California officials say thousands of students—many from Latino families—still have free college money waiting to be claimed through the state’s CalKIDS program.
California officials are urging community college students to check whether they have CalKIDS scholarships unclaimed money waiting for them.
Governor Gavin Newsom announced a new statewide effort to help students claim more than $20 million in unused CalKIDS scholarship funds that have already been set aside for community college students.
The initiative—developed with the California Community Colleges Chancellor’s Office and the California Cradle-to-Career Data System—has already identified 40,000 students who qualify for funds but have not claimed them.
Officials say the money can help cover essential college costs, including textbooks, laptops, and tuition.
“This is money that belongs to students,” state leaders said when announcing the program. “We want to make sure they know it’s there and how to use it.”
The scholarships come from CalKIDS, a statewide initiative created to expand access to college savings accounts.
Since its launch in 2022, the program has provided more than $37 million to nearly 70,000 community college students, according to data from the California State Treasurer’s Office.
CalKIDS automatically creates scholarship accounts for many students without requiring families to apply. But to use the funds, students must activate or “claim” the account online.
Across California, more than 4 million children and students are eligible, yet hundreds of thousands of accounts remain unclaimed.
Latino students represent the largest group of participants
State data shows that Latino students make up the largest share of CalKIDS accounts.
According to the California State Treasurer’s Office:
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More than 2.57 million accounts have been created for Hispanic or Latino students.
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Latino students represent about 53.7% of all program participants.
That participation mirrors broader statewide demographics. Data from the California Department of Education shows Latino students represent about 56% of California’s K–12 public school enrollment, making them the largest student population in the state.
How CalKIDS works
CalKIDS—short for California Kids Investment and Development Savings—is designed to give students a financial head start for college or career training.
The program automatically deposits seed money into scholarship accounts that students can later use at accredited colleges or training programs.
Typical funding includes:
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$100 for eligible babies born in California
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$500 for eligible public school students in grades 1–12
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Additional funds for foster youth and homeless students
The accounts are managed through ScholarShare 529 and can be used for tuition, books, computers, and other education costs.
How to find your SSID to claim funds
To check eligibility, students need their Statewide Student Identifier (SSID).
Students can find their SSID by contacting their current school or the last school district they attended, such as their high school. SSIDs have been issued at the local K–12 level since 2005–2006. Students who graduated before 2005 may not have an SSID.
Once you have your SSID, visit CalKIDS.org to claim your scholarship and activate your account.
Despite the scale of the program, many families remain unaware the accounts exist.
State officials say the new partnership with community colleges will allow campuses to directly notify students who have money waiting for them.
The message from state leaders is simple: check your eligibility.
Students and families can visit the official CalKIDS website and use their Statewide Student Identifier (SSID) to see if they qualify.
For many students, it could mean hundreds—or even thousands—of dollars already waiting to support their college journey.
