By Hola Iowa
Iowa Health and Human Services has announced that the SUN Bucks program, also known as Summer EBT, will provide $120 for each eligible child to assist families in purchasing food during the summer months when school is not in session.
The SUN Bucks program in Iowa will offer a one-time benefit of $120 per eligible child for food purchases over the summer.
This assistance targets low-income families with school-aged children. Iowa Health and Human Services (Iowa HHS) stated that the benefit can be used at supermarkets, farmers’ markets, and other authorized retailers.
The program is also referred to as Summer EBT. Some families will receive the benefit automatically, while others will need to apply when it becomes available in early June.
Applications for SUN Bucks 2026 must be received by Iowa HHS no later than August 14, 2026.
Who can receive SUN Bucks automatically
A child may be automatically eligible if they were enrolled in grades K-12 during the 2025-2026 school year and their school participated in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP), or if they are between the ages of 6 and 16 from July 1, 2025, to August 14, 2026.
In addition to meeting one of these conditions, the child must belong to a family that received SNAP or Family Investment Program (FIP), received Medicaid with income up to 185% of the federal poverty level, is in foster care, or was approved for free or reduced-price school meals.
Children approved for free or reduced-price meals through their school may also qualify, as well as those experiencing homelessness, who are migrants, or who are considered runaways under the program’s criteria.
Families that already receive SNAP do not need to obtain a separate card for SUN Bucks if the child is eligible. In these cases, the benefit will be automatically added to the existing SNAP EBT card.
When a family must fill out an application
Not all children will receive SUN Bucks automatically. If a child does not meet the automatic eligibility criteria, the family may need to submit an application.
To qualify through application, the child must have been enrolled during the 2025-2026 school year in a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP), and the family must meet the program’s income limits.
Iowa HHS has indicated that the application will be available in early June through My Access Iowa. The deadline for Iowa HHS to receive applications for SUN Bucks for the summer of 2026 is August 14, 2026.
The SUN Bucks eligibility checker can assist families in determining if a child might qualify, but it does not serve as an application for benefits. Families that need to apply must do so through the official channel when the application is active.
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CEP schools do not guarantee automatic benefits
Iowa HHS clarified an important point that may cause confusion for many families: attending a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school does not guarantee that the student will automatically receive SUN Bucks.
CEP schools are institutions where all students receive breakfast and lunch at no cost. However, for SUN Bucks, the student must still meet the automatic eligibility criteria.
If the child attends a CEP school but does not meet those criteria, the family will need to complete an application for eligibility review.
Homeschooled children may also qualify, but they must meet the same eligibility criteria as other students.
How to receive $120 per child
Families participating in SNAP will automatically receive $120 for each eligible child on their SNAP EBT card.
Families that are not enrolled in SNAP will receive a SUN Bucks card for each eligible child. The card will be issued in the child’s name. Iowa HHS stated that automatically eligible children will receive their cards between mid and late June.
To activate the card, the family must call the customer service number on the back. During this process, they will be asked for the 19-digit card number, the 5-digit ZIP code, and the child’s date of birth in the 8-digit format (month, day, and year).
After that, the family will need to create a 4-digit PIN. Iowa HHS recommends keeping this PIN private to protect the benefits.
Benefits expire after 122 days
SUN Bucks does not function in the same way as monthly SNAP. It is a one-time summer benefit that expires 122 days after the date it is issued.
Unused benefits will expire at midnight on day 122. On day 123, the balance will be $0. Iowa HHS indicated that expired, lost, or stolen benefits cannot be replaced or appealed.
If a family receives SNAP on an existing EBT card, SUN Bucks benefits will be used automatically before SNAP benefits. Iowa HHS recommends using the entire balance of SUN Bucks before it expires.
If an EBT card is lost, the family should call EBT customer service at 800-359-5802.
What can be purchased with SUN Bucks
SUN Bucks follows the same purchasing rules as SNAP. In Iowa, these rules align with the Healthy SNAP Waiver, which became effective on January 1, 2026.
Benefits can be used to purchase most food items that are not subject to tax in Iowa, as well as seeds and plants that produce food.
Taxable items, such as candy, soft drinks, and some prepared foods from stores, are not eligible for purchase with SNAP or SUN Bucks.
Iowa HHS also indicated that Double Up Food Bucks can match purchases of fresh fruits and vegetables made with SUN Bucks at participating sites.
Other food resources for children during the summer
In addition to SUN Bucks, children and teenagers aged 18 and under in Iowa can access free meals through the SUN Meals and SUN Meals To-Go programs from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
SUN Meals provides meals and snacks at eligible sites, while SUN Meals To-Go offers takeout meals and snacks in rural areas from participating locations.
To find a nearby site, families can call 2-1-1, or 1-866-3-HUNGRY for English assistance or 1-877-8-HAMBRE for Spanish assistance.
They can also text the phrase “summer meals” to 914-342-7744 or search for sites online at fns.usda.gov/summer/sitefinder.
Applications for SUN Bucks 2026 must be received by Iowa HHS no later than August 14, 2026.
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