Summer EBT

Eligible families get a boost in their grocery budget when school is out each summer.

What is the Summer EBT program?

Summer EBT is a federal program that supports families who lose access to free school meals over the summer months. Families will receive an allotment of $120 for each eligible child to help cover the cost of groceries when school is out of session. Similar to SNAP (Basic Food), Summer EBT can be used to buy food at grocery stores, farmers markets, and other locations.

Summer EBT is administered by the Kentucky Department of Community Based Services

Who is Eligible?

Summer EBT is available to school-aged children in Kentucky each summer. Eligibility is determined by household income. There is no citizenship requirement, and Summer EBT is not considered under the public charge rule.

There are multiple ways that families can have their income verified for Summer EBT eligibility. Expand the options below to learn

Children between the ages of 8 and 18, who participate in one or more of the following programs, are automatically eligible and will receive Summer EBT:

– SNAP (Basic Food)

– TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

– Medicaid (Apple Health)

– Head Start

– Students with homeless, foster, migrant, or runaway status

Children between the ages of 8 and 18, who participate in one or more of the following programs, are automatically eligible and will receive Summer EBT:

– SNAP (Basic Food)

– TANF (Temporary Assistance for Needy Families)

– Medicaid (Apple Health)

– Head Start

– Students with homeless, foster, migrant, or runaway status

Eligibility for Summer EBT is confusing! Families can use the screening tool below to learn whether their child is eligible for benefits and whether they will need to apply.

Eligibity for Additional Nutrition Assistance Programs

The income eligibility threshold for Summer EBT is the same as WIC and is lower than the income eligibility threshold for SNAP. Thus, if a child is eligible for Summer EBT, he or she along with other members of their family may be eligible for these other nutrition assistance programs. As such, our Summer EBT webpage will include information on other programs including a description, eligibility screening tool, how to apply, where to find/who to contact for more information.

If your child is eligible for Summer EBT, you, your child, and/or other members of and family may be eligible for additional nutrition assistance programs available in Kentucky including:

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food benefits to individuals and families to supplement their grocery budget so they can afford the nutritious food essential to health and well-being. To get SNAP benefits, you must meet certain requirements including resource and income limits which are updated annually. There are special rules for those considered elderly or disabled and for college students.

You can check eligibility for SNAP and other assistance programs including health coverage, food assistance, and child care through the Benefits Eligibility Screening Tool of Kynect.

Kynect is a program of the Kentucky Cabinet for Health and Family Services which serves as a one-stop shop to apply for and manage SNAP and other program benefits. (Click here to watch a short video about Kynect)

The Kynect Benefits Eligibility Screening Tool is not an application, though. You must apply to receive benefits. There are several ways to apply for SNAP:

  • sign up online by clicking here
  • request a Kynector contact you to help with enrollment clicking here,
  • call the Department for Community Based Services Family Support toll-free number at (855) 306-8959 to start an application
  • apply in person at any Family Support office (click here find office locations in your county)

Once your application is received, you will be contacted to complete an interview. The interview must be completed by the head of your household or authorized representative your household has selected to act on your behalf in completing the interview.

The Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) is a nutrition assistance program that provides nutritious foods, nutritional counseling, breastfeeding support, education, and referrals to health care services for income-eligible pregnant and postpartum women up 6 months after delivery, breastfeeding moms, and children up to their 5 th birthday. Dads, grandparents, foster parents, and anyone raising kids under 5 years of age can apply for WIC as well. Grocery purchasing benefits provided by WIC are available on an electronic card that can be used to purchase food at authorized stores.

The WIC PreScreening Tool assists applicants in determining whether or not they are potentially eligible to receive WIC benefits. This PreScreening Tool is not an application for WIC benefits. To apply for WIC, you must schedule an appointment with your local health department. Click here for more information on how to apply.

Preparing for Summer 2025

Eligible families can get a boost in their grocery budget each summer when school is out of session.

Apply for Free & Reduced Price School Meals (if not a CEP school) – very few schools do not participate in CEP which does away with the need for F/R applications. HIF forms cannot be used for enrollment in Summer EBT.

