Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT)
Summer EBT is a new income-based food support program that provides families with $120 per eligible school-aged child to buy groceries when school is out for the summer. When children no longer receive free meals at school, their households might need extra help putting food on the table. The Summer EBT program is designed to meet this seasonal need.
Eligibility
Children may qualify if they're enrolled in certain public assistance programs or meet household income requirements.
Benefits
Children get $120 on a Summer EBT card for the summer to spend on approved groceries.
Eligibility
Children are automatically enrolled in Summer EBT if they are eligible for any length of time between Jul. 1, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2024. There are two ways a child can be eligible for Summer EBT:
- Children between the ages of 7-17 and a member of a household that participates in any of the following programs:
- Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Medical Assistance (MA) (Household must meet income requirements, see chart below.)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Or is in foster care.
- Children with an approved application for free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and attend a school participating in either program. There are no age restrictions for children who qualify through the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program application process.
How a child qualifies based on household income:
This chart reflects updates effective July 1, 2024. The income requirements for qualifying for the free and reduced-price meal program are the same.
Household size | Annual | Monthly | Twice per month | Every two weeks | Weekly |
1 | $27,861 | $2,322 | $1,161 | $1,072 | $536 |
2 | $37,814 | $3,152 | $1,576 | $1,455 | $728 |
3 | $47,767 | $3,981 | $1,991 | $1,838 | $919 |
4 | $57,720 | $4,810 | $2,405 | $2,220 | $1,110 |
5 | $67,673 | $5,640 | $2,820 | $2,603 | $1,302 |
6 | $77,626 | $6,469 | $3,235 | $2,986 | $1,493 |
7 | $87,579 | $7,299 | $3,650 | $3,369 | $1,685 |
8 | $97,532 | $8,128 | $4,064 | $3,752 | $1,876 |
For each additional family member, add | $9,953 | $830 | $415 | $383 | $192 |
How to apply
Families with children who are not automatically enrolled (see above for how a child would be automatically enrolled) and haven’t already applied for the free and reduced-price meal program for the 2023-2024 school year can take a few steps to find out if they qualify:
- Check to see if the household falls within the income limits outlined in the chart above.
- If the household meets the income requirements, contact the child's school to see if it participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
- If the child’s school participates and the household meets the income requirements, submit an application for free or reduced-price school meals. Contact the child’s school or school district for this application.
For change of address requests or other questions about Summer EBT please fill out and submit a Summer EBT help form.
How the Summer EBT program works
For each eligible child, families will receive a new Summer EBT card pre-loaded with $120 for the summer period ($40 per month for June, July and August). Summer EBT cards can be used just like an EBT card. Learn more about where to shop with a Summer EBT card, what participants can buy and more on the Minnesota EBT card webpage.
- The card will be labeled Summer EBT, and the child’s name and case number will be listed on the front.
- Benefits can be used at authorized retailers, such as grocery stores and farmers markets, to purchase healthy foods such as fruits, vegetables, meats and other protein sources, whole grains and dairy.
- Summer EBT benefits will expire 122 days after the date the card was issued. Please visit www.ebtedge.com or call ebtEDGE customer service at 888-997-2227 for the child’s specific benefit issuance date.
- Families who receive other EBT benefits should begin using their Summer EBT card as soon as possible and use up all Summer EBT benefits before continuing to use their regular EBT benefits.
- Families with eligible children who have provided their cell phone number will receive text messages about the Summer EBT program. Families can opt out at any time. Standard data and message rates apply. See terms and conditions.
There has been a rise in EBT card benefit theft in Minnesota and across the United States. Summer EBT cardholders can protect their benefits by keeping their PIN private, changing their PIN often, and never giving their card number or PIN information over the phone or text.
Frequently Asked Questions
Many children rely on free and reduced-price meals during the school year to meet their nutritional needs. Summer EBT eligibility requirements were designed to capture this group and help these families meet their children’s nutritional needs over the summer.
There are two ways a child is automatically enrolled in Summer EBT:
- A child enrolled at a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and is approved for free and reduced-price meals.
OR
- A child aged 7-17 who already participates in the Minnesota Family Investment Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Medical Assistance or is in foster care.
If a child does not receive these benefits and the family believes they qualify based on household income, the family can apply through the Application for Educational Benefits or Alternative Income Application for Community Eligibility Provision schools, commonly known as the application for free and reduced-price meals, through the child’s school or school district. If a family is unsure if their child’s school participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, they can inquire with the school or the school district’s nutrition coordinator.
Federal guidelines state that the family income must be 185% or less of the federal poverty limit. Please see the household income chart above for exact numbers.
No. Children who receive MA must also be a member of a household that meets the household income requirements that would qualify them to receive free and reduced-price school meals. See the household income chart above for exact number.
Most children will receive their Summer EBT cards in August, including all those who are:
- Enrolled in Minnesota Family Investment Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Medical Assistance or in foster care before May 31.
- Children whose applications for the free and reduced-price meal program were approved before May 31, 2024
Some children will receive their Summer EBT cards mid-October to early November, including:
- Children whose free or reduced-price meal applications were approved after May 31, 2024
- Children who are enrolled in the Minnesota Family Investment Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Medical Assistance or are placed in foster care after May 31, 2024.
Generally, families do not need to fill out a Summer EBT application.
Children who receive SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, or Medicaid benefits will be automatically enrolled by the Department of Human Services and Department of Children, Youth and Families.
Children who attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program and are approved for free and reduced-price meals are automatically enrolled by their school. Families should contact their child’s school to determine if they are eligible for Summer EBT.
Children who cannot be certified through any of the pathways listed above may apply for Summer EBT benefits through an online application. Summer EBT applications are processed by the Minnesota Department of Education and will be required to have the same eligibility components, including household income requirements.
To fill out an application directly with the Minnesota Department of Education click here. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2024.
Yes. If the child qualified at any point between July 1, 2023 – Aug. 31, 2024, they are eligible for Summer EBT in 2024. If the family would like to opt-out of Summer EBT benefits, they can fill out a Summer EBT helpform or call the helpline at 651-431-4608 and request that their benefits be removed. The family should then cut up the card and dispose of it.
Children under the age of 7 would qualify only if they are enrolled at a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and were approved through the free or reduced-price meal application. This is the case whether the child is in preschool, kindergarten or elementary school.
Children under age seven will qualify only if they attend a preschool or elementary school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and were approved through the application for free or reduced-price meals. Please contact the school to ask if the meals are provided under the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. Please be aware that most private preschools do not participate in these programs.
Every child needs to meet the eligibility criteria individually to receive Summer EBT benefits. The school-aged child will need to be approved for free and reduced-price meals with their school district or participate in another program, such as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Most private daycares do not participate in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, and these children will likely not qualify for Summer EBT.
If the student was approved for the free and reduced-price meal program between July 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, they should be enrolled in the Summer EBT program automatically by the school district. Alternatively, if they already participate in the Minnesota Family Investment Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Medical Assistance or are placed in foster care, they will automatically be enrolled to receive Summer EBT benefits.
Many Voluntary Prekindergarten, School Readiness Plus or Early Childhood Special Education programs participate. Check with the nutrition director to see if the program your child attends is one that participates. Student households must also meet income eligibility requirements.
If a Head Start program participates in National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, attending students may be eligible. For the 2023-2024 school year, only the Head Start program through Duluth Public Schools participated. Student households must also meet income eligibility requirements.
Students must eat their meals in the school cafeteria to be eligible.
If the child was approved for the free or reduced-price meal program between July 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, the school district should automatically enroll the child in the Summer EBT program, even if the child no longer attends school in that district. Check with the student’s previous school’s nutrition coordinator to ask if they sent all student information to the Minnesota Department of Education.
If the student was approved for the free or reduced-price meal program between July 1, 2023, and Aug. 31, 2024, the school district should automatically enroll them in the Summer EBT program, even if they graduated early. Contact the Summer EBT helpline at 651-431-4608 to confirm the child was enrolled in Summer EBT.
If the child was approved for the free or reduced-price meal program through a Minnesota school, they will receive their Summer EBT card from Minnesota. Please update the mailing address by filling out a Help Form. If the child was officially unenrolled from their school in Minnesota and enrolled in a different state, they may need to qualify for Summer EBT through their new state of residence. Check the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sun Bucks page to see which states participate in Summer EBT.
Any child aged 7-17 who participates in the Minnesota Family Investment Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Medical Assistance or is placed in foster care qualifies automatically for Summer EBT. Homeschooled children who are not currently enrolled in any of those programs are not eligible for Summer EBT.
No, all participants will receive a new Summer EBT card in the mail. If the old P-EBT card has a zero balance, cut it up and dispose of it.
Each eligible child will receive a card with a total benefit of $120.
Funds will be issued on the Summer EBT cards and ready for use immediately when received. Cards are expected to be mailed starting the last week of July through mid-August 2024. It may take up to three weeks for the cards to be delivered. Some families will receive cards in August, and some may receive them in September. If the child was determined to be eligible for Summer EBT between May 31 and Aug. 31, 2024, they should expect to receive their cards from the end of mid-October to early November.
Summer EBT benefits will expire 122 days after the date the benefits were loaded into the account. Many children’s Summer EBT benefits expire November 20-22, while others will expire later, based on issuance date. Please visit www.ebtedge.com or call ebtEDGE customer service at 888-997-2227 for the child’s specific benefit issuance date. Expired benefits cannot be replaced. Due to the expiration date of Summer EBT benefits, families who receive other EBT benefits should use up all Summer EBT benefits before continuing to use regular EBT benefits.
Families can use the free ebtEDGE mobile app (available In the Apple App Store and Google Play Store) or www.ebtedge.com online portal to see benefit balances, SNAP retailer and ATM locations, benefit schedules, a statement of the last 60 days of transactions made on the card and freeze their card and block online and out of state transactions. Parents or guardians will need to enter the child's Summer EBT card number and PIN to access account information.
For additional questions or help with a Summer EBT card, call ebtEDGE customer service at 888-997-2227.
Summer EBT is a new program with new eligibility criteria, and the three coordinating state agencies need time to collect, merge and analyze data to ensure all eligible participants are included. Most of the Summer EBT Cards will arrive in homes in August and September 2024, with those who became eligible during the summer period receiving their cards in mid-October to early November.
The University of Minnesota Extension and North Dakota State University Extension have created a 2024 Summer Meal Guide specifically for busy families on a budget, which can be used to get ideas for summer meals.
Free breakfasts and lunches are provided around the state. Please download the Free Food for Kids app to find locations. Learn more here.
If a child was determined to be ineligible for Summer EBT, and families would like to appeal this decision, they may request an appeal hearing orally or in writing. Households must submit their appeal within 90 days of the end of the summer operational period (June 1 to Aug. 31, 2024). They may request an appeal of a decision made with respect to:
1. An application the household has made for Summer EBT benefits;
2. A streamlined certification for Summer EBT benefits
3. A verification process or procedure; or
4. Any adverse actions taken against the household by the Department of Human Services, Department of Children, Youth and Families or the Minnesota Department of Education.
Most hearings are held by telephone, but if requested, may be held by video conference or in person.
To appeal online, households may use the DHS-0033-ENG (Appeal to State Agency) or may send a letter indicating disagreement with the agency's decision.
Requests can be delivered by mail, fax or in person to the Appeals Division at the addresses and fax number below.
By mail:
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Appeals Division
PO Box 64941
St. Paul, MN 55164-0941
Fax: 651-431-7523
In person:
Minnesota Department of Human Services
Appeals Division
444 Lafayette Road N.
St. Paul, MN 55155
Federal regulations do not allow for the replacement of stolen Summer EBT benefits. The parent or legal guardian can report a lost or stolen card to EBT Customer Service by calling 1-888-997-2227 or by visiting www.ebtedge.com. Please change the PIN in the app to protect any remaining benefits.
Families can submit a Help Form ticket indicating the names and dates of birth of the children who wish to opt out of Summer EBT benefits. The family will receive a notification that they have been removed from the Summer EBT benefits for the current year. If cards have been received, they should be cut up and disposed of.
Call the Summer EBT helpline at 651-431-4608.
Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) Card
