New Summer EBT Benefits coming to families with eligible school children
Officials plan to distribute Alabama SUN Bucks also known as 'Summer EBT' benefits to eligible children this summer, as part of a new federal program.
Alabama SUN Bucks will provide a one-time issuance of $120 per school-aged child for grocery benefits for the summer to low-income families.
According to officials, Alabama SUN Bucks will be automatically issued to school-aged children who have been approved by application or direct certification and attending a school that offers the National School Lunch or School Breakfast Programs.
Huntsville City Schools to offer free meals to children during summer learning activities
Children that are directly certified through the ALSDE in programs such as SNAP, TANF or Medicaid will be automatically eligible for Alabama SUN Bucks.
If children aren't enrolled automatically, they may still apply for Alabama SUN Bucks by clicking here. Students receiving free meals through the Community Eligibility Provision will not automatically qualify; however, students may still be eligible for the benefits based on the household's income.
'The summer break can be challenging for families when children are at home and spending increases because children and youth are not in school and receiving benefits,' said Alabama DHR Commissioner Nancy Buckner. 'This additional money will help families across the state make it through summer break while also encouraging healthy and nutritious eating.
Alabama SUN Bucks are accepted at grocery stores, farmers' markets, convenience stores, and online retailers. Alabama SUN Bucks can buy most SNAP-eligible foods, except hot and prepared foods.
Alabama SUN Bucks benefits will start being sent in June 2025. Families that need to apply can do so anytime. Applications will be reviewed in May 2025. A letter about your child's eligibility will be sent to you if you applied or are automatically eligible.
An Alabama SUN Bucks card will be issued for students who qualify for the program.
Alabama SUN Bucks customer service representatives are available to answer Summer EBT questions Monday-Friday. Please contact the representatives by phone at 1-800-443-3536.
Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Time Magazine
8 hours ago
- Time Magazine
Trump's Tax Bill Will Starve Public Schools. Kids are Next
Hunger in America's public schools is a real problem, and it is heartbreaking. As the head of the largest union of educators in the country, I hear stories almost daily of how kids struggle and how schools and teachers step up to fill the gaps. It's the school community in Kentucky filling a Blessing Box with foods to help fellow students and families who don't have enough. It's the teacher in Rhode Island who started a food "recycling" program to ensure no food goes to waste and to give students access to healthy snacks like cheese sticks, apples, yogurt, and milk. School meals are more than a budget line item. They are lifelines that help millions of students learn and grow. But as families across America prepare for the new school year, millions of children face the threat of returning to classrooms without access to school meals. President Donald Trump's newly-signed tax bill, which Republicans overwhelmingly voted to pass, slashes food assistance benefits via the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) by an estimated $186 billion over the next decade—the largest cut in American history. These devastating reductions will result in an estimated 18 million children losing access to free school meals. The cuts shift the cost of school lunches to the states, costing them more than they can afford when they are already grappling with tighter budgets and substantial Republican-led Medicaid cuts. Twenty-three governors warned these cuts will lead to millions of Americans losing vital food assistance. Read More: Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' Will Devastate Public Schools It's hard to understand if you've never faced hunger, but millions of American children do not have access to enough food each day. In a recent survey of 1,000 teachers nationwide, three out of every four reported that their students are already coming to school hungry. Our children can't learn if they are hungry. As a middle-school science teacher for more than 30 years, I have seen the pain that hunger creates. It's the student who skips breakfast so she can give it to her little brother. It's the student who misbehaves because his stomach is rumbling. It's the students who struggle in class after a weekend where they didn't have a single full meal. Educators see this pain everyday, and that's why they go above and beyond—buying classroom snacks with their own money—to support their students. Free school meals represent commonsense and cost-effective public policy. They don't just prevent hunger, they help kids succeed. Decades of research reviewed by the Food Research & Action Center shows that when