Rise Program for Ages 15-17: Lifetime Scholarship and Support from the Rhodes Trust and Schmidt Futures

Rise Program for Ages 15-17: Lifetime Scholarship and Support from the Rhodes Trust and Schmidt Futures

Most opportunities for teenagers end when the program ends. You attend a summer course, you finish a competition, you collect a certificate, and then everyone goes home. Rise is built on a different premise. It is not a one-time prize or a single cash grant. It is a long-term commitment to a small group of young people, chosen at ages 15 to 17, with support designed to follow them for the rest of their lives as they work to serve others.

Rise was founded in 2019 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt in partnership with the Rhodes Trust, and it sits at the center of a major philanthropic commitment to identify, develop, and support global talent. It is delivered through Schmidt Futures and the Rhodes Trust, the same organization behind the century-old Rhodes Scholarship. The guiding idea is simple to state and hard to act on: talent is distributed equally across the world, but opportunity is not. Rise exists to close part of that gap by finding brilliant young people early, especially those who might otherwise be overlooked, and giving them tools, funding, and community for the long haul.

This guide explains what Rise actually provides, who fits the profile, how the multi-stage application works, what materials you need to prepare, and how to give yourself the best possible chance. Where a specific fact is not publicly confirmed for the current cycle, this page says so plainly rather than guessing.

Rise 2026 Cycle at a Glance

What Rise Actually Offers

The most important thing to understand about Rise is that it is a program of benefits, not a check in the mail. Winners, called Rise Global Winners, gain access to a set of supports that can be drawn on over many years. Based on what Rise and its partners have described publicly, that package can include the following.

A need-based education scholarship. Rise has described support that can include a four-year, post-secondary education scholarship covering tuition and a living stipend for winners who pursue undergraduate study and demonstrate financial need. This is need-based, meaning it is shaped to each winner’s circumstances rather than paid as a flat amount to everyone.

Funding for ideas. Winners can apply for grants and additional funding to launch or grow social enterprises, support nonprofits, or otherwise pursue projects that serve their communities. The point is to move promising ideas from concept to real-world impact.

Mentorship and career support. Rise connects winners with mentors and with career development programming, helping them make decisions about study, work, and service over time rather than at a single moment.

A funded residential summit. Winners are brought together for at least one fully funded, in-person residential summit with others in their cohort, building relationships that last well beyond the event.

Technology and practical tools. Support can include starter technology packages, such as a laptop or tablet, so that a winner’s circumstances do not limit their ability to study and build.

A global community. Perhaps the most durable benefit is access to a worldwide network of fellow winners, alumni, and partner organizations. For a talented teenager in a place with few local opportunities, that network can matter as much as any single grant.

Because the exact composition of benefits can be tailored to each winner and can change between cycles, treat the official Rise website as the authority on what is offered in any given year.

Who Rise Is Looking For

Rise is deliberately broad in who it invites to apply and deliberately selective in who it chooses. The program is open to young people anywhere in the world, regardless of country, income, or the kind of school they attend. It does not require a particular academic record, a list of prizes, or fluency in a specific subject. What it looks for is promise combined with a genuine commitment to serving others.

In practice, strong applicants tend to share a few traits. They have noticed a problem in their community or in the wider world and have started doing something about it, however small. They are curious and self-directed, the kind of person who teaches themselves things because they want to solve a problem, not only because a class requires it. And they care about people beyond themselves; the “service of others” framing is central to Rise, not decorative.

You do not need to already be running a large project or organization. Rise is specifically designed to find “hidden brilliance,” including young people who have had few formal opportunities. A thoughtful, sincere applicant who has done real work at a modest scale can be far more compelling than a polished applicant who is coasting on advantages.

Eligibility and the Age Rule

The core eligibility rule is age: applicants must be 15 to 17 years old at the cycle’s cutoff. Rise has historically defined this as your age as of July 1 of the cycle year, which sets a specific window of birthdates that qualify. For example, in a past cycle the requirement was framed as being 15-17 as of July 1, corresponding to a defined range of birthdates.

Because the exact cutoff date and the qualifying birthdate window are set fresh for each cycle, you should confirm the current year’s precise rule on the official Rise site before assuming you qualify. The safest approach is to read the eligibility page for the live cycle and check your date of birth against the stated window rather than relying on a general “15 to 17” summary.

Beyond age, the practical eligibility bar is low and inclusive: you can apply from any country, you do not need to pay anything, and if you lack reliable access to technology, Rise has offered an alternative paper application pathway so that access is not a barrier.

How the Application Works

Rise does not rely on a single essay or a transcript. It uses a multi-stage process, sometimes called the Rise Challenge, that gives applicants several different ways to show what they can do. This design is intentional: it reduces the advantage held by applicants who are simply good at traditional test-taking or formal writing.

The online application. You introduce yourself through video or text responses and complete a series of activities. A central element is an individual project of your own choosing: something you create that demonstrates your talents and benefits your community. This project, in effect, is your portfolio. You also complete assessments and take part in peer review, evaluating other applicants’ projects while yours is reviewed in turn.

