Resource Library

Is your state participating in Summer EBT this summer? Find out by using FRAC’s new map of state Summer EBT participation.

Starting in Summer 2024, eligible families will receive money on an EBT card to purchase groceries at approved stores during the summer months through the new, permanent, federal Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program. 37 states, Washington DC, all US territories, and 3 Tribes will be participating in 2024. Discover the research behind Summer EBT in FRAC’s new fact sheet. 

This summer, 37 states, the District of Columbia, all five U.S. territories, and three Tribes, will participate in the new nationwide Summer EBT Program. Families will receive $120 in federally funded grocery benefits on an Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) card for each school-age child who is eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. By implementing the program, these states, territories, and Tribes, are helping to reduce summer hunger, so children can return to school well-nourished and ready to learn. Dive into the data on Summer EBT in FRAC’s new 2024 Program Impact fact sheet. 

FRAC and the Southern Economic Advancement Project teamed up to provide this guide for advocates to the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program. Find key information on implementation, including flexibilities and aid that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is providing to states to ease the administration burden. 

The permanent, nationwide Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program is set to begin in summer 2024. On December 29, 2023, the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) released their Interim Final Rule (IFR) outlining program requirements and processes. Check out FRAC’s new resource for an in-depth summary of the IFR. 

The Summer EBT Program would reduce summer hunger in your state or territory. Learn more about the benefits of Summer EBT to your state or territory in our new Summer EBT State Fact Sheets. 

There are two pathways for children to be deemed eligible to receive benefits through the Summer EBT Program, which is set to begin in summer 2024. The first is through automatic issuance, and the second is via a Summer EBT application. This resource outlines these pathways as well as frequently asked questions.

The Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2023 created a permanent nationwide Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program. Beginning in 2024, states, territories, and Indian Tribal Organizations will be required to cover 50 percent of the Summer EBT administrative expenses from nonfederal sources. Careful planning and preparation by states and territories, and technical assistance by the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food and Nutrition Service (USDA FNS), are critical to ensure full implementation of Summer EBT in 2024. Learn more in FRAC’s new one-pager. 

An alarming number of children missed out on nutritious meals provided through the Summer Nutrition Programs last summer, according to FRAC’s latest report, Hunger Doesn’t Take a Vacation: Summer Nutrition Status Report 2023. Download the report to learn more. 

Read FRAC’s new Summer EBT Program Brief, Looking Ahead to Permanent Summer EBT: Recommendations, to learn more about the program, how it provides a complementary approach to the existing Summer Nutrition Programs, and find ways to ensure Summer EBT success in 2024. 

Summer can be the hungriest time of year for families with school-age children. Summer Nutrition Programs combined with Summer EBT is an effective recipe to meet children’s nutritional needs during the summer. Learn more in FRAC’s new one-pager. 

The Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 establishes a permanent, nationwide Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (Summer EBT) Program to begin the summer of 2024 and makes changes to the Pandemic-EBT Program for the summer of 2023.

Learn more about provisions in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023 in FRAC’s fact sheet on Summer and Pandemic EBT Programs. 

This report measures the reach of the Summer Nutrition Programs in July 2021, nationally and in each state, compared to July 2019 and July 2020.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Food and Nutrition Service issued Streamlining Program Requirements and Improving Integrity in the Summer Food Service Program (SFSP) on September 19, 2022, a final rule that simplifies and clarifies SFSP program requirements while also removing administrative barriers. Several of the final changes formally codify many of the rescinded policies that were previously available through nationwide waivers, as well as several flexibilities that are currently available through policy guidance. Learn more in FRAC’s summary.

In spring 2020, millions of students were either out of school or learning remotely. Pandemic EBT helped to fill the nutritional gap left by lack of access to school meals and had a large impact on addressing food insecurity.

FRAC’s latest Pandemic EBT report draws on a survey sent to all state Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program directors to highlight the critical importance of this program for children, families, and school nutrition programs. It then takes lessons learned reported by states to make policy recommendations for a permanent nationwide Summer EBT Program and identifies best practices to support the implementation.