students participate in school breakfast programs, behavior, academic performance, and academic achievement go up and tardiness goes down. When I stand in a room of bright and curious children, it breaks my heart that some of them are going without the food they need to learn and thrive—not because America can't afford to feed them, but because adults in Washington decided they'd rather spend the money on tax breaks for the ultra-wealthy. The cuts from the Republican tax bill will hit hardest in places where families are already struggling the most, especially in rural and Southern states where school nutrition programs are a lifeline to many. In Texas, 3.4 million kids, nearly two-thirds of students, are eligible for free and reduced lunch. In Mississippi, 439,000 kids, 99.7% of the student population, were eligible for free and reduced lunch during the 2022-2023 school year. These are not abstract numbers. These are real children who show up to school eager to learn but are instead distracted by hunger and uncertainty about when they will eat again. America's kids deserve better. The National School Lunch Act of 1946 laid the foundation that public schools are places where children can receive a free breakfast and lunch each day. This shouldn't be a partisan issue. For decades, Republican and Democratic administrations alike expanded school lunch programs, operating under the shared understanding that no child should go hungry at school in the richest country in the world. But the extreme right wing of today's Republican Party has walked away from that moral consensu—ripping away these programs to give another tax break to billionaires. The Trump Administration's authoritarian blueprint outlined in Project 2025 takes the anti-public education attacks even further by attempting to gut the Department of Education and to send tax dollars to private schools, and promoting ideologically-driven book bans and classroom censorship. Read More: Former Education Secretary: Gutting the Department of Education Hurts All Americans And now, as the Trump Administration and its allies work to destroy public education, they also have attempted to intimidate the National Education Association and our 3 million educators. They know we are powerful and vocal advocates for students and a formidable opponent to their attacks on public education. Last month, the relentless efforts of organized educators and our allies got the Trump Administration to release $7 billion in education funds it had tried to withhold. Together, we will fight forward: for our vision where every student attends a safe, inclusive, supportive, and well-resourced public school, which includes nutritious meals for all students regardless of race or place. We are educators. We don't quit. We will continue to engage with school boards, town halls, state legislatures, and Congress to fight for students. Public education does not belong to politicians trying to dismantle it. It is for every student, parent, and educator who understands it has the power to transform lives.


New York Post
19 hours ago
- New York Post
RFK Jr. claims food stamps are fueling diabetes epidemic, wants to block their use for soda, candy
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed food stamps are fueling diabetes – as he called Sunday to block the taxpayer-funded welfare program for being used to buy soda and candies. 'Taxpayers should not be financing that,' Kennedy said on the 'Cats Roundtable' on WABC 770 AM radio. He said 18% of federal food stamps to poor families is spent 'on candy and sugared drinks' even as nearly 40% of children now have juvenile diabetes. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. claimed that food stamps are fueling the rise in diabetes. Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images 'We are actually paying for people to get diabetes,' RFK told host John Catsimatidis. Sugary and fatty foods also contribute to obesity. American taxpayers are paying twice, RFK said — beginning with funding the purchase of food stamps, or the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The program issues electronic benefits that can be used like cash to purchase food. 'We're paying again when they get [treated] through Medicaid and, ultimately, Medicare. We are poisoning them with sugars and ultra-processed food,' RFK said. Kennedy called on SNAP recipients to be barred from using it to pay for things like soda or candy. Christopher Sadowski SNAP helps low-income working people, senior citizens, the disabled and others feed their families. Eligibility and benefit levels are based on household size, income and other factors. Kennedy said the Trump administration is making headway, noting that 14 states have signed waivers that restrict the purchase of non-nutritious items like soda and candy. 'These waivers are a key step in ensuring that taxpayer dollars provide nutritious options that improve health outcomes within SNAP,' the US Dept. of Agriculture said.
