Local educators seek to boost participation in a state program that sets up education savings for kids.

Celia Jiménez here, wondering what might’ve happened if I had a savings account, not just a piggy bank, as a kid. 

CalKIDS, a children’s saving account program that’s been running for over two years in California, sets aside funds that today’s kids will one day be able to use for college or training programs after high school. It’s aimed at helping young people continue their education, especially those from low-income families. Babies born after July 1, 2022 in California, and students in grades two through 12, may be eligible, regardless of their birthplace or immigration status.

Parents can check eligibility on the CalKIDS website. Amounts vary depending on age and background, with up to $1,500 based on family income plus interest (babies receive between $50-$175 to start with). 

Young people can use the money only after they’ve completed high school (they must be at least 17 years old), and if they enroll in a qualifying program. The funds remain available until they are 26. If they don’t utilize the funds, they just go back into the CalKIDS pot for future youth. Funds are transferred by CalKIDS directly into the institution a student is attending, but beyond that there are no strings attached—funds can be used for anything from campus housing to books or tuition. 

“The way we're promoting these accounts is that it's an additional scholarship that they get when they enroll into a university,” says Tony Amezcua, director of the Bright Futures educational partnership at the Hartnell College Foundation in Salinas. 

Amezcua has been tracking countywide data, and he is finding a lag in utilizing available funds. Results show only 7 percent of eligible babies and students are registered, similar to statewide numbers. From April to July, local organizations and school districts have been trying to change that. They’ve registered over 1,000 more accounts, which Amezcua says has accumulated $2.8 million. 

That number might sound like great news, “but when you think of the grand-scale number of there's still being $30 million out there available for us, we still have a lot of work to do,” Amezcua says. “This is a safe program that they can trust and that's going to benefit them in the future.”

In Salinas, families can register their newborns at Salinas Valley Health or the Alisal Resource Center; Amezcua recommends parents reach out to the nearest school district and resource centers for help with the registration process. Parents can also sign up or check eligibility online at calkids.org. In addition, CalKIDS offers webinars for parents and caregivers to learn more. (The next one is on Tuesday, Sept. 17 at 11am.) 

Amezcua’s message, and I agree, is that those who are eligible should register, even if it’s still years away when they’ll be enrolling in school. These additional funds could make a difference in the student’s educational journey well into the future.

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