Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer

School-aged students

A student may be eligible if they:

• Attend a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or the Seamless Summer Option; AND
• Submitted an Application for Educational Benefits to their school and are eligible for free or reduced-price meals; AND
• Experienced reduced access to school meals due to COVID-19 circumstances.

They must also meet the following criteria:

• Their school closed or shifted to remote learning or had reduced hours or attendance for five consecutive days due to a COVID-19 impact; AND
• A parent or guardian reported to the school that the student’s absence was due to a COVID-19 impact and the school accepted the COVID-19 impact; AND
• The school submitted the information to the Minnesota Department of Education by the deadline.

Contact your school for information about free and reduced-price meal eligibility, or to apply.

Homeschooled students and students attending virtual school

In compliance with USDA rules, a limited number of homeschooled students and students attending a virtual school may be eligible for benefits if they meet the following criteria:

• They attended a National School Lunch Program eligible school after Jan. 27, 2020 (or would have attended if old enough to enter school);
• A parent or legal guardian attested that the child transferred to a homeschool option or virtual option due to concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic;
• A parent or legal guardian contacted their local school district to get a student identification number for the child;
• A parent or legal guardian submitted an Application for P-EBT Benefits for Homeschool and Virtual Students to the local school and are eligible for free or reduced-price meals; AND
• The school submitted the information to the Minnesota Department of Education by the deadline.

Applications will be reviewed by the school district the student originally attended to confirm eligibility.

Children 5 and younger

A child who was not yet enrolled in school during the 2022-2023 school year may be eligible if they:

• Are 5 years old or younger as of Sept. 1, 2022 (born Sept. 2, 2016 or later); AND
• Received SNAP, MFIP or Tribal TANF benefits between Sept. 1, 2022, and May 31, 2023; AND
• Did not receive P-EBT school enrollment benefits.

Summer P-EBT

A student may be eligible if they:

• Attended in-person schooling the last month of the school year at a school that participates in the National School Lunch Program or the Seamless Summer Option; AND
• Submitted an Application for Educational Benefits to their school by the school deadline and are eligible for free or reduced-price meals.

Please note that children age 5 and younger and students who attended virtual school or who were homeschooled during the 2022-23 school year are not eligible for Summer P-EBT benefits.

School-aged students

If your child is eligible and previously received school-based P-EBT benefits, benefits will be loaded onto their existing P-EBT card. If you no longer have their P-EBT card, you can request a replacement through EBT Edge by calling 888-997-2227. There is a $2 fee to replace the card.

Newly eligible children will receive a new P-EBT card in the mail. Please allow up to four weeks after the department notifies you of eligibility for P-EBT benefits to receive the card. Your child’s name must be on the mailbox for the cards to be delivered.

If you provided a current cell phone number or email address and have not opted out of receiving messages, the department will notify you when benefits have been distributed.

For information about distribution dates, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Homeschooled and virtual school students

Benefits for most eligible homeschooled and virtual school students will be issued in July 2023. This allows benefits to be calculated once and diminishes the need to track students in case they returned to a school setting. A very limited number of homeschooled and virtual school students may receive benefits in May for eligible days from September 2022 through March 2023. Those students will receive a second benefit in July for eligible days from April 2023 to the end of the public health emergency.

Newly eligible students will receive a P-EBT card in the mail. Please allow up to four weeks after the department notifies you of eligibility for P-EBT benefits to receive the card. Your child’s name must be on the mailbox for the cards to be delivered.

If you provided a current cell phone number or email address and have not opted out of receiving messages, the department will notify you when benefits have been distributed.

For information about distribution dates, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Children 5 and younger

Benefits for eligible children age 5 and younger will automatically be loaded onto the household’s SNAP EBT card.

For information about distribution dates, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Summer benefits for school-aged students

If your child is eligible and previously received school-based P-EBT benefits, benefits will be loaded onto their existing P-EBT card. If you no longer have their P-EBT card, you can request a replacement through EBT Edge by calling 888-997-2227. There is a $2 fee to replace the card.

Newly eligible children will receive a P-EBT card in the mail. Please allow up to four weeks after the department notifies you of eligibility for P-EBT benefits to receive the card. Your child’s name must be on the mailbox for the cards to be delivered.

If you provided a current cell phone number or email address and have not opted out of receiving messages, the department will notify you when benefits have been distributed.

Please note that children age 5 and younger and students who attended virtual school or who were homeschooled during the 2022-23 school year are not eligible for Summer P-EBT benefits.

For information about distribution dates, visit the Frequently Asked Questions page.

Find more information on the Frequently Asked Questions page.

To ensure you get your P-EBT card as soon as possible, use the P-EBT Help Form to report an address change. When you fill out the form, list all of the children in your household to ensure all P-EBT cards are redirected. Remember to notify your child’s school of the address change.

Contact your school to inquire about free or reduced-price meals.

Use the Hunger Solutions online food shelf finder. 

Download Free Meals for Kids App.

Apply for SNAP at MNbenefits.mn.gov or contact your local county or tribal human services agency for information and ways to apply.