Frequently Asked Questions

No. Summer EBT benefits will be loaded on to the same card each year, so you should hang on to your card from summer to summer. If you lose a EBT card, you can request a new one by calling the Summer EBT Call Center at 888-979-9949 between 8am and 5pm, Monday-Friday.

Children of all ages who are enrolled in a school that operates the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP) can be eligible for Summer EBT. This includes students at public pre-schools, elementary schools, middle schools, and high schools, as well as students participating in programs for people with mental and physical disabilities.

Children who do not attend a NSLP/SBP school, such as students who are homeschooled or attend a private schools, must be between the ages of 8 and 18 to be eligible for Summer EBT. They must also participate in government assistance such as SNAP or TANF. This age guideline includes children who ‘age in’ or ‘age out’ during the year. For the 2024 Summer EBT season, for example, eligible children had to be between the ages of 8 and 18 at some point between July 1, 2023 through August 31st, 2024.

No! There is no citizenship requirement for this program, and Summer EBT is not included in “public charge” tests. Receiving Summer EBT will not affect your family’s ability to remain in the United States, get a Green Card, or become U.S. Citizens.

Children who are enrolled in a qualifying public assistance program (e.g. SNAP, TANF) do not need to meet any additional income requirements.

Similarly, children who are certified to receive free and reduced price school meals do not need to meet any additional income requirements.

Note: these income limits will increase on July 1, 2025. Eligibility will be determined based on income limits at the date of application.

Maybe! Use our screening tool to learn whether you will need to apply.

If your child participates in SNAP, TANF, or other qualifying assistance programs, they will be automatically enrolled and you do not need to submit an application for Summer EBT.

Similarly, if your child is already qualified to receive free or reduced price meals at school, they will be automatically enrolled and you do not need to submit a Summer EBT application.

If neither of these apply to your child but you believe they are eligible, you will need to submit a Summer EBT application. The application will be available during the summer.

Reminder: Summer EBT eligibility is determined individually by child. If your household has multiple children with different circumstances, you may need to submit an application for one but not another.

You can call the Summer EBT Contact Center year-round at (855) 306-8959 between 8am and 5pm, Monday-Friday.

You will receive an approval letter in the mail about 7-10 business days before your Summer EBT card arrives. This letter will also be printed with the issuance date for the Summer EBT benefits. Benefits expire 122 days from this date.

Yes! You can use Summer EBT and SNAP together when shopping for food. Make sure to use your Summer EBT benefits first, however, because these expire more quickly than SNAP dollars.

Additionally, each card qualifies for Fruit and Vegetable Incentives programs and you can use both SNAP and Summer EBT benefits for programs.

Summer EBT Benefits

After a child is confirmed as eligible, their Summer EBT card will be loaded with a $120 benefit. Newly eligible children will receive their Summer EBT card by mail. These cards can be used to buy groceries at any retailer that accepts SNAP (Basic Food).

Summer EBT expires four months from the issuance date. Families have 122 days to use the funds before they become invalid. To maximize benefits, families should use Summer EBT before other resources like SNAP (Basic Food/EBT).

Eligble at Kentucky Farmer’s Markets

In Kentucky, Summer EBT benefits can be used at farmers markets that accept SNAP. You can also use SNAP benefits at these markets through Kentucky Double Dollars.

How to use Summer EBT at farmers markets

  1. Swipe your Summer EBT card at the market information booth or
  2. Use your benefits to purchase fruits, vegetables, and other healthy foods

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About Feeding Kentucky

About Feeding Kentucky

Feeding Kentucky is the state’s largest charitable response to hunger, working collectively to create a hunger-free Kentucky. Our network of seven Feeding America food banks provides food and groceries to Kentuckians facing hunger in all 120 counties. Through more than 900 partner food pantries and meal programs, we reach an estimated 1 in 7 Kentuckians each year. We focus on addressing child hunger, sourcing food from our Kentucky farmers, and advocating for policies that reflect the needs of our neighbors. Guided by our vision, we want all people in Kentucky to have access to enough food to thrive.