LOOKING FOR ASSISTANCE

The Health Care Authority’s mission is: We ensure that New Mexicans attain their highest level of health by providing whole-person, cost-effective, accessible, and high-quality health care and safety-net services.

SUN Bucks

NM SUN Bucks will be back in summer 2025.

UPDATE: SUN Bucks benefits will begin to be deposited on May 21, 2025. The first issuance will be issued to Streamlined Eligible students: the eligible students who received SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid benefits, the households who are determined homeless, migrant, runaway or in foster care through the child’s school.  Additional issuance dates are still TBD.  Check here for those other issuances for those who were not eligible in the first issuance but are eligible via an application.

For Questions about the program we have a:

English SUN Bucks FAQ 

Get ready for SUN Bucks 2025

Moving and you are on SNAP, TANF or Medicaid? Update your address at YES.NM.GOV, call 1-800-283-4465, go into your local Income Support Division office, fax to 1-855-804-8960, or via mail to Central ASPEN Scanning Area (CASA) PO Box 830 Bernalillo, NM 87004.

SUN Bucks, also known as Summer EBT (S-EBT), is a new federal program that helps families by giving them money to buy groceries during the summer when children are not in school. Starting summer of 2024, families that qualify for this program will get $120 for each child that’s part of the program. This money will be on a card that works like a debit card (called an EBT card). Parents can use this card to buy healthy food at places like grocery stores, farmers markets, and some online retailers.

Most children who are eligible to receive SUN Bucks benefits will receive them without needing to complete a SUN Bucks application, these children are considered Streamlined Eligible.

In general, children who are income-eligible, able to be directly certified, or categorically eligible for free or reduced price (FRP) school meals are eligible for SUN Bucks.

 

Two ways students can get SUN Bucks

Automatically eligible (No Application Needed) if:

    • Your school-aged child has been approved for free or reduced-priced meals by having filled out a school meals application in a school participating in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or School Breakfast Program (SBP).
    • Your child’s school reported your child as homeless, a migrant, runaway, or in foster care.
    • Your child received SNAP, Medicaid (only those on Medicaid categories 401, 403, MA-SSI, DDW or Foster Medicaid 066), or TANF anytime during the school year.

Apply for SUN Bucks only if not automatically eligible, the child must:

    • Must attend an NSLP/SBP participating school. Link here for list of participating NSLP/SBP schools in NM.
    • No approved NSLP/SBP application on file with the school.
    • Have a household income that is less than 185% of Federal Poverty Level. (NSLP income guidelines)
    • If your student attends school that participates in the Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) program and provides free meals for all, they are not automatically eligible and may still need to apply to receive the SunBucks benefit.
    • Reside in the state of NM.

* There will be some students who are not eligible for SUN Bucks. Students who are not automatically eligible will need to apply; however, if a student does not attend an NSLP/SBP participating school, the student is not eligible for SUN Bucks. Some Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and Private schools do not participate in NSLP/SBP.*

For school year 2024-2025, applications can be submitted any time between current date through 8/19/2025 at:

NMPED

300 Don Gaspar Ave, Santa Fe, NM 87501

Attn: Summer EBT / SSWB

 

There will be some students who are not eligible for SUN Bucks. Students who are not automatically eligible will need to apply; however, if a student does not attend an NSLP/SBP participating school, the student is not eligible for SUN Bucks. Some Bureau of Indian Education (BIE) and Private schools do not participate in NSLP/SBP

The first SUN Bucks benefits will be deposited on May 21, 2025. The first issuance will be issued to Streamlined Eligible students: the eligible students who received SNAP, TANF, or Medicaid benefits, the households who are homeless, migrant, runaway or in foster care.  Additional issuances for those not Streamlined Eligible will occur later in the summer. Check here for future issuances.

 

A new SUN Bucks EBT card will be mailed out to newly eligible students (if multiple eligible kids in the same household, benefits will be placed on the oldest siblings card). For those children who received in 2024, the benefits will be deposited onto the card issued then, as long as the parent/guardian and address did not change. If both parent/guadian and address changed a new card will be mailed to that address.

For those children that are on SNAP, TANF or MAGI-Children Medicaid, the address on file with HCA will be used to mail the card. For those other children eligible, the address provided by the school will be used to mail the card. Each year the child is eligible, the benefit will go onto that existing card.

Make sure your child’s school — or SNAP, MAGI-Children Medicaid, or TANF — has the correct mailing address on file. 

 

Yes. 

Families will have 122 days to use the benefits from the date they are issued. If there is any unspent benefit on the 122nd day, the benefits will be removed from the child’s card. After, benefits are expunged, they can not be reissued.

A notice will go out to the families 30 days prior to expungement warning them of the unspent amount on the card.

If a parent, a child, or family member is a non-citizen receiving SUN Bucks, this does not affect immigration status and will not make you a public charge. We encourage familes with school aged children to apply for SUN Bucks. 

Call 1-800-283-4465 to help resolve the questions you may have.

You have until 11/17/2025 to ask for a Fair Hearing. You may reapply for SUN Bucks for the 2024-2025 school year any time through 08/19/2025.

Use it the same as SNAP benefits. Parents can use this card to buy healthy food at places like grocery stores, farmers markets, and some online retailers You can also use your card where you see the Quest logo.

Click here to view the Coordinated Services Plan Waiver Request form for 2025 and the CPS 2025 Public Notice