# Paid Programs & Competitions for High School Students Every program here pays YOU — stipends, hourly wages, or funded fellowships that cover costs and then some. Getting paid to do research or intern is a double win: real work experience plus proof that someone valued your output. Paid seats are the scarcest kind (NIH SIP, Simons, SIMR, lab and industry internships), so treat the application like a job application: résumé tight, deadlines early, recommenders warned. 23 verified programs match this page; 22 of the featured listings are free. ## Programs (23 total) | Program | Organization | Cost | Format | Grades | Deadline | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | [Clark Scholars Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/clark-scholars) | Texas Tech | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-16 | | [Microsoft High School Internship Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/microsoft-high-school-internship) | Microsoft | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | Rolling | | [Amgen Scholars Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/amgen-scholars-program) | Amgen Foundation | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [NIH Summer Internship Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nih-summer-internship-program) | National Institutes of Health | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-15 | | [WCS High School Internship Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/wildlife-conservation-society) | Wildlife Conservation Society | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [NIH Summer Internship Program in Biomedical Research](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nih-summer-internship-program-in-biomedical-research) | National Institutes of Health | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-02-15 | | [Dow Jones News Fund](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/dow-jones-news-fund) | Dow Jones News Fund | Free | hybrid | Grades 11–12 | 2027-05-01 | | [Fred Hutch Summer High School Internship Program (SHIP)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/fred-hutch-summer-high-school-internship-program-ship) | Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-01 | | [AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/aaas-mass-media-science-engineering-fellows) | American Association for the Advancement of Science | $3,000 | in_person | Grade 12 | 2027-01-01 | | [DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships - HS Track](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/doe-science-undergraduate-laboratory) | Department of Energy | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2026-10-01 | | [Fermilab TARGET Summer Research Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/fermilab-target-summer-research-program) | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-28 | | [Bank of America Student Leaders Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/bank-of-america-student-leaders-program) | Bank of America | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-16 | | [Youth Conservation Corps (YCC)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/youth-conservation-corps-ycc) | U.S. National Park Service (with USFS & USFWS partners) | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | 2027-03-01 | | [Garcia Summer Scholars Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/garcia-summer-scholars-program) | Stony Brook University | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-03-03 | | [NASA Internships - High School](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nasa-high-school-internships) | NASA | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | 2026-09-14 | | [Kitty Andersen Youth Science Center (KAYSC)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/kitty-andersen-youth-science-center) | Science Museum of Minnesota | Free | in_person | Grades 9–12 | Rolling | | [UCSF CURE High School Intern Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/ucsf-cure-high-school-intern-program) | UCSF Helen Diller Family Comprehensive Cancer Center | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | 2027-02-08 | | [Fermilab Program for Research, Innovation, and STEM Mentorship (PRISM)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/fermilab-prism) | Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory | Free | in_person | Grade 12 | Rolling | | [Teen Team](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/high-museum-teen-team) | High Museum of Art | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | Rolling | | [Michigan Science Center Explainers](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/michigan-science-center-explainers) | Michigan Science Center | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | Rolling | | [High School Scientific Training and Enrichment Program (HiSTEP)](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/nih-high-school-scientific-training-and-enrichment-program-histep) | National Institutes of Health | Free | in_person | Grades 11–12 | Rolling | | [Sandia National Laboratories High School Internships](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/sandia-national-laboratories-high-school-internships) | Sandia National Laboratories | Free | in_person | Grades 10–12 | Rolling | | [St. Jude High School Research Immersion Program](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/st-jude-high-school-research-immersion) | St. Jude Children's Research Hospital | Free | in_person | Grade 12 | Rolling | ## Frequently asked questions ### How many paid programs are listed for high school students? ExtracurricularHub currently lists 23 verified paid opportunities for high school students, each with cost, eligibility, deadline, and an official application link. ### Are any of these paid programs free? Yes — 22 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: NASA Internships - High School (September 14, 2026); DOE Science Undergraduate Laboratory Internships - HS Track (October 1, 2026); AAAS Mass Media Science & Engineering Fellows (January 1, 2027). Deadlines change every cycle — always confirm on the program's official site. ### Do paid extracurriculars help with college admissions? Yes — sustained, escalating involvement in paid (participation → awards or leadership → independent work) reads far stronger than scattered one-off activities. Pick one or two programs from this page and go deep. ## Related pages - [Internships for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/internships) - [Research for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/research) - [Prestigious & Highly Selective Programs & Competitions for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/prestigious) - [Free for High School Students](https://extracurricularhub.com/extracurriculars/free) - [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/paid 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.