Nevada Parents Can Snag $120 Summer Grocery Cards For Each Kid

Nevada parents of school age kids have a chance to stretch the grocery budget a little further this summer, thanks to a one time $120 benefit per child through the state’s Summer Electronic Benefit Transfer program. The money is meant to stand in for school breakfasts and lunches while campuses are closed, and many households started seeing the funds hit in late May. Families are being urged to double check whether their kids were counted automatically or, if not, get an application in before the deadline.

How to check eligibility and apply

Most kids are automatically in the program if they were directly certified through SNAP, TANF or Medicaid, or were already listed for free or reduced price school meals. Households that do not fall into those buckets can still apply through the state’s online portal.

According to the Nevada Division of Social Services, benefits for students identified through streamlined eligibility started going out on May 23. The Access Nevada S EBT portal will keep accepting applications through August 9. The City of Boulder City has also been pushing out reminders on X to nudge families who might otherwise miss the window.

When and how benefits arrive

For many families, the $120 was quietly added to an existing EBT card, which means the help might already be sitting there waiting to be used. Newly approved households get a separate S EBT card in the mail.

This Is Reno reports that more than half of eligible families received their benefits on May 23, and that new cards or replacement cards can take a few weeks to reach mailboxes.

What you can buy and where it works

The S EBT card works like a debit card at SNAP certified retailers, including grocery stores, some corner stores, farmers markets and approved online sellers.

Per the Nevada Division of Social Services, allowable items include breads and cereals, fruits and vegetables, meat, dairy products and even seeds to grow food. Alcohol, tobacco, hot prepared foods and non food items are off limits. The clock is ticking too, since benefits expire 122 days after they are loaded.

Why tracking your card matters

Local reporting found Nevada families used only about 80 percent of last year’s Summer EBT benefits, leaving roughly one in five dollars untouched. A common problem was that parents never realized money had been added to a card they already had.

As noted by Nevada Current, state agencies have stepped up outreach this time around, leaning on emails, text messages and school district communications in an effort to get more families to actually use what they qualify for.

Need help? Who to call

If you believe your child should qualify for S EBT but you are not seeing the benefit, start by checking the Access Nevada portal for your child’s details, then reach out to the S EBT Customer Service Center if something looks off.

This Is Reno lists the S EBT customer service numbers as 775 684 8740 for Northern Nevada and 702 486 9640 for Southern Nevada. For card activation, a lost PIN or other technical glitches, the FIS toll free line and the EBT Edge website can also walk you through fixes.