CalKIDS Scholarships Await Claim for Young Children
Parents of California children born since July 2022 must claim each automatically awarded account to access its funds.
Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Scholarships
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The CalKIDS program has awarded its first scholarships to more than 41,000 children born in Stanislaus County since July 1, 2022, totaling over $3.4 million in funds. Parents and guardians must claim the scholarship to access the account.
Why it matters
Scholarships are automatically awarded at birth under the California program, but families must act to unlock and manage the money. Accounts that are claimed can grow toward eligible education costs, making the claim step a practical priority for California families.
Each CalKIDS Scholarship Account is worth up to $175, and awards apply to children born on or after July 1, 2022, in Stanislaus County. Parents or guardians must claim the scholarship, and accounts may take up to 90 days after birth to become available.
The players
CalKIDS
California's state-run college savings scholarship program that awards accounts to children at birth.
ScholarShare Investment Board
The board that administers the CalKIDS program under the California State Treasurer's Office.
The details
Scholarships are awarded automatically at birth, so a child's account exists before any family action is taken. To access and manage the account, a parent or guardian claims it at CalKIDS.org using the child's county and date of birth, plus either the 13-digit Local Registration Number from the birth certificate or the CalKIDS code from the mailed letter. Funds can be used at eligible institutions nationwide for tuition and fees, books and supplies, and computer equipment. The program is administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board under the California State Treasurer's Office.
Timeline
July 1, 2022: start of the birth period eligible for CalKIDS scholarships in Stanislaus County.
July and August 2022: birth months of children in this year's transitional kindergarten group, roughly 70,000 children statewide.
Education Landscape
CalKIDS ties a college savings account to birth, so the first wave of awards reaches a cohort that will enter college years from now. Its reach into the transitional kindergarten group shows how the program is building toward future education costs.
Parents and guardians who have not yet claimed a child's CalKIDS scholarship can do so at CalKIDS.org using the child's county and date of birth plus the birth certificate Local Registration Number or the mailed CalKIDS code. Families with questions about using the funds for a specific school should contact that institution's financial-aid office.
The takeaway
The first CalKIDS awards are reaching children across California, and the claim step is what makes the money usable. Parents who have not yet claimed a child's account should check the mailed letter for the CalKIDS code and the birth certificate for the Local Registration Number.
What happens next
Families of children in the transitional kindergarten group can claim their CalKIDS scholarship at CalKIDS.org, with accounts available up to 90 days after birth.
Further reading
For background on how these awards fit into broader aid planning, explore Scholarships for California families.
More information
Claim or manage a child's scholarship on the official CalKIDS scholarship claim portal.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Ceres Courier.
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