| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Financial aid | Catalog terms: Global Navigator Scholarship: From $500. Covers USD 500 through 100% of tuition based on financial need and merit; it does not cover airfare, passport/visa costs, or spending money.; Academic Merit Award: $500. Fixed tuition award with broader high-school eligibility and repeat-award restrictions.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
|---|
| Expenses and aid conditions | Catalog terms: Nonrefundable application fee: $25. Due when the application is submitted.; Nonrefundable acceptance deposit: $1,000. Due within seven days of acceptance; the remaining balance is generally due April 15 or 30 days before departure for later confirmations.; Global Navigator Scholarship: From $500. Covers USD 500 through 100% of tuition based on financial need and merit; it does not cover airfare, passport/visa costs, or spending money.; Academic Merit Award: $500. Fixed tuition award with broader high-school eligibility and repeat-award restrictions.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Unconfirmed — check official site | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) |
|---|
| Additional eligibility | Citizenship: All nationalities may apply to programs; scholarship citizenship rules differ; Residency: U.S.-based and international high-school students may apply; Residency: Global Navigator need-based scholarship requires U.S. citizenship/permanent residency and U.S. residence; Requirement: Complete ninth grade before traveling; rising freshmen are ineligible; Requirement: Meet the chosen program's age, language, academic, health, mobility, and essential eligibility criteria; Requirement: Have a legal guardian complete required tasks; Requirement: Secure a passport valid for the required period and any destination visa; Requirement: Complete required health forms and disclose relevant support needs; Exclusion: Some language programs require prior language study; Exclusion: The need-based Global Navigator Scholarship is limited to eligible U.S.-resident citizens/permanent residents completing grades 9-11; Exclusion: Rising freshmen cannot travel; Exclusion: Program and scholarship capacity is limited; an application does not guarantee the first-choice destination | Residency: Applicants may apply from anywhere in the world through a regional or global selection committee; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Be at least 15 when the session starts and not yet 17 when it ends; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Attend the entire four-week residential session; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Communicate in English well enough for safety instructions and full participation; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: For international campers, obtain a valid passport and visa when required; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: If accepted, complete physical and mental-health evaluation and vaccination documentation; request available exemptions as needed; Requirement: Previously published eligibility, requiring confirmation for a future cycle: Children/grandchildren of alumni use the separate legacy-camper application route; Requirement: Accepted 2026 age rules were at least 15 at session start and not yet 17 at its end; future cycle rules are unconfirmed.; Exclusion: LAJF states no age exceptions for first-year CRS applicants; Exclusion: 2026 applications are closed; Exclusion: A complete application does not guarantee an interview or admission; Exclusion: The separate TELE program is not Camp Rising Sun; Exclusion: Second-year campers and legacy campers use different application rules | 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 |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 3–4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | Unconfirmed — check official site | In person |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Location | More than 40 advertised 2027 destinations; each program page defines the location and housing | Unconfirmed — check official site | 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 |
|---|
| Selection and application | Selection: Program and scholarship capacity varies. Scholarships are competitively reviewed using transcript, GPA, essays, teacher recommendation, and for need-based awards guardian financial information; no umbrella acceptance rate is published. Application materials: For scholarships: short essays and current-year transcript; For scholarships: one teacher recommendation from an unrelated teacher who taught the student for at least six months | Selection: Regional/global selection committees review applications for cohort fit and invite some applicants to interview. LAJF seeks diverse strengths, backgrounds, interests, and commitment to change, but does not publish current applicant totals, cohort size, or acceptance rate. Application materials: If selected: regional/global committee interview | 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 |
|---|
| Official sources | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21Source 3 · checked 2026-08-21Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | Source 1 · checked 2026-10-12Source 2 · checked 2026-08-20Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20Source 4 · checked 2026-08-20 | 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 |
|---|