Official Site of The State of New Jersey

If your child is certified as eligible for federal free or federal reduced-price school meals and attends a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or School Breakfast Program, they will be automatically enrolled in Summer EBT.

Additionally, eligibility for Summer EBT may be established in several other ways.  In NJ, your child is eligible to receive a Summer EBT card if your child’s school participates in the National School Lunch Program AND:

• Your child receives free meals at school AND your household income is at or under 185% of the 2023-2024 federal poverty level (see table below); or
• You applied for School Meals through your school district AND your household income is at or under 185% of the 2023-2024 federal poverty level (see table below); or
• Your household participates in SNAP or TANF; or
• Your child is experiencing homelessness, a migrant, or in foster care; or
• Your child attends a Head Start program administered by the school district.

If your child’s school does not participate in the National School Lunch Program, they may still be eligible for Summer EBT if your household participates in SNAP or TANF or your child is in foster care.

Please follow up with your school district if you are unsure if your child’s school participates in the National School Lunch Program.

(Effective: July 1, 2023 to June 30, 2024)

Family Size	Annual	Monthly	Twice-Monthly	Bi-Weekly	Weekly
1	$26,973	$2,248	$1,124	$1,038	$519
2	$36,482	$3,041	$1,521	$1,404	$702
3	$45,991	$3,833	$1,917	$1,769	$885
4	$55,500	$4,625	$2,313	$2,135	$1,068
5	$65,009	$5,418	$2,709	$2,501	$1,251
6	$74,518	$6,210	$3,105	$2,867	$1,434
7	$84,027	$7,003	$3,502	$3,232	$1,616
8	$93,536	$7,795	$3,898	$3,598	$1,799
For Each Additional Family Member, Add:	+$9,509	+$793	+$397	+$366	+$183

Please view the following flowcharts for more information:

Open PDF of ELIGIBILITY FLOW FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE ENROLLED IN NSLP/SBP PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

Open PDF of ELIGIBILITY FLOW FOR CHILDREN WHO ARE NOT ENROLLED IN NSLP/SBP PARTICIPATING SCHOOLS

 

Per Sec. 13A of the NSLA, children eligible for Summer EBT include children who in the instructional year immediately preceding the summer or during the summer operational period:

• Attend an NSLP/SBP-participating school, and have been certified as eligible for federal free or federal reduced price school meals through an NSLP/SBP application or direct certification;
• Attend an NSLP/SBP-participating special provision school (CEP or Provision 2 or 3) and are directly certified, or categorically eligible;
• Attend an NSLP/SBP-participating school, but are not already certified either by application or direct certification, and are otherwise certified by a federal Summer EBT application. This includes children attending a special provision school and/or children who were not certified as eligible for federal free or federal reduced price meals during the preceding instructional year; or
• Do not attend an NSLP/SBP-participating school but are currently approved to receive SNAP or TANF benefits. Children who are not enrolled in an NSLP/SBP-participating school cannot be certified by application; they can only be enrolled in Summer EBT if they are school-age and participate in an approved assistance program, such as SNAP.