IDEA Scholarship FAQ

Please read below for answers to frequently asked questions.

Additional questions on scholarships or financial aid? Please call the Summer Springboard Admissions team during office hours at 858-780-5660.

Q: Is this scholarship open to residents of all countries?  

A: Yes, this scholarship is open to any student who meets all of the eligibility requirements. These include:

• Demonstrated financial need (an annual household income of less than $100,000.00 USD)
• Completion of all components of the application (including the 1,000+ word essay)
• Confirmed eligibility to participate in a Summer Springboard program

The goal of our scholarship is to provide greater access to Summer Springboard programs this summer.

For the three available IDEA Scholarships, applicants must have demonstrated financial need, along with their essay submission to be considered for the scholarships. 

Q: Will the scholarship cover any travel related expenses such as passport and/or visa?

A: Yes, if the student does not yet have a passport or a visa, and it is required for the scholarship recipient to attend the program, Summer Springboard will cover the costs to acquire a passport and/or visa.

Q: How will I get to the program?

A: Summer Springboard will work with students to book a round-trip flight from their home airport to the designated airport for their campus. Flights are typically booked 30-60 days prior to the program start date.

Q: Which programs are open for the scholarship recipients:

A: Award winners can select from the following campus locations:

• Barnard College, Columbia University
• Campus of MIT (Cambridge, MA)
• Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo
• Duke University
• Georgetown
• Georgia Tech
• New York School of Interior Design
• NYU (Middle School Only)
• Oxford
• Berkeley
• UCLA
• UC Santa Barbara
• UC San Diego
• University of Michigan
• University of Washington
• University of Washington Foster School of Business
• Vanderbilt University
• Yale University

We ask applicants to select their top three choices. Final program selection may be limited based on the availability of the actual program and session date at the time of selection.

Q: Do I have to use my scholarship toward a Summer 2026 Summer Springboard program?

A: Yes, you must apply your scholarship award, should you be selected, toward tuition (and airfare, if applicable) for a Summer 2026 Summer Springboard program. This scholarship award has no cash value and cannot be transferred.

Q: Will essays shorter than 1,000 words be considered?

A: No. You must write a short essay to be considered for the IDEA scholarship, and it must be a minimum of 1,000 words long (Maximum 1200). Submissions utilizing AI (ChatGPT or similar) will be automatically disqualified.

Q: What is the application deadline for the IDEA Scholarship?

A: Eligible students must apply by no later than Sunday, March 1, 2026.

Q: When will Scholarship Finalists be informed?

A: Finalists will be informed if they are among the final candidates being considered for the IDEA Scholarship by no later than Wednesday, April 1, 2026

Q: When will the three winners of the IDEA Scholarship be announced?

A: The three winning scholarship recipients will be selected and informed in mid-April.