# Free STEM Programs for High School Students Every program on this page costs $0 to attend — cost should never be the reason a strong student skips stem opportunities. Many free programs are more selective than paid ones precisely because they are funded; treat their deadlines seriously. 590 verified programs match this page; 30 of the featured listings are free; 8 can be done online. ## Programs (590 total, first 30 shown — full list on the canonical page) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Presidential AI Challenge](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/presidential-ai-challenge) | White House Office of Science and Technology Policy | Free | virtual | Grades 1–12 | 2027-01-20 | | [Scripps Research High School Internship Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/scripps-research-internship) | Scripps Research | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-22 | | [Mandelbrot Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/mandelbrot-competition) | Mandelbrot Competition | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | Rolling | | [International Chemistry Olympiad Team Member](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/icho-team-member) | American Chemical Society | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-07-18 | | [Caltech Signature Award for Innovation](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/caltech-signature-award) | California Institute of Technology | Free | virtual | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [Davidson Fellows](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/davidson) | Davidson Institute | Free | virtual | Grades 11–18 | 2027-02-18 | | [Yau Science Awards (Asia)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/yau-science-awards) | Tsinghua University / Harvard University | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2027-04-30 | | [International Mathematical Olympiad Team Member](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/imo-team-member) | Mathematical Association of America | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2026-07-08 | | [CSAW High School Forensics Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/csaw-hs) | NYU Tandon | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-01 | | [Hertz Foundation Fellowship Application Prep](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hertz-fellowship) | Hertz Foundation | Free | virtual | Grade 12 | 2026-10-30 | | [World Artificial Intelligence Competition for Youth (WAICY)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/waicy-ai-competition) | Ready AI | Free | virtual | Grades 6–12 | 2026-11-10 | | [Microsoft High School Internship Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/microsoft-high-school-internship) | Microsoft | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | Rolling | | [Beaver Works Summer Institute](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/bwsi) | MIT | Free | in_person | Grades 10–11 | 2027-02-01 | | [Stanford AI4ALL](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-ai4all) | Stanford University | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-02-06 | | [Meta Hacker Cup](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/hackercup) | Meta | Free | virtual | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-01 | | [Amgen Scholars Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/amgen-scholars-program) | Amgen Foundation | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [Illinois Mathematics and Science Academy (IMSA)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/illinois-math-science-academy) | IMSA | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2027-02-05 | | [Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/aviation-career-education-program) | Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [Stanford Medical Youth Science Program (SMYSP)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stanford-medical-youth-science-program-(smysp)) | Stanford University | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-03-23 | | [Putnam Competition](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/putnam) | MAA | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2026-12-05 | | [Women's Technology Program at MIT](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/womens-technology-program-mit) | MIT | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-01-15 | | [PennApps Hackathon](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/pennapps-hackathon) | University of Pennsylvania | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2026-08-18 | | [James Dyson Award](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/james-dyson-award) | James Dyson Foundation | Free | virtual | Grades 11–12 | 2026-07-15 | | [NASA HUNCH (High School Students United with NASA to Create Hardware)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-hunch) | NASA | Free | hybrid | Grades 9–12 | 2026-09-30 | | [NASA Student Launch](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-student-launch) | NASA | Free | in_person | Grades 6–12 | 2026-09-22 | | [EAA Ray Aviation Scholarship](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/eaa-ray-aviation-scholarship) | Experimental Aircraft Association | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-01-31 | | [Quantum Computing Summer School Programs](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/google-quantum-computing-camp) | Various Universities & Google | Free | hybrid | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Mathematical Olympiad Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/imo-training) | MAA | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-05-15 | | [Clark Scholars Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/clark-scholars) | Texas Tech | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-16 | | [Pennsylvania Governor's School for the Sciences](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/pennsylvania-governors-school) | PA PGSS | Free | in_person | Grade 11 | 2027-01-31 | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many free stem programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 590 verified free stem opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these free stem programs free? Yes — 30 of the programs featured on this page charge no participation fee. Free programs are often funded and can be more selective, so apply early. ### Which deadlines are coming up soonest? The next deadlines: International Mathematical Olympiad Team Member (July 8, 2026); James Dyson Award (July 15, 2026); International Chemistry Olympiad Team Member (July 18, 2026). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Why are these programs free? Most free programs are funded by universities, government agencies, or nonprofits with a mission to broaden access. Free rarely means easy to get into — funded programs are often the most selective. ## Related pages - [Free for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/free) - [Virtual & Online STEM Programs for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/virtual/stem) - [Stem for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/stem) - [Browse all extracurriculars](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars) - [Find My Fit — 3-minute matching quiz](https://extracurricularhub.com/find-my-fit) --- Canonical page: https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/free/stem Source: ExtracurricularHub (https://extracurricularhub.com) — a free directory of 1,826 verified extracurricular programs for high school students. Cite the canonical page above; always confirm binding details on each program's official site.