Summer P-EBT

North Carolina will issue Summer P-EBT benefits for eligible students and young children. There is no application. Eligibility will be based on approval for other programs. All families should check to make sure they are eligible for this one-time payment towards nutritious food. Learn more at NCDHHS.gov/PEBT.

Because of special COVID-19 rules that made school meals free for all during the past two years, many families have not completed a free and reduced-price (FRP) school meals application recently. Making sure you turn your FRP application in by August 31 will not only have you ready for school meals in the fall, but will also make sure you’re eligible for Summer P-EBT benefits! Families already enrolled in FNS/SNAP, and students who attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school, are already eligible for Summer P-EBT.

What should families do? First, visit NCDHHS.gov/PEBT for to learn more and confirm eligibility. Then, if needed, contact your local school or district about turning in a reduced-price school meals application by August 31.

Eligibility Info

There is no application for Summer P-EBT, however, to be eligible:

Students must be approved for National School Lunch Program (NSLP) free or reduced-price meals (FRP). If your student is not already approved, an application for NSLP FRP must be submitted to your local school district by Aug. 31, 2022 to be considered for Summer P-EBT benefits.

*Many families might not have recent NSLP FRP forms on file, because COVID-19 emergency waivers have made school meals free for all students during the past two years. These families need to turn in FRP eligibility forms to their local school districts by August 31, 2022. If approved, these students will get the one-time summer benefit in September or October.

  • For an application or information on how to apply for NSLP free or reduced-price meals, please contact your student’s school or local school district.
  • Students who attended a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) school as of May 2022 are already eligible. Click here to determine if your child’s school is a CEP school for the 2021-22 school year.
  • Households approved for Food and Nutrition Services (FNS) are automatically qualified for NSLP free or reduced-price meals. A household that does not receive FNS can apply for free or reduced-price meals through their participating school.
  • Turning in an FRP form this summer will ALSO be good for the School Year 22-23.

Children 5 years old or younger that aren’t students must be part of a household that participates in Food and Nutrition Services (FNS). If not already participating, you must apply for FNS by Aug. 31, 2022 to be considered for Summer P-EBT benefits. ​​​

Essential Links

Outreach Toolkit from No Kid Hungry

This toolkit was created to help you get the word out to families about Pandemic-EBT (P-EBT) benefits available to help families with groceries during COVID-19. It includes graphics, social media posts, template letters to families, and more in multiple languages.

NOTE: This toolkit includes resources for both the standard school year Pandemic-EBT, and Summer P-EBT. Take note of which you are using. Some materials might also need modifying to reflect the best info for North Carolinians.

Click here to see the toolkit.

PLUS: Click here to download a robo-call template script you can use to inform families about Summer P-EBT.

Hit the Retweet Button! Sample Social Media Messages from @NCDHHS (English and Spanish)