[CA] SUN Bucks 2025 Reporting

CALPADS Update Flash #297 – Revised explained major changes to SUN Bucks 2025 reporting for California LEAs.

The 2025 SUN Bucks eligibility period, submission dates, and verification process have ended. In addition, CDE changed some procedures for later SUN Bucks administrations. Therefore, use this article as a historical guide and confirm current requirements on the CDE SUN Bucks page before taking action.

What Changed for 2025

For 2025, CDE introduced the Universal Benefits Application, or UBA, for certain schools.

The application a student needed depended on the school’s federal meal-program model:

Students who received CalFresh, CalWORKs, or qualifying Medi-Cal benefits did not need an application. Students identified as foster, homeless, or migrant in CALPADS also qualified without an application.

However, other eligible students needed an approved UBA or NSLP application. The correct form depended on the school’s meal-program model.

Alternative Income Forms Did Not Establish SUN Bucks Eligibility

The 2025 update made an important distinction.

LEAs could still use Alternative Income Forms, or AIFs, for LCFF Unduplicated Pupil Count purposes. However, an AIF alone could not establish SUN Bucks eligibility.

Instead, students who were not directly certified or categorically eligible needed an approved UBA or NSLP application. This difference required close coordination between nutrition, enrollment, CALPADS, and fiscal teams.

EDCS Became Part of the Process

For 2025, LEAs submitted approved UBA and NSLP application data through the Supplemental SUN Bucks Collection, or SSBC, in the Education Data Collection System.

The SSBC required information such as:

• The student’s SSID
• The school’s CDS code
• The local student identifier
• The date of the approved UBA or NSLP application
• When applicable, the date of local direct certification or extended household benefits

CALPADS records still mattered. LEAs needed current enrollment, meal-program, migrant, homeless, and foster youth records so CDE could identify eligible students accurately.

However, meal-program records in CALPADS did not replace the SSBC submission for students who qualified through an approved UBA or NSLP application.

Why Timing Mattered

The 2025 guidance connected the date of an application with SUN Bucks eligibility, LCFF reporting, and benefit timing.

For example, applications submitted from July 1 through September 1, 2025 could support eligibility for both the 2025 and 2026 SUN Bucks programs. Applications submitted later could still support 2026 eligibility, but they did not establish 2025 eligibility.

In addition, CDE combined EDCS and CALPADS data for monthly benefit processing. LEAs that submitted complete records earlier helped eligible families receive benefits sooner.

Verification Was a Separate Responsibility

For the 2025 program, LEAs used three verification pools during the summer and verified three percent of approved UBAs.

That process was specific to the 2025 administration. CDE later changed the verification approach. Therefore, do not reuse the three-pool process for a current SUN Bucks collection without reviewing the latest CDE instructions.

The broader lesson remains useful: build verification into the application workflow from the start. Waiting until the end of the eligibility period can delay submissions and increase the risk of incomplete records.

Build a Cross-Team SUN Bucks Process

SUN Bucks reporting works best when the LEA treats it as a shared process rather than a single data task.

First, confirm which application each school should collect. Next, make sure staff can identify students who qualify through direct certification or categorical eligibility. Then, set a regular schedule to review CALPADS records, SSBC files, and application-verification work.

A reliable process should include:

• Clear ownership for UBA and NSLP application review
• A process for updating addresses and student records
• Regular SSBC file checks before submission
• Coordination between nutrition, CALPADS, enrollment, and program staff
• A current verification plan based on CDE guidance
• A final review of submitted records and exceptions

Use Current Guidance for Current Reporting

Flash #297 remains valuable because it explains why accurate applications, student records, and cross-team coordination matter. Still, its 2025 dates and procedures are historical.

For the original notice, review CALPADS Update Flash #297 – Revised.

Need help creating a dependable reporting process or reconciling student data across systems? Explore MeasureED’s CALPADS support services or contact our team.