SUN Bucks

1. Students determined to be eligible for free meals through direct certification or a school meal application or Students enrolled at a school that operates the Community Eligibility Provision and has been determined eligible through direct certification or a Family Income Survey.
2. School aged (defined as 8–18 years old) and residing in a household receiving SNAP, TANF, or other federally means-tested assistance programs approved by USDA.
3. Students that do not qualify for the above two methods have the option to submit a Summer EBT application through DSHS. Requirements for approval through a Summer EBT application include:
   • Confirmed to be enrolled at any time during the 2023-24 school year at a school that participates in the NSLP or SBP and
   • Meet the USDA school meals Income Eligibility Guidelines.

A condition of eligibility for SUN Bucks is that students must be enrolled in a National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP)-participating school. Summit Virtual Academy and Ignite Family Academy do not provide school meals and therefore, do not participate in the NSLP/SBP.

Students not enrolled in NSLP/SBP-participating schools that are receiving assistance program benefits and are school-aged (8-18 years) are eligible for Summer EBT benefits. These benefits will be automatically issued by DSHS.

No. Households must be directly certified for free meals or submit a qualifying Family Income Survey to be determined eligible for Summer EBT benefits.

Summer EBT/SUN Bucks complements other USDA nutrition programs like SNAP, summer meal programs and Women, Infants and Children. In Washington, SUN Bucks will be co-managed by the Department of Social and Health Services and the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Each eligible child will receive a one-time payment of $120 in food benefits on a dedicated SUN Bucks card.

Once approved by USDA, DSHS plans to issue SUN Bucks beginning mid-June through the end of August 2024. Within this period, children may receive benefits at different times depending on how they qualify. Once qualified, children will receive an approval notice and SUN Bucks EBT card within 7 to 10 business days via U.S. Mail. 

Yes. SUN Bucks benefits expire and are removed 122 days from issuance. Unlike SNAP EBT, SUN Bucks are removed regardless of usage. Once benefits are removed from an EBT card, they cannot be replaced. (So use these benefits first!)

SUN Bucks may seem similar to Pandemic EBT, but is a separate program. P-EBT ended along with the federal public health emergency in May 2023. For more information on P-EBT, please visit www.dshs.wa.gov/pebt.