Thiel Fellowship
Offered by Thiel Foundation
About this scholarship
The Thiel Fellowship is a two-year, $250,000 grant for young people pursuing ambitious projects outside a conventional degree program. Payments are spread across two years, and the Thiel Foundation takes no equity in a Fellow’s company or project. Fellows also gain access to a network of founders, investors, scientists, and alumni. The program is not restricted to software startups: previous pathways include nonprofits, consumer products, hardware, media, and scientific work. Applicants do not need an incorporated company or a finished product, but they must show meaningful progress toward a concrete vision; an undeveloped idea alone is not enough. Applications are reviewed for individuals rather than teams, although the project itself may involve collaborators. Anyone worldwide who is age 22 or younger and has not received a university degree may apply. Current students can submit an application, but a selected applicant must leave or stop out of school to accept the fellowship. Fellows do not have to relocate to San Francisco and may work from other locations. This grant is not a conventional tuition scholarship and does not promise to cover every personal or project expense, so it is classified as partial support. The official application is open year-round with no deadline.
Eligibility
- Be age 22 or younger when applying
- Not have earned an undergraduate or graduate university degree
- Show meaningful progress toward a concrete company, nonprofit, scientific, creative, or other innovative vision
- Apply as an individual even if collaborators work on the project
- Leave or stop out of school to accept the fellowship if currently enrolled
- Commit two years to building the proposed work