The California Department of Education (CDE) is pleased to announce that an updated version of the Universal Benefits Application (DOCX) for the SUN Bucks program is now available on the SUN Bucks webpage.
This updated template includes important revisions to align with federal requirements and streamline the SUN Bucks application process:
- The following fields have been made optional: student date of birth, grade, parent/guardian phone number, and email address.
- New instructional pages have been added to assist parents and guardians in completing the application accurately.
The updated template is currently available in English. The CDE is actively working on Spanish and additional threshold language translations and will notify Local Educational Agencies (LEAs) as soon as those versions are available.
LEAs are encouraged to begin using the updated application and to share it with families to help support greater access to SUN Bucks benefits for eligible students.
Additionally, LEAs need to take extreme care when uploading SUN Bucks eligibility data to the Education Data Collection System. When LEAs submit erroneous data that result in SUN Bucks cards being issued to ineligible students will need to complete Corrective Action Plans as directed by the CDE.