About Us

Thank you for your interest in learning more about The Freshman Fifteen, an effort to support educational opportunities for some of New York City’s most talented, but financially disadvantaged, college-bound students.

Through our experiences working with educators in some of New York’s public and parochial schools, we’ve seen first-hand many of the difficulties some students face even as they achieve academic success in high school and look forward to a college career.  
 
Each year many of our neediest high school seniors overcome the pitfalls of our most challenging neighborhoods, graduate from high school and are awarded college financial aid packages.  Their determination sets an inspiring example for all of us and we believe these students represent our best hope to break the cycle of poverty that grips our inner-city.  
 
While most college aid packages may provide all or part of tuition, room and board, and some provide for books, sadly many of these students lack additional support for the all-important transition into the world of college life.  The Freshman Fifteen is a modest, but targeted effort to assist selected students through this transition by providing them dorm-room essentials that many cannot afford and that so many of us take for granted.
 
Working with established local organizations that support “at risk” students, and through a citywide network of educators, guidance counselors and community leaders, we identify students who have the greatest need for additional support.  It is these students who receive The Freshman Fifteen package upon their arrival on campus.