Summer 2027 For high school students

Free summer programs for high school students in 2027

This list requires source-supported free participation. Free tuition may still leave travel, housing, materials or application expenses.

Planning for 2027. Check the year on dates and prices, then confirm the current application window on the official site.

No paid placements. Listings are ranked by fit, never by payment. Methodology.

Showing 37 to 40 of 40 matching programs. Ordered by name.

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Catalog facts retain their cycle. Check the official sources before applying or paying. On a phone, scroll the table sideways.

Selected programs, application facts and official sources
Program factsMITES SummerRemoveLLNL Biotech Summer ExperienceRemoveMissouri Fine Arts AcademyRemove
Application deadlineUnconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official site
CostCatalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official siteCatalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official siteCatalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
Financial aidUnconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official site
Expenses and aid conditionsCatalog terms: Transportation to and from MIT: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Participant responsibility; available travel assistance, if any, is not stated on the current page.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official site
Stipend or payUnconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official siteUnconfirmed — check official site
EligibilityGrade 11; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official siteGrades 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higherUnconfirmed — check official site
Additional eligibilityCitizenship: U.S. citizen or current U.S. permanent resident with green card; visas do not substitute; Residency: National U.S. applicant pool; attend on MIT's Cambridge campus if selected; Requirement: Be in 11th grade or equivalent when applying; Requirement: Attend public, private or home school; Requirement: Demonstrate strong academics and enthusiasm for STEM; Requirement: Submit a complete shared MITES Summer/Semester application; Requirement: Arrange transportation to and from MIT if selected; Requirement: Commit to the full intensive residential schedule; Exclusion: Non-U.S. citizens without permanent residence are ineligible; Exclusion: Students outside 11th grade at application are ineligible under current rules; Exclusion: Applying to both national programmes yields at most one offer and participants cannot switch after offer; Exclusion: The programme is rigorous and includes substantial weekday/weekend homeworkMinimum age 16; Citizenship: Students age 18 at the workshop start had to be U.S. citizens for the 2026 cycle; Citizenship: All applicants had to meet LLNL access restrictions under 2025 NDAA Section 3112; current official review controls; Residency: Attend a Northern California public, charter, private, or home school; Requirement: Be at least 16 by the first workshop day; Requirement: Enter grade 11 or 12 in fall 2026; Requirement: Have at least a 3.3 cumulative GPA; Requirement: Have at least a 3.5 science GPA; Requirement: Complete Biology and Chemistry or Integrated Science Series I and II by the end of the current school year; Requirement: Qualify for access to the Laboratory's non-public areas; Requirement: Attend every weekday and provide daily transportation, lunch, and a laptop; Exclusion: Students entering grade 10 in the cited cycle; Exclusion: Students younger than 16 at the start; Exclusion: Students outside the Northern California school requirement; Exclusion: Students age 18 at the start who were not U.S. citizens; Exclusion: Applicants who cannot obtain access under current national-security law and LLNL screening; Exclusion: Assuming legal permanent residence alone replaces the specific age-18 citizenship rule; Exclusion: Assuming the 2026 GPA, citizenship, school, or NDAA rules will remain unchanged in a later cycleRequirement: Previously published 2026 portfolio, school-grade and credit rules require confirmation for 2027; the current homepage identifies high-school artists.; Exclusion: Published 2026 condition, requiring confirmation for 2027: Students who previously attended MFAA may not reapply; Exclusion: Published 2026 condition, requiring confirmation for 2027: Incomplete files missing essay, evaluation, or portfolio or audition materials; Exclusion: Published 2026 condition, requiring confirmation for 2027: Applicants unable to complete the residential academy
Session dates or durationCatalog terms: 6 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official siteLast year's cycle (2026): Starts July 13, 2026; Ends July 24, 2026; 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official siteStarts May 30, 2027; Ends June 12, 2027; 2 weeks (2027 cycle)
FormatIn personIn personIn person
Housing and supervisionResidential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official siteNon-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official siteResidential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site
LocationCambridge, Massachusetts; national applicant poolLivermore, California, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory non-public workshop areasSpringfield
Selection and applicationSelection: MITES seeks strong, STEM-motivated students and prioritizes educational access in holistic review, but the current pages do not publish applications, cohort size or acceptance rate for 2027. Application materials: Essays and extracurricular activitiesSelection: Applications are competitive and space is limited; LLNL publishes no acceptance rate or guaranteed cohort size on the official page. Application materials: Biology or Chemistry teacher contact information for one recommendationSelection: A panel of artists and arts educators adjudicates the complete application, essay, school evaluation, and discipline portfolio or audition. MFAA publishes no applicant count, cohort size, acceptance rate, or scoring weights on the official pages. Application materials: Published 2026 requirement, requiring confirmation for 2027: Approximately 500-word essay about how the arts affect the applicant and how MFAA interdisciplinary collaboration could support growth; Published 2026 requirement, requiring confirmation for 2027: Discipline-specific digital or physical portfolio for visual art or creative writing
Official sourcesSource 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20Source 1 · checked 2026-08-20Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-22

Catalog programs to compare

  • UT Southwestern Medical Center

    UT Southwestern STARS Summer Research Program for Students

    UT Southwestern STARS offers eight-week nonresidential biomedical research for eligible juniors; Summer2027 applications run November16,2026–January22,2027.

