Maryland SUN Bucks
Maryland SUN Bucks is a summer nutrition assistance program that helps families with school-aged children who receive free or reduced-price meals buy groceries during the summer break by providing $40 of EBT benefits per month during June, July, and August (for a total of $120 in summer benefits) to eligible students.
This 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).
Who Is Eligible?
Students are eligible for SUN Bucks if they:
- applied for and received free or reduced-price meals at school in the last school year,
- are age 5- 18 and part of a household that gets SNAP, TCA, or Medicaid benefits, or
- reside in foster care, known as out-of-home care.
You can find more information about eligibility requirements at https://dhs.maryland.gov/sunbucks/.
If you have additional questions about your child’s eligibility, please call 1-800-332-6347 and select the Maryland SUN Bucks option.
Who Needs to Apply?
Most eligible children will automatically be enrolled and do not need to fill out an application. Households with children who are automatically enrolled should receive an enrollment notice from the Department of Human Services at the start of summer.
If you do not receive a notice of enrollment and you believe your child is eligible, you can submit an online application.
Applications must be submitted by August 31 of each year to receive benefits for the current summer.
How Do I Use My Benefits?
Maryland SUN Bucks benefits are distributed on Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards. If your household has received benefits on an EBT card before, your SUN Bucks benefits will be loaded onto an existing SNAP card. If your household has never received SNAP, your SUN Bucks benefits will be issued on a white card labeled “Maryland SUN Bucks”, which will be mailed to the address on file with your child’s school.
New Maryland SUN Bucks cards will need to be activated before use. You can find instructions and additional tips on card activation here.
Once activated, you can use Maryland SUN Bucks to buy eligible food items at places that accept Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT), like most big grocery stores, some farmers’ markets, and some online retailers.
Please keep in mind that 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 cannot be reissued.
Where Can I Learn More?
Learn more about Maryland SUN Bucks and answers to frequently asked questions at https://dhs.maryland.gov/sunbucks/.
