Summer EBT in Oklahoma
What are the stats on hunger in Oklahoma?
- Oklahoma has about 403,000 children eligible to receive the Summer EBT benefit. This would result in about $48,360,000 in benefits being distributed to struggling families this summer.
- More than one in four (223,890) Oklahoma children do not get the food they need.
- 15.4% of Oklahoma households are food insecure.
What is Summer EBT?
Summer EBT is a federal program that provides benefits to buy groceries to eligible families with school-aged children when schools are closed for the summer. Summer EBT benefits come in the form of pre-loaded cards (like a debit card) that families can use to purchase groceries at participating stores.
Beginning in May 2026, families can receive a food package valued at $120 per eligible child. These benefits work together with other available programs, such as Summer Meals, SNAP, WIC, and Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservation (FDPIR or commodities) to help ensure children have consistent access to critical nutrition when school is out.
You might have heard this program called “Summer WIC” or “Sun Bucks.” Summer EBT is similar to WIC, but it is a different program. The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) and some states call it Sun Bucks, but in Oklahoma it is referred to as Summer EBT.
What is Hunger Free Oklahoma doing?
Hunger Free Oklahoma (HFO) is partnering with Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Chickasaw Nation, Cherokee Nation, and Otoe-Missouria Tribe in offering Summer EBT (SEBT) to the approximately 331,000 eligible students attending school within their Tribal Service Areas. SEBT provides eligible households with a food package valued at $120 per eligible child per summer on an electronic benefits transfer (EBT) card to be used to purchase qualifying grocery items at participating stores. The food package is a WIC-based model.
To address Oklahoma’s participation in Summer EBT for 2027, HFO will continue to advocate for statewide Summer EBT coverage in 2027.
Will this affect Summer Meals programs?
It is important to note that traditional and non-congregate summer meal programs are not impacted by Summer EBT and will continue to operate across the state of Oklahoma this summer.
Where can I find more information on the Summer EBT program?
- Oklahoma Summer EBT website
- United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website
- Food Research and Action Center (FRAC) website
What is the difference between Summer EBT and P-EBT?
The Summer EBT and Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) programs are very similar, but there is one key difference:
- In P-EBT, students in CEP districts all received benefits without additional action required. In Summer EBT, students must be directly certified for school meals through programs like SNAP or Medicaid, have been certified for free or reduced-price school meals in the preceding school year through the FRPL application, or they must fill out an application through the administering agency (state or Tribe) and found to be eligible. P-EBT permanently ended in 2022.
What other food resources are available in Oklahoma?
For more information on other food resources, please visit our Food Resource Tool online here.