The Horowitz Andreessen Academy has opened applications for its first cohort, a one-year, tuition-free fellowship for young people who want to build projects in San Francisco instead of following a conventional college curriculum. The school expects about 50 students to begin in September 2027.
Gagan Biyani, the Academy's founder and CEO, says the company raised $42 million in a round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The Academy says a16z incubated the separate, for-profit education company and is investing $35 million. Marc Andreessen and Erik Torenberg are joining Biyani on its board.
Projects first, credentials absent
The program is built around projects students choose themselves, with weekly progress discussions, practitioner-taught courses and mentoring. The Academy says students will spend at least three months working full-time inside a company and receive a $5,000 budget for independent research and travel abroad. Its founding partners include Anthropic, Google, Meta, NVIDIA and OpenAI, among others. Those companies may provide curriculum input, hardware, computing resources or opportunities, depending on the partner.
The school is not accredited, and the fellowship awards neither a college degree nor college credit. The Academy does not guarantee a company placement, a paid co-op or a job. Biyani says it eventually plans a tuition-charging two-year program, but that would depend on regulatory approval.
Who can apply, and what “free” covers
Applicants must finish high school or an equivalent qualification by August 2027. Students who will have completed more than one year of full-time college after high school by then are ineligible. The admissions page says selection will emphasize a portfolio or other evidence of work, though applicants must also submit test scores and a transcript. The early application deadline is November 5, 2026; a regular round is scheduled for January 15, 2027, if places remain.
There is no tuition for the founding fellowship, but students must arrange and pay for housing, meals and other living costs in San Francisco. The Academy says need-based help with some living expenses may be available. It does not participate in federal or state financial aid programs, according to its FAQ.
