About half of public school students in San Diego County are eligible for a CalKids scholarship of up to $1,500 to help pay for college or career training, according to the ScholarShare Investment Board.
The CalKids Program, administered by the board and chaired by State Treasurer Fiona Ma, is the nation’s largest child development account initiative. The statewide program aims to reduce financial barriers to higher education by offering scholarships that can be used for tuition, fees, books, supplies and computer equipment at accredited institutions nationwide.
“CalKIDS is an incredible resource for San Diego County families,” Ma said. “Claiming a CalKIDS Scholarship is the easiest step students can take on their path to higher education, and we want every eligible student to claim their scholarship account and take full advantage of this opportunity.”
Over the past three years, more than $148 million in CalKids Scholarships have been made available to public schools in the county. Statewide, the program has allocated approximately $1 billion in scholarships to more than 2 million California public school students since 2022.
Claiming a CalKids Scholarship does not require essays, GPAs or recommendation letters. Students or parents can check eligibility and claim the funds at CalKids.org by using the student’s Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), a 10-digit number available through schools.
Local schools and organizations including the San Diego Unified School District are partnering with the ScholarShare Investment Board to increase awareness of the program and help families access their scholarship accounts.
The scholarship has already had a positive impact for some, including UC San Diego student Alessandra, who said in a statement that the funds helped relieve financial pressure and kept her from going into debt.
“Studies show that students with just $500 or less set aside for college are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate,” said Cassandra DiBenedetto, executive director. “CalKIDS Accounts are more than financial assistance, they’re an investment in students’ futures, and we want to give every one of these students a reason to believe in their path to higher education.”
For more information on eligibility and how to claim a scholarship, visit www.calkids.org.
