Gov. Abigail Spanberger reminded families August 20 that they must submit applications for this year’s benefits by August 31. The program provides a one-time benefit of $120 for each eligible school-age child to help families buy groceries during the summer, when children no longer have regular access to school meals.
More than 628,000 Virginia children have received SUN Bucks since the state began distributing benefits in June, according to the governor’s office. State officials estimate that nearly 705,000 children may qualify.
That means tens of thousands of children could still qualify before the deadline.
Virginia Automatically Enrolls Many Families in SUN Bucks
The Virginia Department of Social Services administers SUN Bucks, formally known as Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer, or Summer EBT, as part of a federal nutrition program.
Many families do not have to complete an application.
When VDSS launched this year’s program, the agency estimated that approximately 85% of eligible Virginia children would receive benefits automatically. Children generally qualify for automatic enrollment if their household receives Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program benefits, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, or certain types of income-based Medicaid.
The state also automatically enrolls children whose families applied for and received approval for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program during the 2025-26 school year.
Families who do not fall into one of those categories may still qualify based on household income, but they must apply.
One distinction could matter for parents whose children attend schools where every student receives free meals. Attendance at a school that participates in the Community Eligibility Provision, or CEP, does not automatically qualify a child for SUN Bucks.
Families at those schools may need to apply unless programs such as SNAP, TANF, or income-based Medicaid already qualify them for automatic enrollment.
Families Can Use Benefits at Farmers Markets
Although SUN Bucks primarily helps families feed children during the summer, the program can also direct more food dollars into local agricultural economies.
Families can use the benefits to buy eligible foods at grocery stores, farmers markets and other retailers authorized to accept SNAP EBT payments. Eligible purchases include fruits, vegetables, dairy products, meat, whole grains and other qualifying groceries.
At participating Virginia Fresh Match locations, families can stretch those dollars even further.
Virginia Fresh Match operates a statewide network of farmers markets, farm stands, mobile markets and other food retailers that offers incentives for fruit and vegetable purchases. At participating farmers markets, customers generally receive an additional dollar in Virginia Fresh Match benefits for each eligible dollar they spend, although individual markets may set limits.
Virginia Fresh Match also accepts SUN Bucks at participating locations.
That creates a two-sided benefit: families can stretch their grocery budgets while farmers and other local food producers gain additional customers.
Southwest Virginia Markets Participate
Virginia Fresh Match has established a presence across Southwest Virginia.
The organization has identified the Abingdon, Independence, and Marion farmers markets as locations receiving support to expand nutrition incentives in the region. The initiative aims to improve access to fresh produce while increasing sales for local farmers and food businesses.
For example, the Abingdon Farmers Market announced for its 2026 season that it would match SNAP/EBT purchases up to $100 while Virginia Fresh Match funding remained available. The producer-only market requires vendors to grow, raise, or make the products they sell.
Virginia Fresh Match maintains a searchable list of participating markets and retailers. Families should check with individual markets to confirm current matching limits and funding availability.
How Families Can Apply
Families who do not qualify for automatic enrollment can apply for 2026 SUN Bucks in three ways.
They can complete the state’s online application, download and mail a paper application, or call the Virginia SUN Bucks Call Center at 866-513-1414. The call center accepts telephone applications Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. through August 31.
The Virginia Department of Social Services also offers an online eligibility tool for families who are unsure whether they need to apply.
Families who apply based on income must meet the program’s household income guidelines. In most cases, the child must also attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program.
Families who receive SNAP will see SUN Bucks added to their existing EBT card. The state generally mails a separate SUN Bucks card to eligible households that do not receive SNAP.
Families have about four months to spend the benefits after VDSS issues them. Any remaining funds expire after that period.
SUN Bucks Adds to Other Summer Nutrition Programs
SUN Bucks complements other summer nutrition programs rather than replacing them.
The U.S. Department of Agriculture operates SUN Bucks alongside programs that provide free meals at summer meal sites. In qualifying rural areas, other programs allow families to pick up meals or receive meal deliveries.
USDA describes Summer EBT as one way to help close the nutrition gap that can develop when children lose access to school breakfast and lunch during summer vacation.
Spanberger also used the August 20 announcement to criticize recent federal reductions in SNAP funding and said Virginia was investing state money to address changes to federal food assistance programs. Those changes affect the broader food-assistance landscape, but SUN Bucks operates as a separate federal Summer EBT benefit.
For families who may have missed automatic enrollment, however, the approaching deadline remains the immediate concern.
Families must submit applications by August 31 for the state to consider them for 2026 benefits. Virginia will consider applications submitted after that date for the 2027 SUN Bucks program instead.
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