Sun Bucks are back for Summer 2025 North Carolina!

North Carolina --  Schools will be out for summer soon! North Carolina Public Schools have announced the return of SUN  Bucks 2025:

SUN Bucks is back for the summer of 2025. Eligible families can receive a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child to help purchase groceries while school is out. 

SUN Bucks, a USDA program, provides benefits on a debit-like card that can be used to buy healthy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and some online retailers. This is a great way to ensure your children have access to nutritious food during the summer break. 

The following information is from their website, including link that provides more information and a link to apply"

SUN Bucks is a US Department of Agriculture (USDA) program that provides grocery-buying benefits in a one-time payment of $120 per eligible child on a debit-like card that can be used to buy nutritious food during the summer months when schools are out.

Follow NCDHHS on Instagram, Facebook page, and X account (Twitter) for program announcements.

Key Updates
SUN Bucks is back for Summer 2025! Look for notices about automatic eligibility and invitations to apply.
Most students will be automatically enrolled in the program, but some will need to apply. To determine if you need to apply for SUN Bucks for your child, please use our Eligibility Chatbot in the bottom right corner of this page.
SUN Bucks Search Tool. See if your child's school is part of the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or Community Eligibility Provision (CEP). Whether or not the school is NSLP or CEP may impact your child's eligibility (see "⁠Does my child qualify for SUN Bucks" for more information).
SUN Bucks questions? Contact a SUN Bucks customer service representative by calling 1-866-719-0141, choose your language, then press option 2.
Who is Eligible to Receive SUN Bucks?
Many North Carolina  children who are eligible for SUN Bucks will receive them without needing to complete a SUN Bucks application. 

If your child is enrolled in a NSLP school for the 2024-2025 school year and meets one of the scenarios below, they are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks and do not need to submit an application:  

Child completed a SUN Bucks application between July 1, 2024 - August 31, 2024, and was approved. You do not need to complete another application for summer 2025, so long as the child is still enrolled in a NSLP/CEP participating school.
Your child gets Free or Reduced-Price meals through the child’s school.
Important: This does not apply for children in schools where all students get free meals (CEP schools), however, they could be automatically eligible if they participate in any of the programs listed in the section below (any age).
OR

If your child’s date of birth is between July 2, 2007 to August 31, 2018, and they participate in at least one of the programs below, they do not need to submit an application as they are automatically eligible to receive SUN Bucks:

Food and Nutrition Services (FNS, food stamps), or
Work First (cash assistance), or  
Medicaid and has a household income of less than 185% of the federal poverty level, or
Cherokee Tribal Food Distribution Program (CTFDP), or
Child is in Foster Care, or
Child is enrolled in the McKinney-Vento program (experiencing homelessness or runaway)

Click the link for more information and click here

WNCTimes

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