Peer and expert review. Your work is assessed by peers and by trained reviewers. The combination is meant to surface genuine ability and character rather than polish alone.

Finalist selection and interviews. From the full applicant pool, Rise selects up to 500 Finalists who advance to an interview stage, described in the past as Finalist Days, using an interview format designed to reveal motivation, problem-solving, and teamwork. From those Finalists, up to 100 Rise Global Winners are chosen for each cycle.

The through-line is that Rise wants to see how you think and what you build, not just what you claim. The project you create is the heart of the application, so it deserves the majority of your time and care.

Timeline and Deadlines

Rise runs on an annual cycle. Historically, applications have opened in the northern-hemisphere autumn or winter and closed with a deadline in the winter months, often around January, with Finalist activities and winner announcements later in the year. This pattern has held across several cohorts, but the exact opening and closing dates are set each year.

This page does not assert a confirmed deadline for the current cycle, because a specific, verified date was not available at the time of writing. Do not treat any date in this article as the live deadline. Instead, check https://www.risefortheworld.org/ for the current cycle’s open date and deadline, and if applications are not currently open, look for the expected opening window and set your own reminder well ahead of it.

A sensible planning approach: assume the deadline could fall in the winter, and aim to have your project substantially built weeks before any stated cutoff. Rise’s process involves several activities beyond a single upload, so late starters tend to run out of time.

Materials and Preparation Strategy

Because the project is the centerpiece, your preparation should start there. Choose a topic or problem you genuinely care about, ideally one connected to your own community or lived experience. Authenticity reads clearly through this kind of application, and a real problem you understand deeply will produce stronger work than an impressive-sounding topic you barely know.

Give yourself enough runway to make something real. Build, test, get feedback, and improve, rather than assembling a project in a single weekend. Document your process as you go, including what did not work and what you changed, because evidence of iteration and reflection is often more persuasive than a flawless final result.

Prepare your video and text responses with the same honesty. Speak plainly about what you did, why it matters to you, and who it helps. Avoid inflated claims; reviewers see thousands of applications and can tell the difference between genuine effort and marketing. Take the peer review activity seriously as well, since giving thoughtful, fair feedback to others is itself part of what Rise evaluates.

Finally, check the practical requirements early. Confirm the current age rule against your birthdate, note whether you need the standard online path or the paper pathway, and make sure you can meet any technical needs, such as recording a short video, before the deadline approaches.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

The most frequent mistake is starting late. Because Rise is a multi-stage challenge rather than a single form, applicants who begin days before the deadline cannot do the project justice. Start as soon as the cycle opens.

A second mistake is choosing a project to impress rather than to serve. Rise is explicit about service to others, and a sincere, useful project on a modest problem usually outperforms a grand but hollow one.

A third is treating the video and written responses as afterthoughts. These are your chance to show character and motivation in your own voice; rushed, generic answers waste that opportunity.

A fourth is neglecting eligibility details, especially the age cutoff. Confirm you fall inside the current cycle’s birthdate window before investing significant time.

A fifth is assuming a deadline. Cycle dates change year to year, so verify the live timeline on the official site rather than relying on last year’s schedule or on any third-party summary.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Rise free to apply? Yes. There is no application fee, and Rise has offered an alternative paper pathway for applicants without reliable technology so that cost and access are not barriers.

Do I have to pay back the scholarship or funding? Rise’s support is philanthropic and is not framed as a loan. Confirm the specific terms of any benefit with Rise directly, since packages are tailored and can vary.

Can I apply from any country? Yes. Rise is a global program open to young people worldwide, regardless of nationality or the type of school you attend.

How many people are selected? Rise selects up to 100 Global Winners per cycle, advancing up to 500 Finalists to the interview stage from a much larger applicant pool.

What if I am not selected as a Global Winner? Completing the Rise Challenge is a substantial experience in itself, and reaching Finalist stage is a meaningful recognition. Because eligibility is limited to ages 15 to 17, check whether you remain age-eligible for a future cycle.

Is Rise the same as the Rhodes Scholarship? No. Rise is a separate program run by the Rhodes Trust and Schmidt Futures for teenagers aged 15-17, distinct from the Rhodes Scholarship for postgraduate study at Oxford, though both come from the Rhodes Trust family of programs.

Official Links and Next Steps

Rise is a rare opportunity: a program that commits to young people for the long term rather than for a single season, backed by the Rhodes Trust and Schmidt Futures as part of a large, sustained investment in global talent. If you are 15 to 17, care about serving others, and are willing to build something real, it is worth your serious attention.

Start at the official website, https://www.risefortheworld.org/, to confirm the current cycle’s status, the exact eligibility and age cutoff, and the live deadline. If applications are open, begin your project early. If they are not yet open, note the expected window and set a reminder so you are ready on day one. Always rely on the official Rise site for current dates and requirements, since specifics are set fresh for each cycle.