Opportunity L.A. is the largest universal Children’s Savings Account (CSA) program in the nation, providing every first-grade student in the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) with a savings account to help their family begin building toward their college education and future. This free program was designed to reduce wealth gaps, promote a college-going culture, and support long-term financial empowerment for families across Los Angeles.
Launched in 2020, the Opportunity L.A. program is a partnership between the City of Los Angeles, the County of Los Angeles, LAUSD, and CitiBank. In the Spring semester of each school year, Opportunity L.A. mails Welcome Kits to LAUSD 1st grade families notifying them that they have an account. These kits include the student’s account number, a deposit brochure, program information and more. Families are encouraged to register their accounts once they receive these Welcome Kits, but can register at any time after their child’s account has been created.
Subject to budget availability, as soon as you register with Opportunity L.A., the program will add $50 to your account in order to help you start saving.
Watch the videos below, available in English and Spanish, to learn more about our program and our sister program, California Kids Investment and Development Savings Program (CalKIDS).
Opportunity L.A. Accounts
Opportunity L.A. is only for students within the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD) system, specifically attending a public school or an affiliated charter school. Since the 2021-2022 academic year, all LAUSD first grade students have received an account near the end of the academic year. Students do not have an account if:
They joined LAUSD after 1st grade
They left LAUSD at any point, even if they returned later on (note that if changing schools within LAUSD, they would still have an account)
They opted out of sharing their student’s data with the program via the LAUSD Parent Handbook
They were a 1st grader in the 2020-2021 academic year but attended one of the LAUSD schools that were not part of the program launch (in the first program year, Opportunity L.A. only opened savings accounts for students in the highest-need schools)
They were a 1st grader before the 2020-2021 academic year (currently in 7th grade or higher)
We recognize that eligibility may be confusing - if you are not sure if your child has an account, please reach out to us at cifd.opportunityla@lacity.org. If your child does not have an account, they might be eligible for the State of California’s CalKIDS scholarship program. Visit CalKIDS.org to learn more.
How Do I Find My Account Number?
LAUSD students receive their Welcome Kits to the program towards the end of their first grade school year. These Welcome Kits include your child’s account number, registration instructions, deposit information, and more. The account number is a unique 15-digit number formatted as 332209000XXXXXX.
If you no longer have the Welcome Kit that contained your child’s account number, or if you are not sure if your student has an account, there are two ways that you can reach out to us:
- Email us at cifd.opportunityla@lacity.org with the subject line “Opportunity L.A. Account Number Request”
- Submit an Opportunity L.A. Account Number Request Form
To register your child's account, visit our How Do I Register My Account page.
Saving with an Opportunity L.A. Account
Opportunity L.A. encourages you to save at your own pace - this program is free and there is no minimum account balance or regular deposit needed in order to keep your access. Furthermore, money saved in accounts earns an interest rate of 1.5%.
There are four different options to choose from when making deposits:
- Option 1: In-person at a local Citibank branch
- Visit https://online.citi.com/US/ag/citibank-location-finder to find your closest Citibank branch
- Enter your address
- Select “Filter”
- Select “Branches” and then “Apply Filter”
- In person at a Citibank branch, parents valid government-issued photo ID and a Social Security Number. Please note that sharing your Social Security Number is optional. The question is part of banking regulations, but a response is not required.
- While depositing in person, parents can utilize cash, check, or a money order. Parents will need to provide your child’s full name and Opportunity L.A. account number.
- Visit https://online.citi.com/US/ag/citibank-location-finder to find your closest Citibank branch
- Option 2: By mail
- Make a check or money order payable to the student's full name, include their account number in the memo section of the check, and mail to:
- Citi Children’s Savings Accounts
- P.O. Box 790020
- St. Louis, MO 63179-9966
- Make a check or money order payable to the student's full name, include their account number in the memo section of the check, and mail to:
- Option 3: Using Bill Pay
- If you have a separate bank account at Citibank or any other financial institution, log into your own bank's online portal and proceed to the "Bill Pay" section.
- Enter and save the Bill Pay merchant details as follows for all fields as applicable:
- Merchant Name : Opportunity L.A.
- Account #: Your child’s account number
- Merchant Address: P.O Box 790020, St Louis, MO 63179-9966
- Please note that the initial Bill Pay set up takes approximately 4-6 weeks to take effect.
- Option 4: Using Direct Deposit
- Fill out the direct deposit form in either English or Spanish and submit it to your employer or other fund originator.
Benefits of Saving with Opportunity L.A.
Opportunity L.A. accounts do not affect the FAFSA process or other public benefit programs. The custodial structure of our accounts protects your student from any potential financial aid displacement when they apply for financial aid during the college application process. It also prevents the funds you save from being counted as assets when determining your eligibility for other public benefit programs.
In addition:
Money saved in your account earns interest at a rate of 1.5%.
Opportunity L.A. accounts are available to all LAUSD students, regardless of their family’s income, background, or immigration status.
Families can make deposits conveniently, either in person at a local Citibank branch or online.
Program Forms & Documents
- Direct Deposit Form(Spanish on Second Page)
- To contribute funds via direct deposit, parents must submit this form to their employer or the fund originator.
- Account Closure Form (English)
- Account Closure Form (Spanish)
- Should a parent choose to close their child's Opportunity L.A. Account, they must complete and submit this form via email to initiate the account closure process.
- Emergency Withdrawal Form
- This form is to request a partial withdrawal of personal contribution funds from your child's Opportunity L.A. account due to an emergency situation. A minimum of 10% in contributions made by parents must remain in the account and incentives deposited by the program to date will remain in the account. The account will remain open. This form is available upon request by emailing cifd.opportunityla@lacity.org.
- Program Rules and Guidelines (English)
- Program Rules and Guidelines (Spanish)
- Citibank Branch Location Finder
- Find the closest Citibank branch to you in order to make deposits into your account in person.
Contact Information
If you have questions about program details, eligibility, registration, saving, or CalKIDS, we encourage you to review the Frequently Asked Questions. If you still have questions, please email cifd.opportunityla@lacity.org or call 213-820-4283.