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School Partner Resources

NYC Kids RISE manages the Save for College Program in partnership with the City of New York, NYC Public Schools (NYC PS), and each participating school. Schools are the entry point for families and students into the Save for College Program and play a key role by sharing information with families, supporting them to complete the foundational steps, and integrating the Program into school college and career readiness efforts. This page provides information, tools, and resources to help your school incorporate and customize the Save for College Program in your school community.

Happening now:

Initial Opt-out Period (November 1-30)

Please note: Kindergarten families and any new first and second grade who enrolled in your school between April 1, 2023, and November 1, 2023, will be able to activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts in January 2024, after the Initial Opt-out Period in November.

Program Overview

How the Program Works

The NYC Kids RISE Save for College Program provides families, schools, and communities with a way to work together to save for their children’s futures. It’s a scholarship and savings program designed to make college and career training more accessible and achievable for all NYC public school students, starting in kindergarten—regardless of their family’s income or immigration status.

Through the Program, every eligible student enrolled in an NYC public school (including participating charter schools) automatically receives an NYC Scholarship Account with an initial $100 allocation on their behalf, unless their parents/guardians choose not to participate by “opting out” of the Program.

Once a student is enrolled in the Save for College Program, their family receives a Welcome Booklet with information on how to take foundational steps. These foundational steps are called the “3 Building Blocks,” and families earn a $25 reward toward their child’s NYC Scholarship Account for each one:

  • Building Block 1: Activate + view your child’s NYC Scholarship Account with the initial $100 allocation (receive another $25 reward)
  • Building Block 2: Open + connect a college and career savings account you own for the benefit of you child (receive another $25 reward)
  • Building Block 3: Make the first $5 deposit into your connected account (receive another $25 reward)

After a family takes all three steps, they become eligible for a $100 “Savings Match” starting on the first day of 1st grade. Read more about the Saving Match here.

Organizations, businesses and other institutions can contribute additional money to groups of these students’ NYC Scholarship Accounts, known as Community Scholarships, to demonstrate their support for every child’s success.

Eligibility

As of school year 2023-2024, students enrolled in kindergarten, first, and second grade at an NYC public school (including participating charter schools) are eligible to participate. Because the Program was piloted in geographic School District 30 starting in 2017, every kindergarten through fifth-grade student in the 39 pilot schools is eligible to participate.

  • Kindergarten and any first grade and second grade families who enrolled in your school after April 1, 2023 (as these families did not go through the opt-out process in SY22-23) will be able to activate their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts in January 2024, after they go through the Initial Opt-out Period in November.
  • If they did not opt out of the Program, current participating first and second grade families can activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts now.

Every subsequent school year, the eligibility expands to include incoming kindergarten students. This means by School Year 2026-2027, every kindergarten through fifth-grade student at an NYC public school (including participating charter schools) will be eligible to participate in the Program.

 

The Role of Schools

Schools play a key role integrating the Save for College Program into their communities by sharing information about how the Program works with families, supporting families to complete the foundational steps, and using the Program as a tool to support college and career readiness efforts. Schools can incorporate the Program as a core component of their day-to-day operations and customize it to meet the needs and desires of their own school community.

 

Program Milestones and Calendar

During the school year, the Program is structured around four key milestones:

  1. Education Period (followed by the Initial Opt-out Period)
  2. NYC Scholarship Month
  3. 529 Day
  4. K Graduation

Through these milestones, schools can support eligible families to learn about the Program, make an informed decision if they are considering opting out of the Program, and then take action once their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts are available to activate and view, including earning rewards for their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts. Read the 2023-24 Save for College Program Calendar for more details about each one.

 

 

Opt-out Process (beginning November 1st, 2023)

Parents/guardians have the opportunity to opt out of receiving an NYC Scholarship Account. Kindergarten and any new first or second grade students who enrolled in a participating school between April 1 and November 1, 2023, will be automatically enrolled in the Save for College Program unless their parents/guardians choose to “opt out.” To ensure families understand the Program before making a decision, schools should share the following materials with all newly eligible families: Program Basics and Frequently Asked Questions and the Save for College Program introductory video.

For the 2023-2024 school year, the Initial Opt-out Period begins on November 1 and ends on November 30. If a family opts out, they will not receive an NYC Scholarship Account, they will not receive the initial $100 allocation, and their student’s data will not be shared with NYC Kids RISE and the technology vendor VistaShare.

Parents/guardians who want to participate in the Program simply take NO ACTION during the Initial Opt-out Period.

More information about the opt-out process can be found at the following links:

Rolling Opt-out: Kindergarten, first, and second grade students who enroll in a participating school after the Initial Opt-out Period has started (on or after November 1st, 2023), will still have the opportunity to participate in, or opt out of, the Program, but they are not part of the “Initial” Opt-out Period. Starting November 2nd, 2023, personalized Opt-out Notice and Forms will automatically print at your school, via ATS printers, as new students become eligible for the Program during the 2023–24 school year; please ensure families of new students receive these letters.

