Copyright Santa Clarita Valley Signal
News release L.A. County families welcoming a new baby can also celebrate another milestone: their child’s very first scholarship. Through the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program, every child born in the state on or after July 1, 2022, automatically has a CalKIDS Scholarship Account waiting in their name — including more than $21 million in scholarship funds set aside for children in Los Angeles County alone, according to a news release from the program. CalKIDS is the nation’s largest children’s development account program, designed to support college 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 (babies born July 1, 2023, or later; $25 for those born between July 1, 2022 and June 30, 2023). $25 extra when parents claim the account online. $50 extra for linking the account to a ScholarShare 529 College Savings Plan. “CalKIDS is one of California’s most visionary investments,” Los Angeles City Councilman Adrin Nazarian, who led the creation of the program during his time in the State Assembly, said in the release. “We imagined how a baby’s first scholarship could lay the groundwork for a lifetime of opportunity. It empowers families across California to dream bigger and start planning sooner.” With August, September, and October among the most common birth months in California, thousands of families are becoming newly eligible for a CalKIDS Scholarship. Claiming is free at CalKIDS.org. Parents and guardians just need three pieces of information: The county where their child was born. Their child’s date of birth. The 13-digit Local Registration Number on the birth certificate, or the unique CalKIDS code mailed to their home. Once claimed, families can log in anytime to view balances, link a ScholarShare 529 Account, and learn how funds can be used. Eligible expenses include tuition and fees, required books and supplies, and computer equipment at accredited higher education institutions nationwide.
