10 Finance Programs for Middle School Students
- Stephen Turban
- 11 minutes ago
- 7 min read
If you’re a middle school student exploring early opportunities in business, enrichment and life skills, choosing one of the right finance programs for middle school students can be a smart move. These types of programs offer exposure to college‑level academics and real‑life financial concepts, teach you practical skills like budgeting, investing and decision‑making, and provide a chance to meet industry professionals and peers who share your interests. They often do this without the massive expense of full summer board‑and‑tuition programs, in fact, some are free or heavily subsidized. If you’re curious about how the financial world works, getting involved in finance programs for middle school students gives you a head start on understanding money, markets and your future.
We’ve narrowed down a list of top finance programs for middle school students by considering how rigorous they are, how strong the networking opportunities are, whether they’re fully funded (or low cost), their selectivity, and whether they’re hosted by a respected organization. Below are ten programs you might explore if finance is something you want to learn more about.
10 Finance Programs for Middle School Students
Location: Remote
Cost/Stipend: Varies; Full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: 8-week program; multiple cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6-8
Lumiere’s Junior Explorers Program is a selective online research experience for middle school students, designed to build advanced academic writing and research skills. You begin by selecting a subject area, such as STEM, humanities, or social sciences, and are matched with a PhD-level mentor from a top university. Over the course of the program, you receive a structured introduction to your chosen field, then design and carry out an independent research project focused on a real-world question. To strengthen your writing and analytical abilities, you conclude the program by producing a formal research paper that presents your findings.
Location: UC Berkeley Haas School of Business (Online)
Cost: $1,895
Acceptance rate / Cohort size: Not publicly stated
Dates: February 1–April 15
Application Deadline: December 20
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8
Over the course of this 10-week virtual program, you’ll connect with middle school students nationwide to investigate how core business concepts intersect with emerging AI technologies. Through live Zoom classes and group-based assignments, you’ll dive into how artificial intelligence is reshaping industries and work on crafting your own AI-driven business solutions using frameworks like the Business Model Canvas. As you pitch your ideas, you’ll build essential skills in communication, teamwork, and creative thinking. Although the program isn’t structured as a traditional academic research experience, the guided project work and focus on practical, real-world problems make it a solid after-school choice for those curious about entrepreneurship and innovation.
Location: Remote
Cost: Varies; Full financial aid is available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Highly selective
Dates: Various cohorts throughout the year
Application Deadline: Varies by the cohort
Eligibility: Students in grades 6–8; no coding or technical background required
Veritas AI’s AI Trailblazers program introduces you to key concepts in artificial intelligence and machine learning through live instruction and collaborative learning. Over 25 hours, you learn Python programming, explore data analysis, and build models using regression and classification techniques. You receive personalized guidance through small-group mentoring, with a five-to-one student-to-mentor ratio. As the program progresses, you explore more advanced topics such as neural networks and AI ethics. A central part of the experience is the team-based capstone project, where you and a few peers apply your new skills to solve a real-world challenge and present your findings at the end.
4. Stanford Pre-Collegiate Summer Institutes – Business Courses
Location: Stanford University (Online)
Cost/Stipend: $3,080; additional course materials may cost up to $100. Need-based financial aid available.
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective admissions; exact acceptance rate not published
Dates: Session One: June 16–June 27; Session Two: July 7–July 18
Application Deadline: March 20
Eligibility: Students currently in grades 8–11 at the time of application
You’ll join students from around the world in this two-week, online enrichment program designed to explore advanced academic topics in depth. The program offers several business-focused courses, including Capital Markets and Investments, Strategic Marketing, and Introduction to Finance and Banking. Each course meets live for two hours daily, Monday through Friday, with additional activities such as office hours, group discussions, and student life workshops. Outside the classroom, you’ll participate in college admissions sessions, speaker panels, and community-building events that simulate the pre-college experience. While the program doesn’t offer academic credit, it provides written feedback and a Certificate of Completion, making it a well-rounded choice for students interested in finance programs for middle school students.
5. UMBC Middle School Summer Programs – Stock Market: Financial Literacy and Investment Strategy
Location: University of Maryland, Baltimore County, Baltimore, MD
Cost/Stipend: $374; no application fee listed; lunch available for purchase on campus
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment, space-limited
Dates: June 23–June 27
Application Deadline: Rolling admission until capacity is reached
Eligibility: Rising 6th to 8th grade students
In this hands-on afternoon course, you’ll explore how investing works and what it takes to make smart financial decisions. You’ll dive into stock market basics, test different investment strategies, and even get a taste of advanced topics like options trading. As part of the experience, you’ll compete in a stock market simulation game for a chance to win Amazon gift cards. The program encourages active participation and challenges you to think critically about budgeting, saving, and growing money. It’s a practical and engaging entry point into finance programs for middle school students, especially if you’re interested in applying math skills to real-world scenarios.