Toolkits for School Staff

These toolkits provide materials and resources that school staff can use to support students and families to participate in the Save for College Program, build excitement about the Program, and integrate it into their college and career readiness efforts. The Building Block 1 Toolkit contains resources for school staff to engage participating families to activate and view their NYC Scholarship Accounts.

Fall 2023 Education Period Toolkit
Building Block 1
NYC Scholarship Month 2024 Toolkit (New)

Professional Learning Sessions for School Staff

Throughout the school year, NYC Kids RISE hosts virtual Professional Learning Sessions to support school staff as they customize and integrate the Save for College Program in their school operations and communities. School Liaisons are strongly encouraged to attend all Professional Learning Sessions. Details and registration links for upcoming sessions can be found below:

Spring Milestone Planning & NYC Scholarship Month
  • Dates: November 29; December 5 and 7; January 4
  • Audience: School Liaisons and School Team Members
  • Description: As you get ready to kick off the new year and head into the spring semester, join this session to learn how you can make the most of this exciting time at your school. This session will cover the spring milestones and the tools available to support outreach to and engagement with families for NYC Scholarship Month in January. The session will showcase examples of schools integrating NYC Scholarship Month into their school activities and engaging parents and guardians. You will leave with guidance on how to develop a plan to collaborate to make the spring a success, and will have an opportunity to brainstorm with your peers.
  • Register here
Using the Save for College Program Report to Support Families
  • Dates: Offered monthly
  • Audience: Principals and School Liaisons
  • Description: Do you know which students in your school have NYC Scholarship Accounts? Would you like to know which families have not yet activated their accounts so you can target your outreach? Do you know how to update your Money Tree Poster with the total amount saved by students at your school? The Save for College Program Report provides you with all this information and more! Join this session to learn how to access and use the Save for College Program Report to target your outreach and identify trends and opportunities at your school.
  • Register here
Building Block 1 Workshop for School Staff
  • Dates: Every other Wednesday at 9:30am
  • Audience: New School Liaisons + School Team Members and/or any school staff who need a refresher
  • Description: School staff play a key role in helping families take foundational steps under the Save for College Program, including supporting families to activate and view their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts for the first time (known as Building Block 1). This workshop is all about providing school staff with the information they need to feel confident in supporting families to complete this process. You’ll receive a step-by-step demonstration of how families complete Building Block 1, and you will also have a chance to practice it. You will have the opportunity to ask questions of NYC Kids RISE staff as well.
  • Register here
Save for College Program Basics Workshop
  • Dates: Monthly on the first Thursday of the month
  • Audience: School Liaisons and School Team members
  • Description: Are you new to the Save for College Program? The Save for College Program Basics session provides new School Liaisons and School Team members with a comprehensive introduction to the Program. You will also learn about the materials and resources available to support schools and will have plenty of time to get your questions answered. Any School Liaisons and current School Team members who need a refresher on the Program are also encouraged to join!
  • Register here

 

Save for College Program Report

The Save for College Program Report is a useful tool that allows school staff to track how many participating families at their schools have activated and viewed their children’s NYC Scholarship Accounts (Building Block 1). If you have questions about the report, please email [email protected]. The report is updated weekly on Mondays.

How to access the report:

  • District Schools: Principals can share access to this report using the Role Access Assignment feature in Galaxy; the role is listed within the School Functions menu under Save for College Program. After your assignment, Liaisons will be granted access to the report on a rolling basis.If you were assigned by your Principal and have not gained access within a week, please email [email protected].
  • Charter Schools: Once Save for College Program Liaisons are identified, Liaisons will receive an email notification with the subject, “Daniel Simoes has shared Power BI Report ‘Save for College Program Report’ with you.” For any Liaisons assigned after the Letter of Partnership deadline, access will be granted on a rolling basis. If you have any questions or need assistance, please email [email protected].

Family Workshop Flyers

Throughout the school year, NYC Kids RISE hosts virtual, multilingual events and workshops geared toward parents and guardians of students who are eligible to  participate in the Save for College Program. Click below for workshop flyers that can be backpacked home and shared with families!

Additional Resources

Family Facing Materials

The Downloadable Resources page of this website includes informational materials about all aspects of the Program that can be shared with families (all materials are available in the 10 NYC PS languages).

Frequently Asked Questions

On our FAQ page, you can find answers to common questions about the Save for College Program. Topics include immigration status, public benefits, and how money in NYC Scholarship Accounts can be used. Multilingual versions of this FAQ are available on our Downloadable Resources page.

Social Media Content

School and community partners can use our social media toolkits to let eligible families in their network know that the Save for College Program is for them! Our social media toolkits contain multilingual graphics and suggested messaging that are regularly updated and can be accessed here: linktr.ee/nyckidsrise. Make sure to tag @nyckidsrise and use #SaveForCollege in your posts!

 

Charter School Resources

Additional information and resources specific to charter schools is available here: nyckidsrise.org/charterhub

 

Questions?

If you are a District School and have questions about the Save For College Program, please email us at [email protected].

If you are a participating Charter School and have questions about the Program, please email us at [email protected].

 

 

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