Los Angeles County Archives

CalKIDS Scholarships: How L.A. County Students Can Claim Up to $1,500

Published September 8, 2026

More than $489 million in CalKIDS scholarships is available to eligible L.A. County public-school students. Here’s how families can check eligibility and claim up to $1,500 for college or career training.

Children of different ages and backgrounds running together on a playground

Los Angeles County families may have money waiting for their children’s education — and they don’t have to wait until college to find out if they’re eligible. More than $489 million in CalKIDS scholarships is available to eligible public-school students in the county, with scholarships worth up to $1,500.

September is the first CalKIDS Scholarship Month, when schools and districts across California are helping students and families check eligibility and claim their funds.

What Is a CalKIDS Scholarship?

“CalKIDS Scholarship Month is about meeting students where they are and making it easier for them to access resources that can help support their education after high school,” said California State Treasurer Fiona Ma, CPA. “By bringing CalKIDS directly onto school campuses throughout California, we can help more students take this important step and claim their scholarship funds.”

How CalKIDS Scholarship Month works

Throughout the month, participating school districts and campuses will host designated CalKIDS Scholarship claiming events where students and families can check eligibility and claim their scholarships on-site.

For students in grades 9-12, schools have an additional tool to support these efforts. Through a data-sharing agreement between CalKIDS and the California Student Aid Commission, CalKIDS Scholarship information is available to high school administrators through WebGrants for Institutions, the state’s financial aid platform. Schools can use this information to identify students with CalKIDS Scholarships and connect them directly with on-campus claiming opportunities throughout September and beyond.

“With September as CalKIDS Claim Month, we have an incredible opportunity to help families discover resources that can expand their students’ futures,” said Dr. Loretta Whitson, Executive Director of the California Association of School Counselors. “The CalKIDS Program gives school counselors another meaningful way to connect families with opportunities for college and career education. By starting these conversations early, we can help more students see that higher education and career training are within reach and that investing in their future can begin today.”

How to check your child’s CalKIDS eligibility

In addition to school-based claiming events, students and families can check eligibility and claim a CalKIDS Scholarship online at any time, taking an important step toward preparing for the future. Checking eligibility and claiming a CalKIDS Scholarship takes just a few minutes:

Visit CalKIDS.org and select “Confirm Eligibility.”
Enter the student’s 10-digit Statewide Student Identifier, or SSID. The number may be available on a report card, transcript or school portal, or families can request it from the student’s school or counselor.
If eligible, follow the prompts to claim the student’s CalKIDS Scholarship Account.

What can CalKIDS Scholarships be used for?

CalKIDS Scholarships can be used for qualified educational expenses, including tuition and fees, books and supplies, computer equipment and other eligible costs at accredited colleges, universities, career training programs and vocational schools nationwide.

“It has helped me more than I could know. I’ve been stressed, and money will always lessen the stress. I want education; I deserve education and I’m glad CalKIDS was able to help me achieve that,” said Abigail Ruvalcaba, a CalKIDS recipient and student from California State University, Northridge.

CalKIDS Scholarships support students across California

CalKIDS is supporting county offices of education and school districts with localized scholarship data, ready-to-use communications materials, outreach tools and training resources to help expand claiming efforts during CalKIDS Scholarship Month and beyond.

Launched in 2022 and administered by the ScholarShare Investment Board, CalKIDS has invested more than $2.4 billion in scholarships for more than 6 million California children and students to help support their pursuit of college, career training and other postsecondary education opportunities.

Families can learn more about CalKIDS, check their student’s eligibility and claim an available scholarship at CalKIDS.org.

Altadena Fire Survivor Marcia Zellers Shares Her Story of Loss and Recovery

Published March 21, 2025

By Elena Epstein

Marcia Zellers, who had just bought her home in Altadena six months before the wildfire broke out in the Pacific Palisades on Jan. 7, but she figured she was safe nearly 40 miles east of flames.

