SUN Bucks

SUN Bucks is a seasonal food benefit program. The program is for children eligible for free and reduced school meals who do not have access to school meals during the summer months. Qualifying children receive $120 in food benefits for summer 2026.

SUN Bucks and summer feeding sites go together like peanut butter and jelly - they work together to feed children.

Summer feeding sites are a site-based nutrition program administered by the Wyoming Department of Education (WDE). Children can go to specific locations at certain hours to eat or pick up a meal. Not all counties have a summer feeding site available.

SUN Bucks is a child-based nutrition program where families can shop for food at their preferred time and location using an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card, similar to a debit card.

Summer feeding sites and SUN Bucks are complementary. Compared to summer feeding sites, SUN Bucks provide flexibility and choice of where and when to shop, especially for rural families who may be unable to access a summer feeding site. Children can use both programs - summer feeding sites and SUN Bucks - to fill their plates with nutritious meals this summer.

Most children will be automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks.

• If your child already has an approved free and reduced school meals application, you DO NOT need to complete another application.
• If your child does not have an approved free and reduced school meals application, but may be eligible, you will need to apply. Apply online at this link. Applications are open through August 31. 

The Wyoming Department of Family Services has fifteen (15) business days from the date the application is submitted to make an eligibility determination.

August 31, 2026 is the last day to apply for summer 2026 SUN Bucks benefits. Eligible children applying on August 31 are still eligible for the full $120 food benefit and will still have 121 days to use the benefit from the time their card is mailed.

• Apply online for SUN Bucks at this link. Applications will be accepted through August 31. 
• Check your child’s eligibility for SUN Bucks online at this link.
• You can find the paper application at https://sunbucks.dfs.wyo.gov/, or download it at this link. You can submit paper applications at your local DFS Office.

If you moved recently (in the last year), we may have an outdated address on file. You may reply directly to your emailed eligibility notice to update your address or call the Customer Service Center at 307-777-8SUN (307-777-8786).

• An electronic benefit transfer (EBT) SUN Bucks card will be mailed via U.S. Postal Service in early July. The SUN Bucks card will arrive in an unmarked white envelope.
• The SUN Bucks card will come with information on how to activate and use the card.
• If you have multiple eligible children in your household, then you will receive one SUN Bucks card per child. 
• For households currently on SNAP, SUN Bucks benefits will NOT be loaded to your SNAP EBT card; SUN Bucks benefits will come on a separate SUN Bucks card.

SUN Bucks cards can be used at any authorized SNAP retailer, including online retailers. Use the SNAP Retailer Locator to locate nearby SNAP-authorized retailers by entering a street address, city, and state, or zip code.

SUN Bucks is subject to the same purchasing restrictions as SNAP benefits in Wyoming. SUN Bucks can be used to buy:

• • Fruits & vegetables;
  • Meat, poultry, & fish;
  • Dairy products;
  • Breads & cereals;
  • Other foods, such as snack foods and non-alcoholic beverages; and
  • Seeds and plants that produce food for the household.

SUN Bucks CANNOT be used to purchase:

• • Beer, wine, liquor, or other alcoholic beverages;
  • Cigarettes or tobacco products;
  • Vitamins, medicines, or supplements;
  • Live animals;
  • Foods that are hot at the point of sale (such as hot food from the deli counter); and,
  • Any nonfood items such as pet food, cleaning supplies, paper products, hygiene items, cosmetics, etc.

SUN Bucks cards will begin mailing the week of July 6. Due to the large volume of cards, it will take the card issuer about a week to print and mail all of the cards. If you have not received your card by the end of July, please contact us:

• Dedicated help line: 307-777-8SUN (307-777-8786). The help line is open 8:15 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and closed on state holidays. Translation services are available for non-English language callers.
• Email address for help with applications: sunbucks@wyo.gov
• Email address for general questions: ask-sunbucks@wyo.gov

No. Families always have a choice.  To opt-out of SUN Bucks reply to your eligibility determination email, call the customer service center at 307-777-8786, and/or dispose of the SUN Bucks card when it arrives.

Eligible for SUN Bucks AND automatically enrolled

A child is eligible for and will be automatically enrolled in SUN Bucks if they meet any of the following:

• Attends a school that offers meals through the National School Breakfast or Lunch Program (NSLP) AND

• receives SNAP or Personal Opportunities with Employment Responsibilities (POWER)

• has a household income at or below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines AND receives Medicaid or participates in the Children’s Health Insurance Program (Kid Care CHIP)

• Submitted an application and was approved for free-and-reduced price meals at school

• Children NOT attending a NSLP school that meet any of the above criteria and are between the ages of 7 and 16 years old.

Eligible for SUN Bucks AND need to apply

A child that is not automatically enrolled that attends a school that offers meals through the National School Breakfast or Lunch Program AND meets the income requirements (below 185% of the federal poverty guidelines) is eligible to apply for SUN Bucks at this link.

Exceptions

Not all schools in Wyoming participate in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP). Not all schools who participate in NSLP take individual student applications.

For example, community eligibility provision (CEP) schools feed all students free meals and are prohibited from taking individual NSLP applications. Students at CEP schools who are income-qualified but not automatically enrolled may need to apply.

Some schools run their own free and reduced-price meal programs that are not affiliated with NSLP.

If you are unsure if your child’s school participates in NSLP, please contact your child’s school or the Wyoming Department of Education, National School Lunch Program.

Household income must be below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level (FPL), or $61,050 for a family of four. Children must also be attending a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program.

The table below summarizes the income eligibility guidelines effective July 1, 2026 through June 30, 2027. We will use the income eligibility guidelines in effect on the date the application is submitted to determine eligibility.

Table 1. SUNBucks Income Eligibility Guidelines (185% FPL), Effective July 1, 2026 - June 30, 2027

If you moved to another state in the last year, you should apply for benefits in the state in which your child completed the 2025–2026 school year. Dual participation in more than one state is federally prohibited under 7 CFR 292.15(d) and may result in action taken against you.

If you have any questions please call the help line at 307-777-8SUN (307-777-8786) or email  ask-sunbucks@wyo.gov