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Yahoo
New SNAP Restrictions Will Limit Soda and Candy Purchases in These 6 States
Six states have now banned soda from SNAP purchases. Six more states are changing the rules around what foods you can and can't purchase using the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) revealed this week. According to the announcement, SNAP waivers for West Virginia, Florida, Colorado, Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas were signed on August 3, amending the "statutory definition of food for purchase" and ending the "subsidization of popular types of junk food beginning in 2026." These states join six others that signed waivers enacting SNAP reform earlier this year. Here's what these changes mean for the millions of Americans that rely on this vital program for food purchases. What is SNAP? SNAP is a federally funded program that acts similarly to cash for those who need assistance with purchasing food. As Feeding America explains, "SNAP provides monthly funds to buy groceries. It is the largest anti-hunger program in America, helping over 41 million people in 2022." That number equates to about 12.5% of the United States population. The program, run by the USDA Food and Nutrition Service, provides people with a card they can swipe or tap like a credit card to pay for food. "You can use it at local stores or farmers' markets for groceries. The amount depends on your income and family size," Feeding America adds. Who is eligible for the program is determined on a state-by-state basis. However, the USDA notes that in most cases, your household must meet both the gross and net income limits it sets for each household size, with gross monthly income falling at or below 130% of the poverty line and 100% of net income at or below the poverty line. Related: The FDA Just Axed 52 Food Standards – Here's What It Means for Your Groceries If a household is eligible, it will receive an "allotment" of total food benefits each month. The USDA details, "Because SNAP households are expected to spend about 30% of their own resources on food, your allotment is calculated by multiplying your household's net monthly income by 0.3 and subtracting the result from the maximum monthly allotment for your household size." Historically, waivers have also been used for supporting participants and expanding eligibility during times of low employment in the U.S., the Center for Science in the Public Interest explains. That included during the pandemic, as waivers gave "states flexibility to adapt the program and deliver services virtually." Which foods are being banned? The new waivers, which go into effect in 2026, mean families will no longer be able to purchase products like soda or candy using their SNAP benefits. Some argue that this means families can no longer buy goods that may be used in celebrations like birthday parties or gatherings. However, the reforms differ state by state. Newsweek reported that in Texas, the changes will ban soda, energy drinks, candy, and prepared desserts from SNAP benefits, while in Colorado and West Virginia, only soft drinks will be off the table. Nevertheless, the changes align with HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s Make America Healthy Again movement. 'For years, SNAP has used taxpayer dollars to fund soda and candy — products that fuel America's diabetes and chronic disease epidemics,' Kennedy shared in the announcement. 'These waivers help put real food back at the center of the program and empower states to lead the charge in protecting public health. I thank these governors who have stepped up to request waivers, and I encourage others to follow their lead. This is how we Make America Healthy Again.' Related: Experts Warn of Public Health Risks as the Trump Administration Eliminates 2 Critical Food Safety Committees Unfortunately, this interpretation of how households use SNAP is likely an oversimplification of how many Americans access food. "The issue isn't about individuals misusing their benefits but their limited choices. In many rural areas and food deserts, convenience stores and fast-food chains are often the only available options," Kavelle Christie, a health policy and advocacy expert and director at the Center for Regulatory Policy and Health Innovation, told Newsweek. "For many families, fresh produce and healthy meals are luxuries that are unattainable, not because they do not want these foods, but because they are unavailable or too expensive." Related: Can the Government Tell SNAP Users What to Eat? The Center for Science in the Public Interest notes that while there are no results available from previous waivers restricting specific purchases — as this is the first time restrictive waivers have been allowed in practice — systematic models and reviews indicate that restrictions could lead to a decrease in purchases of sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB). It explains, "Modeling studies find that restrictions could reduce consumption among children and could reduce diet-related chronic disease prevalence among adults. But randomized controlled trials conducted in 2016 and 2024 found no significant differences in diet quality among study participants who received an SSB restriction versus the control group." It also cites the USDA's study, which showed that SNAP participants struggle with healthy eating not because they lack an understanding of what is healthy, but rather because healthy food is simply unaffordable, an issue that is only worsening in the U.S. Have other states passed SNAP waivers? SNAP restriction waivers for Nebraska, Iowa, Indiana, Arkansas, Idaho, and Utah were signed in early 2025, though government officials say they are hoping more states will follow suit. Although the precise restrictions may vary from state to state, all of them have banned soda or soft drinks, and several have banned candy. 'I hope to see all 50 states join this bold common sense approach. For too long, the root cause of our chronic disease epidemic has been addressed with lip service only. It's time for powerful changes to our nation's SNAP program,' FDA Commissioner Dr. Marty Makary noted in the HHS's announcement. 'The goal is simple — reduce mass suffering from diabetes, obesity, and other long-term medical conditions. I applaud the leadership of Secretaries Rollins and Kennedy and President Trump in going bold.' Read the original article on Food & Wine Solve the daily Crossword