| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $9,900; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: $1,799–$1,999; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 student-account deposit: $500. Returned to the family if unused; separate enrollment deposit details were not quantified on the official pages.; Travel to and from Colorado: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Flights were not included in tuition, although the largest need-based aid packages could cover them.; Need-based financial aid: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. About 40% received aid in the published cycle; average award was 70% of tuition, and aid included discounted or free gear rental, with top packages potentially covering flights.; Clarity financial-aid application fee: $65. Applies to the aid application; automatic or inquiry-based fee waivers are available for eligible families.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Individual reservation registration fee: $100. Published as nonrefundable; verify at checkout because policy terms can change.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 10–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 4–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Ages 14–18; Requirement: Be a rising 10th, 11th, or 12th grader and age 14-18 for the applicable cycle; Requirement: Be prepared for a residential program at 10,000 feet and extended backpacking expeditions; Requirement: Complete the required application, recommendations, transcript, and interview; Requirement: If accepted, complete health, physical, risk, release, enrollment, and payment requirements; Exclusion: Prior outdoor experience is not required; Exclusion: The official pages do not state a citizenship or Colorado-residency restriction; Exclusion: Program mental-health services are limited, and backcountry groups may lack timely outside support; families must evaluate fit with HMI | Minimum age 16; Citizenship: Legally eligible to work in the United States; under-18 participants must obtain a school work permit after acceptance; Residency: San Diego County resident; Residency: Most recent high-school semester completed at a named REACH partner school/program; Requirement: Be at least 16 by the first day of pre-program boot camp; Requirement: Have at least a 3.0 GPA; Requirement: Complete at least one year each of high-school chemistry and biology; Requirement: Commit to approximately 40 hours weekly and miss no more than three days; Requirement: Attend the parent/guardian welcome meeting and three-day boot camp; Requirement: Provide personal transportation to and from Scripps Research; Exclusion: Students outside the nine named partner schools/programs were ineligible for 2026; Exclusion: Prior REACH summer internship participants may not repeat; Exclusion: The separate SRTI internship's broader local eligibility does not apply to REACH; Exclusion: Housing and general transportation support are not offered on the public page | Ages 9–18; Requirement: Enroll in the correct program for age at camp: Space Camp 9–11, Space Academy 12–14 or Advanced Space Academy 15–18; Requirement: Nine-year-olds must have completed or currently be enrolled in fourth grade; Requirement: Complete payment, releases, health, medication, emergency and other required forms by the session deadlines; Requirement: Be able to participate safely in the selected program with any required accommodations arranged in advance; Requirement: International participants need proper United States entry documents and conversational English; Exclusion: Family, adult, educator, group, aviation, cyber, robotics and Elite programs have separate requirements and prices; Exclusion: Registration does not guarantee a preferred roommate, activity, simulator access or session until confirmed; Exclusion: Some water, motion, physical or specialty activities can have medical restrictions; Exclusion: The program is educational simulation and not affiliated with astronaut selection or NASA employment |
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| Session dates or duration | Last year's cycle (2026): Starts June 28, 2026; Ends July 25, 2026; 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 7–8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | In person / Online | In person |
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| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Location | Leadville, High Mountain Institute campus and Colorado/Utah backcountry | La Jolla, California, Scripps Research campus for boot camp/laboratory internship; virtual interview and parent/guardian welcome meeting | Huntsville, Alabama |
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| Selection and application | Selection: HMI describes a typical cohort of 12-20 students; it does not publish a current applicant count or acceptance rate. Application materials: Two approximately 250-word essays; Two teacher recommendations, including at least one from a core academic teacher, under the current central admissions page; Required 15-30 minute admissions interview | Selection: Only students at nine partner schools/programs were eligible in 2026. Finalists were interviewed and placements depended on laboratory/mentor capacity; no applicant total, cohort size or acceptance rate is published. Application materials: Brief virtual interview if selected as a finalist | Selection: Standard student programs are purchased first-come, first-served by age and session capacity; they are not merit-selective. Invitation-only Elite and scholarship programs are separate. |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 |
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