More Riverside County Students Claim CalKIDS Funds for College Than Any Other County in California

RIVERSIDE – In 2024, the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE) launched an online dashboard tracking CalKIDS scholarship enrollment at all 515 public schools in the county as part of Riverside County Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Edwin Gomez’s Financial Literacy Initiative, first launched in 2021.

According to the RCOE dashboard, more than $60 million in California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS) scholarships have already been claimed by students in Riverside County, with a total of $178 million in future CalKIDS funds designated for Riverside County students. 

In 2026, the ScholarShare Investment Board that administers the CalKIDS Program and the California Student Aid Commission, followed RCOE’s lead by solidifying a data agreement to launch a statewide dashboard tracking the CalKIDS enrollment of high school students.

“Since launching the CalKIDS dashboard in 2024, educators in Riverside County have been actively eliminating future barriers to college for thousands of families. We are thrilled to see that all California students will now benefit from this innovative approach of putting information at the fingertips of our schools to advance college and career readiness,” said Riverside County Superintendent of Schools Dr. Edwin Gomez. “With more students claiming CalKIDS accounts than any other county in California, we are proud to be leading the way in ensuring higher education is more accessible than ever to change the trajectories of generations to come.”

Under RCOE’s leadership, educators are conducting targeted outreach, embedding financial literacy and CalKIDS into everyday school engagement to increase awareness and drive scholarship claims. This approach has led to multiple schools in Riverside County achieving a 100% CalKIDS Scholarship claim rate. 

“Riverside County is leading the way once again in connecting students with financial aid and creating ripples of change statewide. They are first in our statewide Race to Submit and now in the statewide CalKIDS dashboard,” said Dr. Daisy Gonzales, Executive Director of the California Student Aid Commission. “Dr. Gomez and local leaders are changing student outcomes, inspiring statewide structures, and transforming their local economy by tackling college affordability. They are leading by doing the work and focusing on students.”

Riverside County State-Leading CalKIDS Data Points

• Over $178 million in CalKIDS funds are already designated for Riverside County students. 
• More than $60 million in CalKIDS scholarships have already been claimed by students in Riverside County.
• More than 340,000 of the 430,000 students in Riverside County are eligible to claim CalKIDS accounts.
• Nearly 60% of eligible Riverside County high school students have already claimed CalKIDS accounts. (next highest rate in California is Monterey County at 34% of high school students).
• Despite having 1/3 as many eligible high school students as Los Angeles County (89,439 to 279,734), more Riverside County students have already claimed CalKIDS accounts to help pay for post-secondary goals.
• A total of 19 schools in Riverside County have achieved 100% claim rates for eligible students. This includes elementary, middle, continuation, and comprehensive high schools.

CalKIDS Program Background

In 2022, California launched the nation’s largest children’s development account program for higher education – The California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS). The program's mission: support pathways toward higher education by awarding scholarships and o¬ering savings to youth across California. The program is designed to create opportunities for families to prepare for and complete college, trade school, and career programs. Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, and Chaired by State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CalKIDS takes the initiative by automatically awarding scholarships worth up to $1,500 to eligible California public school students and up to $175 for all children born in the state on or after July 1, 2022. CalKIDS is the largest child development account program in the nation, with over 5 million children currently enrolled.

Fast Facts about CalKIDS Scholarships

• 60% of California public school students in grades 2-12 are eligible to claim a CalKIDS Scholarship.
• 100% of children born in California on or after July 1, 2022, have a CalKIDS Scholarship Account waiting in their name.
• Studies show students with even minimal savings dedicated for higher education are 3x more likely to attend college and 4x more likely to graduate.

Students and families can visit CalKIDS.org to check eligibility and claim a scholarship, while schools and community partners can access outreach materials and resources through the CalKIDS Marketing Toolkit.

About the Riverside County Office of Education (RCOE)

RCOE is a service agency supporting the county’s 23 school districts and 500+ schools that serve nearly 430,000 students—more than the student population of 17 states. RCOE services include administrative support to districts and charter schools, programs for preschool, special education, pregnant minor, correctional, migrant, and vocational students. In addition, the organization provides professional training, support, and resources for more than 18,000 teachers, administrators, and staff, throughout the 7,000 square miles of Riverside County. Learn more at www.rcoe.us.