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 during the 2023-2024 school year;
• Were enrolled in PreK, elementary, middle, or high school, or are an adult learner during the 2023-2024 school year; 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 $55,500.

Your student is preapproved if they are between 5 and 18 years old and received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) at any point between July 1, 2023 - March 22, 2024.

Preapproved students can change their mailing address by calling 211. If your student is not preapproved, please apply.

185% of the Federal Poverty Level - School Year 2023-24

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, 2023 – March 22, 2024.

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, if a student is enrolled in a NSLP participating school at any time during the 2023-24 school year, they are eligible. If they do not meet the preapproval criteria above, they need to apply.

Yes, if a student is enrolled in a NSLP participating school at any time during the 2023-24 school year they are eligible. If they do not meet the preapproval criteria above, they need to apply.

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

Yes, your student’s SUN Bucks card will be issued by DC if your student is eligible in DC. 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.

You can apply for SUN Bucks online. It takes about 15 minutes to complete. Parents and guardians can complete one application for all the eligible students in their household.

The application will remain open until Sunday, Aug. 25, 2024.

The application will ask about all the members of your household, your contact information and household income. You do not need to attach any documentation.

If you’d like the card mailed to a different address, you can call 211. If you do not want your student to participate in SUN Bucks, you can cut up their card.

Notices were sent to some students we believe are eligible for SUN Bucks based on information we have in our school records. If you received one of these notices, please follow the QR code in your letter to the opt-in form. It takes 3-5 minutes to complete. You must complete the form to receive benefits. There are many other students who are eligible who did not receive a notice; those students should apply online.

Please submit an online application.

It depends. Attending a CEP school does not automatically qualify you for SUN Bucks. Your student may be preapproved for SUN Bucks if they meet the preapproval criteria above. If your student did not receive a preapproval notice in the mail, then you can submit an online application.

We have already begun processing cards for students who were preapproved. If you would like a replacement card mailed to a different address, you can call 211. If you receive a card at your old address, cut it up. Only one card can be active at a time.

We are processing cards for students who were preapproved. If you do not want your student to participate in SUN Bucks, you can cut up their card. No additional action is needed.

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 also reapply for SUN Bucks at any time before Aug. 25 if your circumstances change or if there was a mistake on the original application.

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.

Yes, you can reapply for SUN Bucks any time before Aug. 25.

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).

No, SUN Bucks EBT cards can only be mailed to eligible students. If you did not receive an EBT card in the mail you can update your address by calling 211 to have another card reissued and mailed to you.

Please contact our team at 211.

If your student is preapproved, you will receive a card loaded with $120 in the mail by late June. If you applied and were approved, you will receive a card in the mail within three to four weeks of your application being submitted.

The benefits will become available to spend whenever you receive the card in the mail. Unused benefits will expire approximately four months after you receive your benefits. You will receive a notification about a month before the benefits expire with the specific date so your family can plan.

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 (888) 304-9167.

Please contact our team at 211.

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.