Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) provides food benefits to families

GISD Public Relations

May 26, 2021

Did your child receive free or reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program during the 2020–21 school year? If so, your family may be eligible for P-EBT benefits to purchase food. The P-EBT application opens June 2. 

Pandemic Electronic Benefit Transfer (P-EBT) provides food benefits to families with enrolled students (up to 21 years of age) who temporarily lost access to free or reduced-price school meals for the 2020–2021 school year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

The Texas Education Agency (TEA), Texas Department of Agriculture and Texas Health and Human Services request that schools attempt to contact eligible families before the application opens June 2, 2021. Thank you for your assistance with the P-EBT program. We appreciate all the work you do to help make sure Texas families have access to food during this time.
To apply, go to yourtexasbenefits.com/Learn/PEBT (application link is case-sensitive). The application opens June 2. Deadline to apply is Aug. 13, 2021. 

Who is Eligible?

  • Students who are certified for free or reduced-price meals through the National School Lunch Program (NSLP).
  • Students who attend a Community Eligibility Provision (CEP) or Provision 2 (P2) school that offers free meals to all students.
  • Children born after Aug. 1, 2014, in families who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between October 2020 and June 2021. 

Who Needs to Apply?

  • A parent/guardian must apply if eligible student is:
    • Enrolled in K-12 and NOT part of a family who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between August 2020 and June 2021.
    • Born on or before Aug. 1, 2014, and is part of a family who received SNAP benefits for the first time during the 2020–2021 school year in May or June 2021.
  • A parent/guardian does not have to apply if eligible student or child is:
    • Born on or before Aug. 1, 2014, and is part of a family who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between August 2020 and April 2021.
    • Born after Aug. 1, 2014, and is part of a family who received SNAP benefits for at least one month between October 2020 and June 2021. 
  • Additional Letter to Families  (English) (Spanish)