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College and job prep for juniors and seniors in high school

Learn & Earn | NYC Department of Youth & Community Development (DYCD)

Find a program

How it works

Learn & Earn is a year-round program for high school juniors and seniors at risk of dropping out of school. The program provides academic support, college application assistance, work readiness training, service-learning, and leadership activities, as well as a paid six-week summer internship.

  • There are Learn & Earn programs in each borough. Each program may have different age and eligibility requirements.
  • Enroll between September 1st – 30th.
  • You need a social security number and must be able to work legally in the U.S.

Eligibility requirements

You may be eligible if you can answer yes to these questions:

  1. Are you between 16 – 21 years old?
  2. Are you an NYC high school junior or senior?
  3. Do you have a social security number?
  4. Can you legally work in the US?
  5. Are you registered for selective service, if you’re an eligible male?
  6. Do you meet one of these requirements?
    • You or someone in your household gets cash assistance or SNAP (food stamps)
    • You are a homeless or runaway youth
    • You are a foster care youth or have aged out of the foster care system
    • You are involved in the justice system
    • You are pregnant or a parent
    • You have a disability. Learn & Earn will look at your own income (not your family’s) to see if you are eligible.
    • Is your household’s income at or below the amount shown in this chart?
Household size Yearly income
1 $15,650
2 $21,150
3 $26,650
4 $32,150
5 $37,650
6 $43,150
7 $48,650
8 $54,150
For each additional person add $5,500

 


Required documents

To apply for Learn & Earn, you will need to prove the following:

  • Your identity and date of birth
  • Where you live
  • Your family’s income

How to apply

Apply online

  1. Find a program on Discover DYCD website by selecting “jobs & internships”, and searching for “Learn & Earn”.
  2. Contact a program near you for more information.

Find a program


Get help

Visit the website

Visit the Learn & Earn page on DYCD’s website to learn more.

Call 311

Ask for assistance with the Learn & Earn program.


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We can send you a link to this page to help you get back to it when you’re ready.


Last Updated May 23, 2025

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