SUN Bucks

WHAT ARE SUN BUCKS?

Louisiana SUN Bucks provides families with a ONE-TIME payment of $120 for each eligible school-aged child (5 to 18 years old) to buy groceries during the summer break.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE FOR SUN BUCKS?

Most eligible children will get SUN Bucks automatically.

You do not need to apply if:

Your child was born between August 8, 2006 and July 1, 2019 and received Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Family Independence Temporary Assistance (FITAP), Kinship Care Subsidy Program (KCSP) or income-based Medicaid benefits (household income below 185% of the federal poverty level) anytime between July 1, 2024, and August 8, 2025.
Your child attends a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) and was individually approved to receive free or reduced-price school meals.

Some families will need to apply for SUN Bucks.

You will need to apply if:

Your child attends a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school where all students receive free or reduced-price lunch but did not complete an application for NSLP or SBP.

Even if your child doesn’t fall into one of the above categories, they may still be eligible for SUN Bucks based on your household income.

APPLICATIONS

Most eligible children will receive SUN Bucks automatically and do not need to apply. Families of students without automatic eligibility can apply at louisiana.summerebtapp.com.

HOW ARE SUN BUCKS ISSUED?

Eligible children will receive a ONE-TIME $120 SUN Bucks benefit for summer nutrition support in mid-May 2025.

Distribution Schedule

For children enrolled automatically: Benefits start going out mid-May.
For children whose applications are approved: Benefits will be issued on a rolling basis, usually within three weeks of being approved.
For children newly qualifying for automatic enrollment: When a child’s family enrolls in SNAP, FITAP, KCSP, or income-based Medicaid benefits during the summer, the child will automatically receive SUN Bucks based on the time of enrollment.

How Benefits Will Arrive

SNAP households and households that received SUN Bucks last summer: Benefits will be added to your existing SNAP or SUN Bucks EBT card.
All other households: Benefits will arrive on a preloaded EBT card in a plain white envelope addressed to your child.

Important Note: If you have multiple children, their cards may arrive separately.

WHAT DO FAMILIES NEED TO DO?

Families should make sure their mailing address is correct on their child’s Medicaid, FITAP, or KCSP case, and with their child’s school. EBT cards will be sent to the mailing address that is on file. Starting May 1, you can call the SUN Bucks helpline at 1-833-323-7482 or email sunbucks@la.gov for help updating your mailing address.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS?

Do I need to apply for SUN Bucks?

Most eligible children will receive SUN Bucks automatically because they are enrolled in SNAP, FITAP, KCSP, or income-based Medicaid, or because they have qualified for the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP). In 2024, over 99% of families who received SUN Bucks participated in one of these programs and received SUN Bucks automatically.

If you are not enrolled in one of these programs and believe your child may qualify based on household income or enrollment in a Community Eligibility Provision School, you will need to apply to determine eligibility.

If you are unsure about your status, please call the SUN Bucks helpline at 1-833-323-7482. The hotline will be available on May 1.

How do I apply for SUN Bucks?

Families can apply online at louisiana.summerebtapp.com.

Where can I use SUN Bucks?

Like SNAP, SUN Bucks benefits are loaded onto an EBT card. You can use SUN Bucks to buy fruits, vegetables, meat, grains, and dairy at grocery stores, farmers' markets, and other food retailers that accept SNAP benefits, including some online retailers.

How long do I have to use my child’s SUN Bucks?

SUN Bucks benefits must be used within 122 days of being loaded to your card. Any unused benefits on your card after 122 days will expire. Expired benefits cannot be replaced or put back on your card. SUN Bucks will be the first benefits used when purchasing food.

I no longer have our household’s existing EBT card. How do I get a replacement?

If you lost your household’s SNAP EBT card, call 1-888-997-1117, visit www.LifeInCheckEBT.com, use the LifeInCheck EBT app or use CAFE to request a replacement. If your case was recently closed, you must call 1-888-997-1117 to request a new card.

Do I need to save my child’s card from year to year?

Saving your child’s card makes the process a little easier. A child whose family does not have a SNAP EBT card will receive one with their name on it that first year. As long as the family (or child) is still enrolled in a social program that automatically qualifies them for SUN Bucks, or if they have an application approved for the following year, then SUN Bucks benefits will be loaded to the same card. If you need a replacement EBT card, call 1-888-997-1117, visit www.LifeInCheckEBT.com, use the LifeInCheck EBT app or log-in to CAFE to request a replacement card.

How old is school-aged?

School-aged children are those required to attend school by law (compulsory education).

