| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Last year's cycle (2026): 2026 COSMOS application fee: $46. Nonrefundable; pending fee-waiver review could change when or whether payment was required.; Credit-card transaction fee on program payments: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Approximately 2.5% when paying program costs by credit card; application fee exempt.; 2026 need-based application and program assistance: Up to $5,564. Could assist with the $46 application fee and $5,518 program cost based on family income, family size and available funds; actual award not guaranteed.; Full-financial-aid attendance deposit: $200. Required only for admitted students offered full aid and refunded to the legal guardian after successful completion.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 11–12; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Be rising into grade 9, 10, 11 or 12 for the program fall year; Requirement: Attend high school in person in California; Requirement: Demonstrate academic excellence and preparation for the selected STEM cluster; Requirement: Complete cluster-specific course prerequisites; Requirement: Live on the host UC campus for the full program; Requirement: Be a first-time COSMOS participant; Exclusion: Students not attending a California high school in person; Exclusion: Students who previously attended any COSMOS program; Exclusion: Applicants outside the rising-grade 9-12 range; Exclusion: Applicants unable to live on campus for the full program; Exclusion: Late application, supporting, payment or admission materials; Exclusion: Assuming a 3.5 GPA is an absolute statewide minimum rather than the published typical profile | Citizenship: United States citizen; Residency: Permanent residence within 50 miles of the NIST Gaithersburg or Boulder host campus; Requirement: Be a high-school junior or senior at application, or a recent high-school graduate who has not started college; Requirement: Have at least a 3.0 unweighted GPA on a 4.0 scale; Requirement: Demonstrate strong interest in scientific research; Requirement: Commit to the entire seven-week in-person program; Requirement: Provide own local housing and transportation; Requirement: Complete federal security, fingerprinting, badging, health, volunteer, and work-permit requirements if selected; Exclusion: Non-U.S. citizens are ineligible under the current rule; Exclusion: Students outside the 50-mile permanent-residence radius are ineligible; NIST states no exceptions; Exclusion: The internship is unpaid and does not guarantee a stipend, publication, award, recommendation, college credit, federal job, or college-admissions outcome |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 7 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | 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 |
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| Location | Davis, California, Irvine, California, Los Angeles, California, Merced, California, San Diego, California, Santa Cruz, California, UC Davis, UC Irvine, UCLA, UC Merced, UC San Diego, UC Santa Cruz | Gaithersburg, Maryland, Boulder, Colorado, NIST Gaithersburg and NIST Boulder campuses; permanent residence required within 50 miles |
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| Selection and application | Selection: Each of six campuses accommodates roughly 160-200 students, and clusters typically enroll 20-25 with a commonly reported 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Admissions are competitive and based on academic merit relative to the selected topic, but applicant count and statewide acceptance rate were not published. Application materials: One personal statement; One required teacher recommendation, with two recommended | Selection: NIST describes SHIP as competitive, and laboratory mentors review complete applications and may interview candidates. The official pages do not publish the current applicant count, placement count, acceptance rate, lab quotas, or scoring rubric. Application materials: One-page personal statement covering research interest, preferred NIST laboratory, post-high-school plans, and housing/transportation plan; One STEM-teacher online recommendation and one teacher or professional recommendation; Possible phone or in-person mentor interview |
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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 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-09Source 2 · checked 2026-10-09Source 3 · checked 2026-10-09Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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