CalKIDS: California's Investment in Future Generations

The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) represents a significant investment by the State of California in the future of its young residents. CalKIDS is designed to promote the pursuit of higher education statewide by empowering families to build assets, nurture savings habits and raise their educational aspirations. Through this initiative, the state aims to provide financial support and encourage college savings, making higher education more accessible for all California children.

Understanding CalKIDS

CalKIDS is a free savings program that provides California kids with up to $1,500 for college education and career training. Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, an agency of the State of California, CalKIDS is the nation’s largest child development account program, now with more than 5 million accounts created and $2.2 billion invested for California children and students. The program is designed to ease the financial burden of higher education for California families.

Eligibility Criteria for CalKIDS

CalKIDS has two primary eligibility categories: children born in California and eligible public school students.

Eligibility for Newborns

Every child born in California on or after July 1, 2022, is automatically given a scholarship through CalKIDS. All California children born on or after July 1, 2022, are eligible for CalKIDS. The scholarship amounts vary based on the birth date:

$25 for children born between July 2022 and June 2023.
$100 for children born on or after July 1, 2023.

It is important to wait up to 90 days after the child’s birth to claim their CalKIDS Scholarship Account. To claim the account, you will need the following information:

Local Registration Number (LRN) on child’s birth certificate or CalKIDS Code on the letter you received
Child’s date of birth
County where child was born

Eligibility for Public School Students

There are two groups of California public-school students who may be eligible for a CalKIDS Scholarship:

Public school students enrolled in grades 1-12 during the 2021-2022 academic year.
Public school students enrolled in the 1st grade during the 2022-2023 academic year and every school year thereafter.

Scholarship Award Amounts:

$500 for low-income or English learner public school students
$500 more for foster youth
$500 more for homeless youth

To be eligible, your child must have been enrolled on Fall Census Day and must also be identified as English Learner or low-income by the Local Control Funding Formula. And, that information must be reported to the California Department of Education. Fall Census Day is the first Wednesday in October of the academic year.

To claim the account, you will need the following information:

Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) or CalKIDS Code on the letter you received
Student’s date of birth
County where student was enrolled

How to Claim a CalKIDS Scholarship Account

Eligible newborns and students are automatically enrolled in the program, but online registration is required to claim the funds in the CalKIDS account.

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For Children Born in California (after July 1, 2022):

Local Registration Number (LRN) on child’s birth certificate or CalKIDS Code on the letter you received
Child’s date of birth
County where child was born

Please wait 90 days after your child’s birth to claim your CalKIDS Scholarship Account.

For Students:

Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) or CalKIDS Code on the letter you received
Student’s date of birth
County where student was enrolled

Steps to Claim:

Step 1: Claim a CalKIDS Scholarship Account
Step 2: Open a ScholarShare 529 Account
Step 3: Log in to CalKIDS and link accounts

Enhancing Savings with ScholarShare 529

ScholarShare 529 is a free-to-create account that families can use to save for their child’s school, college or career training expenses. By linking their child’s CalKIDS account to a college savings account from ScholarShare 529, the state of California’s official college savings plan, their CalKIDS account will receive an additional deposit of $50. Families can link their child’s CalKIDS account to a new or existing 529 account. The money you save is invested and can grow over time. Money can be withdrawn tax-free when used to pay qualifying education expenses for the child.

Using CalKIDS Funds

CalKIDS money can be used at eligible higher education institutions across the country. This includes community colleges, universities, vocational schools, and professional schools. To check if your school qualifies use the Federal School Code Search Tool.

CalKIDS funds can be used to cover education expenses such as:

Tuition and fees
Books and supplies
Room and board
Computer equipment

To use your money for a qualified education expense, follow these simple steps:

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Step 1: Log in to your CalKIDS account
Step 2: Click “Request Distribution” and follow the directions

To use your funds, you must:

Be between 17 and 26 years old
Enrolled at an eligible college, university, technical, or vocational institution

Once funds are requested, they are sent directly to your institution.

The Impact of CalKIDS

CalKIDS support has taken pressure off families when it comes to the rising cost of education. “It relieved some stress I had about paying for things for school,” Lopez said. “CalKIDS is a catalyst for building family assets and expands access to education,” Ma said. “For older students, it offers real financial support to meet immediate education needs. Research shows that children with even modest savings are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate.

The CalKIDS Institute at UCLA

The CalKIDS Institute at UCLA amplifies, strengthens, and evaluates the new statewide children’s savings account program, the California Kids Investment & Development Savings Program (CalKIDS). The Institute is committed to economic equity, higher education access, and the financial well-being of families.

Confirming Eligibility and Claiming Your Account

You can confirm your child’s eligibility using the CalKIDS Eligibility Tool. All eligible children have a CalKIDS child savings account created in their name. Students and parents can add to these savings over time. To help kids get started on the path to college savings, the State of California is depositing money into every CalKIDS account.

To claim your account and funds:

Claim your account at CalKIDS.org with the following information:
- County where student attended school on Census day, October 2021
- Date of Birth
- Statewide Student Identifier (SSID)

Additional Resources and Support

CalKIDS Website: CalKIDS.org
ScholarShare 529: Information on college savings plans.
Federal School Code Search Tool: To check if your school qualifies for CalKIDS funds.

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