Summer EBT, also called SUN Bucks, gives families $120 per school-age child to buy groceries during summer break, when school meals stop. In summer 2026, 39 states plus Washington, D.C., five U.S. territories and five tribal nations took part. Eleven states did not, including Texas, Florida and Georgia. Most eligible children are enrolled automatically through SNAP, TANF or free school meals, so many families never need to apply.
Summer EBT 2026: which states take part
This is USDA’s list as of August 14, 2026:
| Status | States |
|---|---|
| Taking part (39 + DC) | Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia, Wisconsin, Wyoming |
| Not taking part (11) | Alaska, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Utah |
| Territories | American Samoa, Guam, Northern Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, U.S. Virgin Islands |
| Tribal nations (Oklahoma) | Cherokee Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Otoe-Missouria Tribe |
States decide each year. Indiana cited the new costs states face under the 2025 budget law when it opted out for 2026. Texas lawmakers set aside $60 million in 2025 to start in 2027, but Gov. Greg Abbott vetoed that money in June 2025, citing uncertainty about federal cost-sharing. Texas would need new funding to join. USDA hadn’t published a 2027 list as of September 2026.
What we know about summer 2027
Some states have already said what they’ll do. On July 20, 2026, Indiana’s Family and Social Services Administration said the state will skip SUN Bucks again in 2027, pointing families to summer meal sites instead. Texas has no funding to start. Other states usually confirm in the winter or spring, and USDA updates its participating list as they do. If you live in a state that isn’t taking part, check back in early 2027.
How much families get
| Where you live | Benefit per child for summer 2026 |
|---|---|
| 48 states and DC | $120 |
| Hawaii | $189 |
| Alaska (not taking part in 2026) | $162 to $252 depending on area |
| Territories | $180 |
A family with three school-age children in Ohio gets $360 for the summer. That’s on top of any regular SNAP, not instead of it.
Who qualifies
A child generally qualifies if they are school-age and one of these is true:
- Automatic: the household gets SNAP, TANF or FDPIR (food distribution on Indian reservations), and in some states certain Medicaid coverage.
- Automatic: the child goes to a school in the National School Lunch or Breakfast Program and was approved for free or reduced-price meals.
- By application: the household income meets free or reduced-price meal limits, but the child wasn’t already certified. This includes many children in schools where all students eat free.
If you think your child qualifies but got nothing by midsummer, apply through your state’s Summer EBT page or call your state agency. You’ll need the child’s name, date of birth, school and address, and your household income.
How to apply if you weren’t enrolled automatically
Most families don’t need to do anything. If you do, here’s the usual path:
- Wait for the automatic round first. States send the first benefits in early summer to children already on SNAP, TANF or free school meals.
- Check your state’s page. Use the contact table below. Some states take applications online. California says families who aren’t enrolled automatically apply at their child’s school.
- Apply before the deadline. States close applications in late summer. For 2026, North Carolina’s deadline was August 15 and Pennsylvania’s was August 31.
- Watch the mail. Approval notices and cards go to the address the state has on file. If you moved, update your address with your school district or SNAP office.
- Late applications may roll forward. Pennsylvania says applications received after August 31, 2026 are held for summer 2027.
Summer EBT 2026 state contacts and deadlines
These come from USDA’s Summer EBT page for each state and from state agency pages:
| State | Program and where to go | Phone | 2026 notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona | SUN Bucks, Arizona Department of Education (azed.gov/SUNBucks) | 833-648-4406 | Card balance line: 888-997-9333 |
| California | SUN Bucks, California Department of Social Services (cdss.ca.gov/sun-bucks) | 1-877-328-9677 | $120 per child; if not enrolled automatically, apply at your child’s school |
| Illinois | Summer EBT, Illinois Department of Human Services | 833-621-0737 | None listed |
| Louisiana | SUN Bucks, state agency page linked from USDA | 1-888-524-3578 | None listed |
| Michigan | Summer EBT, Michigan MDHHS | 833-905-0028, option 2 | None listed |
| New Jersey | Summer EBT (nj.gov/summerebt) | 1-800-997-3333 | None listed |
| New York | Summer EBT, OTDA (otda.ny.gov/programs/summer-ebt) | 1-833-452-0096 | None listed |
| North Carolina | SUN Bucks, NCDHHS (ncdhhs.gov/sunbucks) | 1-866-719-0141, option 2 | Applications closed August 15; benefits expire 122 days after issue |
| Ohio | Ohio SUN Bucks (sebt.ohio.gov) | 1-866-244-0071, option 1 | None listed |
| Pennsylvania | SUN Bucks, PA Department of Human Services | 1-877-395-8930; Philadelphia 215-560-7226 | Applications closed August 31; four months to spend; SNAP and TANF families get it on their existing card |
For any other participating state, search USDA’s Summer EBT participating list and click your state. Each state page links to the right agency.
