A new program to help families with school-age children purchase food during the summer when school meals are not provided is now open for applications.
The Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer Program, also known as SUN Bucks, was launched by the state Department of Human Services in coordination with the state Department of Education. The program will provide $177 per eligible child during the state Department of Education’s summer vacation period, which runs from June 1 to August 4.
This new, permanent program will be funded by both the state government ($1.95 million) and the U.S. Department of Agriculture ($17.7 million), totaling more than $19.5 million.
DHS projects the program will help more than 100,000 children between the ages of 6 and 17.
“Families who rely on healthy school breakfasts and lunches for their children often have difficulty accessing healthy foods during the summer,” Hawaii First Lady Jamie Green said in a statement. “The SUN Bucks program addresses child hunger and provides meaningful activities that allow kids to play, learn, grow and stay healthy over the summer.”
SUN Bucks can be used at any store where EBT benefits are accepted. The card can only be used to purchase nutritious food items, such as fruits and vegetables, meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, bread, cereals, snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages.
There is no minimum amount per transaction or limit on the number of transactions. Unused rewards will expire 122 days after issuance and cannot be reloaded.
Some students who qualify for Pandemic EBT are not eligible for SUN Bucks, but many are automatically approved. Unlike P-EBT, some families must apply for SUN Bucks.
Homeschool families who received the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program or Temporary Assistance for Needy Families between July 1, 2023 and Aug. 4 of this year, or who have foster children, are also eligible for SUN Bucks.
Eligibility must be verified annually.
Students who meet the following criteria are automatically eligible for SUN Bucks without having to apply.
>> The household participated in SNAP or TANF between July 1, 2023 and August 4, 2024.
>> Depending on the school, they are classified as foster children, homeless, immigrants or runaways.
>> They attend a school that is part of the National School Lunch Program and their household has applied for and receives free or reduced-price school meals. Exceptions include Head Start and other preschool children who attend NSLP-participating schools.
Students who automatically qualify will receive a SUN Bucks card preloaded with $177 in the mail starting July 16 and will be delivered to their address within one to two weeks based on their school records or SNAP/TANF information.
Other households must submit a SUN Bucks application if:
>> The child attends a school that is covered by the Community Eligibility Provision, which provides all meals free of charge to students who have not applied for or been approved for free or reduced-price school meals and whose family income is at or below the federal income eligibility guidelines.
>> Children who attend schools covered by the NSLP were not approved for free or reduced meals during the school year but may now be eligible because their household income is within or below federal income eligibility guidelines.
Eligible households will receive preloaded SUN Bucks cards in the mail starting July 17, and for subsequent applications received and approved by Aug. 4, they will be mailed the next business day after approval. Delivery may take one to two weeks.
Federal income eligibility guidelines and more information about SUN Bucks can be found at human services.hawaii.gov.
