Undergraduate students have a chance to earn cash and credits from major cloud providers.
Y Combinator (YC) is launching an exciting new initiative to empower technical college students: the Summer Fellows Grants. With rapid advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and software development tools, YC believes there has never been a better time for students to work on independent technical projects.
Instead of spending the summer doing routine internship tasks, students will have the opportunity to push their programming skills to the next level.
What the Grant Offers
The Summer Fellows Grants provide selected students with a $20,000 cash grant and $90,000 in compute credits from major cloud providers, including Amazon AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google GCP. Additionally, they will receive exclusive perks, including attendance at the AI Startup School (June 16-17) and access to YC’s network through co-working events.
YC companies are also stepping up to support the initiative, offering additional credits:
- Fly.io: $50,000
- Supabase: $10,000
- Replicate: $10,000
- Resend: $3,000
This funding and resource package allows students to explore groundbreaking AI applications, build new software tools, and experiment with emerging technologies without financial constraints.
A Summer of Innovation and Community
The Summer Fellows Program is designed to maximize independence while providing structured opportunities to network and collaborate. The summer schedule includes key events:
- June 15: Kickoff dinner with other Summer Fellows and special guests.
- June 18-20: Co-working at the YC office.
- August 20-22: Another co-working session at YC.
- August 22: Final presentations where Fellows showcase their projects.
YC does not expect these projects to be commercially viable, though that would be a bonus. The primary goal is to encourage technical exploration and the development of projects that impress other skilled programmers.
Who Can Apply?
The grants are open to any undergraduate student majoring in computer science, engineering, or related fields. Exceptionally technical students from other disciplines, particularly those with impressive open-source contributions, are also encouraged to apply. The program is global—students outside the U.S. can apply.
Individual Applications, But Teams Welcome
Each grant is awarded to an individual, but applicants who wish to work on a project together should apply separately and indicate their collaboration plans in their applications.
No Classes, Just Building
Unlike traditional summer programs, the Summer Fellows Program will not have structured classes or coursework. Instead, students will work independently, with access to YC partners for guidance and an online workspace for discussions with other participants.
Logistics and Expectations
- Relocation to the Bay Area: While not mandatory, YC strongly encourages students to spend the summer in the Bay Area to take advantage of the thriving AI and software engineering ecosystem. If relocation is not possible, YC will cover travel costs for the co-working events.
- Internships and Part-Time Work: YC prefers to fund students working full-time on their projects, but those with internships who can dedicate part-time effort are still eligible.
- No Need for a Company: Recipients do not need to set up a business to receive the grant—it is awarded personally.
How to Apply
Applications are now open, with a deadline of March 28 at 9:00 PM PT. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to a 15-minute online video interview at the end of March.
Students with a passion for AI, software engineering, and independent project development should not miss this opportunity.
For inquiries, contact fellows@ycombinator.com.
YC’s Summer Fellows Grants offer a chance to take a break from traditional internships and instead spend the summer building, experimenting, and innovating at the edge of one’s programming abilities.