For 2025, children born between August 8, 2006, and July 1, 2019, meet the school-age requirement.

This age requirement applies to children with streamlined certifications (SNAP, FITAP, KCSP, or income-based Medicaid) who don’t match National School Lunch Program (NSLP) records.

Can children younger or older than 5-18 years old qualify for SUN Bucks benefits?

Yes, children of any age enrolled in NSLP or SBP participating schools are eligible for SUN Bucks if they are either enrolled in SNAP, FITAP, KCSP, or income-based Medicaid, or if they live in households with incomes at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level and submit either an NSLP/SBP application or a SUN Bucks application.

My child is homeschooled. Can they receive SUN Bucks?

Only homeschool or virtual school children that receive SNAP, FITAP, KCSP, or income-based Medicaid are eligible to receive SUN Bucks.

If my child attends a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school (where all students get free lunch), will they automatically qualify for SUN Bucks?

No, in order for a child to be automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks, they must have applied and been individually approved for free or reduced price school meals.

Children enrolled in Community Eligibility Provision schools who are not already automatically eligible through SNAP, FITAP, KCSP, income-based Medicaid, or NSLP/SBP need to apply for SUN Bucks through the application portal at louisiana.summerebtapp.com.

My school-age child received SNAP benefits during the 2024-25 school year, but our case closed. Will my child receive SUN Bucks?

Yes, your child will receive SUN Bucks benefits on the existing SNAP EBT card if the child received SNAP benefits anytime during the 2024-25 school year. Make sure your address on file is up to date. If you lost your household’s SNAP EBT card, call 1-888-997-1117 to request a replacement.

Will I receive one card for all children or separate cards for each eligible child?

Households will receive one card per eligible child. Each card will be preloaded with the full $120 benefit.

If my child attends a program with meals provided through the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) am I still eligible for SUN Bucks?

Yes, SUN Bucks is an extra benefit to help stretch your grocery budget when school is out for summer. You can use it even if your child gets free summer meals through other programs. You can call 1-866-3-HUNGRY or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (or text 914-342-7744 with the keyword “summer meals”) to find the free meal service location closest to you.

Additional Resources?

SUN Bucks is just one option to make sure Louisiana children get the healthy food they need to thrive year-round. SUN Bucks joins existing available in our state, including the USDA’s SUN Meals summer meals program. To find a SUN Meals summer meal site near you, visit: https://www.fns.usda.gov/meals4kids.

Learn more about SUN Bucks

Visit the USDA site: https://www.fns.usda.gov/sebt.

CARD ACTIVATION:

Activate your child's SUN Bucks card using one of the following options:

Download the LifeInCheck app
Call 1-888-997-1117
Visit LifeInCheckEBT.com

How do I activate my child's SUN Bucks card?

To activate your child’s SUN Bucks card, call the EBT customer service line at 1-888-997-1117 and enter the 16-digit card number. To authenticate the card you will need the last four digits of the child’s Social Security number, the child’s date of birth in DD/MM/YYYY format, and the child’s mailing address zip code.

If the child’s Social Security number is not on file, you will need to call the SUN Bucks helpline at 1-833-323-7482 for the number needed to activate the SUN Bucks card.

PIN Options (enter each digit slowly):

Please note that PINs selected with any of the below patterns are not allowed:

Identical digits (1111, 2222, 3333, etc.)
Consecutive digits (1234, 2345, 3456, etc.)
Numbers that start with one or more zeroes (0657, 0051, 0001, etc.)
The last four digits of the cardholder’s Social Security number
The cardholder’s birthdate
The cardholder's year of birth (e.g., 1984)

My child's SUN Bucks card has a $0 balance when I call. What's going on?

This could happen for a couple of reasons:

The balance will show $0 until you activate your child’s card. The automated system will not tell you the balance on the card until it has been activated. For information on how to activate your card, read “How do I activate my child's SUN Bucks card?”
If you have an EBT card for another program (such as a card from an old or denied SNAP case), make sure you enter the 16-digit card number from your child’s SUN Bucks card and use your child's identification information. Phase 2 and 3 SUN Bucks cards are in your child’s name. If you enter a parent’s personal information (SSN, DOB, ZIP), the system may pull up an old SNAP account instead of the SUN Bucks account.
If you are still having trouble activating your child’s card, please call the SUN Bucks helpline at 1-833-323-7482.

The LifeInCheck mobile app for iOS and Android smartphones provides direct access to account information, such as:

SUN Bucks Card Balances
Report Lost or Stolen Cards
Request Replacement Cards
PIN Selection
Recent Transaction History

Download the app today!