Tuition & Payment
The Launch program includes skills training and placement into paid summer internships.
Make an investment in your future
The Launch program will open doors for you far beyond one summer internship. All Launch internships are paid and you will not owe any tuition until you've started earning money from your internship. Best of all, we guarantee that you will earn at least $4,380 after paying tuition.*
*Does not account for taxes. Taxes vary by individual, we encourage you to use a tax calculator to determine how much you will pay in taxes.
We built Launch to complement higher education. Our program offers practical insights for what is taught in university classrooms. Some students incur debt for skills that don’t always align with the needs of employers. Traditional institutions may lack the incentive to ensure their graduates are ready for high-paying jobs. Launch aims to address this gap by aligning our values with yours, providing a transparent approach to costs and payment structures. Our goal is to enhance your educational journey and better prepare you for success in the job market. This page contains all the details you need.
*Does not account for taxes. Taxes vary by individual, we encourage you to use a tax calculator to determine how much you will pay in taxes.
We built Launch to complement higher education. Our program offers practical insights for what is taught in university classrooms. Some students incur debt for skills that don’t always align with the needs of employers. Traditional institutions may lack the incentive to ensure their graduates are ready for high-paying jobs. Launch aims to address this gap by aligning our values with yours, providing a transparent approach to costs and payment structures. Our goal is to enhance your educational journey and better prepare you for success in the job market. This page contains all the details you need.
How tuition and payment works
Pay a deposit to secure your spot
When you accept your offer to join the program, you'll pay a $500 deposit to secure your spot. This non-refundable deposit will go towards your total tuition.
Receive internship payment from your company
All Launch internships are paid. Launch internships pay between $23-$25 per hour, or about $8,280-$9,000 total before taxes and tuition. Pay rates vary by company, location, and skill track. You'll always know payment information up-front for each opportunity, before interviewing with a company.
In 2025, the median pay is $24 per hour and median take home pay after paying tuition is $4,740. All internships pay a minimum of $23 per hour. Internships are 9 weeks long, full-time (expect approximately 40 hours per week).
In 2025, the median pay is $24 per hour and median take home pay after paying tuition is $4,740. All internships pay a minimum of $23 per hour. Internships are 9 weeks long, full-time (expect approximately 40 hours per week).
Pay program tuition to Forge
Launch program tuition is $3,900. After submitting your initial deposit, you will pay the remaining $3,400 over the summer after you start your internship and begin getting paid. We designed the program this way because we think the traditional payment models for higher education and skills training bootcamps put undue burden on students.
We built Launch to challenge this traditional model and to purposefully align our incentives to better serve students. Transparency is important to us, so we will tell you what your tuition goes towards so that you can understand the investment that you are making.
We built Launch to challenge this traditional model and to purposefully align our incentives to better serve students. Transparency is important to us, so we will tell you what your tuition goes towards so that you can understand the investment that you are making.
What tuition includes
- One-on-one resume support
- One-on-one and group interview practice
- Training on key professional skills like creating clear and engaging presentations, communication skills, and receiving and implementing feedback
- 160+ hours of technical skills training in your field (software engineering, digital marketing, or data science)
- Curated, exclusive internship opportunities
- Internship placement with one of our 200+ company partners
- Forge community membership, which offers free access to alumni panels, workshops, social events, and more
Financial Aid
Launch has provided a transformative experience for more than 600 students over the last seven years. Our unique training and internship placement model is a proven investment into your future earning potential. Participation in this program can drastically grow your technical skills, professional networks, and confidence.
It's important to us that the Launch program is accessible to a broader community of students. We understand that every student's circumstances are unique, so we offer aid for a limited number of students with significant and demonstrated financial need. At this time, only admitted students receiving financial aid from their college or university are eligible to apply for financial aid for the Launch program.
If you would like to apply for an application fee waiver, please email financialaid@joinforge.co to request it. You may apply for financial aid once you are accepted into our program.
We are also aiming to increase the number of students we can assist every year, if you are interested in donating to support our financial aid program please visit our support page.
It's important to us that the Launch program is accessible to a broader community of students. We understand that every student's circumstances are unique, so we offer aid for a limited number of students with significant and demonstrated financial need. At this time, only admitted students receiving financial aid from their college or university are eligible to apply for financial aid for the Launch program.
If you would like to apply for an application fee waiver, please email financialaid@joinforge.co to request it. You may apply for financial aid once you are accepted into our program.
We are also aiming to increase the number of students we can assist every year, if you are interested in donating to support our financial aid program please visit our support page.
Email us at launch@joinforge.co with any questions. We know how important it is to understand and feel comfortable with how payment works for the program.