CalKids

Every San Diego County-born baby has a scholarship in wait via CalKIDS

Photo courtesy CalKIDS
 
East County News Service
 
Oct. 14, 2025 (San Diego County) -- California-born babies can getting an early start on saving and investing.
 
Through the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program, every baby born in the state of California on or after July 1, 2022, automatically has a scholarship waiting in their name, worth up to $175 -- and that includes more than $8 million set aside for children born in San Diego County alone.
 
CalKIDS is the state-funded college savings program that provides automatic seed deposits and potential financial incentives in the form of scholarships for eligible California children to use for higher education and career training.
 
For newborns and young children, the state invests up to $175 in a CalKIDS Scholarship Account -- $100 for being born in California (for babies born July 1, 2023 or later; amount is $25 for those born between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023); $25 extra when parents claim the account online, and another $50 extra for linking the account to a "ScholarShare 529 College Savings Plan." 

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260,000 California 2nd graders awarded CalKIDS scholarship accounts

Source: CalKids

October 5, 2025 (Sacramento) -- More than 260,000 California 2nd graders are starting this school year with their very first scholarship through CalKIDS, the state’s landmark program that helps families prepare for college and career training.

Each eligible 2nd grader is automatically awarded a minimum of $500 in their CalKIDS Scholarship Account. Foster youth and students experiencing homelessness receive an additional $500–$1,000, for a CalKIDS Scholarship Account worth up to $1,500.

Each year, a new group of students is added to the CalKIDS Program. Eligibility is determined by the California Department of Education using the Local Control Funding Formula, which identifies students based on income criteria or as English learners.


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1 OF EVERY 2 PUBLIC SCHOOL STUDENTS IN SAN DIEGO IS ELIGIBLE FOR CALKIDS SCHOLARSHIPS

Scholarships worth up to $1,500 can be used for college or career training

Source: CalKids

Photo: Students wear CalKids T-shirts at anniversary event

April 10, 2025 (San Diego) -  College acceptance and financial aid letters are arriving soon, and high school seniors and college students have a major opportunity to ease their higher education costs through the CalKIDS program.

CalKIDS is the nation's largest child development account program, providing scholarships for higher education. This statewide initiative, administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, provides eligible California public school students with CalKIDS Scholarships worth up to $1,500—helping them take the next step toward college or career training by easing financial barriers to higher education.

In San Diego County, more than $148 million in CalKIDS Scholarships has been made available to public school students over the last three years, providing critical financial support for their higher education. A CalKIDS Scholarship does not require students to submit essays, meet a minimum GPA, or provide recommendation letters. Claiming a scholarship is simple and takes just minutes at CalKIDS.org.


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