Iowa families had until August 14 to apply for $120-per-child SUN Bucks benefits
Iowa’s 2026 SUN Bucks application period closed at 4:30 p.m. Central time Friday, August 14. Families with benefits already issued still face a separate deadline: unused funds expire 122 days after the individual issuance date.
The program provides a one-time $120 grocery benefit for each eligible child. Families should check an existing SNAP EBT card or a separate SUN Bucks card, confirm the balance and use the funds before the expiration date assigned to that issuance.
What SUN Bucks provided
SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT, helps eligible families buy food while school is out. Iowa HHS says the benefit can be used at participating grocery stores, farmers markets and other authorized retailers.
The 2026 application period is closed. Iowa HHS says information about the 2027 program will be posted later.
Who could qualify automatically
Automatic eligibility covered certain children who were in kindergarten through 12th grade during the 2025-26 school year and attended a school participating in the federal National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program. Some children ages 6 through 16 during the program’s specified eligibility period also could qualify automatically.
Automatically eligible children also had to meet at least one qualifying condition. Iowa HHS lists receiving SNAP or the Family Investment Program, receiving Medicaid at or below 185% of the federal poverty level, being in foster care, or being approved for free or reduced-price school meals. School meal eligibility could include children who were homeless, runaways or migrants.
Attendance at a Community Eligibility Provision school alone did not guarantee SUN Bucks eligibility. Iowa’s Department of Education says a child at a CEP school could qualify through direct certification, but otherwise a parent or guardian needed to submit a SUN Bucks application.
Who needed to apply
Children who were not automatically eligible could qualify through an application if they were enrolled during the 2025-26 school year at a school participating in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program and the household met Iowa HHS income guidelines.
For the guideline period from July 1, 2026, through June 30, 2027, Iowa HHS listed a gross monthly income limit of $5,088 for a household of four. Limits varied by household size, and meeting the income figure alone was not a universal guarantee of eligibility because the program also required the applicable school and child conditions.
How benefits arrived
Households active in SNAP generally received the SUN Bucks benefit on their existing SNAP EBT card. Other eligible children received a separate SUN Bucks card mailed to the household, with the card issued in the child’s name.
Iowa HHS says addresses associated with SNAP, FIP, Medicaid or foster-care cases were used in some cases. For other children, the mailing address came from information reported to the school. Families should check whether a card arrived, confirm the address and activate the card if necessary.
Food rules changed July 2
Iowa HHS says a July 2 federal action directed the state to return to federal SNAP food-purchase guidelines. According to the agency, foods that were eligible before January 1, 2026, are again allowed under SUN Bucks.
The change occurred after Iowa’s food-restriction waiver had begun. The federal waiver record shows that the Iowa restriction was approved to take effect January 1, 2026. Families should follow the current rules used by participating retailers and Iowa HHS rather than relying on earlier lists from the beginning of the summer program.
Benefits expire 122 days after issuance
The expiration clock starts on the date each benefit was issued, not necessarily on August 14. Iowa HHS says unused benefits expire at midnight on the 122nd day after issuance. On day 123, the balance becomes zero, and expired benefits cannot be restored.
Iowa HHS also says expired, lost or stolen benefits cannot be replaced or appealed. Families with a missing card, an outdated address or a problem activating a card should contact the agency or Iowa EBT promptly. Reporting a problem does not guarantee replacement of the benefits, but it can help resolve an address, card or activation issue before the funds expire.
For a lost, stolen or hard-to-activate EBT or SUN Bucks card, Iowa HHS lists Iowa EBT customer service at 1-800-359-5802. Families seeking help verifying eligibility or an address can call Iowa HHS at 1-877-347-5678.
Other summer food help remains available
Children and teens 18 and younger may still be able to receive free meals through Iowa’s SUN Meals and SUN Meals To-Go programs. Families can call 2-1-1, call 1-866-3-HUNGRY, call 1-877-8-HAMBRE for Spanish assistance, or text “summer meals” to 914-342-7744 to find a meal site.
Sources
- Iowa HHS SUN Bucks program page
- Iowa Department of Education SUN Bucks program guide
- USDA Food and Nutrition Service Iowa SNAP Food Restriction Waiver record
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