How benefits arrive and how long they last
Depending on the state, SUN Bucks are:
- added to your existing SNAP EBT card,
- mailed on a new card in the child’s name, or
- sent another way your state chooses.
Watch for a plain-looking card in the mail in June or July. If you already get SNAP or TANF, check your regular card first; Pennsylvania, for example, loads SUN Bucks onto the existing card and mails a separate card only to other families. Families have thrown them away thinking they were junk mail. Timing is set by each state; Massachusetts, for example, paid its first round on June 1, 2026.
Benefits don’t last all year. States remove unused SUN Bucks after a set time, often 122 days from deposit (Massachusetts and North Carolina use this rule; Pennsylvania says four months). Spend them within about four months.
Here’s what that means in real dates. Benefits loaded on June 1 would expire around October 1 under a 122-day rule. Benefits loaded in mid-July would last into mid-November. Your state’s notice gives the exact date, and your EBT app or the number on the back of the card shows what’s left.
What SUN Bucks can buy
The same food SNAP buys: fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, bread, cereal and snacks. No hot foods, and no household supplies. In states with SNAP soda and candy restrictions, check how your state applies them to SUN Bucks; see SNAP soda and candy ban states. If the benefit is on a regular EBT card, you can usually use it at online stores too; see using SNAP online.
If your state isn’t taking part
Children in the 11 non-participating states can still get free meals at summer meal sites. USDA’s SUN Meals program runs sites at schools, parks and libraries, and some rural areas offer grab-and-go or delivered meals. Text “Summer Meals” to 914-342-7744 or call the USDA National Hunger Hotline at 1-866-3-HUNGRY to find sites. Families on SNAP should also make sure they’re getting every deduction; see SNAP benefit amounts.
Quick answers
Do I have to pay SUN Bucks back? No. It’s a benefit, not a loan.
Does SUN Bucks count against immigration applications? This is changing; read our SNAP for immigrants guide and talk to an immigration attorney before deciding.
Is it too late to apply for summer 2026? In many states, yes. North Carolina closed on August 15 and Pennsylvania on August 31. Call your state’s line to ask. Some states hold late applications for next summer.
I lost the SUN Bucks card. What now? Call your state’s Summer EBT line (see the table above) and ask them to cancel the old card and send a new one. Do it fast. Anyone with the card and PIN can spend the balance.
Where can I use SUN Bucks? Anywhere that takes SNAP. USDA’s SNAP Retailer Locator shows grocery stores, farmers markets and online stores that accept it. Many farmers markets also match SNAP dollars.
Do SUN Bucks lower my SNAP? No. It’s an extra summer benefit for children, and your monthly SNAP stays the same.
My child gets SNAP. Is Summer EBT separate? Yes. It’s an extra summer benefit for the child. Check your balance to see if it loaded; see how to check your EBT balance.
Not on SNAP yet? See how to apply for SNAP and what SNAP is.
More SNAP help by topic: SNAP and EBT guides.
Sources: USDA: Summer EBT participating states (updated Aug 14, 2026), USDA: 2026 Summer EBT benefit levels (Apr 22, 2026), USDA: SUN Bucks, USDA: Summer EBT for households, Massachusetts: SUN Bucks FAQ, Indiana Capital Chronicle: state opts out for 2026, KUT: Abbott vetoes $60 million for Summer EBT (June 2025), USDA: Summer EBT in California, USDA: Summer EBT in North Carolina, USDA: Summer EBT in Pennsylvania, USDA: Summer EBT in Ohio, USDA: Summer EBT in New York, USDA: Summer EBT in Illinois, USDA: Summer EBT in Michigan, USDA: Summer EBT in Arizona, USDA: Summer EBT in New Jersey, USDA: Summer EBT in Louisiana, CDSS: SUN Bucks, NCDHHS: SUN Bucks, Pennsylvania DHS: SUN Bucks, WBIW: Indiana to skip SUN Bucks again in 2027 (July 20, 2026).