Superintendent Tony Thurmond Celebrates 1 Million CalKIDS Accounts, Highlights Financial Literacy in Monterey County

SALINAS—State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond joined Monterey County Office of Education leadership to celebrate a major milestone—1 million CalKIDS Scholarship Accounts claimed statewide—and highlight California’s work to give students the financial knowledge and resources to invest in their futures.

The milestone comes as California prepares to implement a new personal finance graduation requirement championed by Superintendent Thurmond. Under Assembly Bill (AB) 2927, California public high schools must offer a standalone personal finance course beginning in the 2027–28 school year, with completion required beginning with the graduating class of 2030–31. To support implementation, the State Board of Education adopted California’s Personal Finance Curriculum Guide in March 2026.

“Financial literacy is about giving young people the tools to build their own futures,” said Superintendent Thurmond. “We fought to make personal finance part of every California student’s education because students should graduate knowing how to budget, save, invest, and make informed financial decisions. CalKIDS builds on that commitment by giving eligible students a real investment in the opportunities ahead.”

CalKIDS provides eligible California students with scholarship accounts to help pay for qualified higher education and career training expenses. Eligible students can receive up to $1,500 based on eligibility and qualifying incentives. In Monterey County alone, more than 69,000 students are eligible for approximately $40.5 million in CalKIDS scholarships.

Administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board with student-level data provided by the California Department of Education, CalKIDS funds can be used at eligible colleges, universities, vocational schools, and professional schools for expenses including tuition and fees, books and supplies, room and board, and computer equipment.

Families can check eligibility and claim an account at CalKIDS.org using their student’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier (SSID), date of birth, and county of enrollment.

More information on resources to support financial education can be found on the CDE Personal Finance web page.

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Tony Thurmond — State Superintendent of Public Instruction
Communications Division, Room 5602, 916-319-0818, Fax 916-319-0100