College student success & support

Don’t let art and imagination end in high school. Help us launch the next generation of creatives into college and beyond.

student debt tends to hit students in the arts and humanities the hardest.

According to the Department of Education, 7 out of 10 of the most expensive schools are art institutions.

In New York City, the creative industry employs 300,000 people, spurs $110 billion in economic activity, and accounts for 1 in every 8 dollars of annual economic output.

However, minority populations are increasingly shut out of creative opportunities after high school. Despite making up over 50% of the city’s population, minority groups only make up 11.4% of creative industry professionals.

NYC SALT’s COLLEGE SUCCESS program is industry-changing.

93%

Of our students attend a 2 or 4 year college, with an 89% matriculation rate compared to a 47% national average.

$1.7M

We help our students apply for millions of dollars in financial aid each year. In 2021, 10 students were awarded over $1.7M to their top choice colleges.

2x

On average, our students earn 2x their total family income from high school starting with their first full-time job.

80%

Of our students are employed in the creative industry following high school and/or college graduation.

WE AIM TO RAISE $55,000 by our birthday: Monday, April 17

Expand the items below to read about our specific fundraising needs.

  • Our students attend Title I public schools where on average, 1 guidance counselor is responsible for 325 students.

    NYC SALT has formed a partnership with AcceptU, a nationally ranked college admissions firm that employs former admissions officers to work 1:1 with our students, as frequently as needed, across 1.5 years.

    AcceptU counselors will help students with college essays, resume building and formatting, financial aid applications, and more.

    For our upcoming cohort of 11 students, counseling costs amount to $200 per month per student, or to $27,500 total.

  • NYC SALT takes each cohort students on regional college trips in New York and to neighboring states. We aim to expose students to the hundreds of factors that can influence their college decisions, including college size, class offerings, campus location, and social structure.

    Not only do these trips provide invaluable exposure to the college experience: They also offer our students a sense of independence, responsibility, and perspective through travel.

    SALT aims to fund transportation, food, and lodging costs as needed for 4 local college trips and 1 out-of-state weekend trip for all students. We also aim to fund travel expenses for accepted students.

    College visits can cost up to $2K per student depending on location. Our fundraising goal for the college experience is $7,250.

  • Our programming starts with a summer intensive before our students’ senior year of high school. Students and their families spend a week learning about the admissions process, financial aid, and college life.

    For their senior year, students will attend weekly workshops to get ahead of application deadlines. After December, they will also dedicate time to scholarship and financial aid applications.

    We work with a dedicated education expert to teach students to keep track of their deadlines, adopt a problem-solving mindset for difficult tasks, and set long-term goals for their school and career.

    The cost of hiring an expert to lead 1.5 years of weekly workshops is $15,000.

    The cost of food, transportation, technology, and other non-capital goods for our in-person programming amounts to $5,000.

 

Tier 3: $25 - $249

Receive: A student-designed NYC SALT t-shirt

Tier 2: $250 - $499

Receive: A t-shirt + One 8 x 11 signed student print (you may choose from an exclusive release from our January 2023 exhibition)

Tier 1: $500 - $1,000

Receive: A t-shirt, One 8 x 11 print, and 2 Tickets to a 4 hour professional mixology course OR One 13 x 19 signed student print (you may choose from our January 2023 exhibition and from an exclusive release of our archives)

Golden Tier: $1,000 - $2,499

Receive: A t-shirt, One 8 x 11 print, 2 Tickets to mixology course, and 30 min private portrait session with 2 photographers OR One 17 x 22 signed print

Diamond Tier: $2,500+

Receive: A t-shirt, One 8 x 11 print, 2 Tickets to mixology course, private portrait session, and One 17 x 22 signed print

*For more information about the mixology course, visit this page. We will reach out to confirm your attendance once we receive your donation. Please provide an email you check regularly and reach out to nycsalt@nycsalt.org if you have further questions.

**Prints available for selection are displayed below. Works from our archives are available to Tier 1 and Golden and Diamond Tier supporters. Works from the January exhibition are available to Tier 2 and above. We will reach out to your provided email about your print selection once we receive your donation. Please provide an email you check regularly and reach out to nycsalt@nycsalt.org if you have further questions.

our students have gone onto attend:

STart your own Fundraiser for NYC SALT

Support NYC Salt is through starting YOUR OWN FUNDRAISER. Encourage your friends and colleagues to give to our students through your own personal page and/or share on social media. See your impact grow exponentially. It only takes 1 minute.

Thank you to all of our donors!

Your contributions will allow us to upgrade our computer and camera equipment which provides the foundation for our technical skills training, college preparation assistance, and professional development programs.

All of this together firmly instills the confidence, responsibility, and interpersonal skills needed to excel in any field - and our students will gain all of this because of you!