If you’re looking for P-EBT in Minnesota, the program has ended. It was a temporary COVID-era benefit tied to school closures, and it wound down after the federal public health emergency expired in 2023. The permanent replacement is called SUN Bucks, and it gives eligible school-aged children $120 in grocery benefits each summer. Minnesota’s Department of Children, Youth, and Families administers it, and most qualifying families are enrolled automatically.1Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. SUN Bucks
What Changed From P-EBT to SUN Bucks
P-EBT paid families back for school meals their children missed during closures and remote learning. The amount depended on how many days of meals each school reported as missed. SUN Bucks works differently: it’s a flat $120 per eligible child, paid each summer, meant to cover the stretch when school meals aren’t available.2Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT
One coverage change matters for families with younger kids. The old P-EBT program included children under six in households receiving SNAP or MFIP. SUN Bucks is limited to school-aged children, generally 7 through 17.1Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. SUN Bucks
Who Qualifies for SUN Bucks
There are two main ways a child becomes eligible.
- The household already receives SNAP, TANF (including the Minnesota Family Investment Program), FDPIR, or Medicaid. Children in these households are typically auto-enrolled with no paperwork.2Food and Nutrition Service. Summer EBT
- The child attends a school in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and the household income qualifies for free or reduced-price meals.1Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. SUN Bucks
Income limits follow federal guidelines that are updated each year, so pull the current chart from the SUN Bucks page or your child’s school rather than relying on an older figure.3Food and Nutrition Service. Child Nutrition Programs – Income Eligibility Guidelines (2025-2026)
Here is the trap that catches Minnesota families. Every student in the state now eats free at school regardless of income, but eating free lunch does not put your child in the SUN Bucks system. The state still needs income information for each household, which comes from the Application for Educational Benefits or from direct certification through a public assistance program.4Minnesota Department of Education. Applications and Direct Certification If your family hasn’t turned in that form and isn’t on a qualifying benefit, your child may not be enrolled even though they eat school lunch every day.
How to Get the Card
Most eligible children are enrolled automatically and the card arrives in the mail. If you receive SNAP, MFIP, Medicaid, or FDPIR, or if your child is already certified for free or reduced-price meals through the Application for Educational Benefits, you shouldn’t need to do anything.1Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. SUN Bucks
If no card shows up and you believe your child qualifies:
- Call your child’s school to confirm it participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
- Submit the Application for Educational Benefits through the school. Schools distribute it at the start of the year and accept it on a rolling basis.4Minnesota Department of Education. Applications and Direct Certification
- If your child meets the requirements but still isn’t in the system, apply directly through the state at minnesota.summerebtapp.com. For the 2026 summer, the deadline is August 31, 2026.1Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. SUN Bucks
In 2026, families receive a brand-new SUN Bucks card for each qualifying child. The program does not reload benefits onto an old P-EBT card.1Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. SUN Bucks
Update Your Address Before Cards Go Out
Cards are mailed to the address your child’s school has on file. If you’ve moved, or the school’s records are stale, the card goes to the wrong house.5Minnesota Department of Education. Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (S-EBT) Bulletin for Week of March 4, 2024 Check the parent portal or call the school office to confirm your mailing address, phone, and email before summer mailings start.6Minnesota Department of Education. Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) – Section: Data Privacy Notice
Benefits Expire After 122 Days
This is the detail that costs families the most money. Benefits expire 122 days after they are loaded onto the card, not from the day you open the envelope or activate the card.1Minnesota Department of Children, Youth, and Families. SUN Bucks If the card sits in a drawer for two months, you’ve already lost two months of the window. Once the 122 days are up, unused funds go back to the federal government and will not be reissued. Activate and spend promptly.
What You Can Buy
SUN Bucks follows the same rules as SNAP. Eligible purchases include food and food products for home consumption, along with seeds and plants that grow food for your household.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 US Code 2012 – Definitions In the aisles, that means produce, meat, dairy, bread, cereal, and packaged groceries at any SNAP-authorized retailer, including farmers’ markets that accept EBT.
You cannot buy alcohol, tobacco, vitamins or supplements, household goods like soap and paper products, or hot foods ready to eat.7Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 7 US Code 2012 – Definitions The hot-food rule is the one people hit at the deli counter. Heated and ready to eat means the card won’t cover it.
Online Orders and Travel
SNAP online purchasing is available in Minnesota at approved retailers, so you can use SUN Bucks for grocery delivery or pickup. The card pays for eligible food only; delivery fees, service charges, and tips need another payment method.8Food and Nutrition Service. Stores Accepting SNAP Online If you travel over the summer, the card works at SNAP-authorized stores in any state, because federal rules require EBT systems to be interoperable nationwide.9eCFR. 7 CFR 274.8 – Functional and Technical EBT System Requirements
Checking Balances and Replacing a Lost Card
Check your balance and transactions through the ebtEDGE cardholder portal or mobile app, which handles Minnesota EBT benefits including SUN Bucks.10FIS. ebtEDGE Mobile App – Manage EBT Benefits With FIS An automated 24-hour phone line works if you don’t have internet. Store receipts also print your remaining balance.
If a card is lost, stolen, or damaged, call EBT customer service for a replacement right away. A $2 fee comes out of your benefits for each replacement.11Minnesota Department of Human Services. Minnesota EBT Card Brochure With the 122-day clock running, waiting weeks to replace a missing card can mean losing the benefits entirely.