By Lasherica Thornton for EdSource
Originally published on March 20, 2026
California students with unclaimed scholarship money can now access those funds when they apply for federal or state financial aid, according to a press release from CalKIDS and the California Student Aid Commission.
Launched in 2022, CalKIDS is a state initiative that automatically awards between $500 and $1,500 to low-income students and English learners, with the goal of helping families save for college or career training.
Even though the money is automatically deposited into an interest-bearing savings account under a student’s name, students or their families must claim the accounts by registering online.
High school seniors and college students applying for federal financial aid with the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) or for state aid on the California Dream Act Application are now prompted to register their CalKIDS Scholarship Account through the portal that families use.
More than $1.9 billion in unclaimed scholarships are waiting for students until age 26. The money is available right away for college students to use.
More than 100,000 students have claimed over $50 million in CalKIDS scholarships in the past six months. As of late February, of the 4.1 million eligible student accounts (a number that grows annually), nearly 17% had been claimed — a percentage that has increased by almost 5 percentage points since last year.
“By coordinating efforts and sharing data, we’re not only connecting more students with scholarships already waiting for them — we’re creating a more seamless pathway to financial security for California families, helping them cover costs like tuition, books, and career training,” said State Treasurer Fiona Ma.
Portal access is a collaboration between the California Student Aid Commission, which serves over 2.2 million students, and CalKIDS, which is overseen by the State Treasurer’s Office.
Another partnership, initiated last year and finalized in February, identified at least 40,000 California community college students with unclaimed scholarship money for colleges to connect with.
In its continued effort to raise awareness of the free money, CalKIDS plans to also give high school counselors a way to track the number of accounts claimed by students in grades 9-12.