$18M In Scholarships Is Waiting For San Mateo Students

SAN MATEO, CA — More than $18 million in college and career-training scholarships is available to eligible students across San Mateo County, but families have to take a few minutes to claim the money.

September marks the first CalKIDS Scholarship Month, a statewide effort to help eligible students and their families discover and claim their CalKIDS Scholarship Accounts through school-based events and other outreach.

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About 40 percent of public-school students in San Mateo County in grades 2 through 12 are eligible for CalKIDS scholarships worth up to $1,500, according to the program.

"CalKIDS Scholarship Month is about meeting students where they are and making it easier for them to access resources that can help support their education after high school," said Fiona Ma California State Treasurer.

Participating school districts and campuses are hosting scholarship-claiming events throughout September, giving students and families opportunities to check their eligibility and complete the process at school.

High schools also have access to additional information through WebGrants for Institutions, a state financial aid platform. Under a data-sharing agreement between CalKIDS and the California Student Aid Commission, administrators can identify students with CalKIDS scholarships and connect them with opportunities to claim their accounts.

The scholarships can be used for qualified educational expenses, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, computer equipment and other eligible costs at accredited colleges, universities, career-training programs and vocational schools nationwide.

Students and families don't have to wait for a school event to claim the money. They can check eligibility online at any time.

To check, families can:

1. Visit CalKIDS.org and select "Confirm Eligibility."
2. Enter the student's 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier, or SSID. The number may be listed on a report card, transcript or school portal, or families can request it from the student's school or counselor.
3. Follow the prompts to claim the account if the student is eligible.

For one CalKIDS recipient, the money has already helped ease some of the financial pressure of paying for higher education.

"CalKIDS has helped lift the weight off my parents chest a bit in not having to worry and stress too much about gathering money," said Tania Nayelly Lopez-Vasquez, a University of California, Berkeley student and CalKIDS recipient.

The program launched in 2022 and has since invested more than $2.4 billion in scholarships for more than 6 million California children and students, according to CalKIDS.

The program is administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board and is designed to help students pursue college, career training and other postsecondary education opportunities.

Families can check whether their student qualifies and claim an available scholarship through CalKIDS.org.