Nearly $40 million in college scholarship money is sitting unclaimed by eligible Contra Costa County public school students.
Families in the Walnut Creek School District, Acalanes Union High School District and Mount Diablo Unified School District are among those with students who may qualify. The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program, known as CalKIDS, has designated September as its first statewide Scholarship Month. The campaign aims to connect more students with accounts worth up to $1,500 for college, career training or vocational school, according to a Contra Costa County Office of Education press release published Wednesday, Sept. 23, by Contra Costa News.
About 45% of public school students in grades 2 through 12 countywide qualify. Eligibility is determined automatically using school data from California's Local Control Funding Formula (LCFF), which considers income, English Learner status, foster youth status and homelessness, according to the CalKIDS FAQ. Eligible students receive $500 for being low-income or an English learner, an additional $500 for foster youth and another $500 for homeless youth.
"Thousands of Contra Costa County students already have CalKIDS scholarship funds waiting for them," Contra Costa County Superintendent of Schools Lynn Mackey said. She urged families to take a few minutes to check eligibility and claim funds that could support college, career education or workforce training.
The funds do not expire at the end of September. According to the CalKIDS FAQ published by the California Student Aid Commission, scholarships remain available until the student turns 26. Unused funds are then reinvested to support other students.
How to check eligibility
Families can visit CalKIDS.org, select "Confirm Eligibility" and enter the student's 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID). The SSID appears on report cards, transcripts or school portals. Parents can also request the number from their child's school or counselor.
Scholarship money covers tuition, fees, books, supplies and computer equipment at accredited colleges, universities, career training programs and vocational schools nationwide.
Program scale
Since launching in 2022, CalKIDS has invested more than $2.4 billion in scholarships for over 6 million California children and students.
The program is administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, chaired by California State Treasurer Fiona Ma. As The Press reported, Ma said the Scholarship Month campaign is about meeting students where they are and making it easier for them to access postsecondary resources.
Contra Costa County has the 11th-largest public school student population in California, with roughly 169,225 students across 286 schools and 18 districts. Studies cited by CalKIDS show students with even minimal college savings are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate.
CalKIDS is hosting a free online webinar on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 11 a.m. to noon. RSVP is required at CalKIDS.org.
