Every year, about 65 percent of NYC public school students graduate from high school. To combat this low percentage, several programs and organizations have been created to aid students in their pursuit of education and provide them with otherwise inaccessible opportunities. Support ranges from academic to financial aid, and many programs provide opportunities for students to enroll in the country’s top high schools without having to pay the large fees associated with these institutions. The application processes for these programs often begin in the fall, so now is a great time for parents and students to get ahead on application preparation. Some programs and organizations that particularly target low-income youth of NYC are:
1. A Better Chance
This organization offers youth of color access to educational and scholarship opportunities through its College Preparatory Program. This program places “Scholars,” or students who have sent in a free application and been accepted into the program, into one of the schools associated with A Better Chance, and Scholars are given funding to attend the school in which they are placed. Each school must undergo an application process to become a “member school” among over 300 already affiliated with the organization, which include independent and community boarding schools, as well as independent day schools. About 500 youth are aided by the program each year, and students attending member schools are eligible for A Better Chance Scholar Awards, which are given annually to students of all grade levels.
To receive more information regarding the organization or application process, fill out an inquiry form to be contacted by a representative from A Better Chance.
2. Oliver Scholars Program
This program aims to prepare African-American and Latino students of NYC, beginning in the 8th grade, to be successful students and leaders. Students may be nominated by faculty at their school, themselves, or parents in the fall of 7th grade, and must meet several nomination criteria, including high academic achievement, involvement in extracurricular activities and their communities, and a desire to succeed. Students who become involved in the program must successfully complete courses designed to prepare them for their applications to top independent high schools. The program offers financial aid options to assist in covering application costs throughout the middle and high school processes.
3. Prep for Prep
Prep for Prep aims to identify promising youth of color in NYC, beginning in 6th or 7th grade, and prepare them for placement at schools within the city and boarding schools in the Northeast. It offers support and millions of dollars in financial aid to youth throughout high school and college, providing resources to advance the success of every student on “The Prep Journey.”
Visit Prep for Prep’s website for more information about the admission process, or see its annual report.
4. Student Sponsor Partners (SSP)
This program offers students from low-income families the chance to have a mentor and a financial sponsor for all four years of high school at a non-public school. Sponsors pay part or all of a student’s tuition for the school that they choose to attend among the 23 affiliated with SSP in the NYC area that are meant to better cater to students’ individual needs. SSP is geared toward “academically average to below average” students and is intended to aid struggling students in their effort to graduate from high school.
For more information regarding the admissions process or requirements of the program, visit SSP’s website.
5. TEAK Fellowship
The TEAK fellowship aims to aid NYC students of high academic standing and low-income families in succeeding at top high schools and colleges by providing academic support, leadership training, mentoring, career advice, and exposure to otherwise inaccessible experiences. Students are able to become TEAK fellows beginning in the 6th grade, if eligible, and programs are designed to build a foundation for students’ success in high school and college by fostering skills, academic achievement, community involvement, and social immersion.
Fill out an Admission Info Request Form to receive more information regarding the program, and view the TEAK brochure for a brief overview of the fellowship.
-Hope Swedeen
Please note that all information has been complied using the online resources of the above organizations themselves. 4T’s has not vetted these organizations and therefore cannot vouch for the authenticity or effectiveness of their operations and/or programs.
What can parents do during the summer to prepare their students' application materials for the fall? How can students prepare themselves to be ready for these programs if they apply and are accepted?
1. A Better Chance
This organization offers youth of color access to educational and scholarship opportunities through its College Preparatory Program. This program places “Scholars,” or students who have sent in a free application and been accepted into the program, into one of the schools associated with A Better Chance, and Scholars are given funding to attend the school in which they are placed. Each school must undergo an application process to become a “member school” among over 300 already affiliated with the organization, which include independent and community boarding schools, as well as independent day schools. About 500 youth are aided by the program each year, and students attending member schools are eligible for A Better Chance Scholar Awards, which are given annually to students of all grade levels.
To receive more information regarding the organization or application process, fill out an inquiry form to be contacted by a representative from A Better Chance.
2. Oliver Scholars Program
This program aims to prepare African-American and Latino students of NYC, beginning in the 8th grade, to be successful students and leaders. Students may be nominated by faculty at their school, themselves, or parents in the fall of 7th grade, and must meet several nomination criteria, including high academic achievement, involvement in extracurricular activities and their communities, and a desire to succeed. Students who become involved in the program must successfully complete courses designed to prepare them for their applications to top independent high schools. The program offers financial aid options to assist in covering application costs throughout the middle and high school processes.
3. Prep for Prep
Prep for Prep aims to identify promising youth of color in NYC, beginning in 6th or 7th grade, and prepare them for placement at schools within the city and boarding schools in the Northeast. It offers support and millions of dollars in financial aid to youth throughout high school and college, providing resources to advance the success of every student on “The Prep Journey.”
Visit Prep for Prep’s website for more information about the admission process, or see its annual report.
4. Student Sponsor Partners (SSP)
This program offers students from low-income families the chance to have a mentor and a financial sponsor for all four years of high school at a non-public school. Sponsors pay part or all of a student’s tuition for the school that they choose to attend among the 23 affiliated with SSP in the NYC area that are meant to better cater to students’ individual needs. SSP is geared toward “academically average to below average” students and is intended to aid struggling students in their effort to graduate from high school.
For more information regarding the admissions process or requirements of the program, visit SSP’s website.
5. TEAK Fellowship
The TEAK fellowship aims to aid NYC students of high academic standing and low-income families in succeeding at top high schools and colleges by providing academic support, leadership training, mentoring, career advice, and exposure to otherwise inaccessible experiences. Students are able to become TEAK fellows beginning in the 6th grade, if eligible, and programs are designed to build a foundation for students’ success in high school and college by fostering skills, academic achievement, community involvement, and social immersion.
Fill out an Admission Info Request Form to receive more information regarding the program, and view the TEAK brochure for a brief overview of the fellowship.
-Hope Swedeen
Please note that all information has been complied using the online resources of the above organizations themselves. 4T’s has not vetted these organizations and therefore cannot vouch for the authenticity or effectiveness of their operations and/or programs.
What can parents do during the summer to prepare their students' application materials for the fall? How can students prepare themselves to be ready for these programs if they apply and are accepted?
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