Parents and guardians are encouraged to activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts at nyckidsrise.org/activate

Bronx students from The Sheridan School for Young Leaders and The Family School celebrate that $57 million has been accumulated for future college and career training through the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program across the NYC Scholarship Accounts of nearly every NYC public school student in kindergarten through fourth grade citywide. Photo by Bridget Ye for NYC Kids RISE (January 29, 2026). Download photos and b-roll video HERE.

February 3, 2026

New York, NY – As part of NYC Scholarship Month, schools across the city welcomed more than 70,000 new students to the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program and encouraged families to activate and view the money in their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts. In delivering NYC Scholarship Accounts to a new class of more than 60,000 kindergarteners, the program now reaches more than 342,000 public school students with more than $57 million invested for their future college and career training. Families and guardians can now activate and view the money in their children’s accounts at nyckidsrise.org/activate.

NYC Scholarship Month is the first opportunity new families in the Program have to activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts. Schools across the city are hosting workshops, leading one-to-one outreach, sharing multimedia campaigns to engage families in activating and viewing the money. To date, nearly every public school student in kindergarten through fourth grade, including at participating charter schools, has an NYC Scholarship Account with money set aside for future college and career training expenses, regardless of their family’s income or immigration status.

“As we welcome more than 70,000 new students and their families to the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program this year, we are proud that over 340,000 NYC public school scholars now have NYC Scholarship Accounts across the city,” said NYC Public Schools Chancellor Kamar Samuels. “College affordability is key, and early access to a financial asset for college and career training reinforces our message to every student: we believe in you and support your aspirations. I encourage parents and guardians to activate and view their children’s accounts. It’s a meaningful first step in our work together, preparing all our kids for success in college and career training, and in rewarding careers.”

“This NYC Scholarship Month, as schools welcome the kindergarten class to the Program, we celebrate what we’ve achieved for our children already, and what more we can accomplish together,” said Debra-Ellen Glickstein, Founding Executive Director of NYC Kids RISE. “Through the work of so many partners across government, philanthropy, the private sector and communities, now what it means to start public school in New York City is that you will have a financial asset for your educational futures. We are showing what’s possible when we come together to collectively support our children’s futures.”
 

“The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program demonstrates the power of early collective investment in children, communities and New York City,” said Dana Zucker, NYC Kids RISE Board Chair and Chief Executive Officer of the Gray Foundation. “Amassing more than $57 million for our children’s college and career goals reflects the power of public-private-partnerships and collaboration. We welcome the new Kindergarten class to the Program, and work towards a future where all our kids are set up for success.”

“This NYC Scholarship Month, we are excited to join NYC Kids RISE and our public schools to welcome more than 70,000 new students to the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. We celebrate that NYC families have access to essential resources and support for our children’s college and career futures,” said New York City Council Speaker Julie Menin. “I was proud to help launch NYC Kids RISE so every child, regardless of zip code, has access to educational and economic opportunity. I look forward to the City Council continuing to support this critical program as we work to make New York City more affordable.”

“This NYC Scholarship Month marks more than 99,000 Brooklyn students now participating in the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program. The scale of this community investment represents an important boost to the educational and economic futures of our children and our borough,” said Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso. “Every child deserves the support and confidence to dream big. Thank you to NYC Kids RISE for providing all of our children with the equitable opportunity to advance their education.”

“We share the vision of our Bronx families and schools — that all kids will grow up with access to resources and support to pursue any college and career dream they choose,” said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. “That’s why the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program is such a game-changer; it’s a powerful tool for building a future filled with possibilities for all our children. I encourage Bronx families to activate their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts and take pride in the investment our city is making in their success.”

“From Inwood to the Financial District, Manhattan families are now part of a citywide effort that helps young students begin saving for their futures from the moment they step into a kindergarten classroom, said Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal. “Congratulations to NYC Kids RISE, Mayor Mamdani, Chancellor Kamar Samuels, and partners across the public, philanthropic, and community sectors for helping this program reach so many children and achieve these significant milestones. During NYC Scholarship Month, I encourage Manhattan parents and guardians to activate their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts and take full advantage of this remarkable opportunity.”

“Queens is proud to be the home of the first pilot district for the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program, where this groundbreaking initiative began,” said Queens Borough President Donovan Richards. “What started here has grown into a citywide powerhouse for helping families build assets for their children’s futures. I encourage Queens parents and guardians to activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts today!”

“As humble parents of the Latin community, we want to see our children succeed academically and see them with a college diploma someday, developing their passions,” said Mayra Moscoso, parent of a P.S. 280Q student and a member of the school’s Parent Teacher Association. “To all parents — get involved! Activate your child’s NYC Scholarship Account, a free opportunity that has so many benefits for your child’s college future.”

“This is a great opportunity for our kids and we should take advantage of it now. It’s a great Program to start early with planning for the future. I hope that with the continued support of this school and the Program—support for every child—the kids will have what they need for the future,” said Rochelle, parent of a student attending P.S. 347 at the school’s NYC Scholarship Month breakfast and workshop. “It’s better to start with community partnership and support for these children and what they need, so that they’re ready for their future and they have enough money to start college when it’s time. For my daughter’s future, I think of college or vocational training, whatever she decides she likes. Most parents are struggling with supporting their kids’ needs, and saving money for their kids’ futures, so having more collaboration and partner organizations to support them is great!”

Starting in kindergarten, every student enrolled in NYC public elementary schools automatically receives an NYC Scholarship Account invested in a NY 529 Direct Plan with an initial $100, unless they choose not to participate. Families can receive up to $175 in additional rewards for their child’s account when they complete steps in the Program — when they activate the account, open their own college and career savings account, and start saving their own money in the ways and amounts that make sense for them. At the same time, communities can contribute to groups of these NYC Scholarship Accounts in the form of Community Scholarships. New York City is the first and only municipality in the country that has a universal community driven wealth building platform whereby government, systems, philanthropy, community, organizations, and New Yorkers can direct money into sets of students’ accounts.

The Program supports asset ownership, affordability and access to higher education — key drivers of economic mobility. Research shows that a child in a low income household with a college savings account of just $1 to $500 is three times more likely to go to college and four times more likely to graduate than a child without an account. By combining seed scholarships, family savings, community investments, and funding streams from every level, the Program can build significant assets — social and financial capital — for public school students, especially low-income students of color.

Through a robust network of public, private, and community partners, the NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program works to support NYC public school students so they graduate with a financial asset for college and career training, and so that students, families, schools, and communities have increased college-and career-going expectations for every child. Throughout the year, schools leverage the program as a way to advance college and career readiness, family engagement, and school-to-community connections.

As part of NYC Scholarship Month, NYC Kids RISE has provided schools with toolkits, guides, posters, outreach tools, and additional resources, available in multiple languages, to encourage families to activate their child’s NYC Scholarship Account at nyckidsrise.org/activate. For support with activating and viewing their child’s account, families can reach out to their school, attend an upcoming virtual workshop at nyckidsrise.org/events, email NYC Kids RISE at [email protected], or call the NYC Kids RISE hotline at 833-543-7473.

About 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. To date, more than $57 million has been invested across the Accounts of more than 340,000 students that will help to support their future college and career training.