School is out and summer meals are in! SUN Bucks (formerly called Summer EBT) is back in Virginia this year to help eligible students get the nutrition they need when school is out. Summertime is supposed to be fun and carefree for young people, but for many families it can mean additional financial strain. During the school year, many families can guarantee that their children will get breakfast and lunch, but without that support, it can be difficult to feed the entire family three nutritious meals a day. 

SUN Bucks can help maximize families’ food budgets through the summer. Last summer, SUN Bucks provided grocery supports to more than 715,000 children and families in Virginia. 

SUN Bucks provides eligible students and their families with a one time payment of $120 per child to help buy groceries during summer break. Benefits are provided on an electronic card that families can use to shop at grocery stores, farmers markets, and some online retailers.  

To qualify, families must meet income guidelines, and children must be enrolled in a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. Many students will be automatically eligible and approved, but some students will need to apply. 

• SNAP or TANF benefits 

• Free or reduced-price school meals  

• Medicaid, in some cases* 

Most children enrolled in Medicaid will be automatically eligible for SUN Bucks, but , as there are differences in income eligibility between programs. 

If a family is not enrolled in those programs, and their monthly income is below the amounts shown below, Families can use the SUN Bucks website tool to determine if they are eligible, if they are unsure. 

Families have two options for applying:  

Virginia SUN Bucks 
Virginia Department of Social Services 
5600 Cox Road 
Glen Allen, VA 23060 

Virginia SUN Bucks will issue 2025 benefits on . Families that receive SNAP will have benefits issued to their EBT card. For families who don’t participate in SNAP, their SUN Bucks benefits will be loaded onto a new SUN Bucks card that will be mailed to the address on file with their child’s school or application.  

SUN Bucks offers critical support to ensure children get the healthy food they need, even when school meals aren’t available. Evaluations of the program showed that SUN Bucks decreased the number of children with very low food security by one-third and increased their fruit and vegetable consumption. Giving families direct cash supports allows them to have the flexibility to select foods that are culturally relevant and diet-specific for their family’s needs. 

Spread the word in your community! Let families know about the Virginia SUN Bucksprogram and how to receive benefits for their children. Together, we can ensure Virginia’s children are food secure this summer and all year round.