| Application deadline | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Cost | Last year's cycle (2026): $5,518; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Last year's cycle (2026): $899; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| 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 | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| 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 | Catalog terms: Pepperdine University housing: $0. Provided for interns during the program.; Pepperdine meal plan: $0. Provided during the internship.; Pepperdine-Reagan Library and program-related travel: $0. Work transportation and program-related travel support are provided.; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Stipend or pay | Unconfirmed — check official site | Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: Intern wages: Unconfirmed — check official site; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Eligibility | Grades 9–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Grades 10–12 (provider uses rising grades) | Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| 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 | Ages 15–17; Requirement: For 2026, be a rising high-school sophomore, junior, or senior age 15-17; Requirement: Demonstrate academic performance, authentic media interest, and potential to benefit from and contribute to camp; Requirement: Be able to live in supervised shared university housing and remain on campus; Requirement: Submit original application responses without generative AI; Exclusion: Rising freshmen and current middle-school students were ineligible in 2026; Exclusion: Single rooms and alternative lodging were not permitted; Exclusion: Selection is competitive and the school cannot provide individual application feedback; Exclusion: The 2027 eligibility rules are not yet confirmed | Requirement: The posting describes current college or university students as ideal candidates; confirm current role eligibility with the provider; Requirement: Have legal authorization to work in the United States; Requirement: Be available full-time and in person for the listed summer dates; Requirement: Be willing to work weekends and travel with program staff as needed; Requirement: Demonstrate organization, flexibility, civic-education or leadership interest, and fit with the Foundation's mission; Exclusion: A high-school application route is not established; the posting does not state an absolute college-enrollment requirement; Exclusion: Paid internship selection does not guarantee school credit, future employment, recommendation, scholarship, political appointment, or college-admissions benefit; Exclusion: Applicants must be comfortable supporting programming grounded in the Foundation's stated interpretation of President Reagan's leadership and legacy |
|---|
| Session dates or duration | Catalog terms: 4 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 1 week; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site | Catalog terms: 6.57 weeks; 2027: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| Format | In person | In person | In person |
|---|
| Housing and supervision | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site | Residential. Supervision and housing details: Unconfirmed — check official site |
|---|
| 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 | Phoenix, Arizona, ASU Downtown Phoenix campus and Gordon Commons residence hall | Simi Valley, California, Malibu, California, Program travel locations as assigned, Ronald Reagan Presidential Library, Pepperdine University housing, and off-site GALP delivery |
|---|
| 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: Applications are reviewed for academic performance and media interest, with current juniors sometimes prioritized because of demand. The 2026 acceptance rate and 2027 capacity are not published on the current page. | Selection: RRPFI screens resumes and required videos for a paid summer role, but does not publish the applicant count, internship cohort size, acceptance rate, interview stages, or scoring rubric on the official page. Application materials: Any interview or employment forms requested after screening |
|---|
| 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 2026-08-21Source 2 · checked 2026-08-21 | Source 1 · checked 2026-08-22Source 2 · checked 2026-08-22Source 3 · checked 2026-08-20 |
|---|