Campus Scholars Program

Overview

FIRE is excited to offer a year-long, paid, remote program as part of its efforts to educate and empower students on American college and university campuses. This opportunity allows current undergraduates to collaborate with FIRE in defending civil liberties on campuses across the country, while also working with our staff to create and build a personal project to promote FIRE's mission on their own campuses. The program is remote, with the 2026 fall semester starting on October 5, 2026, and running until May 7, 2027. Campus Scholars will receive a stipend of $2,000 upon completion of the program and their project in December.

Qualifications and Responsibilities

• Intelligent and energetic undergraduates attending colleges and universities in the United States
• Looking to engage in free speech activism on their campuses
• Responsible, focused, and organized
• A passion for civil liberties
• A history of taking action in support of causes they believe in
• Excellent research, writing, and communication skills
• Create, draft, and complete a personal project congruent with FIRE’s mission, and funded through a FIRE grant, over the course of one semester
• Examples of a personal project could include:
• Host a free speech conference on campus
• Build a free speech website
• Research proposal aligned with FIRE’s mission
• Something that we haven’t thought of!
• Attend the FIRE Student Development Summit in early 2027. This event is fully-funded by FIRE. All travel expenses are paid by FIRE.
• Assist with various projects such as research, development, and outreach tasks, throughout the course of the semester
• Recommend fellow peers to FIRE events, our Summer Internship program, and the Campus Scholars Program
• Submit a final report detailing the outcomes and impact of their project

Application Procedures

• The application deadline is Wednesday, September 30, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. ET.
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
• Due to the program’s competitive nature, early applications are strongly encouraged.
• Applicants must submit a résumé
• A project proposal outlining their goals and plans
• A budget estimate, detailing how they would use the FIRE grant to support free expression or First Amendment rights on their campus
• Budget guidelines and instructions