Tennessee is getting back into the federal Summer EBT grocery program, but not in time to help families shopping for food this year. Lawmakers have signed off on state funding that will let Tennessee rejoin the program in 2027, setting aside about $7 million for administrative costs so the state can tap into a far larger pot of federal grocery money. Until then, households that lean on school meals during the year are facing another summer with a hole in the budget that local school districts and food banks will be asked to cover.
Budget move opens the door to federal cash
Lawmakers quietly parked roughly $7 million in the state’s fiscal year 2027 budget to cover the administrative share required to operate Summer EBT, according to WPLN. That state money is expected to unlock more than $80 million in federal funds and support the standard $120-per-child Summer EBT benefit. The catch is timing: the money is budgeted for the 2027 program year, so nothing changes for families shopping for groceries in the summers before then.
How Summer EBT works and who gets it
Under federal rules, Summer EBT provides $40 per eligible child per month for three months, totaling $120, that can be spent at participating grocery stores, farmers markets, and other approved retailers, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. As NewsChannel 5 reported, around 700,000 children across Tennessee would qualify once the program is fully up and running statewide. Advocates have zeroed in on the program’s flexibility, arguing that being able to use benefits at regular food retailers is a lifeline for families who cannot reach traditional, site-based summer meal programs.
Tennessee’s on-again, off-again approach
Tennessee joined Summer EBT in 2024, then stepped back out for 2025 and 2026 over concerns about what it would cost the state to run the program, a move that left many children without those extra grocery dollars, Chalkbeat Tennessee reported. Instead, state officials put together a smaller Summer Nutrition Initiative that sent a one-time $120 payment to children in 15 counties, with the Tennessee Department of Human Services outlining the pilot and eligibility rules in a 2025 release. The new budget line is intended to plug Tennessee back into the larger federal system, although the schedule means families will not see Summer EBT deposits again until the 2027 program cycle.
Advocates warn the wait is painful
Anti-hunger organizations have welcomed the decision to rejoin Summer EBT, while also pointing out that the delayed start leaves families juggling grocery bills for several more summers. Marissa Spady, a senior manager with No Kid Hungry Tennessee, has stressed that keeping kids properly fed before school resumes is crucial for both learning and healthy development, according to No Kid Hungry Tennessee. Food banks and county officials had already been urging a return to the program, and organizers say that smaller emergency efforts in 2025 and 2026 had to stretch limited resources to try to cover the gap left by the state’s earlier decision to opt out.
What happens next
Before any Summer EBT dollars actually reach families, the Tennessee Department of Human Services still has to complete federal application steps, line up vendors, and roll out outreach so eligible households know how to use the benefit. Lawmakers have also advanced measures aimed at keeping Tennessee in the program on a recurring basis whenever it is offered, according to Chalkbeat Tennessee. Officials say the fiscal year 2027 appropriation is designed to cover the state’s administrative share so federal funds can begin flowing for the summer of 2027.
Families looking for help this summer are being directed to local school districts and community food programs for available options. The Tennessee Department of Human Services continues to post details on summer meal programs and prior initiatives, which can serve as a guide to what limited help is on the table until Summer EBT returns in 2027.
