As shared in the summer edition of the ASD Highlights & Happenings newsletter, 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 aims 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.
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
DHS and their County Assistance Offices offer family support for Summer EBT/SUN Bucks. The DHS Summer EBT/SUN Bucks webpage for families can be found here. This webpage provides information about the benefit, Frequently Asked Questions, the SUN Bucks family application, and an eligibility navigator tool to help families determine if they need to apply.
The SUN Bucks application deadline is Saturday, August 31, 2024, with benefits being issued to all eligible children by October 2024.