VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES

Learn more about eligibility requirements

Eligibility requirements for the P-EBT program are based on guidance from the United States Department of Agriculture.

A student is eligible for regular P-EBT benefits if two conditions are met:

1. The student would be eligible for free or reduced-price meals if the National School Lunch Program and School Breakfast Program were operating normally.
2. The student does not receive free or reduced-price meals at the school because the school is closed or has been operating with reduced attendance or hours for at least five consecutive days in the current school year. Once the minimum five consecutive day threshold is met, children are eligible to receive P-EBT benefits for closures or reductions in hours due to COVID-19.

A student is eligible for summer P-EBT benefits if:

1. The student qualified for free or reduced-price meals, regardless of learning method (fully remote, hybrid or in-person), during the 2020-2021 school year.
2. Eligible summer P-EBT households will receive a one-time, lump sum benefit of $375 on August 25, 2021. Benefits will be automatically loaded on to existing P-EBT cards or mailed to new households.

A SNAP household with children under the age of six is eligible for P-EBT benefits if the following conditions are met:

1. The child under the age of six was not attending school during the previous school year, and
2. The child has been receiving SNAP benefits since October 1, 2020, and
3. The child lives in a school district that has operated on a fully remote or hybrid (combination of in-person and remote instruction) schedule since October 1, 2020.

Virginia has established regular P-EBT benefit levels for fully remote and hybrid eligibility

Fully remote - Remote attendance at a Virginia school an average of 17.8 days per month. The P-EBT program will issue the full benefit level of $121.40 per student/child each month.

Hybrid - Remote attendance at a Virginia school an average of 8.9 days per month. The P-EBT program will issue the full benefit level of $60.70 per student/child each month.

What happens next? - Benefits will be automatically loaded to your existing P-EBT or EBT card. If this is your first time receiving a card, a pre-loaded Virginia P-EBT card will be mailed to the address of the child's parent or guardian. Ensure your address is correct with your local school division records. If you lost or discarded your previously issued P-EBT card, contact ConnectEBT at 1-866-281-2448.

For more information, view our frequently asked questions.

Frequently Asked Questions Preguntas Frecuentes Sobre P-EBT