An online, semester-long program for high school students interested in understanding political, economic, and social life. It is a competitive, renewable, and online fellowship program for high school students from any high school program (public, private, or home school). Fellows attend online activities including a discussion portal and reading discussion sessions led by Hayek Program scholars. They will be introduced to the complexity of the world, challenges of planning, and importance of trade-offs. Fellows join a network of Mercatus students, alumni, faculty, and scholars. Each cohort participates during one semester. Participants will receive copies of books, interact with Mercatus Center scholars, read approximately 100-page selections from 4 books, and spend roughly 2-3 hours per week on asynchronous online discussions. The experience helps prepare students for college and provides academic advice.
Cycle status checked November 4, 2026: the official Mercatus page explicitly identifies the September 30, 2026 deadline as applying to Spring 2027. The deadline has passed, although the page still says applications are open; no extension or later cutoff is stated, so this catalog does not claim that applications are currently accepted. The source says specific program dates are communicated to successful applicants.
The official page confirms any nationality and high schools in the US or abroad, age 16 or older at the start, and an award of up to $750 including a stipend and required readings. It does not explicitly specify a program or application fee in the checked text; the previous catalog's numeric zero fees have therefore been removed rather than inferred from the award.