Thiel Fellowship
The Thiel Foundation
$250,000 over two years
$250,000 over two years, no equity, for people aged 22 or younger without a degree. Applications are accepted year round.
The Thiel Fellowship gives fellows $250,000 over two years, with no equity taken in your company. It is for anyone aged 22 or younger without a university degree, and fellows must drop out of school to accept. It is open worldwide and reviews applicants as individuals; incorporating a company is not required. The foundation accepts applications year round with no deadline. The application is a Salesforce portal behind a login, so its written questions were not seen. Selection is by a selective review process.
- Funding type
- Grant
- Level
- Foundation
- Amount range
- $250,000
- Realistic amount
- $250,000 over two years to each selected fellow.
- Deadline
- Rolling; no deadline (applications accepted year round)
- Status
- active
- States
- Nationwide
Who qualifies
- Anyone aged 22 or younger (and without a university degree)
- Must drop out of school to accept
- Worldwide; reviewed as individuals
- You don't need to have incorporated a company
What it covers
Eligible expenses
- Fellowship funds over two years (no use restrictions published)
Ineligible expenses
- See official program guidance
How to apply
-
1
Check the age and degree rule
22 or younger and no university degree.
~0.2 hrs
-
2
Apply in the Salesforce portal
Login required; the written questions were not visible.
~6 hrs
Only apply if you are ready to leave school: the fellowship requires it, and the application form sits behind a login.
Deadline & timing
FAQ: "Is there an application deadline? No - we accept applications year round." Fellows must be 22 or younger and without a university degree, and must leave school to accept.
Applications are open — don’t lose the window
GrantCompass tracks Thiel Fellowship’s application windows in the live catalog. Leave an email and we’ll warn you before this window closes — and tell you when the next round opens.
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Required documents
- Online application (contents behind a login)
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Last updated October 17, 2026. GrantCompass is an independent funding-discovery tool and is not affiliated with any government agency. Always confirm details on the official program page.