SUN Bucks (Summer EBT) Program

SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT or SEBT, is a federal program that provides families with $120 per eligible child in grocery benefits over the summer to help ensure children have access to nutritious food while school is out. The benefit is loaded on an EBT card, which is similar to a debit card, and can be used at participating grocery stores, online retailers and farmers markets. 

Students are automatically eligible for Iowa SUN Bucks if, during school year (SY) 2025-26, they were enrolled in grades kindergarten-12 at an Iowa school that participated in the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) National School Lunch (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP), and between July 1, 2025 and Aug. 14, 2026:

• The child was approved for free or reduced price meals after completing a free and reduced price meal application at school, or:
• The child was categorically eligible, including students who were homeless, migrants, or runaways and/or students who appear on the Direct Certification (DC) list

*Students whose free and/or reduced price eligibility was due to the 30-day carryover period are not eligible for SUN Bucks. This is carryover meal eligibility from the SY 2024-25.

Children are also automatically eligible for SUN Bucks if, between July 1, 2025 and Aug. 14, 2026, they were between the ages of 6-16 and:

• Their household received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or the Family Investment Program (FIP),
• Their household received Medicaid with a household income equal to or less than 185% of the federal poverty level, or:
• They were in foster care

Students who are not automatically eligible for SUN Bucks may be determined eligible through a SUN Bucks application. The SUN Bucks application will be available through the Iowa Department of Health and Human Services’ (Iowa HHS) SUN Bucks webpage. The SUN Bucks application is a separate application from the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application and cannot be used to determine eligibility for NSLP or SBP. 
 

Students who are not automatically eligible for SUN Bucks may be determined eligible for SUN Bucks through a SUN Bucks application. In order to qualify for SUN Bucks through a SUN Bucks application, the student must have been enrolled in grades kindergarten through 12 during SY 2025-26 at a school participating in the NSLP/SBP and the household must meet the income requirements. The SUN Bucks application will be available through an online portal, which will be linked on the Iowa HHS SUN Bucks webpage in early June. The SUN Bucks application is a separate application from the Free and Reduced Price Meal Application and cannot be used to determine eligibility for NSLP or SBP. 

The SUN Bucks application will be available through, and processed by, Iowa HHS. The SUN Bucks application is used to determine SUN Bucks eligibility only. The SUN Bucks application cannot be used to determine eligibility for NSLP or SBP. 

Schools/districts that report student data through SRI/SIF will continue to enter student data in the Student Information System (SIS) as normal. Because the student data is used to determine eligibility and issue SUN Bucks benefits, it’s essential that the data is accurate and up to date. The Department of Education may need to contact the school to obtain any missing or incomplete student data.

Nonpublic schools that do not report student data through SRI or SIF have an alternative option for reporting student data. An email has been sent to these schools with information on this reporting method. Questions related to this process can be sent to idoe.sebt@iowa.gov. 

The vast majority of SUN Bucks inquiries from parents/guardians will be resolved through the Iowa HHS Eligibility Determination Customer Service Center at 1-877-347-5678. 

The Department of Education may contact a school district or nonpublic school participating in NSLP or SBP if additional information is needed to respond to a SUN Bucks inquiry received from Iowa HHS or to obtain missing student information. A school may be asked to verify eligibility, student enrollment, address changes, etc.

No. Children who attend a CEP school may be eligible for SUN Bucks because they were on the Direct Certification (DC) list. If they were not on the DC list, the parent/guardian must complete a SUN Bucks application to determine eligibility. Household surveys cannot be used to determine eligibility for SUN Bucks. 

A fixed summer benefit amount of $120 per eligible child will be issued in the summer months.

Households who receive SNAP benefits will have the SUN Bucks deposited onto their SNAP card. A new SUN Bucks card will be mailed to all other eligible students for 2026. After the benefits are used, households should keep the SUN Bucks card in a safe place to use next summer.

Households who are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks but do not wish to participate should contact Iowa HHS at 1-877-347-5678 to opt out of the benefits.

Parents/guardians can get more information on SUN Bucks by visiting the Iowa HHS SUN Bucks webpage or by calling 1-877-347-5678.

Additional information on SUN Bucks is available on the USDA’s SUN Bucks webpage.

In addition to SUN Bucks, Iowa children and teens 18 years old and under can also access meals through the USDA’s SUN Meals and SUN Meals To-Go
programs:

• SUN Meals are meals and snacks served to kids at an eligible meal site.
• SUN Meals To-Go are meals and snacks that can be taken to-go in rural areas from eligible sites.

Local meal sites can be found in communities across the state. To find the nearest meal site, use the following options:

• By Phone: 
  Call 2-1-1
  Call 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479), English
  Call 1-877-8-HAMBRE (1-877-842-6273), Spanish
• By Text:
  Text “summer meals” to 914-342-7744
• Online:
  Visit the Summer Meals for Kids Finder: https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder