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SUN Bucks: Frequently Asked Questions
If you believe your children are eligible for SUN Bucks but have not yet received benefits, please wait until the end of July before requesting a change of address or inquiring about their eligibility. The majority of children eligible through the free and reduced-price school meal program will receive their benefits later in the summer.
Many children rely on free and reduced-price meals during the school year to meet their nutritional needs. SUN Bucks eligibility requirements were designed to capture this group and help these families meet their children’s nutritional needs over the summer.
Each child must qualify individually for SUN Bucks benefits.
There are two ways a child is automatically eligible for and enrolled in SUN Bucks. Please refer to the eligibility section above.
If a child does not receive these benefits and the family believes they qualify based on household income (see chart above), 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 (185% of federal poverty levels) that would qualify them to receive free and reduced-price school meals. See the household income chart above for exact number.
Many children will receive their SUN Bucks cards in late May/early June, 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 (must meet income requirements) or in foster care before March 30, 2025.
Some children will receive their SUN Bucks cards June through September, including:
- Children who have an approved application for free and reduced-price school meals
- Homeless and migrant children
- Children who are enrolled on or after April 1 in the Minnesota Family Investment Program, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations, Medical Assistance (must meet income requirements)
- Children who are placed in foster care after April 1
Generally, families do not need to fill out a SUN Bucks application.
Children who receive SNAP, TANF, FDPIR, or Medical Assistance (must meet income requirements) 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 SUN Bucks.
Children who are known to their local school district to be homeless or migrant and were enrolled in the free and reduced-price school meal program by their school are eligible for SUN Bucks. Families should contact their child’s school to determine if they were enrolled in SUN Bucks.
Children who cannot be certified through any of the pathways listed above may apply for SUN Bucks benefits through an online application. SUN Bucks 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 a SUN Bucks application directly with the Minnesota Department of Education click here. The deadline to apply is August 31, 2025. Those applying directly will be required to meet the same eligibility components, including household income requirements. Notifications of approval or denial will begin in the spring of 2025.
Please note that submissions for 2024 summer period are no longer being accepted.
SUN Bucks Application Verification
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) requires State agencies to verify a randomly selected sample of 3% of all approved SUN Bucks applications. This sample is drawn from applications approved between the start of the instructional year and April 1 of the school year immediately preceding the summer program.
Applications submitted after April 1 may still be verified for cause, on a case-by-case basis, as outlined in section (a)(1) of the USDA regulations.
The Minnesota Department of Education (MDE) will conduct the verification process. Households selected for verification will be notified in writing and will be informed of the specific documents or information required. Selected households will have two weeks to submit the requested materials.
For any questions about the SUN Bucks application, please email sunbucks.mde@state.mn.us.
Yes. If the child qualified at any point between July 1, 2024 – Aug. 31, 2025, they are eligible for SUN Bucks in 2025.
Make sure the preferred current phone number and email address are on record with the county and the child’s school.
If an eligible family does not wish to receive SUN Bucks benefits, they can submit a Help Form or call the helpline at 651-431-4608.
If cards have been received, they should be cut up and thrown away.
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 and Head Start programs do not participate in these programs.
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 SUN Bucks 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 SUN Bucks.
If the student was approved for the free and reduced-price meal program between July 1, 2024 – Aug. 31, 2025, they should be enrolled in the SUN Bucks 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 (must meet income requirements) or are placed in foster care, they will automatically be enrolled to receive SUN Bucks 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, their students may be eligible. For the 2024-2025 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 to be eligible. Meals must be funded through the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
If the child was approved for the free or reduced-price meal program between July 1, 2024 – Aug. 31, 2025, the school district should automatically enroll the child in the SUN Bucks 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.
Early graduation does not affect SUN Bucks eligibility.
If the child was approved for the free or reduced-price meal program through a Minnesota school, they will receive their SUN Bucks 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 SUN Bucks through their new state of residence. Each child is eligible for one SUN Bucks benefit. If you receive more than one card, only use the one from the state where your child most recently attended school. Check the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Sun Bucks page to see which states participate in SUN Bucks.
Any child aged 7-17 whose household 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 (must meet household income requirements) or is placed in foster care qualifies automatically for SUN Bucks. Homeschooled children who are not school-aged are not eligible for SUN Bucks.
Each eligible child will receive a card with a total benefit of $120 ($40 per month of June, July and August).
Funds will be issued on the SUN Bucks cards and ready for use immediately when received. Cards are expected to be mailed starting the last week of May through September 2025. It may take up to three weeks for the cards to be delivered. If the child was determined to be eligible for SUN Bucks after March 31st, they should expect to receive their cards towards the end of June or 15 days after becoming eligible.
SUN Bucks benefits are available for use for 122 days. For example, if benefits are issued and made available on July 31, 2025, they are available from July 31 through Nov. 29, 2025. Benefits for this account would expire as the clock strikes midnight and the date changes to Nov. 30, 2025.
Keep the SUN Bucks card in a safe place to use next summer. Future SUN Bucks benefits for the same child will be accessible from the original SUN Bucks card, unless a replacement card is ordered.
If the child received a Sun Bucks card for 2024, that card will not be used again and can be thrown away.
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 SUN Bucks card number and PIN to access account information.
For additional questions or help with a SUN Bucks card, call ebtEDGE customer service at 888-997-2227.
Yes. Benefits may be replaced in cases of misfortune or disaster. Click here for the Benefit Replacement due to Disaster Request Form. You must fill it out within 10 business days from the date of the loss.
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 SUN Bucks, and families would like to appeal this decision, they may request an appeal hearing orally or in writing. Households must submit their appeal by Nov. 29. This follows the requirement that appeals be submitted within 90 days of the end of the summer operational period (June 1 to Aug. 31). They may request an appeal of a decision made with respect to:
1. An application the household has made for SUN Bucks benefits;
2. A streamlined certification for SUN Bucks 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. Households may request a conference with the SUN Bucks program staff to discuss their situation prior to an appeal hearing. This will not affect a family’s right to a fair hearing. Please remember that benefit expungement cannot be appealed, so remember to use up benefits in a timely manner.
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 SUN Bucks 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.
For more information about fraud or to report suspected fraud, click the following link: Minnesota Department of Human Services – Report Fraud .
Have case-specific questions?
Call the SUN Bucks helpline at 651-431-4608 or submit a request using the Sun Bucks Help Form.