Winter 2027 'AI-Native' cohort applications open on 2026-10-08 with a December 4, 2026 deadline and January 9, 2027 start; the former year-long Pursuit Core fellowship has been replaced by a 7-month AI-focused program. source
Pursuit is a Queens nonprofit that now runs a seven-month, in-person 'AI-Native' program for low-income New Yorkers, funded by an income-share contract that takes 15% of pay for three years once you earn over $85,000. It suits adults earning under $45,000 who can attend full-time in Long Island City and are comfortable with a salary-linked repayment. Read the Good Job Agreement terms in full and ask for outcomes from the new program, not the old year-long fellowship.
The facts
| Category | Returnships and apprenticeships, Software engineering, AI and machine learning |
|---|---|
| Website | pursuit.org |
| Based | Long Island City, NY |
| Format | in-person |
| Programs | AI-Native Builders program (7 months: AI Literacy, AI Build, Get hired) |
| Length | 30 weeks ('Months 1-2: AI Literacy, Months 3-4: AI Build, Months 5-7: Get hired'; fully in-person at Pursuit HQ in Long Island City with 24/7 access.) verified |
| Tuition | $0 'No upfront costs to start.' Repayment through the Good Job Agreement: 15% of gross annual income for 36 months once earning above $85,000, within a 5-year window. Total cost depends on salary; no dollar cap is published. verified |
| Financing | isa, deferred Good Job Agreement (fellowship page): '15% of gross annual income', '36 months', salary threshold '$85,000', '5 years max'. Good Job Agreement page: 'If they don't have a job, or if their salary falls below a certain level, they pay nothing.' Course Report still shows older terms (12% for three years above $50,000). No published cap. |
| Admission | competitive Annual income under $45,000 excluding government benefits, 18 or older, live in the NY metro area, eligible to work in the US, able to read and write English. Selection steps beyond the application are not described. |
| Hiring partners (claimed) | Union Square Ventures portfolio companies (unnamed) claimed |
Outcomes
Median salary: 'From $18K to $94K starting salary' and '400%+ jump in their income' (historical Pursuit Core participants). reported source
Interview-prep depth
The syllabus is not public in enough detail to score. Months 5 to 7 are a 'Get hired' phase; Course Report describes three years of post-program career support under the old model. Specific interview-prep content is not published.
Job support: structured. Months 5 to 7 are a 'Get hired' phase; Course Report describes three years of post-program career support under the old model. Specific interview-prep content is not published.
Whatever the program covers, the interview itself is free to prepare for here: coding patterns, system design, practice prompts, company guides.
What a careful reader should know
Pursuit is the only income-share program in this category: 15% of gross income for 36 months above an $85,000 threshold, within five years, with no cap published; read the current Good Job Agreement, because Course Report still displays older terms. The salary claims on the homepage describe historical Pursuit Core graduates, not the new 7-month AI-Native program, which has no outcomes yet. Course Report rating is 3.62 from 42 reviews.
Third-party signals: Course Report 3.62 (42 reviews). Graduation-time star ratings are collected by the schools; weigh them accordingly.
Sources (4)
This directory takes no lead fees or placement payments from any program. Where a program runs an affiliate scheme we say so on its page and mark the link. Facts carry a badge: verified means we read it on a primary source on the date shown, reported means a third party said it, unknown means nobody we trust has published it.
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