SACRAMENTO, Calif., October 6, 2025 – The California Student Aid Commission (CSAC) is excited to announce a new data sharing partnership with the ScholarShare Investment Board to improve access of the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS).
The CalKIDS program was launched in 2022 by the State of California with a clear mission: to help jumpstart college savings for children statewide by awarding scholarship accounts to youth across the state. Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, CalKIDS offers financial support to eligible school students and all children born in California on or after July 1, 2022, along with other financial incentives.
“Our mission with CalKIDS is to break down barriers to higher education by giving families across California a stronger financial foundation and opening doors to opportunities that might otherwise remain out of reach,” said Fiona Ma, CPA, California State Treasurer and Chair of the ScholarShare Investment Board. “By partnering with the California Student Aid Commission, we can connect directly with students, ensure they understand their eligibility, and guide them in taking full advantage of these scholarships to pursue college and career success.”
This new data sharing partnership will enable CSAC to support students and families by providing access to college affordability options earlier. More than 2.2 million students and high school counselors and financial aid administrators who use CSAC’s existing infrastructure will be able to learn about CalKIDS. Eligible students will be notified and connected back to CalKIDS and the ScholarShare Investment Board, who will notify families and students of their CalKIDS Accounts and how to use it to pay for their higher education dreams.
We are grateful to CalKIDS for this partnership. Together, we can we help make college affordable for many more Californians.” said Dr. Daisy Gonzales, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission. “Utilizing the power of data sharing across state agencies, we can close information siloes. CSAC connects with 2.2 million students, all K-12 districts and every institution of higher education in our state. We are the partner that can connect students and families with CalKIDS, and CalKIDS is the missing link when we seek to promote educational equity in our state.”
“I am so excited for this partnership with the California Student Aid Commission,” said Cassandra DiBenedetto, Executive Director of ScholarShare Investment Board. “The opportunity to help more children access resources for college is a huge opportunity – we already know children with a college savings are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate. Whether our students want to pursue a four- year university, a community college, apprenticeship, or trade school, California is ready to invest in you.”
CalKIDS Accounts are seeded with up to $1,500 from the State of California to be used by the recipient child when they are between ages 17 and 26 at eligible higher education institutions. The CalKIDS Program is available to millions of students across the state, and this partnership seeks to increase awareness and support students with early funds to pay for higher education. This partnership represents an exciting new cross-agency effort to meet students where they are and increase the use of this free financial resource.
CSAC will conduct new outreach modalities as early as this October, with additional outreach and professional development for higher education and K-12 staff expected in Spring 2026.
“This is a pivotal partnership that represents a powerful investment by our state,” Catalina Cifuentes, Chair of the California Student Aid Commission. “The CalKIDS program will provide a scholarship for college or career training to thousands of future students, and this partnership will help raise awareness of the program. Public schools will now be able to access data reports and identify potentially eligible students, allowing for more students to access their CalKIDS Accounts.”
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The California Student Aid Commission currently serves over 2.2 million students and administers over
$3.9 billion of student financial aid programs and services, including the Cal Grant, the Middle Class Scholarship, and the California Dream Act Application. The Commission serves as a resource for
policymakers and the public on college affordability and financing issues, and advocates for policy changes to eliminate cost as a barrier to any qualified California student pursuing a higher education. Visit our website at www.csac.ca.gov or follow us on social media by clicking on our Link Tree.
