Free summer programs for high school students in New Jersey do exist, and some of them are better than programs that charge $8,000. The problem is that the good ones are hard to find, most of them go through your school counselor, and their deadlines land in January. This guide covers five real, free New Jersey programs, who each one accepts, and the steps to apply before the window closes.
What Makes a New Jersey Summer Program Actually Free?
"Free" gets used loosely. Some programs waive tuition but still expect you to pay for housing. Others cover everything, including meals and travel. Before you apply anywhere, check which kind it is.
Here are the five free summer programs for high school students in New Jersey worth your time:
| Program | Who It's For | What's Covered | Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| Governor's School in the Sciences (Drew) | NJ residents finishing junior year | Tuition, room, and board | Residential, about 3 weeks |
| Governor's School of Engineering & Technology (Rutgers) | NJ residents finishing junior year | Tuition, room, and board | Residential, about 4 weeks |
| New Jersey Scholars Program | NJ rising seniors, 2 nominees per school | Tuition, room, board, and academic costs | Residential, 5 weeks |
| Princeton Laboratory Learning Program | Students 16+ at local NJ high schools | Tuition only (no housing or transportation) | Full-time lab research |
| Princeton Summer Journalism Program | Juniors from limited-income families, nationwide | Tuition, housing, meals, and travel | Hybrid summer intensive plus senior-year college counseling |
Notice the pattern. Almost every one is built for the summer after junior year. If you're a freshman or sophomore reading this, you have time to plan. If you're a junior, the clock is already running.
The Governor's School of New Jersey
The Governor's School of New Jersey has run since 1983. It's a tuition-free, residential summer program for high-achieving juniors who are New Jersey residents, overseen by the state's Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. Public, private, and homeschooled students can all apply.
It runs two separate programs, and you pick one.
Sciences at Drew vs. Engineering & Technology at Rutgers
The Governor's School in the Sciences is held at Drew University in Madison. In 2026 it ran July 12 to August 1. It looks for students with a broad interest in science and mostly A's in honors math and science classes.
The Governor's School of Engineering & Technology is held at Rutgers University in New Brunswick. In 2026 it ran July 6 to July 31. It's the better fit if you'd rather build and design than run experiments.
Applications usually move through your high school, so your counselor is your first stop. One district's 2026 internal deadline was January 6, and accepted students heard back in early April. Ask in October, not December.
The New Jersey Scholars Program
This is the most selective program on the list and the one fewest students have heard of. The New Jersey Scholars Program is a tuition-free, five-week residential summer program for rising seniors at any New Jersey high school. Room, board, and academic costs are covered by private and corporate donations.
It takes about 30 students a year. Each high school can submit only two applications, and the process runs through your school's director of guidance, not an online portal.
The application asks for essays, a sample research paper, two letters of recommendation, and your full transcript. That research paper sample matters. If you've never written one, start now, because you'll need it in junior year, and "I'll write it over winter break" is how most students end up not applying.
Princeton's Laboratory Learning Program
If you want real lab research for free, this is the closest thing in New Jersey. Princeton's Laboratory Learning Program, run by the university's Science Outreach office, places high school students in Princeton research groups for a full-time summer experience in the natural sciences and engineering.
To be eligible, you need to:
- Be at least 16 by mid-June of the program year
- Attend a local New Jersey high school (it's an outreach program for nearby districts)
- Be a U.S. citizen currently living in the United States
Two catches. First, Princeton doesn't provide housing or transportation, with no exceptions, so this only works if you can get to campus every day. Second, spots are very limited.
Recent graduates who aren't yet 18 by the mid-June cutoff can also apply, which makes it one of the few options on this list for students who just finished senior year.
The Princeton Summer Journalism Program
Not every free summer program in New Jersey is about science. The Princeton Summer Journalism Program is a free, year-long journalism and college-prep program for high school juniors from limited-income backgrounds. It's hosted in New Jersey but open to students anywhere in the U.S.
It's completely free. Princeton pays for housing, meals, and transportation for the in-person portion, including airfare and train tickets.
To apply, you need to be a junior with at least a 3.5 unweighted GPA and an interest in journalism. You don't need school newspaper experience. You also need to meet one income condition: family income of $60,000 or less, eligibility for free or reduced-price lunch, or eligibility for an SAT or ACT fee waiver.
The summer intensive happens after junior year. Then you work one-on-one with a college counselor through senior year, which is the part most students undervalue when they apply.
Why Most Students Miss Free Summer Programs in New Jersey
It's rarely because they weren't qualified. It's because of timing and nominations.
