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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

70 programs

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

  • 2 minutes to $2K from Sallie Mae
    Scholly by Sallie

    Scholarship application for a $2000 award.

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

    Government research placements for pre-university students in Singapore.

  • ACES — Art, Community, Education and Science
    Wave Hill

    Year-long paid youth program connecting arts education, environmental science, community engagement and informal teaching.

  • ACS Project SEED — CWRU
    Case Western Reserve University Department of Chemistry

    Economically disadvantaged students conduct eight weeks of hands-on chemistry research with professional scientists and receive mentoring and a fellowship award.

  • 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.

  • AEOP High School Internship STEM Research Program
    UNC Charlotte Center for STEM Education / AEOP

    Rising juniors and seniors complete roughly 220–300 hours of faculty-mentored STEM research and present their findings through program research events.

  • Alabama Data Scholars
    QuantHub

    Alabama high-school students complete data and AI training and work on a real employer project. The program allows on-site, hybrid, and fully virtual placements.

  • Amazon Future Engineer Scholarship
    Amazon

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

  • American Indian Graduate Center & AIGCS Scholarships
    American Indian Graduate Center & AIGCS

    The largest scholarship providers to Native students in the United States, awarding $15 million in scholarships annually and more than $200 million since inception. For almost 50 years, AIGC has funded students pursuing undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees in any field of study at any accredited institution of choice, working with over 500 tribes in all 50 states.

  • AmeriCorps Summer of Service
    AmeriCorps

    Service opportunities for teens through select programs.

  • Amgen Scholars — Europe & Asia
    Amgen Foundation

    Fully funded summer research at host institutions across Europe and Asia for undergraduates in the sciences.

  • Aspirnaut Summer Research Internship
    University of Michigan Life Sciences Institute

    Michigan juniors spend six residential weeks contributing to active U-M life-science research projects. Housing and meals are covered and participants receive a $3,000 stipend.

See all 70 in the Finder →

No-cost or low-cost

451 programs

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

  • 2 minutes to $2K from Sallie Mae
    Scholly by Sallie

    Scholarship application for a $2000 award.

  • 21st Century Conservation Service Corps
    National Park Service

    Information about partnerships related to the 21st Century Conservation Service Corps, which offers opportunities for young people to contribute to conservation efforts. Specific programs may be available for high schoolers.

  • 4-H Leadership Academy (Roth Scholars)
    National 4-H

    25 Roth Scholars Begin 4‑H Leadership Academy to Turn Ideas Into Community Action​.

  • 4-H Youth Celebration Scholarships
    National 4-H

    More than $24,500 in scholarships recognized as 4-H youth celebrate their next steps.

  • 4-H Youth Development
    National 4-H Council

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

  • A Splash of Creativity
    California Water Service

    Students submit original artwork addressing water conservation and local California water issues for statewide recognition and awards.

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

    Government research placements for pre-university students in Singapore.

  • A+ Scholarship Program
    Missouri Department of Higher Education & Workforce Development

    Merit-based Missouri program helping eligible graduates of A+-designated high schools pay tuition at participating two-year colleges and technical schools. High-school participants must enter an agreement with their school before graduation.

  • 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 Internships
    Translational Genomics Research Institute (TGen)

    Students contribute directly to TGen research in areas such as laboratory bioscience, computational biology, bioinformatics, statistics, communications, regulatory affairs, and research administration. High-school placements are explicitly possible but described by TGen as extremely rare because they require roughly 10–20 hours per week.

  • Academic Year Programs
    Columbia University

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

See all 451 in the Finder →

First-generation & underrepresented focus

43 programs

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

See all 43 in the Finder →

Remote & hybrid (no travel required)

83 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 83 in the Finder →