| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | March 1, 2027 (2027 cycle) | December 20, 2026 (2027 cycle) |
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| Cost | $5,793 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Financial aid | Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Open-enrollment academy scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; for registrants with financial need.; Scholars Academies travel scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. For students with financial need, to cover transportation to and from Austin; application available after admission. (2027 cycle) |
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| Expenses and aid conditions | Application fee: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Non-refundable; fee waivers can be requested.; Need-based financial assistance for application and program costs: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Based on family income, family size and available COSMOS resources. (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Open-enrollment academy scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. Limited; for registrants with financial need.; Scholars Academies travel scholarship: Amount: Unconfirmed — check official site. For students with financial need, to cover transportation to and from Austin; application available after admission. (2027 cycle) |
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| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Weekly salary: $500 (2027 cycle) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grade 12 and first-year college; Grade timing: Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
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| Additional eligibility | Residency: California high school students only; Requirement: Open to rising grades 9–12; Requirement: Demonstrated academic excellence (a typical COSMOS student has a GPA of 3.5 or above) | Citizenship: US citizen; Residency: IL; Requirement: Open to grades 12–13; Requirement: High school senior in the 2027-2028 school year or a 2027 high school graduate; Requirement: Enrolled in an Illinois high school; Requirement: Proof of medical insurance | Requirement: Open to rising grades 10–12; Requirement: Scholars Academies (Academy for All, Academy for Women) are for students entering grades 11–12 in fall 2027; Requirement: AI Academy Advanced session requires prior coding experience with conditionals, loops and lists/arrays (Python, C++ or Java); Requirement: Data Science Research academy requires at least one semester of Python programming and a personal laptop |
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| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Starts July 12, 2027; Ends August 6, 2027; 4 weeks (2027 cycle) | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
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| Format | In person | Hybrid | 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 | Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, San Diego, Santa Cruz, CA | IL | Austin, TX |
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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: Online application with one personal statement; One teacher recommendation (two recommended) | Application materials: Letter of recommendation from a STEM teacher or STEM club advisor | Selection: Open-enrollment academies fill on a first-come or capacity basis. Academy for All and Academy for Women are application-based and selective; current cohort sizes and acceptance rates are not published on the official pages. Application materials: Scholars Academies: brief essay / short-answer questions |
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| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-08-22Source 5 · checked 2026-08-22Source 6 · checked 2026-08-22Source 7 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-24Source 2 · checked 2026-10-24Source 3 · checked 2026-10-24Source 4 · checked 2026-10-24Source 5 · checked 2026-10-24Source 6 · checked 2026-10-24Source 7 · checked 2026-10-24Source 8 · checked 2026-10-24Source 9 · checked 2026-08-22Source 10 · checked 2026-08-22 |
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