Through partnerships with major corporations, it offers student tickets to music, theater, and dance performances for a nominal fee of five dollars or less.
Tickets can be purchased online or in person and picked up at the box office with valid student identification.
Major supporters of High 5 include the Carnegie Corporation, Bloomberg, Citigroup, the New York Observer, and the Bank of America.
High 5 was founded in 1993, as a collaboration between staff of the American Symphony Orchestra (Eugene Carr and Kathleen Drohan), the New York Times (Jeanne Shanley and Sharon Yakata), and Ticketmaster (Marla Hoicowitz and Connie Fitzgerald).
In 1995, High 5 appointed its first full-time executive director, Ada Ciniglio, and was incorporated as a non-profit organization.