TAHLEQUAH, Okla. – The Cherokee Nation is accepting applications for the Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program, which helps families buy nutritious foods during the summer months.
Summer EBT, also known as “Sun Bucks,” is offered through Cherokee Nation Public Health’s Nutrition Programs. Services are available for eligible students within the Cherokee Nation Reservation.
“The Summer EBT program is always of top importance to Cherokee Nation, as it helps countless families within the Cherokee Nation Reservation have access to nutritious foods and helps families deal with the impact of economic inflation,” Cherokee Nation Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “Though the state of Oklahoma declined to participate in the program again this year, Cherokee Nation along with several other tribes have made it a priority to serve children in their respective reservations across Oklahoma, ensuring food security during the summer months.”
Cherokee Nation expects to serve an estimated 50,000 children this summer, serving all eligible applicants whether they are Cherokee citizens or non-Cherokee citizens across its 7,000-mile reservation.
Qualifying families will receive $120 of food benefits per child issued on one benefit issuance on an EBT card, which works like a debit card.
Participation in this program will have no impact on other government assistance participants may receive.
Eligibility for the program is based on free or reduced school meals and the Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations data list. Households that are on a direct certification list from these sources will automatically be issued a card for Summer EBT. Students who attend a participating school do not need to apply. Households can choose to opt out by contacting the Summer EBT team.
The online Summer EBT application can be found at https://cherokee.oksebt.org/ or a paper application can be found at https://www.cherokeepublichealth.org/Tiles/SummerEBT.
The deadline to apply is August 30.
Last year along with the Cherokee Nation Reservation, the tribe also assisted in serving parts of the Muscogee Nation Reservation with implementation of the program. In 2024, the program helped 106,000 student Summer EBT participants with food while school was out of session.
Several tribal nations within Oklahoma have administered the Summer EBT program in recent years, along with Cherokee Nation, serving all eligible applicants within those respective tribal boundaries regardless of whether the Oklahoman is a tribal citizen.
The State of Oklahoma has refused to participate in Summer EBT for three consecutive years. As a result of Oklahoma’s decision not to participate, low income Oklahomans who would qualify for the program but who do not live within those tribal reservations have been denied access to the Summer EBT program.
For more information on the program, visit https://www.cherokeepublichealth.org/Tiles/SummerEBT.
For questions, email
At-large Cherokee citizens should visit https://www.fns.usda.gov/summer/sunbucks to find out if Summer EBT is administered by a state or tribal government in their community.