Summer EBT: Who Automatically Qualifies
Children automatically qualified for Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) in 2026 if they had an approved application to get free or reduced price meals at their National School Lunch Program (NSLP) participating school for the 2025-2026 school year.
Children also qualified if their household was in a qualifying program any time during the 2025-2026 school year or 2026 summer. The qualifying programs are:
- FoodShare
- Wisconsin Works (W-2)
- The Food Distribution Program on Indian Reservations (FDPIR)
- Certain income-based Medicaid programs
If a child did not go to a school that participates in the NSLP and their household was in one of the qualifying programs, they must have been school-aged to qualify. Children are considered school-aged for 2026 if they were born on or between July 1, 2007, and August 31, 2020.
Children who qualified for Summer EBT will be sent benefits automatically. If a child did not get Summer EBT benefits yet, their families may be able to take steps to see if they can still qualify for Summer EBT this year.
If your child qualified for Summer EBT, learn how to use the benefits.
Help with Summer EBT
Get help with questions about Summer EBT by contacting the Summer EBT Support Team at DHSSEBTSupport@dhs.wisconsin.gov or visiting the Summer EBT: Frequently Asked Questions page.