Maryland SUN Bucks helps families with school-aged children who receive free or reduced-price meals buy groceries during the summer break when school meals are unavailable. Building on the former Summer SNAP program, Maryland SUN Bucks will help 543,000 children across the state who receive free and reduced-priced meals.
Families who qualify for the Maryland SUN Bucks program will receive $40 for June, July, and August (a total of $120) for each eligible student.
If you have any questions, call 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option.
Who is Eligible?
A school-aged child is eligible for benefits under the Maryland SUN Bucks program if they are:
enrolled in a Maryland School that participates in Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (FARMS)
aged 5-18 and their household already participate in the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), or Medical Assistance/Medicaid (MA),
applied for and was enrolled in Free and Reduced-Price School Meals (FARMS) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) during School Year (SY) 2023-2024,
in foster care, or
not meeting any of the criteria above but apply and are determined eligible for FARMS before August 31, 2024.
Important! Any unused Maryland SUN Bucks benefits that have been issued to you will expire 122 days after the date they were issued. Please check your Maryland SUN Bucks balance and use your benefits before they expire!
How Do I Enroll?
Enrolling in Maryland SUN Bucks is easy! Most eligible students will automatically be enrolled so parents or guardians don’t need to do anything if:
their child applied for and received free or reduced-price meals at school in the last school year,
their child is age 5 through 18 and part of a household that receives SNAP, TCA, or Medicaid benefits, or
their child is in foster care.
If your child is enrolled in a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school or a school where everyone receives free breakfast and/or lunch without having to fill out an application, no one in your household receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Cash Assistance (TCA), Medical Assistance (MA), and your child is not considered homeless, a migrant, or in foster care, then you will need to apply to receive Maryland SUN Bucks and meet the income guidelines for the NSLP. If you are unsure whether your child is already eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Meals (FARMS) through an application, you can contact your child’s school.
If your child goes to a school but doesn’t fit into those categories, you will need to apply. Don’t worry, applying will be simple with our online form. Applications for Maryland SUN Bucks are accepted year-round, but the application period for Summer 2024 has closed. Applications received on or after September 1, 2024, will be reviewed for benefits for the Summer of 2025.
Maryland SUN Bucks helps families with school-aged children who receive free or reduced-price meals buy groceries during the summer break when school meals are unavailable. The program is run in partnership with the Maryland Department of Human Services (DHS), the Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), and the United States Department of Agriculture’s Food and Nutrition Services (USDA FNS).
Your child is eligible and will be automatically enrolled in the Maryland SUN Bucks program if the child:
applied for and received free or reduced-price meals at school in the last school year,
is age 5- 18 and part of a household that gets SNAP, TCA, or Medicaid benefits, or
resides in foster care, known as out-of-home care.
Most eligible students will automatically be enrolled. These households do not need to fill out an application. If your child was automatically enrolled in the program, you will receive an enrollment notice from DHS by the end of June.
Many families will get Maryland SUN Bucks automatically but others will need to apply. A child who is enrolled in a Community Eligibility Program (CEP) school, is not actively receiving SNAP, TCA, or Medicaid, and is not in foster care will not be automatically enrolled. The child’s parent/guardian will have to apply and be determined eligible to enroll in the Maryland SUN Bucks program.
If you have questions about whether your child is eligible for the Maryland SUN Bucks program, please call 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option.
Maryland SUN Bucks benefits will be issued in the last week of each month in June, July, and August. Maryland SUN Bucks benefits will be loaded onto an existing SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card if your household has received benefits on an EBT card before. Benefits will be issued on a white card that says “Maryland SUN Bucks” if your household has never had an EBT card before. The card will be mailed to the address on file with your child’s school. Please verify your address with your child’s school.
To be eligible for Maryland SUN Bucks children must be enrolled in a Maryland school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Most public schools participate in the NSLP program; and, some charter and private schools do, too. Virtual schools and homeschools don’t qualify. You can visit the NSLP website to find out if your school operates free or reduced meal programs. These requirements are based on rules from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
To qualify, families must meet the Maryland SUN Bucks income guidelines. Visit the Maryland Public Schools website to check the guidelines. In addition to meeting the income requirements, your child must be enrolled at an NSLP-participating school.
Enrolling in Maryland SUN Bucks is easy! Most eligible students will automatically be enrolled, so parents or guardians don’t need to do anything if your child:
applied for and received free or reduced-price meals at school in the last school year;
is 5 – 18 years of age and part of a household that gets SNAP, TCA, or Medicaid benefits; or
is in foster care.
DHS will use data from partner agencies to identify and automatically enroll children who meet the criteria in the Maryland SUN Bucks program.
If your child does not meet any of the above criteria or you are unsure whether they will be automatically enrolled, you may apply online.
You can use Maryland SUN Bucks to buy food at places that accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), like most big grocery stores, some farmers’ markets, and some online retailers.
Example of what you cannot buy with a Maryland SUN Bucks:
Alcohol, cigarettes, or tobacco.
Things that aren’t food, like pet food, soap, household supplies, vitamins, and medicines.
Food that’s already hot or prepared.
