Nourishing Kids All Summer Long With SUN Bucks!

When school is out for the summer, millions of children across California lose access to the free school meals they rely on during the school year. Summer EBT – also known as SUN Bucks here in California, is a federal initiative designed to help bridge that gap. By providing $120 in grocery benefits to families with school-age children, SUN Bucks ensures that kids can continue to get the healthy food they need to thrive even when school is not in session.

What are SUN Bucks?

SUN Bucks, also known as Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), is intended to help families in California buy food during the summer months when school is closed and works just like CalFresh. Children can get SUN Bucks if they qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application, or if they get CalFresh, CalWORKs, and/or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]).

Who is Eligible for SUN Bucks?

There are two ways for your child to be eligible for SUN Bucks: Streamlined Certification (Automatic Enrollment) and Application.

Streamlined Certification (Automatic Enrollment)

• Children ages 6-18 years who get CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal (certified at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]), including homeschooled children, are streamline certified to be eligible for SUN Bucks.
  • Reminder: Children who get Medi-Cal where the household income is above 185% of the FPL are not automatically eligible for SUN Bucks and must apply.

Application – The Deadline to Apply for 2026 SUN Bucks is August 31, 2026!

• Children ages 0-22 years who attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) are also eligible for SUN Bucks if they are certified to meet the income eligibility guidelines. To certify that your child is eligible, you must submit a Universal Benefits Application or School Meal Application to your child’s school. You should apply if any of the following criteria apply to your family:
  • Your child gets meals through California’s Universal Meals Program (UMP). In California, the UMP provides school meals at no cost to all school age children, regardless of household income. Even if your child gets a free school meal, it does not guarantee that they will qualify for SUN Bucks benefits.
  • Children who get Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) or participate in the Adoption Assistance Program, but do not participate in CalFresh or CalWORKs.

You may also use the SUN Bucks Eligibility Tool* to help evaluate your child’s potential eligibility (*note: This tool is neither owned nor maintained by the California Department of Social Services or the California Department of Education. This tool is for informational purposes only and is not an eligibility determination).