By Hola Iowa
Iowa families have until August 14, 2026, to apply for SUN Bucks if their children do not receive the summer grocery benefit automatically.
Iowa families may still qualify for a one-time SUN Bucks benefit of $120 for each eligible child, but applications must be received by August 14, 2026.
SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, helps families buy groceries during the summer months when children do not have regular access to school meals.
Some children receive the benefit automatically through SNAP, FIP, Medicaid, foster care or free and reduced-price school meal eligibility. Other families must submit an application, including some whose children attend schools where meals are free for every student.
SUN Bucks can now be used for all foods allowed under federal SNAP purchasing rules, including food items that were eligible before Iowa’s restrictions took effect on January 1, 2026.
Who receives SUN Bucks automatically
For automatic eligibility, a child must meet one of these initial conditions:
- The child attended grades K-12 during the 2025-2026 school year at a school participating in the National School Lunch Program; or
- The child was between ages 6 and 16 at some point from July 1, 2025, through August 14, 2026.
The child must also meet at least one of the following requirements:
- Received benefits through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP.
- Received benefits through Iowa’s Family Investment Program, or FIP.
- Received Medicaid and belonged to a household with income at or below 185% of the federal poverty level.
- Was in foster care.
- Was approved for free or reduced-price school meals through an application submitted to the school.
- Qualified for free school meals because the child was experiencing homelessness, was a migrant or was considered a runaway under federal program rules.
Families with active SNAP cases receive the SUN Bucks payment on their existing SNAP EBT card. They do not receive a separate SUN Bucks card for an eligible child.
Who still needs to apply
A family may need to apply when a child does not qualify automatically but attended a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program during the 2025-2026 school year.
The household must also meet the program’s income requirements.
Families may use the SUN Bucks eligibility checker to determine whether a child may qualify. The checker does not submit an application, and completing it does not enroll a child in the program.
Applications must be received by Iowa Health and Human Services no later than August 14, 2026.
Students at CEP schools may still need an application
Attending a Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, school does not make every student automatically eligible for SUN Bucks.
CEP schools provide breakfast and lunch at no cost to all students, regardless of individual household income. SUN Bucks uses separate eligibility rules.
A family must apply if its child attends a CEP school but does not qualify automatically through SNAP, FIP, eligible Medicaid coverage, foster care or another approved category.
Homeschooled children may qualify only when they meet the same eligibility requirements that apply to other children.
How to apply for SUN Bucks in Iowa
Families can apply online through My Access Iowa.
A paper application is also available in English and Spanish. One application can be used for all children in the household.
Completed paper applications may be submitted by email, fax or mail using the instructions provided on the Iowa SUN Bucks program page.
Applications sent by fax can be submitted to 515-564-4015. Mailed applications should be sent to:
Iowa HHS – Imaging Center
1407 Independence Ave.
Waterloo, IA 50704
SUN Bucks income limits
Families applying for SUN Bucks must report total gross household income before taxes and deductions. The following monthly limits are in effect from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027:
| Household size | Gross monthly income limit |
|---|---|
| 1 | $2,461 |
| 2 | $3,337 |
| 3 | $4,212 |
| 4 | $5,088 |
| 5 | $5,964 |
| 6 | $6,839 |
| 7 | $7,715 |
| 8 | $8,591 |
Add $876 per month for each additional household member.
How families receive the $120 benefit
Households participating in SNAP receive $120 for each eligible child on their existing SNAP EBT card.
Households that do not participate in SNAP receive a separate SUN Bucks card for each eligible child. The card is issued in the child’s name.
For children connected to FIP, Medicaid or foster care, the card is mailed to the address associated with that case. For other children, the card is sent to the address reported to the child’s school.
What to do if the SUN Bucks card did not arrive
Families that do not have an active SNAP card and have not received an expected SUN Bucks card should call Iowa HHS at 1-877-347-5678 to verify the child’s eligibility and mailing address.
A family that moved after a card was issued should call 1-833-631-2508 to update its address before requesting a replacement card.
If a SUN Bucks card was lost or stolen, or cannot be activated, call Iowa EBT Customer Service at 1-800-359-5802. Assistance is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
How to activate a SUN Bucks card
To activate the card, call the customer service number printed on the back and follow the automated instructions.
Families will need:
- The 19-digit SUN Bucks card number.
- The five-digit ZIP code connected to the card.
- The child’s date of birth in MMDDYYYY format.
The caller will then create a four-digit PIN. The PIN should be kept private to protect the benefits.
Families can check the balance through ConnectEBT, the ConnectEBT mobile app or EBT Customer Service at 1-800-359-5802.
What can be purchased with SUN Bucks
SUN Bucks follows federal SNAP purchasing rules. Families may use the benefit for eligible groceries at supermarkets, farmers markets and other authorized retailers.
Food items that were eligible for SNAP before January 1, 2026, can be purchased with SUN Bucks. This includes items that had temporarily been excluded under Iowa’s Healthy Foods Waiver.
SUN Bucks cannot be used for alcohol, tobacco, vitamins, medicines, hot foods sold for immediate consumption or nonfood household products.
Purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables may also qualify for a Double Up Food Bucks match at participating locations.
SUN Bucks benefits expire after 122 days
SUN Bucks is a one-time summer benefit, not a monthly payment. The money expires 122 days after the date it is issued, regardless of whether the card has been used.
Unused benefits expire at midnight on day 122. The balance becomes $0 on day 123 and cannot be restored or appealed.
For households receiving SUN Bucks and SNAP on the same EBT card, SUN Bucks funds are used before regular SNAP benefits.
Families should use the complete SUN Bucks balance before its expiration date. The physical card should be kept in a safe place after the balance is depleted because it may be used again during a future summer.
Free summer meals are also available
Children and teenagers age 18 and younger can receive free meals through the USDA’s SUN Meals and SUN Meals To-Go programs.
SUN Meals provides meals and snacks at participating sites. SUN Meals To-Go allows families in eligible rural areas to pick up meals and snacks from approved locations.
Families can find a nearby site by calling 2-1-1, 1-866-3-HUNGRY for assistance in English or 1-877-8-HAMBRE for assistance in Spanish.
They may also text “summer meals” to 914-342-7744 or use the USDA summer meal site finder.
The deadline for Iowa HHS to receive SUN Bucks applications is August 14, 2026.
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