Maryland SUN Bucks benefits will be issued in the last week of each month in June, July, and August. Maryland SUN Bucks benefits will be loaded onto an existing SNAP Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card if your household has received benefits on an EBT card before. Benefits will be issued on a white card that says “Maryland SUN Bucks” if your household has never had an EBT card before.
Children who are members of a household receiving SNAP or TCA benefits on an existing EBT card will receive Maryland SUN Bucks on the Head-of-Household’s EBT card. Each child that does not receive SNAP or TCA on an existing EBT card before will be issued a white “Maryland SUN Bucks” card in their name.
If your child did not receive a card and you have questions about whether the child is eligible for the Maryland SUN Bucks program, please contact 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option.
To activate your child’s Maryland SUN Bucks card, call 1-800-997-2222. You will need to enter the card number on the front of the card and the date of birth of the individual whose name is on the card. Please enter 0000 when prompted for the last 4 digits of the child’s Social Security Number. You will then set a new four-digit Personal Identification Number (PIN).
Once a PIN has been set, you can use the card to purchase eligible food items at stores and vendors that accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT). You may also use the card to buy food online at authorized retailers. Visit fns.usda.gov/snap/online-purchasing-pilot to find online retailers authorized to accept EBT cards. Your child’s card is used the same way you use your bank card. You must enter the PIN to make a purchase.
Maryland SUN Bucks benefits will expire 122 days after the date of issuance. Once they have expired, you will not be able to use them and they can not be reissued. If you receive Maryland SUN Bucks benefits in addition to regular active Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits on an existing EBT card, Maryland SUN Bucks will automatically be used before your SNAP benefits since they have a shorter expiration date.
Keeping your Maryland SUN Bucks card safe and secure will prevent thieves from using it without your knowledge. We advise that you do not share your PIN with anyone who is not a member of your household. Also, do not write the PIN on the card. There are other effective ways EBT cardholders can protect their benefits:
Lock Your Card! Learn how to use the card lock/unlock feature to protect your benefits from thieves when you’re not using it.
You may check the balance of your Maryland SUN Bucks benefits by calling the toll-free number on the back of your card. You may also check your balance on the ConnectEBT App or www.connectebt.com.
Yes. Stolen Maryland SUN Bucks may be replaced. Learn how to recover your lost or stolen EBT benefits. If your card has been lost or destroyed, a new card can be ordered at www.connectebt.com/, on the Connect EBT mobile app, or by contacting the EBT Customer Service Center at 1-800-997-2222.
Yes. If you would like to appeal, please download and fill out the appeal form. Mail, email, fax, or take the form to your local Department of Social Services. If you choose to mail the form, you may send it to the address below.
Office of Administrative Hearings
11101 Gilroy Rd.
Hunt Valley, MD 21031-1301
If you don’t want to fill out the form or would like help with the form,
Go to your local Department of Social Services. Someone there will help you.
Call 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option for other information.
Yes. All children who meet income eligibility requirements are eligible for Maryland SUN Bucks regardless of their immigration status. Children’s participation in the Maryland SUN Bucks program will not impact their household’s immigration status.
Maryland SUN Bucks, also called Summer EBT in other states, is different from other programs that previously existed to provide food assistance to families during months when school was not in session. Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) only existed during the COVID-19 Pandemic and ended along with the Public Health Emergency.
To opt out of the Maryland SUN Bucks program, call 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option. If you have already received a Maryland SUN Bucks card but do not want to use the benefits, you may destroy and discard the card. The benefits will automatically be removed from the card after 122 days from the date of issuance.
Call 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option. A team member will be able to tell you whether your child is enrolled in the program.
If you received a yellow EBT card with your child’s name on it in the mail, this card and the instructions that came with it were sent to you in error. We recommend that you do not activate the yellow Independence Card. Activate the white Maryland SUN Bucks card when it arrives. If you have already activated the yellow Independence Card, we recommend that you use the Card Lock/Unlock feature. To use Card Lock, download the ConnectEBT app on your mobile device or login to your account at https://www.connectebt.com/mdebtclient/
Yes, you should keep your card. If your children continue to be eligible for SUN Bucks next year, SUN Bucks will be added to this same card.
If you need emergency food, help to pay utility bills, or rental assistance while your EBT Stolen Benefits claim is being processed, please visit:
For additional support, contact USDA’s Hunger Hotline. The Hunger Hotline connects callers with emergency food providers in their community, government assistance programs, and various social services. 1-866-3-HUNGRY (1-866-348-6479) or 1-877-8-HAMBRE (for Spanish) Monday through Friday, 7 a.m. to 10 p.m. ET.
You may also visit the Local Department of Social Services nearest to you to ask about emergency rental assistance and other resources available in your local community.
You can access more details about your SNAP and Cash benefits online at your convenience at mymdthink.maryland.gov.
SUN Bucks Documents
All households automatically enrolled in the SUN Bucks program will receive this direct certification notice in the mail. No action is required to receive the benefit.
Households that are not automatically enrolled in the SUN Bucks program must apply online or submit a paper application. These households will receive an application confirmation letter and either an approval or denial letter based on eligibility requirements.