Three of the five programs above route applications through your high school. That means your counselor has to know you're interested before the school's internal deadline, which often comes weeks before the program's own deadline. A student who finds out about Governor's School in February has already missed it.
Counselors also manage hundreds of students. They aren't going to come find you. If you want a nomination, you have to ask, and you have to ask early.
How to Apply to Free Summer Programs for High School Students in New Jersey
Here's the order to work in during junior year:
- September: Pick your targets. Science, engineering, humanities, or journalism. Choose two or three programs from the table above that match.
- October: Meet your counselor. Say exactly which programs you want and ask about your school's internal nomination deadlines. Write them down.
- October–November: Ask for recommendations. Give teachers at least a month. Tell them which program it's for and what you'd like them to mention.
- November–December: Draft your essays and research sample. The New Jersey Scholars Program asks for a research paper. If you don't have one, our guide on how to start a research project in high school shows where to begin.
- January: Submit. School deadlines for Governor's School can fall in the first week of January. Don't plan on finishing over winter break.
- February–March: Apply to direct-application programs. Check the Princeton programs' sites for their current cycle.
- Spring: Line up a backup. Acceptance rates are low. Plan your summer as if you won't get in.
For more options outside New Jersey, our full list of free summer programs for high school students covers national programs, and our engineering summer programs guide covers paid and free engineering options.
What If You Don't Get Into a Free Program?
Our position: $5,000–$10,000 summer programs charge too much and deliver too little. Many are 10 weeks long, cohort-based, and end with rushed or half-finished work. They also match you with a mentor only after you've paid, so you don't know who you're getting. Don't panic-buy one just because the free programs said no.
You have better options. You can email professors at Rutgers, Princeton, NJIT, or Stevens directly. Most students never send that email, which is part of why the few who do get replies. Our cold email template for research shows exactly what to write.
Or you can do structured, one-on-one research. The Aspire Research Fellowship runs 12 weeks, pairs students in grades 8–11 with a mentor, and ends with a finished project with your name on it. Aspire has reached more than 20,000 students, the acceptance rate is about 10%, and it costs $2,997 (as low as $749 a month), with a two-week mentor matching process before the program starts. It's online, so it works whether you live in Newark, Princeton, or Cape May.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are there free summer programs for high school students in New Jersey?
Yes. The Governor's School of New Jersey, the New Jersey Scholars Program, Princeton's Laboratory Learning Program, and the Princeton Summer Journalism Program are all free for accepted students. Most are built for juniors, so you attend the summer before senior year.
Is the Governor's School of New Jersey free?
Yes. It's a tuition-free, residential summer program overseen by New Jersey's Office of the Secretary of Higher Education. It runs two tracks: the Governor's School in the Sciences at Drew University and the Governor's School of Engineering and Technology at Rutgers University.
How do I apply to the Governor's School of New Jersey?
Talk to your school counselor in the fall of junior year. Applications typically move through your high school, and some schools set internal deadlines as early as the first week of January. Accepted students for 2026 were notified in early April.
Does Princeton have a free summer program for high school students?
Yes, two. The Laboratory Learning Program is a free summer research experience in the sciences and engineering for students at local New Jersey high schools. The Princeton Summer Journalism Program is free for juniors from limited-income backgrounds and is open to students across the country.
Do free New Jersey summer programs cover housing?
It depends. Governor's School and the New Jersey Scholars Program are residential, with room and board covered. The Princeton Summer Journalism Program covers housing, meals, and travel. Princeton's Laboratory Learning Program does not provide housing or transportation.
What grade do you need to be in for free NJ summer programs?
Most of them are for juniors who will attend the summer before senior year, including Governor's School, the New Jersey Scholars Program, and the Princeton Summer Journalism Program. Princeton's Laboratory Learning Program uses an age cutoff instead: you need to be at least 16 by mid-June.
What should I do if I don't get into a free summer program in New Jersey?
Start an independent research project with a mentor, or email local professors at Rutgers, Princeton, NJIT, or Stevens about informal research roles. A finished project you own carries more weight with colleges than a program name on its own.
The Bottom Line
The best free summer programs for high school students in New Jersey are real, and they're worth the effort, but most of them close in January and route through your counselor. Pick your targets this fall, ask for a nomination early, and have your essays and research sample ready before winter break. If none of them come through, you can still finish a real research project of your own this year.
Apply to the Aspire Research Fellowship →
Looking for more structured options? Read our guide to high school research programs.