NYC KIDS RISE

The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program is a universal, community driven wealth-building platform for New York City neighborhoods that expands access to mainstream financial products; builds individual, family, and collective financial assets; provides financial education for families and students; and brings schools and communities together to support all their children’s futures. The Save for College Program’s model is intended to drive neighborhood-level changes in economic opportunity and mobility by promoting asset building, reinforcing college- and career-going expectations, and strengthening social capital, networks, and infrastructure in neighborhoods across New York City.

NYC Kids RISE launched a pilot phase in 2017 in geographic School District 30 (Queens), in partnership with the NYC Public Schools and the City of New York, with founding support from the Gray Foundation. Starting in the 2021-2022 school year, and every year going forward, students in eligible grades enrolled in an NYC public school, including participating charter schools, automatically receive an NYC Scholarship Account with money set aside for future college and career training, and opportunities to earn more through early rewards and Community Scholarships, unless their families choose not to participate.