SUN Bucks (Summer-EBT)
What Are SUN Bucks?
SUN Bucks, also called Summer-EBT, is a new federally funded food program that helps families with school-age children buy groceries during the summer (June, July, and August) when kids might not have access to school meals. The California Department of Social Services (CDSS) is implementing this new program in partnership with the California Department of Education (CDE). SUN Bucks are put on an EBT card. Children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through a school meal application, an Alternative Income Form, CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal are automatically enrolled. Most qualified children are automatically enrolled and will receive EBT cards in the mail. Also, children who are attending Head Start, experiencing homelessness, living in foster care, or part of a migrant family are eligible. Some children may need to sign up. Participating in SUN Bucks does not affect a family's immigration status. Each eligible child in the family will get one card with $120 to buy groceries. The children will get their SUN Bucks on an EBT card in the mail from June through September 2025. SUN Bucks must be used within 122 days of funds being loaded onto the card. Any unused money on the card after 122 will expire.
You can reach the SUN Bucks helpline for cardholder support at (887) 928-9677. The automated system is available 24/7, and live agents are ready to assist you Monday through Friday, from 6:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. To check your benefit balance and claim status, please visit the California EBT cardholder website.
Who is elegible?
Most children who qualify for free or reduced-price meals based on household income requirements through a school meal application or Universal Benefits Application, or get CalFresh, CalWORKs, and/or Medi-Cal (at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]), are automatically enrolled. Children in Foster Care and/or identified as experiencing homelessness are automatically enrolled. Children who are getting Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) or the Adoption Assistance Program may need to apply. Visit our FAQs page for more information.
Universal Benefits Application
The Universal Benefits Application determines eligibility for SUN Bucks (Summer EBT). SUN Bucks helps families buy food for their school-aged children, who are enrolled in a National School Lunch Program (NSLP)/School Breakfast Program (SBP).
Check the application in your preferred language, here.
Webinar Recordings
- 4/9/2025 – SUN Bucks 2025: What LEAs Need to Know
- 6/5/2025 – SUN Bucks 2025: Implementation
SUN Bucks Verification
On December 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) announced the Interim Final Rule: Establishing the Summer EBT Program and Rural Non-Congregate Option in the Summer Meal Programs
which codified the permanent SUN Bucks program into regulations. SUN Bucks helps families with eligible school-age children buy groceries during the summer months when kids might not have full access to school meals. In California, SUN Bucks is administered through a partnership between the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the California Department of Education (CDE). The CDSS is the lead agency implementing the program, in partnership with the CDE. Local educational agencies (LEA) play a critical role in the SUN Bucks eligibility determination process for students.
which codified the permanent SUN Bucks program into regulations. SUN Bucks helps families with eligible school-age children buy groceries during the summer months when kids might not have full access to school meals. In California, SUN Bucks is administered through a partnership between the California Department of Social Services (CDSS) and the California Department of Education (CDE). The CDSS is the lead agency implementing the program, in partnership with the CDE. Local educational agencies (LEA) play a critical role in the SUN Bucks eligibility determination process for students.
