More than $600,000 available for SLO County families with kids. How to apply
More than $600,000 is on the table to help San Luis Obispo County families with newborns and young children jumpstart their college and career savings plans.
The money is available through the California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program — also known as CalKIDS — which is the nation’s largest children’s development account program, according to a news release.
Every child born in California on or after July 1, 2022, is eligible for a CalKIDS scholarship account, and families can get up to $175 per child, the release said.
That’s $100 for being born in California, an extra $25 for claiming an account online and another $50 if you link a ScholarShare 529 college savings account.
Across SLO County, that amounts to at least $614,000 in available funds, a spokesperson for CalKIDS told The Tribune.
Families can claim their money at the CalKIDS website using their child’s date of birth, the county they were born in and the 13-digit local registration number found on their birth certificate, the release said.
The CalKIDS funds are intended to help families get a head start on scholarships for higher education. The money can be used at accredited colleges and career training programs to pay for tuition and fees, books and supplies and technology, the release said.
“Research shows that children with even small savings for higher education are three times more likely to attend college and four times more likely to graduate. Education is also one of the most powerful tools to break the cycle of poverty — a college degree can nearly double lifetime earnings,” the release said. “By giving every child in California a first scholarship, CalKIDS brings that opportunity to families from day one and makes the path to higher education more attainable for millions.”
This story was originally published October 20, 2025 at 11:07 AM.
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