    Application deadline
    January 22, 2027 (2027 cycle)
    Cost
    Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
    Session dates or duration
    Catalog terms: 8 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
    Format
    In person
    Location
    Dallas, Texas, UT Southwestern biomedical research laboratories; North Texas applicant focus; nonresidential
    Stipend or pay
    Unconfirmed — check official site

    Eligibility: Grade 11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher

    Minimum age 16; U.S. citizen or national, or otherwise eligible to work in the United States; Intended for North Texas high-school students; exact county, school, commute, or Texas-residence boundary is not published on the current page; Be at least 16 years old by June 1 before the summer program; Be a U.S. citizen or national or otherwise eligible to work in the United States

    Housing: Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Selection: Participation is limited by funding. UT Southwestern names superior academic achievement and strong science or medicine interest as positive factors but does not publish the current applicant count, funded places, acceptance rate, GPA cutoff, review rubric, lab-match method, or waitlist policy.

    Financial aid: Unconfirmed — check official site
    All requirements, expenses and sources

    Expenses and aid conditions: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Full eligibility requirements: Minimum age 16; Citizenship: U.S. citizen or national, or otherwise eligible to work in the United States; Residency: Intended for North Texas high-school students; exact county, school, commute, or Texas-residence boundary is not published on the current page; Requirement: Be currently enrolled in high school and classified as a junior at application; Requirement: Be at least 16 years old by June 1 before the summer program; Requirement: Be a U.S. citizen or national or otherwise eligible to work in the United States; Requirement: Have no prior research experience under the program's controlling definition; Requirement: Demonstrate strong academic achievement and interest in science or medicine; Requirement: Be able to commute reliably to UT Southwestern for the entire eight-week, nonresidential program; Requirement: Work safely and professionally in an assigned biomedical research laboratory with a faculty host; Requirement: Complete employment or stipend onboarding, minor consent, health, immunization, safety, conduct, privacy, data, intellectual-property, and laboratory requirements; Requirement: Present research results at the end of the summer and present the experience at the student's home school; Exclusion: Students who are not current high-school juniors; Exclusion: Applicants who will be younger than 16 on June 1; Exclusion: Applicants who cannot demonstrate U.S. citizenship, nationality, or legal work eligibility; Exclusion: Students with prior research experience under STARS policy; Exclusion: Applicants seeking clinical care, patient contact, physician shadowing, or a residential program; Exclusion: Inability to attend the full eight weeks or commute safely and reliably to the assigned Dallas laboratory; Exclusion: Assuming strong grades, interest, North Texas residence, or an early application guarantees a funded place

    Selection and application: Selection: Participation is limited by funding. UT Southwestern names superior academic achievement and strong science or medicine interest as positive factors but does not publish the current applicant count, funded places, acceptance rate, GPA cutoff, review rubric, lab-match method, or waitlist policy. Application materials: Transcript, essays, activity list, resume, teacher or counselor information, recommendation, or interview only if the new application explicitly requires them

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  • University of Washington College of Engineering

    UW Engineering Academy

    Free one-week introductory UW Seattle engineering program for eligible greater-Seattle sophomores and juniors; 2027 applications open in March.

    Application deadline
    Unconfirmed — check official site
    Cost
    Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
    Session dates or duration
    Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
    Format
    In person
    Location
    Seattle, Greater Seattle area, Washington
    Stipend or pay
    Unconfirmed — check official site

    Eligibility: Grades 10–11 when applying; summer rising grade is one higher

    Attend high school in the greater Seattle area under the 2026 rules; confirm 2027

    Housing: Non-residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Selection: Application-based introductory program prioritizing students with limited prior engineering access. UW publishes no 2027 capacity, applicant count, acceptance rate, or score weights.

