High school seniors are now preparing to start the next chapter in their lives, but some do not have a key piece of information that could help. Many students have money for college and career training in an account as part of the California Kids Investment and Development Savings program (CalKIDS).
As a PTA member, you are in an ideal position to let your high school seniors know about CalKIDS. CalKIDS provides accounts with $500 to eligible low-income public-school students, as defined by the Local Control Funding Formula, in grades 1 through 12. Students who are especially vulnerable may receive up to $1,500.
To use the money, students need to find out if they are eligible and then claim the account. It’s quick and easy. They can do this by visiting www.calkids.org.
Claiming an account requires only a few pieces of information, including the child’s Statewide Student Identifier (SSID). You can check with your school to find the number.
Money from these accounts can pay for qualified higher education costs, such as tuition, fees, computers, books, and more. The funds be used at eligible colleges, universities, vocational schools, community colleges, graduate or postgraduate programs and apprenticeships.
These accounts can make a huge difference in the lives of students. In addition to helping finance higher education, the CalKIDS program inspires students to consider attending college or career training.
CalKIDS is administered by the Scholar Share Investment Board, an agency of the State of California, and managed out of the State Treasurer’s Office, and is by far the biggest program of its type in the nation.
Our staff spends a lot of time informing families, schools, nonprofits, and government agencies about the program. However, the CalKIDS program is new and getting the word out to our communities is a difficult task, especially in the most populous state in the nation. That is why we need your help. Please consider taking these steps to spread the word with your community:
- Host an informational webinar about the CalKIDS program.
- Share information through your digital communications channels including newsletters, websites, and social media.
- Distributing program materials throughout your campus or district.
We also welcome other ideas for letting parents and students know about CalKIDS.
To support our partners’ efforts, we’ve created a comprehensive online toolkit that contains resources and informational materials in English and Spanish. The toolkit can be accessed through the Partners tab at CalKIDS.org.
Partnerships are integral for increasing awareness about the Program to California families, thereby helping our students have a brighter future.
In partnership with CalKIDS.