“I was working from home,” says Zellers, whose 22-year-old daughter who lives with her was in Paris at the time. “It was very windy. I was kind of happy that the wind was whipping all the leaves together up against the garage, which would make my monthly raking much easier. I was taking an evening French class in Silver Lake and wondered whether anyone would attend. There was a fire burning in the Palisades, but I decided that it wouldn’t affect the east side and people would still attend.

“So, I went to my 6 p.m. class,” she says. “At 7:30 p.m., when I hopped back in my car to head home, my phone was buzzing with texts asking me if I was planning to evacuate. I had no idea what they were talking about. I called some Altadena friends, who confirmed the mountain was on fire and they were packing to-go bags, but they didn’t seem overly concerned.

I headed home, and as I rounded the curve off the 134 East [freeway] from Eagle Rock, I could see that the entire mountain was on fire. When I arrived home, a transformer had already blown on my street and the power to my house was out.

“I couldn’t get my [electric vehicle] into the garage because the electric gate wouldn’t open. I decided I would grab my dog and leave, not waiting for evacuation orders. Good thing — because I never got an evacuation order.”

Zellers tells more of her story below.

Marcia Zellers and her daughter, Veronica, lost their Altadena home to the Eaton fire. PHOTO COURTESY MARCIA ZELLERS

Finding refuge and community support

What things did you grab as you headed out the door? What stands out the most when you think back?

I was a bit panicked and not thinking terribly straight. What stands out the most was my indecisiveness about leaving. None of my neighbors were evacuating at this point — around 8 p.m. — and everyone seemed comfortable that they’d been through this before and everything would be fine. I texted a friend to ask if she was leaving, and her response was “Meh. 2 stars” — meaning no big deal. Possibly if I’d had power I would have stayed, too. But I decided to grab my dog and get out of there, thinking I’d be back the next day. I never once considered that my house might burn down!

I grabbed four cans of dog food, my dog’s meds and her bed and water bowl. Then I realized I should probably bring some clothes for me since I’d probably be hanging out at a friend’s house for a few days. I went to the garage and got a suitcase, threw in three sweaters, two pairs of jeans, two pairs of shoes, a puffer coat, a few toiletries and a few pairs of earrings and 2 necklaces so I’d have a few options.

I had the wherewithal to open the safe and grab my passport, but I didn’t grab anything else. I decided to leave the EV and take my daughter’s 2013 Kia Soul gas-engine car that was parked on the street in case I didn’t have a place to charge my EV.

Where did you find refuge?

I had taken the Kia Soul to Ojai the previous weekend, so it was low on gas. And of course, the minute I turned it on, the “check engine” light came on! I wasn’t sure where I was going. I didn’t want to go east further into the fires, I didn’t want to go west toward the Palisades fire and I didn’t want to drive all the way to Orange County to my family.

I decided I would simply drive to my old neighborhood in Silver Lake, get some gas and figure out what to do. Texts were flying in from friends, including my friend Mike, who suggested I come to their house. His wife and my friend, Jenny, was away on a business trip. Their power was out, too, but I feel comfortable and at home in their house, so I headed there.

What resources or support have you found most helpful during this crisis? What has been least helpful (including advice)?

At around 1 p.m. on Jan. 8, my neighbor across the street texted and told me my house was on fire. A few hours later, another neighbor confirmed it was “gone.”

That day, Jenny and Mike said, “Stay as long as you need to.” Approximately 20 other people reached out and offered various accommodations.

The next morning, around 9 a.m., a friend texted and said, “We’re starting a GoFundMe. Are you good with that?” A few close girlfriends, along with my daughter, leapt into action, and within a few hours that site was live. I have been overwhelmed and humbled by the incredible support I’ve received from friends, loved ones and caring people from all aspects of my life. This GoFundMe site is a lifeline, and significantly lowered my stress level.

