Who is Eligible?

Who Gets SUN Bucks?

Most children who qualify for free or reduced-price school meals through a school meal application or an Alternative Income Form, or get CalFresh, CalWORKs, and/or Medi-Cal (at or below 185% of the Federal Poverty Level [FPL]), including homeschooled kids and kids experiencing homelessness or who are part of a migrant family, are automatically enrolled. Children who are getting Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) or the Adoption Assistance Program need to apply.  Visit our FAQs page for more information.

Eligibility Details

For most eligible children, enrollment in SUN Bucks is an automatic process called 'streamlined certification.' No application will be needed for most children.

There are two ways for children to automatically receive SUN Bucks:

• Children ages 6-18 years who get CalFresh, CalWORKs, or Medi-Cal (certified at or under 185% of the Federal Poverty Level), including homeschooled children; or
  • ​IMPORTANT: Not all children getting Medi-Cal are automatically eligible for SUN  Bucks. Children who get Supplemental Security Income/State Supplementary Payment (SSI/SSP) or the Adoption Assistance Program can also get Medi-Cal but may not be certified at or under 185% of the Federal Poverty Level. Children that fall in this category may need to submit a school meal application or an Alternative Income Form with their school.

• Children ages 0-22 years who attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program (NSLP) or the School Breakfast Program (SBP) and are determined eligible for free or reduced-price meals based on a school meal application or Alternative Income Form.
  • IMPORTANT: In California, the Universal Meals Program (UMP) provides school meals at no cost to all school age children, regardless of their free or reduced-price meal eligibility. Some UMP participants may not be certified at or below 185% of the FPL and may need to submit a school meal application or an Alternative Income Form to your child’s school. To learn more information on income eligibility guidelines visit www.cde.ca.gov.

Children ages 0-22 years who are NOT determined eligible for free or reduced-price meals at school may also be eligible for SUN Bucks. Request a school meal application or Alternative Income Form from your child's school. Submit the school meal application or an Alternative Income Form to your school to see if you qualify based on household size and income. To learn more and apply, please visit How to Get SUN Bucks.