General Application Process
RoboAcad is a bringing together of a remarkable set of talents, experiences, leadership, and enthusiasm. Each intern will have much to offer, as well as much to learn. Therefore, we are looking for candidates who are prepared to travel to the San Francisco Bay Area in a spirit of collegiality, teamwork, and the willingness to dive into a new set of experiences. RoboAcad Interns and Group Leaders will be selected based on their excellence in academic performance, demonstrated prior involvement in robotics, and propensity for teamwork.

The minimum requirements for eligibility to apply to be a RoboAcad College Intern are:

• Must be a U.S. Citizen or be a U.S. Permanent Resident (with a current Green Card)
• Must be 18 years of age or older by June 1, 2016
• Must have a GPA of 3.5 or higher on a 4.0 Scale
• Must be a Sophomore, Junior, or Senior at an accredited College, University, or Technical School
• Must secure financial sponsorship from a third party of $4,000. (See Note below on sponsorship)

Sponsorship Issues:
The ARC Robotics Academy is currently under funded and no scholarships are available this year. To be considered as a potential applicant a third party must be identified to pay the $4,000 stipend. In addition it is recommended that students secure a living allowance of about $1,000 per month for lodging, transportation, and food. For those students coming from outside the bay area a travel allotment should also be acquired. The primary source to apply for this type of financial assistance is NASA Space Grant Consortium Each state varies however most States require for your math scores to be in the A to B+ range to be sponsored. Most States will provide the $4K stipend and small travel allowance. A few students are occasionally fortunate enough to obtain the Stipend, Living Allowance, and Travel allotment. Some states will only provide a partial stipend and nothing else. Some states may have already awarded their allotments to other applicants. In this case, if you attend college out of state you may also attempt to acquire funding from the Space Grant Consortium of that other state. Other sources for sponsorship may be Universities, Minority Programs, Community Service Organizations and even the occasional small business. For students travelling from outside the Bay Area that do not receive any travel or living allowance they must receive a $4K stipend.

In the event that the total stipend is not acquired the intern may submit a request for "Academy Participation Under Reduced Compensation." Leveraging free housing from friends, families, and associates can sometimes make the summer affordable. However sleeping in cars, camping near the center or requesting to stay at one of the other students lodgings after arrival is not acceptable.

The ideal candidate will also have:

Be able to work in an independent environment successfully

High achievement in math, engineering, and technology

Formal experience in the field of robotics (such as FIRST, VEX, or Botball)

There are no planned RoboAcad sessions at NASA Ames Research Center.