In addition, multiple girlfriends put out calls for clothes. Within a week, at least 10 stylish friends donated enough clothes that I may just be better dressed after this ordeal than before. People have been amazing, and I’m so grateful. There is simply nothing anyone has offered that has not been helpful, even if only as an expression of their love and support.

Describe your Altadena community.

My community of Altadena is new to me; I only moved there from Silver Lake six months prior. But I’ve come to know multiple neighbors quite well and have a number of good friends in the neighborhood. There is a lot of pride in Altadena, and people who live there feel very attached to Altadena’s unique character. This is all reflected in the “Beautiful Altadena” Facebook group that is now essentially an extremely helpful fire recovery information source.

Coping with loss and rebuilding

How is your daughter coping?

I raised my daughter and only child as a single mother, and we are very, very close. She has had a very difficult time with this. She is far away and has no close friends or relatives in Paris to give her a hug or support her through this. She watched from a distance, worrying about me and watching her beloved city appear to burn to the ground.

She did so much, tasking on tasks every day to lighten the load for me. She helped my friends with the GoFundMe. But she no longer has a home to come home to. She lost all her clothes, her memories, her boxes of things stored in the garage intended to help her get started as an adult. She lost any things she would have had someday to remind her of me, our family, her young life. All pictures of me and my youth are gone. So she did get a bit swept under by sadness there for a week or so. But she’s rallying. I know her. She’s strong and she will come through this OK.

What support do you need the most as a parent?

The last few years have been tough financially, and the one thing I could continue to offer my daughter was a home, a place to live if she chose to or needed to. Now I can’t offer even that. I’m not sure I need anything, but it’s a very sad situation.

Housing is a huge issue. So many have lost their homes, so there is no inventory. Landlords are taking advantage, and already high rents are going up. I have insurance, but there is a limited bucket of money that definitely won’t last as long as it will take to rebuild a house.

Luckily, I am solo at the moment, which makes it easier. My mom has graciously taken my dog. But I am faced with most likely having to be a nomad for a year to save on housing costs. My daughter will come home from Paris next summer for a time before she goes to law school, and I hope to have somewhere where we can be together to support each other for that limited time.

For work, I currently work freelance and from home. If I don’t work, I don’t get paid. So I can’t skip a beat. I’ve worked every single day since the fire. It’s been challenging to be out of my home office space and work comfortably away from my space, without additional monitors or my usual equipment and setup.

How are you maintaining some sense of normalcy during this time?

I am prioritizing connection and socializing. I’m a social person already, and I am not allowing myself to sit around and mope. I’m keeping a social calendar that looks a lot like the one I would have had before the fire.

What would you like to tell other families who are also starting over?

It’s so hard. Short of something happening to one of your children, it’s about the worst thing that could happen. But you just have to accept it and move forward. Allow yourself time to grieve, but don’t wallow too much. Let go of the notion of your possessions; you can acquire more. Enjoy the goodness of people who will help you through this. As horrifying as this is, there are good things that will come from it.

Wildfire Survivor: ‘Don’t forget about us evacuees’

Published March 17, 2025

Diana Daniele and her family hiked at Los Liones before the January wildfire in Pacific Palisades. PHOTOS COURTESY DIANA DANIELE

As spring unfurls its leaves and the latest breaking news dominate our screens, we aim to continue to share resources, stories of those who were directly impacted by the January wildfires in L.A. County — and what they need now.

Journalist and literary publicist Diana Daniele lives at “ground zero” in the Palisades Highlands, which is in the high-severity fire zone where the Palisades fire started. Below is her story.

Who lives in your household and how you are holding up during evacuation?

We are a family of three [including her husband and daughter] here in L.A., as my son Drew graduated from college and took a job in Nashville. My daughter, Dayna Daniele, is 18 and is a senior at Palisades High School and is active in Pali’s drama department. [Palisades High was damaged in the fire].

