Fellowships
A handful of programs give young people money to work on their own ideas, sometimes instead of college. They're rare and very selective, so treat them as a long shot to apply for alongside your other plans, not a plan by themselves.
Thiel Fellowship
Thiel Foundation
Money to work full time on something you're building instead of school.
- Who can apply
- Anyone 22 or younger without a college degree, as an individual (not a team). You can apply while in school, but you'd have to leave school to accept.
- What you get
- $250,000 over two years. The foundation takes no ownership of your company.
- When to apply
- Any time; applications are accepted year-round.
- What they look for
- Meaningful progress toward a concrete idea. You don't need a registered company or finished product, and you can live anywhere.
Source: Thiel Fellowship: FAQ. Checked November 6, 2026.
Emergent Ventures
Mercatus Center at George Mason University
Grants and fellowships for people with ambitious ideas to improve society, plus funds for specific areas such as science policy and travel for career development.
- Who can apply
- Anyone 13 or older. One application per person and project.
- What you get
- A grant; the program doesn't list typical amounts.
- Good to know
- It doesn't accept AI-written applications and doesn't give feedback or status updates.
Source: Mercatus Center: Emergent Ventures. Checked November 6, 2026.
We list only programs whose terms we could confirm on their own pages. Know one we should add? Email hello@afterhighschool.me.