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Summer EBT for Children Frequently Asked Questions

Summer EBT for Children (SEBTC) is a program that supports access to healthy foods during summer for students eligible for free or reduced-price school meals. Eligible families receive $30 in food benefits per school-aged child, per summer month to buy nutritious food at any WIC Authorized Retailer around the state. These food benefits are loaded on the electronic benefits transfer (EBT) cards and mailed to eligible households. This program is sponsored by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA). It is supported by the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) and your local school district.

TO BE ELIGIBLE, STUDENTS MUST:
  • Be school-aged (Kindergarten through 12th grade)
  • Attend a public school within the identified service areas
  • Receive free or reduced-price school meals during the 2019- 20 school year because they are:
    1. Categorically eligible (automatically eligible for free or reduced-price meals due to participating in Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), or may be in the foster care system)
    2. Income eligible (determined eligible after applying for free or reduced-price school meals directly with the school
    3. Directly certified (automatically eligible for free or reduced-price meals due to participation in SNAP or Medicaid)
ELIGIBILITY EXCLUSIONS:
  • Students who receive free or reduced-price school meals because they attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, but are not a part of the above eligibility categories, are not eligible for SEBTC
  • Private schools, such as parochial schools, are not included

Participation in the program is voluntary. If a family chooses not to participate in the program, they can dispose of their SEBTC card by cutting through the mag stripe on the card and discard it. Families will not be able to redeem the food benefits unless they choose to pin the card.

School districts in the following ISDs have been selected to participate in the Summer EBT program from June 1st to September 7th, 2020:

  • Alpena–Montmorency–Alcona ESD
  • C.O.O.R. ISD
  • Charlevoix–Emmet ISD
  • Clare–Gladwin Regional ESD
  • Copper Country ISD
  • Delta-Schoolcraft ISD
  • Dickinson–Iron ISD
  • Eastern Upper Peninsula ISD
  • Gogebic–Ontonagon ISD
  • Huron ISD
  • Iosco Regional ESA
  • Marquette–Alger Regional ESA
  • Mecosta–Osceola ISD
  • Menominee ISD
  • Sanilac ISD
  • Traverse Bay Area ISD
  • Tuscola ISD
  • West Shore ESD – Lake County only

A $30 Food package consists of:

  • Low Fat Milk - 2 Gallons
  • Eggs - 1 Dozen
  • Cereal - 18 Ounces
  • Whole Grain Options - 1 lbs
  • Peanut Butter & Bean Options – 1 jar
  • Cheese – 1 lb
  • $8 Cash Value for Fresh Fruits & Vegetables

  • June 1st, 2020 – Sept 7th, 2020
  • July 1st, 2020 – Sept 7th, 2020
  • August 1st, 2020 – Sept 7th, 2020

Unspent benefits will roll over from month to month. All unused benefits will expire on September 7th, 2020.

All eligible families receive a new card each year of participation. You may discard your card from previous years by cutting through the mag stripe and disposing of it properly. The old card has been deactivated and you may not access any previous year’s benefits.

Any WIC approved vendor in Michigan can redeem SEBTC benefits. To find WIC authorized grocery stores, visit SEBTC Connect at https://sebtc.state.mi.us and find stores on an interactive map under the SEBTC Resources tab at the top of the page.

Summer EBT for Children is a different program than Pandemic EBT (P-EBT) program, although many Michigan families will be eligible for both benefits. P-EBT is meant to supplement school lunch and feeding programs since the schools are closed for the remainder of the school year. Summer EBT is meant to supplement summertime feeding programs.

If you have questions about the Pandemic EBT program, visit the Department of Education’s Pandemic EBT Food Benefit page for more information (google P EBT MDE).

You may also call 1-833-905-0028 for questions about the program (this is a MDHHS number) or, call 1-888-678-8914 about issues with your P-EBT card (this reaches the Help Desk for the EBT card vendor, Conduent).