SUN Bucks Frequently Asked Questions

Students are eligible for SUN Bucks if they:

• Attended a District of Columbia Public School, a DC public charter school, or a DC private school participating in the National School Lunch Program;
• Are enrolled in PreK, elementary, middle, or high school, or are an adult learner; AND
• Live in a household with an annual income less than or equal to 185 percent of the federal poverty level. For example, for a family of 4, that's $57,720.

185% of the Federal Poverty Level - Effective July 1, 2024

No. You do not need to be a US citizen. Receiving SUN Bucks does not affect your student or your family’s immigration status.

No, receiving SUN Bucks will not affect your ability to receive other government benefits.

Eligibility for SUN Bucks is determined for each student individually, not the household. This means it is possible to have both eligible and ineligible students in your household.

Your homeschooled student is eligible for SUN Bucks if they are between 5-18 years old and received SNAP or TANF at any point between July 1, 2024 - today.

Yes, if they attend DC Public Schools (DCPS), a DC public charter school, or a DC private school that participates in the National School Lunch Program, and your household income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level.

Yes, if your household income is at or below 185 percent of the federal poverty level and your student attends a DC private school that offers the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (Washington Middle School for Girls, San Miguel School, Covenant of the Protestant, or Bishop John T. Walker School for Boys).

Yes, participating in a summer educational program does not affect a student’s eligibility for SUN Bucks.

Yes, SUN Bucks cards can be used at any retailer that accepts SNAP in any state.

SNAP and SUN Bucks are different programs with different eligibility requirements. It is possible for a student to be eligible for SUN Bucks and not eligible for SNAP. You can check if your household is eligible for SNAP here. SUN Bucks can be used at retailers that accept SNAP.

Your student can receive free meals at DC Youth Meals sites between June and August. The program is open to all students age 18 and younger. There is no application, no sign-up and no ID required. You can find a site near you here or by texting “Food” to 304304. You can also find your nearest food bank here.

The Summer 2024 program has ended. If you'd like to apply for Summer 2025, you can do so using this application.

Household income includes things like employment, disability benefits, public assistance, Social Security, pensions, veteran’s benefits, child support, alimony, cash contributions, and unemployment benefits. 

No, you do not need to report changes in your income once your application is approved. You will not be asked to pay back benefits if your income changes.

It depends. Eligibility for SUN Bucks is reassessed every year. If your student meets preapproval criteria in 2025, you will not need to apply. We will provide more information about eligibility for Summer 2025 in Spring 2025.

To save residents time applying, DC Government securely uses data we have from District programs that share eligibility requirements with SUN Bucks. For example, if your student receives SNAP, then we already know your family’s income is within the allowable limit to receive SUN Bucks.

Your student will receive their SUN Bucks card by mail in a plain white envelope addressed from Fidelity Information Services (FIS).

You will receive a Notice of Eligibility Determination after your application is submitted. If your application is denied, the notice will state the reason for the denial. You can appeal the decision by requesting a fair hearing.

You may appeal through any of the following methods:

• Complete a Request for Hearing form and fax it to (202) 724-2041, or e-mail to [email protected];
• Go to the Office of Administrative Hearings Resource Center, located at 441 4th Street NW, Suite 450-North, Washington, DC 20001 and fill out a Request for Hearing form; or
• Have a representative request a hearing on your behalf so long as you submit a written authorization, designating that person as your representative within 10 days of the hearing request.

The benefits will become available to spend whenever you receive the card in the mail. Unused benefits will expire 122 days after the date the money is deposited on your card. You will receive a notification about a month before the benefits expire with the specific date so your family can plan.

Once benefits expire, you will not be able to use them and they can not be reissued. If you have questions about the expungement date for your student’s benefits, please contact FIS, the District’s EBT vendor, at (888) 304-9167.

To activate your EBT card and set a PIN, call the District’s EBT card vendor, FIS, at 888-304-9167. 

1. When asked for your student’s social security number (SSN), enter all zeros: 000-00-0000. 
2. When asked for your student’s date of birth (DOB), enter it as MM/DD/YYYY. 
3. When asked for your student’s ZIP code, enter for the five-digit ZIP of the address where the card was mailed.  
4. You will then be asked to pick a four-digit PIN of your own choosing. Keep your PIN secure and never share it with anyone. If you cannot remember it or someone finds out your PIN, call FIS at 888-304-9167 to select a new PIN. 

Each eligible student will receive a card in their name. For example, if you have three eligible students, your household will receive three cards.

SUN Bucks can be used to purchase the same foods approved for SNAP, including fruits, vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, breads, cereals, snacks and non-alcoholic beverages. SUN Bucks cannot be used for hot foods, pet foods, alcohol and non-food items such as cleaning supplies, personal hygiene items and medicine.

SUN Bucks are accepted at retailers authorized to accept SNAP, including most grocery stores, some farmers’ markets, corner stores and big box stores. You can use the Retail Locator to find a store near you.

Yes, you can use SUN Bucks to purchase eligible food items online for delivery to your residence at Amazon Fresh, Giant, Safeway (varies by location), and Instacart. Benefits cannot be used to pay for fees or the delivery charge.

No, you do not need to spend the $120 all at once.

You can request a replacement card by calling FIS, the District’s EBT card vendor, at (888) 304-9167. FIS is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. If you need your replacement card sent to a different address than where you received your last card, please visit our website's Contact Us page and answer a few questions through our interactive system. The system will then provide you with specific instructions for how to request your student’s new card.

If your card is lost or stolen, to ensure your account's security, please change the PIN for your SUN Bucks card immediately. We recommend that you report any suspicious activity or fraudulent use of your benefits as soon as possible to the DHS Office of Program Review Monitoring and Investigation (OPRMI). You can call them at (202) 671-4460. They will conduct an investigation into the matter. More information is available at dhs.dc.gov/page/fraud.

Please note that unfortunately, DHS is not able to replace benefits lost to theft or fraud.

Please visit our website's Contact Us page and answer a few questions through our interactive system. The system will then provide you with specific instructions for how to request your student’s new card.

You can check the balance of their benefits using the ebtEdge Mobile App available for Apple mobile devices or Android mobile devices, visiting the FIS ebtEdge website or contacting FIS at (888) 304-9167. Benefit balances are also printed on your store receipt. 

No, P-EBT has ended and P-EBT cards cannot be used for other programs. For more information about P-EBT you can visit dhs.dc.gov/p-ebt. SUN Bucks is a new program and eligible students will receive a new EBT card in the mail pre-loaded with food benefits.

No, the SUN Bucks program requires a separate EBT card.

Yes, we encourage you to use SUN Bucks first because SUN Bucks will expire approximately four months after you receive your benefits. DC Government will send you a notice with the date when your student’s benefits will expire.

No, your student does not need to be present when SUN Bucks are used.