California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, joined students and education leaders at Fontana High School on Thursday, Oct. 8, to highlight a countywide effort helping more than 348,000 eligible San Bernardino County public school students representing more nearly 78% of public school students countywide, learn about and claim nearly $162 million in CalKIDS Scholarships available for their future education.

Co-hosted by San Bernardino County Superintendent of Schools in partnership with Fontana Unified School District and the ScholarShare Investment Board, the event brought CalKIDS claiming support directly to students and showcased how schools across the county are helping families connect with scholarships already available to them.

At Fontana High School, more than 1,400 CalKIDS Scholarship Accounts are available to eligible students. During the event, students participated in an on-site CalKIDS claiming activity and received support navigating the claiming process, while state and local education leaders highlighted the resources available to help students take the next step toward college or career training.

Attendees also heard from Christopher Bautista Garcia, a 2024 Fontana High School graduate and CalKIDS Scholarship recipient who is now a junior at UCLA. Garcia returned to his former high school to share his experience claiming and using his CalKIDS Scholarship as he continued his education.

“Thankfully to CalKIDS they were able to help me out with a free $500 that I was able to use for textbooks,” shared Christoper Bautista Garcia. “It is super easy, you got to claim your account!” 

CalKIDS is administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board and chaired by Treasurer Ma. The program is part of the State Treasurer’s Office Financial Security for All initiative, which Treasurer Ma launched to help Californians build long-term financial security at every stage of life. CalKIDS provides eligible California public school students with scholarships worth up to $1,500 to help pay for qualified education expenses at community colleges, universities, career training programs, trade schools, vocational schools and other eligible institutions nationwide.

“When we created CalKIDS, we made a commitment to invest in the potential of California’s students and give more young people a financial foundation for their future,” said California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA. “That commitment does not stop with creating these scholarships. We want every eligible student to know that their future matters, that this opportunity belongs to them and that they have support as they pursue what comes next.”

The Oct. 8 event built on CalKIDS Scholarship Month in September and ongoing countywide efforts to increase awareness and claims. Schools throughout San Bernardino County have been using outreach, school-based activities and direct claiming support to help eligible students and families learn about their scholarships and take the next step to claim them.

“As the cost of college and career training continues to rise, every dollar can make a difference. We want students and families to know about the CalKIDS Accounts available to help them take that next step,” said County Superintendent Ted Alejandre. “We are proud to support CalKIDS and raise awareness of how it can help remove financial barriers and put college and career training within reach for more students.”

The Fontana event comes as CalKIDS continues to reach a growing number of students and families statewide. Since the program launched in 2022, California has made more than $2.4 billion in CalKIDS Scholarships available to more than 6 million children and eligible public school students. Earlier this year, CalKIDS reached a major milestone when the number of claimed Scholarship Accounts surpassed 1 million statewide.

For eligible public school students, claiming a CalKIDS Scholarship requires the student’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), county of enrollment and date of birth. Schools play an important role in informing students about scholarships available to them, helping them locate their SSID and providing support as they navigate the claiming process.

Students and families can check eligibility, claim their CalKIDS Scholarship Account and learn more at CalKIDS.org.

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About CalKIDS: The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) is the nation’s largest statewide child development account program, providing scholarships for higher education. Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, and Chaired by State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA, the program is designed to promote the pursuit of higher education statewide by empowering families to build assets, nurture savings habits, and raise their educational aspirations. Eligible public school students can receive CalKIDS Scholarships worth up to $1,500 and every child born in California on or after July 1, 2022, is awarded a CalKIDS Scholarship worth up to $175, ensuring more families have the resources needed to support their children’s education. To learn more, visit CalKIDS.org.