SUN Bucks: Frequently Asked Questions
SUN Bucks benefits are intended for children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals and/or other food benefits.
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 see the eligibility here.
If a child does not receive other benefits and the family believes they qualify based on household income (see chart), the family can apply through the Application for Educational Benefits, also 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 ask 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 for exact numbers.
No. SUN Bucks eligibility is NOT based on enrollment in Medical Assistance. To be eligible for SUN Bucks, children must qualify in one of the following ways.
- Be a member of a household that participates in any of the programs:
- Minnesota Family Investment Program (MFIP)
- Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)
- Tribal Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF)
- Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Have an approved application on file with their school for free or reduced-price school meals. Contact the child’s school for an application.
- Approved through the SUN Bucks application.
Many children will receive their SUN Bucks cards in June, while other children will receive their SUN Bucks cards throughout the summer and early fall.
2026 SUN Bucks applications are now closed.
Most families do not need to fill out a SUN Bucks application.
The deadline to apply was Aug. 31, 2026. This deadline has now passed. Within two weeks of receiving your application, you will get a notice of approval or denial. If approved, benefits will take additional weeks to arrive. Applications received after this date will be processed for the 2027 SUN Bucks benefit.
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, 2025 – Aug. 31, 2026, they are eligible for SUN Bucks in 2026.
Make sure the preferred current phone number and email address are on record with the county or Tribe 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.
If a family recently moved, the new address might not be in the SUN Bucks records, and the child’s SUN Bucks card might be mailed to the previous address. Families can report a change of address to the SUN Bucks program by filling out a Help form Families should also update their child’s school and their county or Tribe with their new address.
A child may receive multiple benefits and cards if they are on different cases or have moved from one state to another. Each child is only eligible for one (1) SUN Bucks benefit of $120 per summer. Using more benefits than the child is allowed could result in being charged with fraud and/or disqualification from the SUN Bucks program. Families will have to pay back the extra benefits spent.
If the child has received more than one benefit, please contact the SUN Bucks Help Center at 651-431-4608 or fill out the SUN Bucks help form so this issue can be resolved. Do not spend the benefit from any extra cards. Replacement cards can still be requested in a card is lost or stolen.
SUN Bucks benefits can be used at any food retailer that accepts EBT cards, including grocery stores and participating farmers markets. SUN Bucks is now a part of the Market Bucks program. Click here to learn more.
The SUN Bucks total benefit is $120 ($40 per month of June, July and August).
Funds will be issued on the SUN Bucks cards and are usually ready for use immediately when received. It may take up to three weeks for the cards to be delivered.
SUN Bucks benefits are available for use for 122 days. For example, if benefits are issued and made available on July 31, 2026 they are available from July 31 through Nov. 29, 2026. Benefits for this account would expire as the clock strikes midnight and the date changes to Nov. 30, 2026.
Keep the SUN Bucks card in a safe place to use next summer. The program is currently determining if cards will be reused each year.
Cut up and dispose of all old SUN Bucks and Summer EBT cards.
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.
Children under age seven will qualify only if they attend a childcare, 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 daycares, preschools and Head Start do not participate in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, and these children will likely not qualify for SUN Bucks.
Every child needs to meet the eligibility criteria individually to receive SUN Bucks benefits.
If the student was approved for the free and reduced-price meal program between July 1, 2025 – Aug. 31, 2026, 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, or are placed in foster care, they will automatically be enrolled to receive SUN Bucks benefits.
Many Voluntary Prekindergarten, Early Childhood Special Education, and Early Education programs participate. Check with the nutrition director to see if the program your child attends is one that participates in NSLP or SBP. The student’s household must also meet income eligibility requirements.
To be eligible, a child must be enrolled in a program at a school that participates in the National School Lunch program or School Breakfast program, and their meals must be funded by one of those programs. Contact the school’s nutrition director to find out if they are eligible. The student’s household must also meet income 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.
Students with an Early Learning Scholarship can be eligible for SUN Bucks if their childcare center or early education program participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program AND the child eat breakfast and/or lunch at school.
If the child was approved for the free or reduced-price meal program between July 1, 2025 – Aug. 31, 2026, 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. If more than one benefit is used, the family is responsible for paying back any amount of benefits spent over $120. Contact the SUN Bucks Help line at 651-539-8447 if the child receives additional cards for assistance. Check the United States Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Administration 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, or is placed in foster care qualifies automatically for SUN Bucks. Homeschooled children who are not school-aged are not eligible for SUN Bucks.
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 Children, Youth, and Families – 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.