A helicopter flies over Diana Daniele’s home in the Pacific Palisades.

We were called to evacuate less than an hour [after the fire started] due to our proximity and the fierceness of the Santa Ana winds. However, as we were preparing to evacuate, we were then told by the Los Angeles Fire Department (LAFD) to “shelter in place.” This is because residents who were already evacuating down Palisades Drive (the only street in and out of the Highlands) had panicked at the heat and size of the flames and the falling palm trees and had abandoned their cars and run bodily toward nearby Pacific Coast Highway (PCH) and the safety of the ocean. LAFD had to call for bulldozers to move the cars blocking the road. When Palisades Drive was cleared, we were again called to evacuate, which we did via police escort that afternoon, driving through a ring of fire at the bottom of Palisades Drive. Each side of the street was engulfed in flames where the street meets Sunset Boulevard. As we drove down PCH toward the freeway, we could see the bluffs already burning. The sky was thick with smoke and an eerie golden-gray color. We evacuated to my mother’s home in Orange County.

After 3 1/2 weeks at my mom’s house, we moved back up to L.A. and are now living in an Airbnb in Santa Monica. Pali High is set to open for in-person instruction in early April, and we wanted our daughter to live close enough so she could attend. Currently, Pali High is online, which Dayna did during the pandemic and despised.

We are holding up. It’s a lot — often overwhelming. However, we are buoyed by the tremendous amount of love and support we’ve received from friends and family. The compassion and generosity of spirit has been incredible to experience. It has been both a balm and a joy amid the grief and loss.

How has support from the community been?

Dayna and I first went to Vuori, a brand that was giving clothes to those displaced by the fire, as there are Vuori stores in Orange County, where we were staying. A week later, we drove up to L.A. to go to Zibby’s Bookshop’s pop-up store in Santa Monica, which was a wonderful experience. We left there with both our bags and our hearts full. That evening, I attended a support group at Zibby’s Bookshop, where author and trauma therapist Meghan Riordan Jarvis was facilitating. It was incredible — a much-needed safe space to share and grieve. On that same evening, Dayna attended a fundraiser for Pali High students and supporters on the Santa Monica Pier.

Also, I want to give a shoutout to my friend Katie Jones Stokes, an incredible watercolorist here in L.A., who painted a picture of our home, which we so miss. Our house is currently smoke-damaged and uninhabitable, but we are fortunate that, one day, we will be able to return. I talked to Katie, and she would like to offer to do the same for any L.A. Parent readers who are victims of any of the fires here in Southern California.

L.A.-based watercolorist Katie Jones Stokes painted a picture of Diana Daniele’s Pacific Palisades home, which is uninhabitable due to smoke damage.

What concerns do you have about your daughter’s education and school attendance in the aftermath of the fire?

Dayna detests online school and tends to lose both her determination and her focus. Hence, it is a challenge. Our family has donated to “Raise Pali,” which is the fundraising campaign to accelerate opening the school at an alternative location, as well as funding the cleaning up and rebuilding necessary to reopen in the Palisades. Dayna and I have been posting about “Raise Pali” on our socials to encourage donations to the cause.

What do you think evacuees need most this spring and summer?

I would say spring and summer clothes. Those whose houses burned don’t have bathing suits or any other summer offerings. Evacuees like me who still have (damaged) homes are planning to not be able to live in our homes for at least six months, more likely 12. Also, I’d like to see grocery stores give away gift cards. We all have to eat. Also, I hope that people in Southern California don’t forget about us evacuees now that the fires are (finally) fully extinguished and there are other pressing news stories on the agenda.

What is home/community to you, especially now?

Things are replaceable. At least, you can live without many of them. People are what is important. If I am with my family, I am home, no matter where I am. People are also our neighbors and part of our broader community. I am on several large group texts with neighbors and friends from my Palisades community and it feels so good to still be able to share information and help each other along on this journey we have been forced to begin.