provide food dollars to low-income families with school-aged children over the summer
months. The program is proven to reduce food insecurity and improve children's
nutrition during summer break. Governor Shapiro's administration announced that the Commonwealth
would participate in this program beginning in the summer of 2024. The United States Department of
Agriculture (USDA) oversees the program, and the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS)
coordinates the benefit issuance in Pennsylvania.
Since Your child is NOT eligible for National School Lunch Program (NSLP) and/or School Breakfast
Program (SBP) free or reduced meals in the 2023-2024 school year, they are not automatically eligible
for the 2024 Summer EBT/SUN Bucks benefit.
If you believe your income qualifies (185% or less of the federal poverty level), you can still apply for
free or reduced meals through the school (unless your child attends a Community Eligibility Provision
(CEP)* school) or apply for the Summer EBT/SUN Bucks through DHS. See "Summer EBT/SUN Bucks
Application" below for details.
Who is Eligible:
A student is automatically eligible for 2024 Summer EBT/SUN Bucks if they are enrolled at a school
that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program
(SBP), AND they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals for any of these reasons:
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), or
Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or
Medical Assistance with income that qualifies them for the NSLP/SBP, or
Household meal application with income that qualifies, or
Are homeless, runaway, migrant, foster, or in Head Start
Students who are homeschooled or are taught virtually for 100% of the school year are ineligible for
Summer EBT /SUN Bucks. The only exception is if the child also attends a school building regularly that
offers them NSLP/SBP school meals.
*IMPORTANT: Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) is a special program that
allows NSLP/SBP schools in low-income areas to feed all students for free during the school year,
regardless of each student's economic level. However, Summer EBT/SUN Bucks is based on each
student's individual situation. Students at CEP schools are not automatically eligible
for Summer EBT /SUN Bucks unless they receive SNAP, TANF, or Medical Assistance with
income that qualifies them for free/reduced meals or are homeless, runaway, migrant,
foster, or in Head Start.
Summer EBT/SUN Bucks Application:
Families should only submit a Summer EBT/SUN Bucks application if their child attended an NSLP/SBP-participating school in the 2023-2024 school year and was not found automatically eligible for Summer
EBT/SUN Bucks.
Summer EBT/SUN Bucks applications will be available on July 1, 2024, on the DHS SUN Bucks
webpage as a fillable PDF form in English and Spanish. DHS will review the family's application to
confirm that the child attended an NSLP/SBP school, and that the family income qualifies for the
benefit (185% or less of the federal poverty level). To qualify for SUN Bucks for 2024, an application
must be submitted by August 31, 2024. Any applications submitted on or after September 1, 2024,
will be held and considered only for SUN Bucks for the summer of 2025.
Benefit Issuance:
For the summer of 2024, a household will receive $120 Summer EBT/SUN Bucks benefit (which equals
$40 for each summer month) for every eligible child in the household.
The benefit will be issued at the household level, meaning if multiple eligible students are in a
household, the benefit will be combined into one issuance amount. The benefit will be issued to the
family's existing state EBT card (for SNAP or TANF) or on a new SUN Bucks card that is mailed, in
most cases, to the household contact and address DHS has on file for that household. Schools are
not able to change this information. If your SNAP, TANF, or Medical Assistance information needs
to be updated, contact your County Assistance Office. If the household does not have a SNAP,
TANF, or Medical Assistance case with DHS, the address that the school has on file will be used.
DHS will issue the 2024 Summer EBT/SUN Bucks benefits from late August to September 2024. All
benefits should be issued by the end of October 2024. This may seem late for a benefit intended to
assist eligible children and families over the summer months. DHS is building new processes
and systems to meet USDA guidelines for this new program. Families are asked to be patient and
understanding during this implementation year. The intent is for the benefit to be issued earlier in the
summer break in future years.
Schools cannot assist families with Summer EBT /SUN Bucks benefit questions.
Schools cannot access the state's Summer EBT /SUN Bucks system or records.
Note: DHS asks families to refrain from calling the County Assistance Offices or Statewide Customer
Service lines regarding not receiving Summer EBT/SUN Bucks before the end of August 2024,
when almost all Summer EBT/SUN Bucks benefits for automatically eligible children have been issued.
SNAP, TANF, and Medical Assistance households that need to update their address with DHS should do
so as soon as possible.
DHS SUN Bucks Resources:
Eligibility Navigator – a tool on the DHS SUN Bucks website that allows families to determine if their child is automatically eligible for SUN Bucks and whether they need to apply. Online: SUN Bucks Eligibility Navigator (pa.gov).
SUN Bucks application – a fillable online form on the DHS SUN Bucks website or a paper form obtained at the family’s County Assistance Office (CAO).
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- SUN Bucks applications are due by 8/31/2024 to be considered for the 2024 benefit. Applications received by DHS after 8/31 will be considered during the 2025 summer application period.
Family FAQs – printed on the DHS SUN Bucks website
Recorded Family FAQs - 1-877-762-1575
SUN Bucks questions via phone beginning 8/19/2024: 1-877-395-8930, or 1-215-560-7226 in Philadelphia