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Atlas of Opportunity
Find your path to free opportunities
§ Equity & access

Opportunity should not depend on what your family can pay.

Every opportunity here is filtered for cost and access. These shortlists group programs by how they remove financial or social barriers — fully-funded, no application fee, or explicitly prioritizing students who've been historically underrepresented in research and higher ed.

Free only →Remote-friendly →First-gen / underrepresented focus →

Fully-funded programs

123 programs

Free to apply, free to attend, and pay you a stipend or cover travel. The strongest signal a program is built for access.

See all 123 in the Finder →

No-cost or low-cost

683 programs

No tuition. Some may still require travel or supplies — read the program page for specifics.

  • 4-H Youth Development
    National 4-H Council

    Largest youth development organization in the US in agriculture, STEM, civic engagement.

  • A*STAR Scientific Research Programme
    Agency for Science, Technology and Research

    Government research placements for pre-university students in Singapore.

  • AAPT PhysicsBowl
    AAPT

    An annual competition for high school students that celebrates physics and recognizes outstanding physics students and teachers.

  • Academic Immersion
    Boston University

    Spend three weeks immersing yourself in the study of psychology, business, medicine, or creative writing.

  • Academic Year Programs
    Columbia University

    Make the most of the school year with on-campus or online courses, including weekend options.

  • Academic Year Research Internship
    Stanford AIMI

    During the school year, students meet weekly in small groups with their student mentors to work on healthcare AI research projects under the guidance of Stanford researchers.

  • ACE Mentor Program
    ACE Mentor

    Free after-school mentorship in architecture, construction, and engineering for HS students.

  • Adam Smith Society HS Essay
    Adam Smith Society

    Essay contest exploring market economics and policy.

  • Adobe Design Achievement Awards (Semi-Pro)
    Adobe

    International student creative awards across graphic design, film, animation, and social impact.

  • Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship
    The Adroit Journal

    Free online mentorship pairing teen writers with established poets and prose writers.

  • AEOP High School Apprenticeship Program
    Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP)

    Students work alongside Army scientists and engineers on cutting-edge research projects in world-class laboratories.

  • AFSA National High School Essay Contest
    American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)

    An essay contest designed to engage students in thinking about peace and conflict resolution.

See all 683 in the Finder →

First-generation & underrepresented focus

238 programs

Programs that explicitly prioritize first-gen, low-income, or historically underrepresented students in their selection.

See all 238 in the Finder →

Remote & hybrid (no travel required)

377 programs

Open to students anywhere in the US — useful if you can't relocate for a summer or your family can't drive you.

  • 4-H Youth Development
    National 4-H Council

    Largest youth development organization in the US in agriculture, STEM, civic engagement.

  • Academic Year Programs
    Columbia University

    Make the most of the school year with on-campus or online courses, including weekend options.

  • Academic Year Research Internship
    Stanford AIMI

    During the school year, students meet weekly in small groups with their student mentors to work on healthcare AI research projects under the guidance of Stanford researchers.

  • Adam Smith Society HS Essay
    Adam Smith Society

    Essay contest exploring market economics and policy.

  • Adobe Design Achievement Awards (Semi-Pro)
    Adobe

    International student creative awards across graphic design, film, animation, and social impact.

  • Adroit Journal Summer Mentorship
    The Adroit Journal

    Free online mentorship pairing teen writers with established poets and prose writers.

  • AFSA National High School Essay Contest
    American Foreign Service Association (AFSA)

    An essay contest designed to engage students in thinking about peace and conflict resolution.

  • AI Scholars
    Inspirit AI

    Artificial Intelligence Program for High School Students. Develop and taught by Stanford and MIT Alumni and Graduate Students. Provides guidance on initiating AI projects, pursuing AI ventures, and preparing for college. Students collaborate with a mentor on a socially impactful AI project. No programming background required, advanced cohorts available. Also for middle school students, but this description focuses on high school.

  • AI4ALL Open Learning
    AI4ALL

    Girls in grades 6-12 learn AI and Python through interactive virtual classes.

  • Al-Khwarizmi International Award (Youth)
    IROST

    International recognition for young researchers in science and tech innovation.

  • All-Japan Manga Competition (Youth)
    Japan Cartoonists Association

    Youth-open division of the Japan Cartoonists Association's annual manga award.

  • Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
    Amazon

    Scholarship for high school seniors planning to study computer science in college.

See all 377 in the Finder →