P-EBT Program

DHS runs the Pandemic-EBT program. Additional information can be found on their webpage here.

Previous Rounds

Round 4 (School Year 2021-22):

DHS is working on getting benefits issued to families. We do not know when these benefits will be issued, but we will post information as soon as we hear.

Round 4 Eligibility:

  • Must be attending in-person instruction (HCVS not eligible).
  • Must be enrolled in the free or reduced meal program or attended a CEP school.
    • NOTE: HCS is not charging for meals in SY2021-22, but the P-EBT program is only available to students who are enrolled in the free/reduced meal program or attend a CEP school. A student who attends a non-CEP school and does not have an approved free/reduced application is not eligible.
  • Must have missed school due to COVID, either through illness, quarantine, or school closure. Only days missed due to COVID will be paid, at $7.10 per day.

Parent Resources

  • DHS now has a Parent Portal for you to view your child's status, see benefit amounts, update or check your address, or decline benefits: https://tdhs.service-now.com/relief
  • You may also call their parent hotline: 833-496-0661 to receive this information.
  • For issues with the P-EBT card itself (activation, replacement, etc.), call 888-997-9444.
  • If you would like an explanation for your child's benefit amount, please call the HCS School Nutrition office at 423-498-7275.

Round 3 (October 2020-July 2021):

  • Must have qualified for free or reduced meals or attended a CEP school.
    • NOTE: HCS did not charge for meals in SY2020-21, but the P-EBT program is only available to students who normally would have qualified for free/reduced meals.
  • Benefit amounts will vary based on whether your child was an "in-person" learner (followed the Phase Tracker) or a "virtual student" (enrolled in [email protected] or Hamilton County Virtual School).
  • Eligible students could have been classified as "hybrid" or "virtual". This is different from previous rounds (see the previous round eligibility section). For October and later, if an individual school was closed for COVID for any length of time OR our district was in Phase 2, your in-person student was classified as "hybrid" and received a partial benefit. If our district operated in Phase 1 for the entire month or your student was enrolled in the [email protected] or Virtual School, your student was classified as "virtual" and received the full benefit for the month.
    • October: only free/reduced in-person students who attended schools that temporarily closed received a partial benefit for this month. Free/reduced virtual students received the full benefit.
    • November and December: all free/reduced in-person students received a partial benefit. Free/reduced virtual students received the full benefit.
    • January (paid in April): all free/reduced students received the full benefit.
    • February (paid in May): all free/reduced in-person students received a partial benefit. Free/reduced virtual students received a full benefit.
    • March: only free/reduced in-person students who attended schools that temporarily closed received a partial benefit for this month. Free/reduced virtual students received the full benefit.
    • April: only free/reduced in-person students who attended schools that temporarily closed received a partial benefit for this month. Free/reduced virtual students received the full benefit.
    • May: only free/reduced in-person students who attended schools that temporarily closed received a partial benefit for this month. Free/reduced virtual students received the full benefit.
    • Summer 2021: All students who received free/reduced benefits received a flat rate of $375 per child for the summer. 

Round 2 (August-September 2020):

  • Must have qualified for free or reduced meals or attended a CEP school, where schools do not charge for meals.
  •  ONLY students who participated in [email protected], Hamilton County Virtual School, or missed 5 consecutives days due to COVID were eligible for this round. The card was mailed to your home.
  • Hybrid students who learned from home part of the week and attended in person part of the week were NOT eligible during this Round.

Round 1 (March-May 2020):

  • All students who qualified for free or reduced meals or attended a CEP school, where schools do not charge for meals, were eligible this round.
  • You may have received this benefit ONE of three ways:
    • Loaded to your regular EBT card (sometime around June)
    • You applied for the benefit through DHS and received it late summer/early fall
    • You received a card that was mailed to your child's SY2019-20 school