    Financial aid: Unconfirmed — check official site
    All requirements, expenses and sources

    Expenses and aid conditions: Catalog terms: Daily transportation to UW Seattle: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Student must provide transportation; amount varies by household/location.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Full eligibility requirements: Residency: Attend high school in the greater Seattle area under the 2026 rules; confirm 2027; Requirement: For 2026, be a current high-school sophomore or junior; Requirement: Attend high school in the greater Seattle area; Requirement: Arrange transportation to and from UW Seattle every program day; Requirement: Seek a first broad exposure to engineering; prior engineering knowledge is not required; Requirement: Attend and participate in the complete daily program; Exclusion: Using the 2026 grade year, dates, and region as guaranteed 2027 terms before publication; Exclusion: Assuming advanced engineering experience is required or gives a guaranteed advantage; Exclusion: Assuming UW provides transportation or that participation guarantees UW admission, credit, a scholarship, internship, recommendation, or job

    Selection and application: Selection: Application-based introductory program prioritizing students with limited prior engineering access. UW publishes no 2027 capacity, applicant count, acceptance rate, or score weights.

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  • Sam M. Walton College of Business, University of Arkansas

    Walton College Fleischer Scholars Program

    A free six-day business program at the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville for first-generation Arkansas high school juniors; students who will be seniors in fall 2027 apply November 1 to March 14.

    Application deadline
    Unconfirmed — check official site
    Cost
    Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
    Session dates or duration
    Unconfirmed — check official site
    Format
    In person
    Location
    Fayetteville
    Stipend or pay
    Unconfirmed — check official site

    Eligibility: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Arkansas

    Housing: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Financial aid: Unconfirmed — check official site
    All requirements, expenses and sources

    Expenses and aid conditions: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Full eligibility requirements: Residency: Arkansas; Requirement: First-generation Arkansas high-school student interested in business; will be a senior in fall 2027.

    Selection and application: Unconfirmed — check official site

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  • Yale University Office of New Haven Affairs

    Yale Pathways to Science Summer Scholars

    Yale's free two-week Summer Scholars intensive serves current Pathways Scholars entering grades 10-12; Summer 2026 is complete and 2027 is unannounced.

    Application deadline
    Unconfirmed — check official site
    Cost
    Catalog terms: Free attendance; check separate expenses; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
    Session dates or duration
    Last year's cycle (2026): Starts July 5, 2026; Ends July 17, 2026; 2 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site
    Format
    In person
    Location
    New Haven, Connecticut, Yale campus
    Stipend or pay
    Unconfirmed — check official site

    Eligibility: Grades 10–12 when applying; check the provider's rules for graduating seniors

    Must already be an eligible Yale Pathways to Science Scholar, a cohort restricted to named New Haven-area public-school districts; For the residential option, be entering grade 12 and complete any additional residential forms

    Housing: Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Selection: Selective among eligible existing Pathways Scholars; workshop classes have 16 or fewer students and residential places are capped separately.

    Financial aid: Unconfirmed — check official site
    All requirements, expenses and sources

    Expenses and aid conditions: Unconfirmed — check official site

    Full eligibility requirements: Residency: Must already be an eligible Yale Pathways to Science Scholar, a cohort restricted to named New Haven-area public-school districts; Requirement: Be a current Pathways Scholar in grade 9-11 when applying; Requirement: Be entering grade 10-12 in the summer; Requirement: Submit the invited application and one teacher recommendation; Requirement: Commit to both program weeks and required orientation; Requirement: For the residential option, be entering grade 12 and complete any additional residential forms; Exclusion: Students who are not already Pathways Scholars; Exclusion: Current seniors graduating before the summer; Exclusion: Applicants unable to attend the full two-week program; Exclusion: Residential participation is limited to selected rising seniors and is not automatic with day-program admission

    Selection and application: Selection: Selective among eligible existing Pathways Scholars; workshop classes have 16 or fewer students and residential places are capped separately. Application materials: Two short essays and one long essay; One teacher recommendation

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Explore Summer 2027 by interest, grade and state

Summer 2027 hub · Selective vs. pay-to-play guide · Application guide

Recorded application dates · check the cycle
How to check costs, eligibility and dates

Read each program's coverage before budgeting. Financial aid that depends on an application is different from a program that is free for everyone admitted.

Missing facts say Unconfirmed — check official site. A past session does not establish 2027 availability. Format and location can change between cycles.

Frequently asked questions

Are these programs confirmed for summer 2027?

These are existing catalog programs to research for 2027. Inclusion does not confirm a 2027 session or open applications. The cycle label matters: a 2027-cycle application deadline can fall in 2026. Dates explicitly labeled as the 2026 cycle are historical; missing next-cycle details remain unconfirmed.

How should I compare program costs and formats?

Compare tuition, application fees, housing, meals and travel, then check whether attendance is online, on campus or hybrid. A free tuition offer may leave other expenses. Unknown fields say Unconfirmed — check official site.

Can a program pay to appear first?

No paid placements. Listings are ranked by fit, never by payment. Here, fit means matching the filters you choose. Matching listings default to name order; you can sort by recorded deadline or latest source check. Use the methodology page to understand catalog standards.

How do I save a program?

Open its catalog listing and sign in to save it to your plan. You can browse these pages and official program links without signing in.