A happy child sitting on a woman's lap at a table with a bowl of strawberries and a glass of orange juice. They look like they are happy and celebrating. Text: The new SUN Bucks food assistance program is coming to North Carolina! NCDHHS. SUN Bucks logo with a fork and knife.

NC's new SUN Bucks food benefits program for the summer

Warren County Schools

May 17, 2024

You could be eligible to receive $120 per child in food assistance benefits for the summer!

The USDA has launched a new program to provide food assistance to children and families during the summer. SUN Bucks will provide grocery-buying benefits to qualifying families with school-aged children during the summer months when schools are on summer break. SUN Bucks is sometimes referred to as Summer EBT.

SUN Bucks benefits are issued to debit-like cards (EBT cards) that families can use to purchase nutritious food. Beginning in summer 2024, SUN Bucks will provide families with a one-time payment of $120 in food assistance benefits per eligible child to cover the entire summer period.

Students in Warren County Schools who also participate in at least one of the programs below are automatically eligible and do not need to apply for SUN Bucks:

  • Food and Nutrition Services (FNS, food stamps), or

  • Work First (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), cash assistance), or

  • Medicaid with household income below 185% of the federal poverty level, or

  • Categorically eligible such as foster care, runaway, homeless, or migrant. Note: if your child is runaway, homeless, or migrant, their school must be aware of their situation to automatically qualify for SUN Bucks.

Students in Warren County Schools who do not participate in the programs listed above must apply to determine if they qualify for the SUN Bucks program.

Families should make sure that their school has their correct mailing address, especially for where they'll be over the summer.

More information