Location: Carlson School of Management, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN
Cost/Stipend: Free
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Not published; students must apply and be selected
Dates: July 24–28, July 31–August 4, or August 7–11
Application Deadline: Not listed; early inquiry recommended
Eligibility: Rising 7th and 8th grade students; priority given to those from underrepresented backgrounds in business
You’ll spend a week on the University of Minnesota campus developing leadership skills and exploring what a future in business could look like. This free, day-long summer camp includes business classes in marketing, finance, and presentation skills, as well as team-building workshops and identity-centered learning. Throughout the week, you’ll prepare a group case study and deliver a final presentation, one of the program’s highlights. Site visits to local businesses like Best Buy and U.S. Bank add real-world perspective to what you learn in the classroom. If you're looking into finance programs for middle school students and want something that connects you to higher education and professional spaces, this is a strong option.
Location: Boston, MA | Cambridge, MA
Cost/Stipend: Not listed; financial assistance readily available
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment; space is limited
Dates: August 5–9 (Boston), August 12–16 (Cambridge)
Application Deadline: Rolling until sessions are full
Eligibility: Level 1 for rising 5th–7th graders; Level 2 for rising 8th–10th graders
This five-day, in-person summer program helps you explore social entrepreneurship by building a business around something that matters to you. Each day, you’ll work through a project-based curriculum that introduces core entrepreneurial concepts like pitching, product development, and business planning. You get to choose your own topic, receive feedback from mentors, and present your ideas at a final Expo event. The program centers on helping you develop real-world skills in public speaking, leadership, and creative thinking, with a focus on social impact. If you're searching for finance programs for middle school students that combine purpose with practical business tools, this one stands out for its mission-driven approach.
Location: Virtual (live online sessions)
Cost/Stipend: $425 per week; no application fee; no mention of financial aid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Weekly sessions available throughout summer; each session runs Monday through Friday
Application Deadline: Rolling admission until full
Eligibility: Ages 8–16
In just one week, you’ll take a business idea from brainstorming to launch, all from your own home. Through three live Zoom sessions each day, you’ll explore how businesses work, create a product or service that solves a real problem, and learn to pitch your idea to a panel of mentors. You’ll also conduct market research, build a basic financial plan, and even make your first real sales. Camp leaders have startup experience, and their mentorship guides you through real-time challenges that build resilience, confidence, and business sense. As far as finance programs for middle school students go, this one emphasizes doing over studying, making it a hands-on introduction to money management and entrepreneurship.
Location: Virtual
Cost/Stipend: $425 per week; no application fee; no mention of financial aid
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Open enrollment
Dates: Weekly sessions available throughout summer; each session runs Monday through Friday
Application Deadline: Rolling admission until full
Eligibility: Ages 8–16
In just one week, you’ll take a business idea from brainstorming to launch, all from your own home. Through three live Zoom sessions each day, you’ll explore how businesses work, create a product or service that solves a real problem, and learn to pitch your idea to a panel of mentors. You’ll also conduct market research, build a basic financial plan, and even make your first real sales. Camp leaders have startup experience, and their mentorship guides you through real-time challenges that build resilience, confidence, and business sense. As far as finance programs for middle school students go, this one emphasizes doing over studying, making it a hands-on introduction to money management and entrepreneurship.
Location: New York University, New York, NY
Cost/Stipend: Free; includes meals and MTA transit during the summer
Acceptance rate/cohort size: Selective; cohort size not published
Dates: July 6–July 31
Application Deadline: March 31
Eligibility: Rising 8th and 9th grade students attending a NYC public school (charter and home school students also considered)
This four-week commuter program offers you the chance to dive into college-style courses and explore future careers, including a business track led by NYU’s Stern School of Business faculty. If accepted, you’ll spend your summer weekdays from 8:00 AM to 2:30 PM engaging in lectures, workshops, and field trips designed to simulate the college experience. In the business-focused sessions, you’ll learn about economics, marketing, entrepreneurship, and more while also hearing from professionals at companies like Google and EY. The program also includes “Practice Labs” throughout the school year that offer coaching and ongoing career exposure. Among finance programs for middle school students, this one offers a long-term, six-year pathway of support that’s both immersive and completely cost-free.
Lydia is an alumna from Harvard University and studied Molecular and Cellular Biology & Economics. In high school, she was the captain of her high school’s Academic Decathlon team and attended the Governor's School of Engineering and Technology. She is working as a life sciences consultant after graduation.
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